Dots 8

Genre: Board Game / Strategy

Players: 2-8 Competitive (Local)

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Review:

(Note: This game has been removed from the Nintendo Switch eShop and Nintendo.com. However, it has since been replaced by the identical game Kropki 8.)

Dots 8 is a family-friendly Board Game-style Strategy game with rules that are similar to the classic Board Game Go, with players taking turns placing dots, trying to surround their opponents’ dots with their own. I say “similar’, but really, this is just Go with just a few small deviations from the classic game’s formula.

One of those deviations is the presentation, which retains a simple, clean look similar to Go, but infuses it with color. The game provides a few different color schemes for players to choose from, and while there’s nothing here that’s impressive in any way, the overall clean look is still nice.

I’m a bit conflicted about the sound, though. This game uses nice, soothing music and soft sounds, and while it’s all nice and relaxing, I’m not sure that was the right vibe to go for, especially for a game that’s about competition. I would have rather had somewhat more energetic music and unique sounds to alert each player when it’s their turn, instead of sounds and music seemingly designed to lull players to sleep. At least the option would have been nice.

In terms of gameplay, this game sticks mostly to traditional Go rules (though you can’t trap players against a wall), but with the option of scoring based not on the amount of area covered, but on the number of opponents’ dots captured, which is a nice twist. However, the big draw here is the multiplayer mode.

That’s because this game allows for up to eight players to compete on one board, with multiple options for board size and turn length. Players can even pass around a single controller, or not use a controller at all, simply using the Switch’s touchscreen for all eight players. This game is positively unique in that regard – I can’t think of any other game I’ve played on the Switch where eight players can play the game without any controllers.

Of course, that’s balanced by the fact that this game contains no single-player mode at all. There’s no computer-controlled opponents, no bots, so if you’re looking to play this game, you’d better have someone else to play it with.

While Dots 8 contains some good options, I wish it had more. I wish there were more variety in music and sounds and you weren’t stuck with the sleep-inducing presentation this game is stuck with. I also wish that the game had AI opponents to play against, rather than forcing this game to be multiplayer-only. However, I can cut it a bit of slack for that – for $2, this is a decent Go-like board game experience, and if you’re looking for a chill game to play with others in local multiplayer, Dots 8 is a decent choice.

tl;dr – Dots 8 is a family-friendly Board Game with Strategy elements with rules that are almost exactly like the classic game Go. There are some surprisingly good multiplayer options here, including 8-player pass-and-play gameplay sharing one controller or even just the touchscreen, however the game does not have computer-controlled opponents so there’s no single-player mode to speak of. Also, while the simple, relaxing presentation is nice, the competitive nature of this game feels like it would be better-suited to something more lively. Overall though, for its low price, this is a solid simple game to play in local multiplayer.

Grade: B-

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