Review: Enjoy some simplicity in that old wallpaper

When you pick up a game called That Old Wallpaper, a beautiful and fun puzzle game is not what you would come up with. However, this adorable little game has a lot of charm and replay value, even if it’s quite simple.

The gameplay is pretty simple. Players are trying to build a background that matches in color and shape. There isn’t much to the actual gameplay other than how to get background pieces. Players must blindly bid to draw segments which are then added to their growing background. It gets a little more complicated here or there, but after playing a quick round of bidding and placing, the game is very easy to understand for a wide variety of players.

Probably the most interesting and dynamic part of the game is the drawing system. It’s quite complex to explain here (even unnecessary), but I found it to be great for both player interaction and not punishing when bad luck happens. While it may require a lot of initial explaining, eight-year-olds and much older players are able to grasp the concepts with just a little patience.

While there is very little variety in the actual game, there are enough great core puzzle mechanics and player interaction to feel like something as strong as Bananagrams or Scrabble. Some possible asymmetries in player colors or abilities added to individual players could have made things more fun or fresh, but as it is, it’s a great party/arcade card game. I was really impressed with this little game and it’s worth checking out regardless of experience or age of the player. It might not become a new favorite for a group of gamers or a family, but it can definitely add some extra flair and fun to any game collection.