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Wakasm Dot Com | Solo Boardgames and Video Game Reviews

Wakasm Dot Com | Solo Boardgames and Video Game Reviews

Wakasm Plays and Reviews Boardgames and Videogames

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Field Values and Calculations:

Field NameValueCumulative Total
ratings_my_overall_enjoyment_value8.58.5
ratings_mechanics_and_innovation_value4.112.6
ratings_artwork_and_theme_value3.516.1
ratings_replayability_value4.220.3
ratings_complexity_and_learning_curve_value3.724
ratings_rulebook_and_iconography_value3.727.7
ratings_affordability_price_and_value_value4.131.8
ratings_supports_solo_board_gaming_value233.8
ratings_emotional_decay_value033.8
ratings_playtime_matters_value1.134.9

Final Total Rating: 34.9

Fliptown

Fliptown is a flip-and-write board game where players earn stars by exploring a Wild West town. It features open-world gameplay using a poker deck and dry-erase boards as player maps.

0
out of 40
It's really special
Table of Contents hide
What I like about Fliptown
What I Dislike about Fliptown
Fliptown Solo Completionist Matrix
Download The Fliptown Matrix
My Solo Plays of Fliptown
Wakasm's Report Card of Arbitrary Values for Fliptown
Wakasm's Final Score for Fliptown

April 26, 2024 by

What I like about Fliptown

Innovative “Flip and Write” Mechanism: While there are other games lately that have a flip and write mechanic (Welcome To… comes to mind), the mix of Poker and the Western theme, introduces an engaging twist with its flip-and-write mechanics, making it stand out in the genre. The fact that cards serve so many functions without becoming complex is amazing. Is a card worth it to gamble towards a Poker hand? Do the suits help support where you want to go? Do the suits help your opponents or Cowbots? The game feels very open for you to do what you want while still somehow making the cards and their values matter.

Open Sandbox with Diverse Strategic Options: The game offers a broad range of strategic paths, from pursuing lucrative gold mining (diamonds)to engaging in high-stakes robberies (spades). This variety allows for different approaches and tactics which feels very open and free. The entire town of Fliptown (Clubs) has all kinds of synergies with the other potential areas and game from game you can focus or all-in on just a few of those aspects to try and get ahead.

Combos and Choices that Matter: The game lasts only 15 hands which means you are only going to circle 15 things by the end of the game. However, when a lot of these things result in potential combos to other areas of the board, by the end of the game, you will feel like you are doing so much more with the limited amount of hands you are given. Quite often I am suprised with how much I can get done before the end of the game and squeak out a win against a Cowboy.

The choices you face in the game feel meaningful too. Many have very specific mindsets. Some paths are very direct and guarantee results while others start to edge towards a gamblers paradise with different degrees of luck and payoff. You can also pivot between strategies pretty frequently (and sometimes you are forced to) which means that you have a lot of agency to those choices.

Interesting AI Opponents aka Cowbots: The Cowbots are really streamlined, simple, and offer a decent challenge. You can’t always counter them the way you want because they are triggered randomly based on certain criteria. Too many times I had a plan A, to be forced to move onto a plan B, plan C, just to circle back around to my plan A, based on both what the Cowbot needed and what cards I was given. The Cowbots also force you down different avenues to winning the game.

Very Affordable Print-And-Play and Box Option: I personally don’t love print-and-plays that require a lot of setup, but all you need to play this one is some paper, pens, and a deck of cards which makes me enjoy this one more than some others.

The final score vs Annie Oakley the Cowbot. Ignore the pink x’s, that’s just my way to help count up the Cowbots score.

What I Dislike about Fliptown

Strategy vs. Luck Balance: There a little bit more luck involved at times depending on which strategy you go down. You can prepare for the Badlands, with a rifle, and still end up drawing an Ace to lose your robbery attempt which can be a big setback based on how much wanted level you have or what your overall strategy is. It’s not too bad, but I am sure there will be at least one person or game where a person gets hosed and the game is a bit soured for them.

Complexity for New Players: This is also very minor, but the first time you play, the Sandbox nature and the number of choices available each turn, while a boon for strategy, can (might) be overwhelming for a new player. The game overall is not a heavy game so this is a pretty unique quality to have for a print-and-play style of game that feels like it should be very casual friendly.

Hard to get good Poker hands in five-card draw: While the Poker Mechanic is very thematic, unless you play the Hold-em variant, you often won’t be hitting great hands often, which makes the points and money you get from this aspect of the game feel very normalized. Although, if you play enough, and get a good hand, that will feel good when it happens, it’s almost too strong when this happens. Especially in the solo mode.

Fliptown Solo Completionist Matrix

Last Updated: 6/18/25

Download The Fliptown Matrix

If you want your own copy of this image, you can download it here. [Right Click -> Save As]

(Please note, I’m not a great graphic designer, this was meant for personal use and I did not design it well for 8×11 paper printing, so this is resized for that.)

My Solo Plays of Fliptown

  • ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 5 ‘Dust and Despair’ 🐔 Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 5 ‘Dust and Despair’ 🐔 Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    December 22, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 4 ‘A Grave Decision’ 🪦 Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 4 ‘A Grave Decision’ 🪦 Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    November 20, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 3 ‘A Golden Opportunity’ ⛏️ Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 3 ‘A Golden Opportunity’ ⛏️ Hard Mode Challenge | Solo Board Game Fun!

    October 31, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 2 ‘Gun For Hire’ 🔥 Hard Mode Challenge! 🔫 | Solo Board Game Adventure

    ▶️Fliptown: The Lone Gun – Ch 2 ‘Gun For Hire’ 🔥 Hard Mode Challenge! 🔫 | Solo Board Game Adventure

    October 18, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown The Lone Gun – Chapter 1 – A Stranger Comes To Town 🏜️

    ▶️Fliptown The Lone Gun – Chapter 1 – A Stranger Comes To Town 🏜️

    October 9, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown – Ep 6 – The Trailblazer vs Annie Oakley Cowbot🐎Mosey Down The Trail

    ▶️Fliptown – Ep 6 – The Trailblazer vs Annie Oakley Cowbot🐎Mosey Down The Trail

    April 12, 2024
  • ▶️Fliptown – Ep 5 – The Preacher vs Doc Holiday Cowbot✝️In The Light We walk Mr. Sheriff

    ▶️Fliptown – Ep 5 – The Preacher vs Doc Holiday Cowbot✝️In The Light We walk Mr. Sheriff

    March 12, 2024

Wakasm's Report Card of Arbitrary Values for Fliptown

My Overall EnjoymentScore Scale: (0-10) How I felt about the game of the game at the time of this review. You can ignore everything else after this if you want!
+8.5
0-2 | It was bad2-4 | It was okay4-6 | I liked it6-8 | I really liked it8-10 | It's really special
Mechanics and InnovationScore Scale: (0-5) Rates how innovative the game mechanics are compared to other games by using a keyword system. Highlighted keywords are words I feel best represent the game. The value is abstracted from this and not exact math.
+4.1
Too randomOverly Simplistic or ComplicatedImbalancedRepetitivePredictableConstrainedFamiliarBalancedCreativeFlexibleInnovativeIntuitiveThematicRevolutionaryRewardingElegant

The game is very straight forward while somehow being both Rewarding and Elegant. I wouldn't say it's revolutionary as far as Roll and Write or board games go, but the fact that somehow the game manages to keep a very simple system but feels very open to how you can tackle the game is refreshing. The fact you get to score your Poker hand is pretty interesting, even if you aren't exactly playing against other players directly and is more of an extra score (unless you play with a variant).
Artwork and ThemeScore Scale: (0-5) Evaluates the quality and appeal of the game's artwork and how well the theme evokes emotion into gameplay.
+3.5
BasicOutdatedFunctionalMismatchedConsistentEngagingSimplisticCohesiveAtmosphericVibrantCaptivatingMasterfulCharming

For such a simple roll and write, the map and game's art is spot on. It's not inspirational or captivating, but it really does what it needs to do to give the Western Theme and Feel for a simple flip and write.
Replayability and Game LengthScore Scale: (0-5) Assesses how the game stands up to multiple plays. Does it remain engaging over time? How about the game length, how does that affect the overall enjoyment?
+4.2
DisposableOverstays WelcomeEnds Too EarlyNarrowPredictableStagnantRandomAdaptableLimitedVariable PowersCommunity-supportedScenario-basedLimitlessPerfect LengthPlays FastChallenge Matrix CapableUnique AI Opponents (Solo)EndlessTime Melts Away

Due to how many options there are for scoring, and how unique and Sandbox-y the game is, the game offers a lot of replayability that so far, hasn't gotten stale. Between special powers, unique Cowboys, multiplayer, solo, and the upcoming solo-expansion, I think this game has long-legs in terms of just general replayability.
Complexity and Learning CurveScore Scale: (0-5) Are there issues with it's rulebook? How hard is the game to get into and how does it's complexity affect the game overall. Complexity can land on both sides of the coin depending on the game.
+3.7
OverwhelmingObtuseInaccessibleLaboriousConfusingChaoticLinearRandomConciseGradualEngagingLayeredSmoothStreamlinedMeaningful DecisionsSandboxRewards MasteryIntricateNuanced

The game is pretty straight-forward while remaining concise and engaging. The first time you play (maybe even the first few times) you might feel overwhelmed by all the choices available to you... but due to the simpler nature of the game, this feeling goes away pretty quickly once you are comfortable with the game. All the iconography is user friendly and all the decisions are pretty streamlined while retaining meaningful decisions. It's not the most challenging game in the world nor is it super complex, but there are interesting decisions to be made and it's very fun to explore and try different things.
Rulebook and IconographyScore Scale: (0-5) Are there issues with it's rulebook? How clear is the iconography and rules references? Does the publisher support a good FAQ or extra resources to learn the game?
+3.7
UnorganizedPoor IconographyConfusingDenseClutteredIcon-HeavyColor Blind FriendlyColorfulMinimalisticClearThematicAdequateGreat IconographyFAQHelpful IllustrationsComponent ListStorage InstructionsGood ReferencesPolishedIntuitiveOrganized

The rulebook is very clear, organized, and the game itself has enough iconography to carry you through the game once you learn the basics. There are some weird rules that aren't intuitive though, for instance, the Sherriff Rules or the
Affordability Price and ValueScore Scale: (0-5) How affordable is the game? Is the value there compared to the final price?
+4.1
OverpricedExpensiveOut of PrintFOMOSecondary MarketReasonable CostBudget-friendlyGreat valueStealBang for your buckFREE!

I got the digital version on PNP Arcade, so this was a great value. I think the physical copy would likely be worth it too, but I don't have that one. I also haven't played this multiplayer yet.
Bonus Points Playtime Matters.Score Scale: Infinite? +0.1 for every play session until 10 sessions. +0.1 for every 5 plays after that.

I have played Fliptown 17 times!
+1.1
Bonus Points Supports Solo Board GamingScore Scale: (-1 - +1)? The higher the value, the better it is as a solo game! Just a little bonus since playing solo matters to me a lot, but I don't want this bias to overtake the entire review score. I may re-evalute this scale in the future.
+2.0
Negative Points Emotional DecayScore Scale: Infinitely Negative? Most games will start with this being a 0. Over time, as my tastes grow, as I play more games, as I cull my collection... it may affect my outlook on the game over time. Have I fallen out of love with game? Has a new game replaced this one? If anything like that happens, it will be updated here. I'll try to post a reason, even a timestamp, and apply a value as to why these points are being reduced. If a game starts with negative points, it may be impacted for other reasons. For instance, if the company has a really bad Kickstarter Experience, etc. I'll try to rarely let these things effect my thoughts on the game but sometimes the emotional toll can carry into my happiness with a game.
+0.0


 
0
out of 40
It's really special
 
Wakasm's Final Score for Fliptown
 

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