Brrrrrrrrrr it’s getting chilly outside! With the pouring rains and powdery snows, now is the time to grab a few friends or family members and huddle up around the campfire. With Tinderblox, the newest game from Alley Cat Games, players will be testing their dexterity as they build the fire themselves. Each game is playable for 2-6 players and can be played in 3-15 minutes — or mere seconds if you’re a klutz like me! While we won’t be roasting marshmallows or making s’mores on these fires, you are more than welcome to bring other snacks, and Tinderblox will provide the fun.

Tinderblox made its appearance as part of a joint Kickstarter campaign alongside a second pocket-sized game called Kittin in February of 2020. Both games feature art from Rory Muldoon, who has also illustrated and is the co-designer of Skora. Muldoon also provided illustrations for the upcoming Tessera from Board Game Hub. During the Kickstarter, Tinderblox, designed by Rob Sparks, was available in either a “Day” or “Night” version. The “Night” version was Kickstarter exclusive and included advanced cards not found in the “Day” version as well as different cover art. This review is based on the “Night” version of the game.

When playing Tinderblox, the game is played mostly right out of the tin! The Campfire card is placed in the middle of the playing area with the shuffled instruction cards placed face down as a draw deck nearby. The ember cubes and logs remain in the tin for easy access and are simply mixed together. Before the game can begin, the campfire must first be prepped using three logs placed on the Campfire card based on its visual diagram (there are two options in the “Night” version). Beginning with the player who last went camping, players will take turns flipping cards to be given a shape they must add to the common campfire without toppling the blaze. This is not as easy as it sounds, however, as the additions to the fire must first be built and then transported via tongs as one piece to the campfire. Certain cards will also require players to do this with their non-dominant hand. Should a player drop a piece of their creation onto the Campfire card or topple the constructed pyre, they are eliminated. The game typically lasts less than 20 minutes and goes in turns until the last player remains.

Personally, I love games that come in small packages and appreciate them more when they incorporate their packaging into the gameplay! While it isn’t entirely necessary to use the tin to hold the components, doing so does keep the play area clean and makes this a great game to take on the go since everything is more or less contained. As the game is completely language independent, Tinderblox is one that I feel can be played by players of almost any age. Though Tinderblox is technically played with 2+ players, there’s very little reason why someone couldn’t solo it if they desired. I, myself, have spent hours trying my hand and my patience just trying to see how many cards I can get through and how high I can build my campfire. As I am a bit of a klutz, this is definitely a great game to hone my skills with! My only concern is that some of the logs were not uniform in size or shape in my copy, but I choose to look at that as just being more of a challenge as this is meant to be a dexterity stacking game. With Tinderblox’s quick play times and lighthearted fun, it is quite easy to forget the chill outside, but do be careful as it is easy to get burned when playing with fire!

All photos of Alley Cat Games products were taken and edited by Krista unless otherwise stated.