The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a game all about making potions—but not just any potions. As a miracle doctor (or rather, a quack surgeon), you’ve arrived at the annual nine-day bazaar to showcase your latest and greatest concoctions, promising to cure everything from smelly feet to homesickness, hiccups, or even matters of the heart.
Each round, you’ll draw ingredients from your personal bag and add them to your bubbling brew. The better your potion, the more coins you’ll earn to buy stronger ingredients for future rounds. But be careful—push your luck too far, and your potion might explode!
This game masterfully blends bag-building (a twist on traditional deck-building, where you collect ingredient tokens instead of cards) with push-your-luck mechanics, creating an experience full of tension, excitement, and moments that get players out of their seats cheering.
I chose The Quacks of Quedlinburg as my first review because it’s one of my all-time favorite games, offering a perfect mix of strategy, unpredictability, and laughter at the table.
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Player Count & Playtime
The Quacks of Quedlinburg is designed for 2 to 4 players and takes about 45 minutes to an hour to play.
Objective
The goal of the game is simple: earn the most victory points by the end of the 9th round. Players achieve this by brewing powerful potions, strategically acquiring new ingredients, and managing risk when drawing from their ingredient bags.
Gameplay Loop
Each round consists of two main phases:
- Potion Making Phase: Players simultaneously draw ingredient tokens from their personal bags, placing them into their potion pot. The further they push, the more valuable their potion will be—but if they draw too many white chips, their potion explodes, limiting their rewards.
- Shopping Phase: Players take turns using their earnings from the previous phase to buy new ingredients, adding them to their bags for future rounds. Players also score points during this phase, but if their potion exploded, they must choose between gaining points or earning coins—not both.
Key Mechanics
- Bag Building – Instead of a deck, players build a bag of ingredient tokens over time, improving their chances of brewing better potions.
- Push Your Luck – Players must decide when to stop drawing from their bag or risk their potion exploding.
- Simultaneous Play – The potion-making phase happens at the same time for all players, keeping the game fast-paced.
Game End & Scoring
After 9 rounds, the player with the most points wins the game.
Designer:
Wolfgang Warsch
Publisher:
Schmidt Spiele
What Makes It Stand Out
The game is packed with tension and excitement, especially in the later rounds when you’re hoping for that perfect combo you’ve been building toward. Maybe you need that blue chip right after the red chip, or you’re trying to land on just the right scoring space to grab a valuable ruby.
The push-your-luck element adds to the thrill—sometimes you might intentionally let your potion explode early to gain more buying power, sacrificing points now for stronger turns later. Other times, you’re watching your opponents’ pots and feeling the pressure to draw just one more chip to outdo them and roll the coveted bonus die.
What makes every game feel fresh is the variety of ingredient effects. You can lean into different strategies—maybe focusing on black chips for more player interaction, stacking purple chips for their set collection bonus, or mixing things up to see how lucky you get. The expansions only add more depth, giving you even more ingredient choices to experiment with.
The built-in catch-up mechanic, rat tails, ensures that even if you fall behind, you still have a chance to compete. As the leading player pulls ahead, those behind get rat tails to start their potion further along the track, making it easier to pull off a big round.
Best of all, Quacks has that perfect blend of strategy and luck that keeps players coming back for more. The final round is almost always a nail-biter, with everyone on the edge of their seats, hoping for that one perfect draw to secure victory. It’s the kind of game where you finish and immediately want to play again, trying out new strategies and ingredient combinations!
Pros And Cons
Pros:
- Unique Mechanics: The Quacks of Quedlinburg stands out with its innovative blend of bag-building and push-your-luck mechanics. The tension of drawing ingredients from your bag and hoping for the right combination creates an exciting and unpredictable gameplay experience.
- High Replayability: With different ingredients available each game and the ability to change up your strategy, every playthrough feels fresh. The various expansions also add even more variety, keeping things interesting.
- Great for Groups: This game shines in adult group settings with 2-4 players. The simultaneous play and constant interaction make every round a thrilling experience as everyone is nervously drawing ingredients and watching each other’s potions.
- Comeback Mechanic: The built-in “rat tails” system is a clever feature that gives players who fall behind a chance to catch up. As the leading player advances, those further behind can get a boost in their potion’s starting position, leveling the playing field.
- Thematic: The potion-making theme is well-implemented and adds to the fun. From creating wacky potions to the hilarious outcomes of an explosion, the game’s theme enhances the overall experience.
Cons:
- Luck Factor: While the push-your-luck aspect is part of the fun, it can also feel frustrating at times. Relying on the right ingredients and hoping your potion doesn’t explode introduces a significant element of luck, which may not appeal to every player.
- Potential for Frustration: For players who dislike the unpredictability of potion explosions, The Quacks of Quedlinburg can be frustrating. Losing points because of a bad draw might feel unfair to some, especially if you’re building a strategy based on certain ingredients.
Final Thoughts
The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a brilliant blend of risk, strategy, and excitement that never fails to deliver an exhilarating experience. The mix of push-your-luck mechanics and bag-building creates a tense, yet rewarding atmosphere, especially as you get closer to the final rounds. The thrill of drawing ingredients, hoping for that perfect combination to push your potion further without it exploding, keeps you engaged from start to finish.
The game shines in its replayability, with different ingredients, strategies, and expansions offering fresh experiences every time you play. The come-back mechanic, like the rat tails, ensures that even if you fall behind, you still have a fighting chance. The decisions you make—when to take risks, when to play it safe—feel impactful and create plenty of tense moments with friends.
While The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a near-perfect experience, it’s not without minor drawbacks. Some may find the luck element frustrating if the ingredient draws don’t go in their favor, but that’s also part of the charm of the game. It’s a high-energy, fast-paced experience that rewards both strategic thinking and bold decisions.
Overall, I highly recommend The Quacks of Quedlinburg to anyone who enjoys a good mix of strategy, tension, and a little bit of chaos. It’s a fantastic game for both casual players and those who enjoy a challenge, making it a must-have for any board game collection.
Final Score: 9/10
A thrilling, dynamic game that keeps you coming back for more. The perfect balance of fun and excitement with plenty of room for strategy.
Where to Buy
The Quacks of Quedlinburg is available from a variety of online retailers. Here are some places where you can grab your own copy, addons and other versions:
- Amazon: The Quacks of Quedlinburg
- Amazon: The Broken Token Game Organizer for Quacks of Quedlinburg
- Amazon: Quacks and Co. – A easier, family weight version of Quacks
- Amazon: Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel – 2 player version, only available in German currently with English rules available on BGG
You can also find more information and reviews about the game on its official BoardGameGeek page.
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