Grab your bag of gold, place your bets, and get ready for some good natured fun! 

What is Unicorn Fever? 

Unicorn Fever is a betting game where players will bet on unicorns that are racing through a fairy world. 

How do you play?

The game is broken up into three phases: Betting, Racing, and Payouts

Betting Phase: 

During the betting phase, players are able to take three actions to advance their position in the game. You can buy contract cards that essentially hire a service to help your odds in the game, you can place bets on unicorns to either win or show, play “magic” cards on unicorns too help or hinder their process during the race, or even take out a loan from the leprechaun mob if you are short on gold.

Racing Phase:

The race is managed by a card flipping system. Unicorns begin the game with certain odds that correspond to places on the racing cards. At the start of the race, a card is flipped that shows how many spaces the unicorns move based on their odds. Once the unicorns have been moved, you roll sprint dice to increase the distance of either one or two unicorns. Then flip another card to move the unicorns again in this manner until all of the unicorns have crossed the finish line.

Payout Phase:

Once the race is over, the unicorn odds are updated and reset, successful bets earn their gold rewards, and players reset the cards for the next race. Each successful bet also earns a player an amount of Glory (victory points.) Amassing a large amount of Glory over many successful races is what will win players the game in the end. 

Winning the Game

After four races, the player with the most Glory wins the game. 

What do we think?

Unicorn Fever brings an explosion of color and fun to the table! 

This game makes the challenge of betting and valuing odds silly and zany. It’s one of those games that we are excited to play with friends because it feels fresh and different than most games that people have played. Plus how fun is it to move those little unicorns along the rainbow!?

Unicorn Fever is a strategy game disguised as a party game. While it is bright and colorful and will have you pumping your fist cheering on your preferred pony, Unicorn Fever is still a betting game where players need to be weighing and evaluating odds and thinking through their actions to help increase their chances of winning the overall game. 

Yes, there are some random elements to it, but in many ways those are somewhat controlled. We really like that the card mechanism that manages the race is relatively straight forward and makes sense: The horses that have higher odds generally perform better in the race. This allows players to make somewhat informed decisions on what is likely to happen. Then you can try to influence the race by playing magic cards on various unicorns to help or hinder their position. This element is both silly and strategic. Here is your chance to add a bit of controlled chaos in the hopes of helping your unicorn pull out the win.

It’s a lot of fun and if you do it right can get you a pretty large payout.

Memorable Moments

One thing I love so much about games is the stage they set for making those memorable game night moments. 

Unicorn Fever is definitely one of those games where you’ll have races that will have your whole group laughing as well as movie style come-from-behind wins that leave the former leader stunned.

The best part, the game is friendly and light enough that no one takes it too seriously to get upset. It’s a unicorn gambling game! 

Any Complaints?

Overall we don’t have too many complaints about the game play of Unicorn Fever other than the betting phase can be a bit of a drag on the game even though its super important to a player’s success. 

The racing part is so much fun, everyone really gets into it which is always a treat to take part in. I always find myself wishing I could get to that part faster. 

Now, the more games you play the faster the betting phase goes as players know a bit more about what actions they might want to take. But even after quite a few plays we still find this part to be the one where a bit too much downtime happens, especially in higher player counts. Though we can’t think of a way to change it. It’s a necessary part.

Theme

We want to take a moment to applaud the theme of Unicorn Fever. We see this theme and how they implemented it with the overall game design as a way to take a gambling game and make it so much more exciting and interesting. 

It’s actually a retheme of an older game called Horse Fever. Taking the theme from the real world and switching it to the fantasy realm of unicorns, fairies, elves, leprechauns, and magic really helps it lean into its silly side and creates a fun world for players to take part in.

It’s highly thematic and makes for a more enjoyable game that really draws new players to the table more so than a game anchored in the real world would do.

Components

One of the shining features of Unicorn Fever is the components. 

This game looks spectacular! It’s bright, fun, and a rainbow explosion on the table. 

The unicorn standees are adorable and just beg to be painted. Each unicorn has a unique look and backstory which is a fun extra element for players to enjoy. 

Without fail, when this game hits the table, everyone comes around to see just what it’s all about.

The only thing I was not a fan of, and albeit it’s small, was the font choice they used for the cards. Here one area where I am fine with theme taking a backseat because it makes it difficult for players. While some cards are difficult to read across the tablet due to the script-like loopy text, the magic cards are where we notice the most issue. 

In the corner of each card is a letter that players will use to know which magic cards cancel each other out and which ones stay. Some of the letters, most notably the C and G are nearly indistinguishable from each other, especially when not side by side. 

It’s a small but annoying element in the game that I wish wouldn’t have made it to the final print. 

How does it play with two? 

While you can play unicorn fever with two, we think this game is more fun when played with at least three and preferably four or more. 

That’s not to say that you won’t enjoy your game at the two player count, and indeed, it may not be a bad idea to learn it at this number before you share it with your friends, it’s just that the more players you have the more crazy the races can become. There’s more magic out there influencing the races. More bets being made. Etc etc. Having more people also makes it necessary for players to take bigger risks in their betting to try and win the game. When you’re playing with just two, if you have the lead, you might as well play it safe. I can promise you, this game is much more fun when you can’t play it safe. 

With a game like this, you’ll definitely have more fun with more people all cheering and jeering the unicorns along the race. 

Can kids play?

There is probably just a bit too much happening in Unicorn Fever for kids to play. Understanding odds, luck, chance, and how to best position yourself to manipulate those things (knowing that it may prove futile in the end anyway) will probably prove a touch out of reach for most kids under 10. 

If you have kids that would like to get in on the fun and action of a betting style game like this, we recommend Camel Up. This is another great betting game that is a little easier and better suited for younger players while still being a lot of fun for adults. 

Summary

Unicorn Fever is a fun and zany betting game where you are bound to have a great time — whether your bets go your way and you’re swimming in gold or the leprechaun mob is after you! 

We love that players have the chance to influence the race in various strategic ways while the game stays light hearted and silly the whole time. The theme is implemented throughout the whole experience and really adds to the game – helping immerse the players in the silly world of unicorn betting. 

Without a doubt this theme and the unicorn miniatures will appeal to a younger audience. However, the game is a touch too difficult mechanically for those much younger than 10-12. 

Unicorn Fever is sure to bring a lot of fun and excitement to your next gathering and is a great choice for anyone looking for a betting game with a touch of magic, whimsy, and light strategy. 

If you are interested in picking up a copy for your home, click here.
Find all our favorite game recommendations for players of all ages on our Amazon Storefront. 

A special thank you to our friends at Luma Imports for sending us a copy of Unicorn Fever for review. As always, our thoughts and opinions are our own. 

Game Info:
Title: Unicorn Fever
2-6 Players Ages 14+
Designer: Lorenzo Silva, Lorenzo Tucci Sorrentino
Artist: Giulia Ghigini
Publisher: Horrible Guild Games

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