Get Hooked

I remember moving to Minnesota nearly two years ago excited at the prospect
of 10,000 lakes to practice my craft of drowning worms. Drowning worms, you
ask? Well, most folks call it fishing, but since I never catch anything but
a cold, I can hardly call it that. However, a Twin Cities game designer has
developed a fantastic game that ensures that a day at the lake involves
catch fish that I will catch only in my dreams.

“Get Hooked”, developed by Dan Shaw, tells us “It’s a Keeper!” I do not
always agree with the advertising story on the game box, but in this case,
it is appropriate. Seldom does such a heavily themed game grab my
attention, but I am indeed hooked by this clever and well-designed effort.

The game consists of boats for three players or teams, lure markers for six
players, a board that shows a lake and different types of fishing locations
(reeds, dam, river mouth, etc.) and a deck of 100 cards that represent both
the fish you will catch and the tricks that will allow you to get ahead in
the game. The quality of the components is standard except for the box.
The game comes in a nice metal lunch style box that grabs your eye and adds
to the overall appearance of the game.

The goal is simple: catch the biggest and most fish. The game continues
until a player either catches 30 points worth of fish or three trophy fish.
Since the game values trophy fish higher than your average bullhead, it
makes sense to try to catch as many of those fish as possible. While it is
possible to win by catching bullheads, the likelihood of this method is
highly unlikely, just as no serious tournament angler would win with this
type of catch.

Game play is equally simple. Each turn consists of three phases beginning
with the draw phase. After the player draws a card from the deck, he or she
may play an action card to give them special benefits during the turn,
hinder an opponent on their turn, or allow fish to magically appear on their
line. Finally, the fishing phase allows a player to do one of three things:
move their boat, change their lure, or catch a fish by playing a card.
Since each fish card indicates the part of the lake that the fish lives in
along with the type of lure the fish will bite on, it is crucial to try and
catch as many fish with the same lure at the same part of the lake as
possible.

Despite the strong theme of the game, players should not dismiss this game
simply because of this. Game play itself is strategic with a strong streak
of luck and has a lot to offer both the casual player and game hobbyist
alike. While the theme is certainly fun and adds a great deal to the game,
it does not interfere with a solid design and the actual play of the game.

In those dreary days of winter that you find yourself longing to get the
Lund out on the lake and try and land that elusive trophy bass, “Get Hooked”
allows you to dream of warmer days ahead. With solid game play, a fun
theme, and quality components, fishing fans and game players alike will find
“Get Hooked” a tremendous catch and not one to overlook.