When Pixies arrived in my mailbox, it came with the promise of enchanting gameplay and delightful visuals, much like “its brother from another mother,” Sea Salt & Paper (also from Bombyx/Pandasaurus). As a quick-play 2-4 player card game, it certainly caught my eye with its vibrant, whimsical art style, hinting at a world of magical creatures made of plants, earth, and junk, plus, hopefully, engaging gameplay.
Did it cast its spell on me? Let’s find out.
Gameplay Overview:
At its core, Pixies is a tableau-building game for 2-4 players, played over a series of turns that continue until someone fills the 9th spot in their tableau. This is repeated over three rounds.
Each turn, the lead player lays out a number of cards equal to the number of players (or two cards per player in a two-player game), and drafts a card to add to their 3×3 tableau. Each player drafts a card in a clockwise fashion, and then the lead player passes to the left.
The pixie cards feature delightful photographs of highly stylized junk pixies, a suit, and a number, as well as potential scoring symbols, which may offer positive or negative points. Players must place the card in its corresponding number slot (i.e. 1 in the upper left-hand corner, 9 in the lower right-hand corner, 5 in the middle, etc.). If a second card of the same number is acquired, the player may decide which to keep face-up and which to slot under the other card face-down.
Points are scored or lost in four ways. Cards may have a certain number of spirals on them, each spiral indicating one positive point. Some cards may have a certain number of Xs on them, each X indicating one negative point. If a card has been “validated,” meaning it has a card beneath it, it means you will score the point value of the card (i.e. a 7 card with a card beneath it will score seven points) and lastly, you will score a certain number of points, depending on which of the three rounds you’re in, for each card in your largest contiguous area of the same suit.
Game Experience:
The most immediate and striking positive aspect of Pixies is undoubtedly its artwork. Much like Sea Salt & Paper’s stunning photographs of origami sea creatures, Pixies features photographs of incredibly cute creatures made of nuts, acorns, moss, pinecones, paperclips, flowers, and various other outdoor detritus. The various pixies are absolutely adorable, bursting with personality and charm. Each card is a miniature piece of art, vibrant and endearing, making the act of simply looking at the cards a pleasant experience. This cute aesthetic makes Pixies very approachable and inviting, especially for families or those new to tabletop gaming.
However, beyond the charming visuals, the game’s experience can feel a bit… shallow. The core mechanics are easy to grasp, which is a plus for accessibility, but they don’t offer much in terms of deep strategic choices or long-term replay value. Turns can sometimes feel repetitive, with players simply deciding which card goes in their tableau, unless they are selecting last, in which case they have no choice.
While the game flows smoothly, it lacks engaging tension that makes other similarly light card games truly shine. Also, scoring at the end of each round—adding spirals, subtracting Xs, adding validated cards, and calculating the largest contiguous suited areas—feels a bit tedious, almost like you’re adding up numbers nearly as long as you’re playing each round. It’s a pleasant enough distraction, but it might not hold your attention for extended periods or demand repeated plays once the novelty of the art wears off. This is not the case of its predecessor, as Sea Salt & Paper has gone on to cement its position as a modern filler classic.
Final Thoughts:
The newest small box filler card game from the people who brought us Sea Salt & Paper have once again absolutely hit it out of the park… on the artwork, but unfortunately, the gameplay leaves a little to be desired.
After several plays across different player counts, Pixies settles into a comfortable, albeit unremarkable, position within the vast landscape of small-box, filler card games. It’s neither groundbreaking nor a regrettable misstep; rather, it’s a game that offers a perfectly adequate, if somewhat fleeting, experience. It’s the kind of game you might pull out for a casual evening with non-gamers who will marvel at its truly wonderful artwork, and while it has its moments of charm, the pixie dust wears off after a while.
Final Score: 3 Stars – Shallow gameplay and diminishing replay value make Pixies undercut its inviting art and light ruleset to make this game land firmly in “meh.”
Hits:
• The art is nothing short of remarkable
• It’s easy enough to teach and quick to play
• The ease and art make it a good game for families/non-gamers
Misses:
• The gameplay is fairly shallow
• It feels repetitive after multiple plays
• Scoring can be a bit tedious
