Submitted by Nathaniel Dragon

Key Whiz is an entertaining game, one which can be simple or complex depending on who plays. Either strategy or luck can win the game, but the player with the best combination of strategy and luck usually emerges victorious.

The object of the game is to get all of your pieces through a series of doors before your opponents do. Each player has their own board which has spaces to draw cards, swap cards (with cards on the table), make special moves, and "Doors." Using a standard deck of cards, players put together pairs, three of a kind and four of a kind as "keys" to get through increasingly difficult doors.

But that's just the start. There are also cards that become designated as "Whiz Cards." These cards count twice, so one King "Whiz Card" is equal to a pair of Kings when it's played. "Keys" must match the doors perfectly, so the "Whiz Cards" are not always helpful. (Example: If there are 3 Kings on the table, and you have a "Whiz" King, you won't be able to get through "Door 4" by playing it, since that would make 5 Kings instead of 4.)

I've noticed a regular problem when playing with two players. About 1 of 3 games ends in a draw because both players get their pieces stuck. I believe this happens because less cards are on the table compared to games with 3 or 4 players.

Overall, I think Key Whiz is an enjoyable game which is fairly simple for new players to catch on to. Also, with the games being rather quick (about 20 minutes) and the setup being simple, it doesn't scare new players off.

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