Around the World in 80 Days First Impressions

In Around the World in 80 Days you’re taking a particular journey over a certain amount of time.

But I won’t give you any spoilers here.

October 2, 1872, Phileas Fogg is asserting that it’s possible to go around the world in 80 days. The gentlemen of the Reform Club have made a bet on his failure since they don’t believe this eccentric dandy could ever succeed!

However, the most troubling part of this story is the strange coincidence between the rash departure of Phileas Fogg, accompanied by his loyal valet Passepartout, and the theft of 50,000 pounds from the Bank of England!

Around the World in 80 Days Summary

It’s a race! It’s a first past the post race too. The only other game I can think of where you’re going backwards and forwards in Jamaica.

There you move forward to try and win a race, although the winner of the race doesn’t actually ‘win’. You also have to move back if you can’t make the payment of the space you land on which is similar-ish to the way this game does.

In case you didn’t know, it’s a remake of the 1973 game Hare & Tortoise.

The theme is a good one. It’s a pre-existing story we all understand. The fact you are accused of stealing from a bank is the reason you have to return with no rumour cards and less than £10.

It makes sense and isn’t just a random mechanism there just to make the end of the game more difficult.

The movement system is easy, you pay to move and the more you pay the more you move. Card money is appreciated too. The paper would be a nightmare and tokens would be fiddly I think.

Each of the different spaces is fairly easy to understand and a brief explanation is listed on the player board too.

A decent game that is still very playable over 40 years later.

Jesta ThaRogue