Wouter & Ymke 
Food has always been a source of inspiration, bringing people together and sparking joy in our lives. It’s no surprise that it also serves as a delightful inspiration for games. Picky Eaters is a card game that captures the essence of preparing a feast with a fun twist – serving a group of five picky dinner guests. The game is a beautiful fusion of strategy and the vibrant world of food, as players strive to impress the guests with their culinary skills.
👥 2-6 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 20-40 minutes
📝 Designers: Tanya Basu & Avi Setton
🎨 Artwork: Alex Hoskins
🏢 Publisher: Le Fou
Picky Eaters is played over five rounds, each composed of five steps. In the very first step, a new guest makes an appearance at the dinner table. The game then moves to the market phase, where players will find a variety of food cards displayed face-up. This bustling market should be stocked with a number of food cards equal to double the total number of players. Any cards that remain unclaimed by the end of the round are discarded.
🍽️ As the game progresses, players are dealt five food cards each. These cards should be kept secret, as they are the players’ hidden treasures and ingredients. If anyone finds themselves holding more than ten cards, they must discard the extras before moving on.
🔄 It’s now time for action! Each player, beginning with the first, takes a turn to perform an action. These turns cycle through until all players have passed. There are five enticing actions to choose from. Players can snatch a food card from the market or don their chef hats to prepare a recipe. Preparing a recipe requires matching a recipe card with its listed ingredients. If successful, the ingredients are discarded, and the recipe card is placed in front of the player, occupying one of the five recipe slots. A clever workaround for a missing ingredient is discarding three other cards, but this can only be done once for each recipe.
Additionally, players can play an item card from their hand, or choose to refresh their hand by discarding two cards to draw a new one from the food deck. Finally, a player can decide to pass if they are satisfied or unable to take more actions.
🎉 The game concludes after the fifth round. It’s time to calculate the scores. Each recipe a player has prepared counts as two points. However, guests have their preferences, and these can influence the points. Favorites add a generous four points, likes add two points, but dislikes and restrictions deduct one and three points, respectively. After adding up all the points, the player with the highest score gets the esteemed title of Top Chef!
Picky Eaters, crafted by the new company Le Fou, is the brainchild of Tanya Basu and Avi Setton. With delightful illustrations by Alex Hoskins, this card game is sure to catch your eye. The rules are as simple as pie, making it a breeze to learn and explain. It’s perfect for families and anyone looking for a dash of fun.
🎴 The game is a fusion of hand management and set collection, with a sprinkle of playful competition. It’s an ideal introduction to the world of card games and can be played with a cozy group of up to 6 players. Each game takes around 20 to 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for a quick get-together.
🍽️ As you step into Picky Eaters, you’ll entertain guests with diverse tastes. Guest cards pop up at the beginning of each round, and by the time five guests have shown up, it’s time to wrap up the party. These guests have their own taste buds – some dishes will make them happy, while others, not so much. You have to be a clever chef, as preparing dishes that align with their preferences can score you big points, but be careful – some may lose you points!
🌶️ Item cards in Picky Eaters add a zesty twist. For instance, throw an “Extra Seasoning” card into an opponent’s dish to make it less appealing to guests. You can shield your recipes with a “Lid” card or use “Fancy Silverware” for bonus points. But remember, the silverware occupies one of your precious recipe slots, and you only have five. You can swap out a recipe when playing a new one, but if an opponent slips a “Heavy Plate” card on it, it’s stuck there.
🔍 Now, let’s take a step back. What’s the bottom line? Picky Eaters is a flavorful blend of fun, strategy, and a dash of luck, as you strive to satisfy your guests’ palettes and rack up the most points. It’s like a culinary adventure in a box: where strategy, fun, and delectable dilemmas meet!
📝 Disclaimer: We received a prototype copy of Picky Eaters from Tanya and Avi from Le Fou. All the components and rules discussed are based on this prototype and might change. We’d like to thank the publishers for this opportunity and encourage our readers to support this up-and-coming publisher.
