Crunch the Numbers is part of Dr. Finn’s Book of Solo Strategy and Word Games. I am going to get so tired of typing that name out by the time I get to the last game in it. That said, Steve Finn does design a good game so I’m glad to have the PDF of the book.
Crunch the Numbers consists of three 4x4 grids. And each column and row has a scoring condition. Every number being odd or even or different or the same or being smaller than a given number. And if you fill out a row or column properly, you get points and, in a couple of them, a one-shot dice manipulation.
Oh, gameplay consists of rolling three dice in writing a number in each of the grids. When they’re full, the game is over and you figure out your score.
Crunch the Numbers was the first game in the book I tried. Honestly, because it looked like the simplest game and a quick way to start. (As I’ve continued through the book, it honestly isn’t the mechanically simplest but it was still a good place to begin)
Filling out a grid and having the numbers have to fit within specific requirements, that’s nothing new. I am not even sure if filling out multiple grids at the same time is all that new.
However, as I routinely say, innovation is not a requirement for quality. You don’t need to make a new wheel in order to make a really good bicycle. Steve Finn has taken pre-existing elements and put them together into a package that is accessible, interesting and fun.
I have steadily been going through Dr. Finn’s Book of Solo Strategy and Word Games and I am not seeing a collection of games that are about breaking new ground. I see a collection of games that are easy to learn and that I think people will enjoy playing.
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