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Quick take:Don't worry, it's good. A worthy use of the award-winning video game's IP, Portal: the Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game is very good. For fans of the Portal series (like me), it's great. It would also be fun without the Portal universe supporting it, which certainly is the mark of a great licensed game. The videogame was groundbreaking; the boardgame isn't quite that but the core gameplay mechanics are still unique and interesting,PositivesThe game, at its simplest, works like this: use your Test Subjects to gain Cake and/or more Test Subjects. Once you have more Cake on the board than your opponents, you will try to end the game by getting rid of all of your own or one opponents' Test Subjects. However, if you're too slow at doing this, you leave your opponents with an opening to add Cake to the board with their own (dwindling) Test Subjects and turn the tables by taking advantage of your "help." This balancing act makes for a fascinating game.The board itself is also unique. It is made up of fifteen interlocking tiles that create the Laboratory. Familiar Portal staples such as Test Subjects, Cake, a Turret, a Companion Cube, and portal tokens will be moved around on these tiles. Every turn, each player is required to choose a tile on the "old end" of the Laboratory to activate. The tile will give bonuses to Test Subjects on the tile and then flip over to the "new end" of the Laboratory, creating a constantly changing and recycling board. It's the good kind of chaotic, especially with three or four players.The Aperture cards that players will use throughout the game are also a great addition. They can be quite powerful, but they are easy to obtain so other players aren't at a disadvantage. The cards are especially interesting because the other side of each card has a unique character from the Portal universe which alters the game for all players. So, you'll play one of Aperture cards that allows you to destroy a Test Subject, but which in turn activates "Chell." Chell allows the next player to freely move a Portal token to any Test Chamber, potentially a very powerful ability. More often than not, every decision in the game has these cause/effect scenarios and the board often changes quickly and dramatically.I would be remiss to mention the inclusion of the Portal universe. The miniature Test Subjects, miniature Companion Cube, and miniature Turret match the look and feel from the videogame, and the colored cake pieces are a cool touch. The Aperture cards are interesting and thematic. The sardonic humor of the original game comes through even in the very premise of this game: doing whatever you can to gain Cake and often sacrificing your own Test Subjects in the process. The namesake portal tokens for jumping around the board are there but aren't the focal point. Which is fine.NegativesThe concept of the interlocking tiles and the constantly recycling game board is a good enough concept to base a game on. However, it isn't perfectly accomplished. The pieces are smaller than Catan tiles, with additional tabs that are meant to lock into each other so that the board can be easily shifted on the table. Some tabs fit, but many others don't or they fit too well and make it difficult to pull the tile up. This isn't a game breaker but it's something you'll quickly notice as you play.From a thematic perspective, GLaDOS doesn't really play any kind of role, which is a little disappointing since the Companion Cube, Turret, Cake, Test Subjects, and portals are used throughout in gameplay. She doesn't even have her own Aperture card. Still, a minor qualm.Final ThoughtsWhen I heard that Valve was involved with developing a Portal boardgame, I knew that we would have to check it out. I'm happy to relay that it's a lot of fun. With two players it's quite strategic, though can sometimes trigger long thinking turns for AP prone players. Three and four player games are more chaotic and tactical, with the game board changing dramatically by the time it gets back to you for your turn. There is a ton of player interaction, both direct and indirect.It's a special kind of fun to grab your opponent's Cake and march through a portal, activating a test chamber and incinerating their Cake piece in the process. You'll make constant risk/reward decisions like this, sometimes teetering on the brink of being eliminated until you have enough Cake to win the game by intentionally walking your Test Subject into a Turret. Games will usually end quickly and abruptly like this.Overall, the game is one of the more unique ones that we've played. Portal fans or those who like puzzle-type games with a lot of player interaction will find a lot to like here.Note: reviews of this game and others, including gameplay descriptions, more bad puns, and a lot more pictures available at playbegins.com
