Weird Giraffe Games

Big Easy Busking

Game Overview ◊ Game Contents ◊ Reviews ◊ How to Play Videos ◊ People

Game Details

Player Count: 1-5
Playtime: 45 minutes
Age Range: 8+
Weight: Light to Medium
Release Date: March 2020, Retail Release TBD
Mechanisms: Area Control, Energy Allocation, Hand Management
Rules: Rulebook PDF
Play on Tabletop Simulator: TTS Link
Retailer Sell Sheet: Retailer Sell Sheet Link
Print and Play: PNPArcade
Brief Description: Play your best songs to win over the crowd in this 1-5 player area control game! You're a group of street musicians in New Orleans trying to play as many songs as you can with the energy that you have, while also making choices on which songs to play based on the crowd composition. Can you match the mood of the crowd and learn enough songs to make the most tips?

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Game Overview

Big Easy Busking is an area control game for 1-5 players about being the best street musician in New Orleans. The game is played over three days, where players choose which locations to play their set of songs. It takes time to play a song, so players decide on their next turn whether they're going to use all of their energy at the location or to only use some of it to save the rest for later songs. If a player matches the mood of the people with the song that they're playing, they can get bonus tips!

  • Escalating Rounds: The game starts with three locations players can play at, but by the final round, there's five locations so players have to choose where to play wisely!

  • Engaging Gameplay: Players determine how much energy to allocate to each location after seeing how other players play, so players pay attention to what happens between their turns.

  • Thematic Actions: Songs require differing amounts of energy from muscicians and players are rewarded greatly for playing the songs that the crowd wants to hear.
Decide whether you want to try to get a few tips from the crowd at every location or if you really want to win over a particular crowd in this musical game of area control!








Game Contents

Components:
  • 15 Crowd Cards
  • 33 Song Cards
  • 5 Reference Cards
  • 2 Solo Mode Cards
  • 5 Player Cards
  • Mood Tokens
  • Money Tokens
  • Standard Tokens



Reviews

  • “Big Easy Busking is a smart game that puts enough twists on area-majority to feel fresh.“ - Raf, Ding and Dent (written)

  • “Interesting choices, great gameplay and a super unique theme, what’s not to love?“ - Jeremy, Game Geek Ninja (written)

  • “I really enjoyed playing Big Easy Busking. It transports you to the bustling Bourbon Street, with all its colour and wonderment. It is challenging, thought-provoking and most of all, a lot of fun!” - Derek, GoTo.Game (written)

  • “Big Easy Busking is a vibrant game that brings New Orleans busker life to your table. It's filled with interesting choices while still being an "easy to learn, challenging to master" balancing act.“ - Marti, Open Seat Gaming (written)

  • “Carla's solo bots have yet to disappoint me, and are a great experience for solo players who want a challenge. If you want a quick solo game that you can also easily teach your family or game group, a game from Weird Giraffe is always a solid bet. “ Liz, Beyond Solitaire (written)

  • “Big Easy Busking has taken some solid mechanics from the area control genre – and added a few twists of its own – and created a game that overachieves. You’ll be surprised at the depth of the experience you’ve had from such a humble box. “ - Ric, One Board Family (written)

  • “Big Easy Busking is an engaging, quick, and fun game with a bright, beautiful theme that puts you on the street as if you were there playing your heart out!” - Scott, Meeple Mountain

  • “​​Big Easy Busking blends a fresh theme and a fun twist on area control.“ - Geek Dad (written)

  • "Big Easy Busking is a game that can easily be taught, quick to learn, and took me completely by surprise! The theme is so unique and well executed that I can't wait to be a backer." - Krista, Geek Girl Project (written)

  • "Big Easy Busking has a leisurely, musical flow that runs through both the mechanical elements and the artwork. It's a simple, friendly area control game that will suit a wide range of players.” - Big Boss Battle (written)

  • “Big Easy Busking is a surprisingly tactical game that we found rewardingly challenging.“ - Selwyn, Board’s Eye View (written)

  • "Big Easy Busking has the energy and the immersive quality that you don’t really get in a lot of other games. It’s fun, it is breezy, it’s got that sort of energy to it – it’s New Orleans jazz in a box!"" - Dog and Thimble (podcast)

If you're interested in getting a review copy, send an email to contact@weirdgiraffegames.com. Please include why you'd like to review Big Easy Busking.





How to Play



How to Play: Solo



People Behind the Game



Designer: Josh Mills

Joshua J Mills has worked in the video game industry for over a decade with such companies as Epic, Insomniac Games, and is currently a Producer at Funcom. He loves the creative and collaborative experience of creating board games. Being a part of the Game Designers of North Carolina, a passion group of game designers, has afforded him the opportunity to share his games with others. You can find Josh on Twitter @JoshuaJMills and on BoardGameGeek.com as joshuajmills.

Solo Designer Information



Carla Kopp

Carla is the lead designer, developer, and webmaster of Weird Giraffe Games. She's also the art director and runs all of the social media. Carla is also a software engineer, with a Masters in Electrical Engineering, and loves to work with electrical and other hobby projects when she's not working on games. She's an introvert, has narcolepsy, and almost always chooses green when it's an option.

You can find Carla at the following locations: