Stuffed Fables : A family review

The world in 2021 is a dark and dangerous place with much to be frightened of. Many of us use gaming as a means of escape, ironic when you consider how many of the classics - Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mansions of Madness and Mysterium to name but a few - seek to scare those seated around the table. When you bring children into the equation in looking for something more family-orientated, a fine balance must be maintained. Sure, a little scare can be fun but you don’t want to send your kids to bed with nightmares…

And this was the set up as I sat with my wife and my two daughters, Lily (3) and Mae (9) for our first play of the adventure game, Stuffed Fables from Plaid Hat Games. Stuffed Fables is a game in which players take the part of stuffed toys, sworn to protect the child they love from the schemes of an evil mastermind. Like a dark and twisted variant of Toy Story, we sat down to shield this little girl as she experiences the trials and tribulations of growing up. 

Components

The first thing to discuss when it comes to Stuffed Fables is the lavishness of the production. The minis are gorgeous with just enough detail and originality to give off that creepy vibe needed to keep disbelief thoroughly suspended. We’ve yet to paint ours but I can’t wait to give them all the care and attention they richly deserve.

In a similar fashion to the incredibly popular Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion and the designer, Jerry Hawthorne’s previous game, Mice and Mystics, the book explaining each part of the story in the campaign is also the board. With a game like Stuffed Fables, keeping setup time to a minimum is imperative - my kids aren’t known for their patience and as soon as they saw those minis, they wanted to start playing. 

One very minor criticism would be that the rules could have been a little clearer. A couple of times we found ourselves referencing forums to clarify a particular rule. I would recommend having a quick game or watching a playthrough video before sitting down for the first time to play with children to avoid a situation where you are scouring BGG for an answer while they sit and wait.

Gameplay

Stuffed Fables is a story-based campaign game so it is important that the story is pitched at the right level. Both my daughters loved the adventures their toys went through to protect their child, and the tactility of the minis and the bag of dice used to determine the results of combat, skill tests and the like helped to engage them with the story. 

The publisher does recommend this game for ages 7+ and while my youngest daughter Lily appreciated the story being told and the presence of the game on the table in front of her, the gameplay itself was definitely well beyond what she is ready for. Mae plays a lot of games with us as a family such as Quacks of Quedlinberg and Flamme Rouge and she kept up with the teach without any problems. So while every kid is different in terms of what they can handle for rules complexity, 7+ appeared to be pretty accurate from our experience.

My wife and I also appreciated the sections in the book at the end of each mission where the game provides some discussion points and questions to ask your kids about what happened during that play session. We had some really interesting conversations about what sorts of things frightened them following one of the missions and helping to rationalise that as part of a play experience felt ‘right’ within the context of the game. 

Conclusion

Overall, Stuffed Fables was a smash hit for us. As an experience for parents with children, we haven’t played anything else that comes close. The writing is pin-sharp, it balances the fear factor correctly, it talks to children at a level they can empathise with and wraps all of this in a sumptuous package that looks great on the table. If you are looking for a board game this Christmas to sit and enjoy as a family, parents and kids together, we could not recommend Stuffed Fables highly enough.