Advert: This game was gifted for review by Ravensburger. All opinions are ours.

Coo coo! Coo coo! Time to see who rules the roost in this pigeon collecting, ‘poo’ flicking game! (disclaimer: no real poo is flicked anywhere!)

Key stats

2 to 5 players | ~15 minutes

Publisher: Ravensburger
Designer: Shanon Lyon
Art: Alena Istif

Categories: Animals, Birds, Party game, Family game, Dexterity game
Key mechanics: Flicking, Take that

Game overview

Oh My Pigeons! is a race to collect, steal and swap pigeons until your bench is full. Gameplay is simple: play a card, do what it says, and draw back up. Most cards help you acquire pigeons from either the central pool (known as the flock) or other players’ benches (THIEF!). Some cards even let you swap and slide everyone’s benches around!

If you play a special Oh My Pigeons! card (roll credits!), you get to roll the special die. There’s 3 possible results: take pigeons from the flock, steal pigeons from players, OR if you get the POO result, you have a chance to flick the die and knock pigeons off another player’s bench (unfortunately any you hit go back to the flock, not to you).

There is of course a NON card – the pigeon is French of course – that players can use to negate another player’s action. That includes cards, stealing or flicking poo!

Be the first to fill your bench and victory is yours!

Our thoughts

Oh My Pigeons! is bloody good fun! It’s light, easy to learn and play, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously (what self respecting pigeon would?). I absolutely love the artstyle from Alena Istif, it’s brilliantly COOky – there’s some sass and even some meme references, even on the benches. I also adore the little pigeon minis, which are surprisingly not all the same!

Oh My Pigeons! is a party-style game, so naturally the more players the more chaotic fun you’re gonna have. We did try it at 2 players – you remove some of the cards and used different benches – and it was still fun, but not as much fun as when I played it with four people. I think you get more out of the cheeky actions with more people. The lighthearted take that with the bonus dice-flicking dexterity made it an easy win for my gaming group, it’s exactly the kind of game we enjoy when we want something easy and fun.

Speaking of poo flicking – I am so rubbish at it! I think I’ve managed to knock pigeons off their bench once in all the times I’ve played, and I’ve had many chances! But it’s such a ridiculous concept I can’t be mad and my lack of skill won’t stop me trying. And having the dexterity element with the 3D pigeons also adds some extra spice to what would be a standard take-that set-collecting card game.

Based on the set-up in the rules, the draw/discard deck and the ‘flock’ (pigeon supply) are placed in the centre. This is – unintentionally or not? – a poo-flicking obstacle if you’re aiming for benches across from you. In a 4 player game it doesn’t have as much impact because your 2 neighbouring players are usually clear targets, but in a 2 player game you have to deal with the pigeon hurdles. I would suggest having the option to vary set-up and put the deck/flock to the side of the player area, depending on who’s playing.

Because of its chaotic nature, the game can swing in and out of a player’s favour very quickly. You might think you have the most pigeons and are about to win, until the person on your left plays a card that slides all the benches around COO! now they have your pigeons. You can be in last place with 3 pigeons, but steal 4 pigeons with a roll of the dice, winning the game. This is all part of the chaotic nature, and why we enjoyed it, but I can see it not being for everyone.

You’ll like Oh My Pigeons! if:

• You’re after a new set-collecting party game with a twist.
• You’re looking for a family friendly game with a cheeky theme.
• You want to embrace your chaotic pigeon side.
• You love pigeons and enjoy COOky art with personality.

You won’t like Oh My Pigeons! if:

• You don’t enjoy random swings in luck or being targeted by other players constantly.

Verdict

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Oh My Pigeons! as much as I do and I regret not playing it sooner! The dexterity twist and quirky artwork set it apart from other take-that set-collecting card games, and it’s perfect for when you’re in the mood for silly sabotage with friends or family. Plus, any pro-pigeon propaganda that shows off their goofy cute side is a win in my book.

If you enjoy light take-that set collection games, like The Six or Cat Among The Pigeons, you’ll probably enjoy Oh My Pigeons!