Around the World in 10-15 Minutes Preview

My wife and I LOVE to travel. We used to travel so much before we started having children. We are having them grow up a little before we start jetsetting and cruising with them. I just know they are going to love traveling as much as we have. I mean, I only have two continents checked off for myself: North America and Europe. There are so many places I want to visit – Japan, New Zealand, India, Costa Rica, Tunisia, Santorini, Venice, and a re-visit to Spain. Oy, I better get going! The next best thing is play a game about world-traveling. Right?

Around the World in 10-15 Minutes is a PNP following game of visiting awesome locations and taking in the scenery and culture. The rules say it’s for 1-20 players, but I don’t see why you couldn’t have 50 or more players – you are only limited by the number of sheets and players. The winner of the game is they who are able to amass the most points by visiting locations, exploring the different cities, and collecting souvenirs from their travels.

DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview PNP components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to back the Kickstarter campaign, purchase a copy from the publisher directly, or any of your favorite retailers upon fulfillment. -T

As this is a PNP game, setup could not be easier. Simply print off a map, grab a writing utensil, and you’re off! For this preview I am playing the solo version, but will point out the differences in the game modes (multiplayer vs. solo). The solo version requires the player to also use 2d6 in place of other players.

In multiplayer mode, one player acts as Navigator for the turn. They will choose one action to perform for the turn. The Navigator ONLY is able to complete this action once OR twice, but each other player is able to follow the Navigator’s action ONE time. The actions are: Travel (moving from one location to another via the routes printed on the map), Explore (taking in the sights provided by Continent on which you have landed by choosing one of the printed icons), or Collect a Souvenir (by marking off an icon found at the city you are currently visiting).

So for example, the Navigator chooses to Travel. They may Travel one or even two connected cities away. Each player that decides to follow this action may also take the Travel action once. The next player then becomes the new Navigator. Let’s say they choose to take the Explore action. This current Navigator may then Explore twice while all other players may Explore once. Play continues in this manner until one player has visited at least one city in each continent and returned to their starting city. The round continues from this point and one final round is then played. Player count up points as dictated at the bottom of the map to determine the winner!

Solo rules are a bit different. There will not be a Navigator/follower relationship. Instead, each game of Around the World in 10-15 Minutes will be played over the course of 10 rounds. Actions are also decided not by the player but by a roll of the 2d6. The total rolled is compared to the provided table, which informs the player which actions are to be taken this round. Some roll results provide the player with just one action, while others provide two (the same or different actions). Points are awarded and scored similarly to the multiplayer mode, but the solo player will begin their quest to best their previous high scores.

Components. Well, it’s a sheet of paper. However, the map is laid out well, most everything fits within the map constraints, and it does look pretty amazing. I say most everything fits, because I did find myself searching around quite a bit to find the correct icons belonging to the city I was in, and they weren’t always in the spots my eyes wanted to go. This is amplified even more if you print off the ink-saving black and white map. I find that the color map is definitely the way to go if you have the ink to spare. Bonus tip – I will be laminating several color maps for repeated plays in the future.

The rules state that this game is intended for players aged eight and older. I disagree. My boy is seven right now and he absolutely ADORES playing this solo. Yes, he’s a big fan of dice like his old man, but the rules are light enough for him to follow and enjoy playing. That said, I truly believe this is a VERY approachable game, and one that can be brought out for your entire family. I can see playing this with my in-laws (who are in their 70s) and them loving it. It truly takes only 10-15 minutes, and there is a big sense of accomplishment when you see your map at game end.

I have grown to really appreciate simplicity in game design. I believe people call it, “elegance.” If I am correct, this is a beautiful example of elegant design. It doesn’t necessarily bring anything groundbreakingly new to the table, but the way in which the mechanics are presented can speak to gamers of all ages and preferences. When playing multiplayer I really do not care about beating my other playmates, I just want to do better than I did before.

If you are in the market for an affordable option for your PNP collection, or even for your filler collection, that I urge you to consider backing Around the World in 10-15 Minutes on Kickstarter. With an excellent fun-to-dollar ratio, pretty sweet graphical layout, and dead-easy rules, this one should be played indefinitely, and certainly will be in the Lopez household. Come on over if you ever want to see the world with us. We would love to bring you along!