Review - Raptor (2015) - Matagot

I am always on the lookout for a good 2-player game for us. This one has been on my radar for a while, and I was able to trade for a copy (and right after I did, it went back into print). So, I figure now would be a good time to review it.

Mama Raptor has escaped from her run and laid her eggs in the park. A team of scientists must neutralize her and capture the baby raptors before they run wild into the forest.

Raptor is a card driven boardgame with tactical play and some double guessing. Players use their cards to move their pawns (scientists on one side, Mother and baby raptors on the other) on the board. Every round, the player who played the lowest ranked card can use the corresponding action, while his opponent has movement / attack points equal to the difference between the two cards values. The scientists can use fire, can move by jeep on the tracks, and can even call for reinforcements, while the mamma raptor can hide in the bushes, yell to frighten the scientists, and call for her babies.

Catch the raptors before mama raptor catches you.

So it's the Tylersaurus Vs the Dadentists. We set the board up and play our cards, and right off the bat, Ty has two babies escape....Hmmm.. that did not go as planned. The next round, I played a high card and was able to get several action points and take down 2 raptors, meaning there was only one baby left (cue intense dinosaur music here). The next two we both drew the same number, cancelling each other out. I inched closer the next turn as Tyler played a card bringing the baby right next to the mama. He then played the hide card, but I was able to grab the baby before he reappeared, and I won the game!

 
Dad:

"I like the ability to set fires so that the baby raptors are contained. When I play again I will use this advantage right away if I can."








Tyler:

"The mama raptor figure is really cool looking. I like how big it is compared to the other pieces."

Dad:

"The game plays fast, and one wrong decision can cost you the game early. I am a big fan of simultaneous action games and this does that very well. It balances powerful specific actions very well vs action points for the other player."

3.5/5

Tyler:

"I do not like that the babies have to escape the board and the scientists can just pick them up and they are take off the board where they are. For theme purposes it would make more sense that the scientists also would have to take the baby raptors off the board."

2/5