Quacks

2-4

Players

Minutes

10+

Age

2018

Published

Designer Wolfgang Warsch
Publisher CMYK , Schmidt Spiele , 999 Games , Arclight Games , Brain Games
Illustration Dennis Lohausen , Ryogo Toyoda

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What to Expect

You play a quack doctor drawing ingredients from your personal bag and building a potion, placing ingredients further into the pot for higher value. Draw too many explosive ingredients and your pot can explode, forcing trade-offs at round end. After each round you earn points and coins to buy new ingredients; exploded pots must choose between points or coins. The game runs for nine rounds and mixes bag-building with risk-taking.

Who Is This Game For?

Suited for families and gateway-to-enthusiast players who want tactical choices without heavy rules. Recommended from age 10 for 2–4 players. A typical game lasts about 45 minutes, fitting a standard game night.

How It Works

Core mechanics include Deck/Bag/Pool Building, Dice Rolling/Die Icon Resolution and Push-Your-Luck (with Catch the Leader, Delayed Purchase and Events present). Players simultaneously draw ingredient chips from their bags and place them in a pot pattern that determines value; coins earned let you buy new ingredients to improve your bag. Explosions force tough decisions about scoring versus income. Play proceeds over multiple rounds with purchases between rounds.

Catch the Leader Deck, Bag, and Pool Building Delayed Purchase Dice Rolling Die Icon Resolution Events

What Makes It Special

Designed by Wolfgang Warsch; Quacks won Golden Geek Best Family Board Game in 2018 (winner) and received several other nominations that year. Its signature blend of bag-building and push-your-luck defines its appeal. The game is also known as The Quacks of Quedlinburg.

Awards

Winner
2018

2018 Board Game Quest Awards Best Family Game — Nominated
2018 Cardboard Republic Daredevil Laurel — Winner

Pro

Blend of bag-building and push-your-luck
Easy-to-learn core loop
Around 45 minutes per game for 2–4 players
Award recognition: Golden Geek Best Family Board Game (2018, winner)

Contra

Luck from bag draws can frustrate some players
May feel light for hardcore hobbyists

Setting & Atmosphäre

You are a charlatan on the market in Quedlinburg mixing potions, balancing valuable ingredients against the risk of an exploding brew. The game carries a medieval-fantasy market theme.

Tipp für Einsteiger

Focus on understanding how purchases change your bag composition and experience a few rounds to gauge acceptable risk before pushing too far.

Häufige Fragen

Can I play this solo?

No; the data lists Quacks for 2–4 players (no solo mode indicated).

How long does a game really take?

The listed duration is about 45 minutes; first plays with explanation may run longer.

What prior experience do I need?

No deep prior experience required; suitable for families and gateway players from age 10.

How does this compare to similar games?

Quacks stands out by combining bag-building with explicit push-your-luck decisions, emphasizing risk management and bag optimization.

Is this suitable for families?

Yes — recommended from age 10 and recognized with Golden Geek Best Family Board Game 2018.

What mechanic makes it special?

The Bag-Building mechanic paired with Push-Your-Luck/Die Icon Resolution is the defining feature.

Fazit

Quacks offers an accessible bag-building risk puzzle for 2–4 players, ideal for families and light-to-medium weight gamers. If you like incremental engine growth plus push-your-luck moments, this is a strong pick.