Juicy Fruits Board Game Overview

It’s no secret that I have a terrible sweet tooth. I’ve tried to find ways to curb the cravings and snacking, but the only thing that really helps is to just stay busy. Whether that means taking the dog for a long walk, driving to the local thrift store, getting engrossed in a jigsaw puzzle or playing a board game, I simply need to do things that keep my mind and body preoccupied. Usually that works just fine, but Juicy Fruits from Capstone Games has me testing my willpower. Aside from the title reminding me of chewing gum, the fruit pieces inside scream, “grab a bag of Runts” to eat while playing. Thank goodness the game is quick to play and very engaging or I might fall to those sirens.

Juicy Fruits is a light board game for up to four players, including a separate solo mode. The setup will vary slightly based on the number of players. Each player takes an island board, a postcard marker and tokens matching the postcard. The business and scoring boards are placed in the center of the table and are populated with player discs, license, milkshake and ice cream markers and business tokens. Large venue tokens are set alongside the board, as are the Runt-like fruit pieces. Each player randomly covers the ponds on their island with the collector tokens then draws ship tokens from the bag to line the outer edge of their island board.

As with most games, the goal is to earn the most points. In Juicy Fruits, that happens by collecting fruit from your board and filling ship orders so they leave your island. Another use for the resources is to exchange them for business licenses to expand your ventures. Turns are really quick because you only have a couple options. You can move your collector tokens on your island in order to gather fruit then either supply one ship or claim one business. Watch our How to Play Juicy Fruits Reel to get a quick tutorial to help put this overview into context.

The collector tokens are fruit baskets on your island. You move the basket in a straight line then collect one of that particular fruit for each space you moved. The better that you are able to clear your board, the more spaces – and therefore more fruit – you’ll be able to collect on each turn.

In order to make room for more harvesting, you need to get those wretched ships off your island. After moving your token, you can either supply one ship or claim a business token. In order to supply a ship, you simply take fruit from your reserves and return it to the general supply. The amount varies from ship to ship so plan accordingly in order to maximize your space. When you supply the ship, you’ll remove that token from your island and record the points on the scoring board.

As an alternative to supplying a ship, you may claim a business. Pay the noted fruit cost then take any token from that row. Record the points indicated then place that new business token somewhere on your island. Each purchase causes the license marker to move one additional step. This is actually the tracker to indicate when the game is over so pay attention to it when your opponents are purchasing businesses!

There are a variety of types of businesses that range in size from one square to several. When purchased, these become permanent, stationary additions to your island. There are also some that allow you to collect more fruit on each turn. These are just like the other collector tokens in that you’ll slide them around your board in order to collect fruit. In addition to business tokens that score immediately, there are some stall tokens that take up space, only scoring at the very end of the game.

After the license marker has reached the bottom, the round continues until each player has taken an equal number of turns. Points from ships, business and end-game stalls are calculated to determine the winner. It’s not a difficult game to learn and with quick turns it moves well, even for younger players who may not be able to hold their attention for long periods of time. As with their other games we have featured, Juicy Fruits is a solid addition to the Capstone Games product line. Pick up a copy of Juicy Fruits on Amazon, check with your local game store or watch for it to be in stock on Capstone Games’ website. Read up on all the news and release details on their social channels (Facebook, Twitter). Keep an eye out for Ark Nova because it is getting a lot of buzz!

Do you snack when playing board games?