MATH FLUXX

The Fluxx line of games from Looney Labs has  expanded over the years to incorporate both different genres and the goal of educating its players.  Math Fluxx aims for the latter mission, as players rely on numbers to achieve victory.

Math Fluxx starts much like previous players versions of Fluxx.  The basic rule has players drawing one card and playing one card.  Players place Keepers in front of them, and if a player's Keepers match a Goal in play, that player wins.  A player can also play Actions and New Rules to affect gameplay, and these will be ones that have appeared in previous versions of Fluxx.

So what's new?  The numbers.  All the Keepers are digits from zero to 9, and these are all the players have to work with throughout the game.  The goals represent this, whether Numbers Be Hungry (7, 8, 9), the Ultimate Answer (42, a shout-out to Douglas Adams), Yin Yang (which could have been a lot dirtier), or something as easy as Lowest Score or Today's Date.

You wouldn't expect something as simple as making all the Keepers be numbers would make for an entertaining game, but Math Fluxx winds up both fun and informative.  Having all Keepers be numerals makes it easier to achieve the Goals in the game, speeding things up; and some Rules let you add or multiply cards to achieve a victory.  And younger players will learn about addition and multiplication when playing this.  Math Fluxx is the numerical Fluxx game that's smart and fun.

Overall grade: A-

Reviewed by James Lynch