The Inside Scoop on Gaming

It isn't often that a game comes along that is fun to play, quick to learn, and makes a great accessory to any wardrobe. With Button Men, Cheapass Games has achieved all of these things, with the added bonus of cheap. Very cheap. Damn cheap, in fact. But I am getting ahead of myself....

When you pick up a pack of Butten Men, the first thing that you notice is....the button. Each pack comes with two different buttons, wonderfully illustrated, and a small blurb describing the figure on the button. The pack that I picked up (because all of the others had been bought by Pokemon-starved prepubescents) had a picture of "Hammer", a large helmet-wearing gentlemen who is described as a "vicious, sweaty man with a garbage can on his head, [who] likes to beat people up". Oh yeah, this game was going home with me. His opponent, "Avis", is a Virgo who is into chainsaw dueling and long walks along the beach. Yet, entertaining as the artwork and blurbs are, there are even rules here.

Each button has a series of dice sizes and a swing dice printed on it. Players collect one of each of the dice mentioned, choosing one extra as the "swing" or wild card dice, and then roll them all. The object of the game is to take the opponent's dice by rolling your own dice. Players can either make a Power attack (roll one die, and if the number is greater than or equal to the target dice, you capture it), or a Skill attack (roll 2 or more of your dice to add up exactly to an opponent's dice to capture it). Play goes back and forth until no more attacks can be made. Both players then add up what they have captured and what they have left (a captured 8-sided dice is worth 8 points, while your own 8 sided dice that is left is worth 4 points). The player with the most points is the winner.

The game is simple, quick, and really fun to play. However, it just starts there. Cheapass has licensed the game to other well known game companies, so that they can use characters from their own lines as Button Men. White Wolf has a pack or two, but the coup de grace has got to be the set from Atlas Games, who converted the lovable scamp from Lunch Money into Butten Men (They even have special rules exclusive to the Atlas Games set; Pimp slap anyone?). I have ordered the complete set, just to wear when I play Lunch Money with friends.

The game is perfect for conventions, where players can wear their buttons and challenge other players who are wearing their own. The buttons are very well done and collectable, not because they may be worth money, but because they are FUN, and the game is quick and easy to play. Of course, there is a drawback; the price. $4.50 is an insult for a two player game when other companies are asking more money for much less. Do yourself a favor, and pick up some Button Men today.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Button Men
Author: James Ernest Category: Uh.... Company/Publisher: Cheapass Games Line: Ditto Cost: 4.50 Page count: n/a ISBN: n/a SKU: CAG301 Playtest Review by Jason Driver on 10/04/99. Genre tags: Comedy	It isn't often that a game comes along that is fun to play, quick to learn, and makes a great accessory to any wardrobe. With Button Men, Cheapass Games has achieved all of these things, with the added bonus of cheap. Very cheap. Damn cheap, in fact. But I am getting ahead of myself.... When you pick up a pack of Butten Men, the first thing that you notice is....the button. Each pack comes with two different buttons, wonderfully illustrated, and a small blurb describing the figure on the button. The pack that I picked up (because all of the others had been bought by Pokemon-starved prepubescents) had a picture of "Hammer", a large helmet-wearing gentlemen who is described as a "vicious, sweaty man with a garbage can on his head, [who] likes to beat people up". Oh yeah, this game was going home with me. His opponent, "Avis", is a Virgo who is into chainsaw dueling and long walks along the beach. Yet, entertaining as the artwork and blurbs are, there are even rules here. Each button has a series of dice sizes and a swing dice printed on it. Players collect one of each of the dice mentioned, choosing one extra as the "swing" or wild card dice, and then roll them all. The object of the game is to take the opponent's dice by rolling your own dice. Players can either make a Power attack (roll one die, and if the number is greater than or equal to the target dice, you capture it), or a Skill attack (roll 2 or more of your dice to add up exactly to an opponent's dice to capture it). Play goes back and forth until no more attacks can be made. Both players then add up what they have captured and what they have left (a captured 8-sided dice is worth 8 points, while your own 8 sided dice that is left is worth 4 points). The player with the most points is the winner. The game is simple, quick, and really fun to play. However, it just starts there. Cheapass has licensed the game to other well known game companies, so that they can use characters from their own lines as Button Men. White Wolf has a pack or two, but the coup de grace has got to be the set from Atlas Games, who converted the lovable scamp from Lunch Money into Butten Men (They even have special rules exclusive to the Atlas Games set; Pimp slap anyone?). I have ordered the complete set, just to wear when I play Lunch Money with friends. The game is perfect for conventions, where players can wear their buttons and challenge other players who are wearing their own. The buttons are very well done and collectable, not because they may be worth money, but because they are FUN, and the game is quick and easy to play. Of course, there is a drawback; the price. $4.50 is an insult for a two player game when other companies are asking more money for much less. Do yourself a favor, and pick up some Button Men today. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)