Quick Look: Chocobo Party Up!

June 26, 2019 by cassn

Cass takes a Kweh Look at Chocobo Party Up!, a fun family movement game about guiding new Chocobo pals back to your nest!

In Chocobo Party Up!, 1-4 players take on the roles of different-coloured Chocobo families living at opposite ends of a forest which surrounds a magical fountain. On their turn, players travel into the forest and sound their Chocobo cry, calling their Chocobo pals forward from the woods, and then directing them back to their nests!

Based on the Final Fantasy franchise, in Chocobo Party Up! each player starts the game with two coloured Chocobos in their nest and a fat Chocobo in reserve. On their turn, players go through up to six actions. Players roll the dice to determine their movement, then either use a card, or call their fat Chocobo.

Players can then move their Chocobos (the fat Chocobo cannot be moved on the turn it is placed), cry out for new Chocobo pals, and check their hand size and whether they meet the victory condition. The first Choco-clan to guide six Chocobo pals to their nest for a Chocobo party is the winner!

Chocobo Party Up! has a lot to appreciate, both mechanically and aesthetically. The components are high-quality, the board is well-designed, and the art is beautiful. My personal favourite piece is the fat Chocobo piece, whose smiling face makes him an excellent chonky Chocobo.

Chocobo Party Up! also has a lot to offer in mechanics. While the simplicity of movement means the whole family can understand the rules easily, there are also strategic options within the gameplay. Chocobo Friend cards feature some of your favourite Final Fantasy characters, such as Moogles and Typhoon and allow special actions, such as blowing other players back to their nests.

Meanwhile 'Kicking' - where a fat Chocobo or a pair of identical coloured Chocobos can 'kick' other Chocobos off a space - can be used to redirect all Chocobo pals on that space to follow their Chocobois home instead.

Overall, Chocobo Party Up! is a delightful, adorable game which will appeal to Final Fantasy fans, younger gamers, and anyone who likes cute games about the best birbs ever created. It is currently available for pre-order from Square Enix here.

Kweh Kweh!