Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure like in the 1985 film The Goonies? Now you and up to four of your friends or family members can do just that in Funko Games’s latest tabletop game The Goonies: Never Say Die. The game is for two to five players, with a suggested age of 12+.
The game is one of many that I term “D&D lite”. Gameplay is based around a GM (Goondocks Master) directing the remaining players through one of many included scenarios with a specific win/loss objective to be met. Players choose their character, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and use dice rolls to navigate their miniature’s way through the Goondocks caverns.
For our play test, some of the Pop Goes the Culture podcast hosts got together and played through the first scenario in the included Adventure Guide. The audio from that game session will be released later this summer as part of our summer vacation programming. With our GM selected, our four players picked the classic Goonies team of Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, and Data to search for One Eyed Willie’s treasure.
Our players came to the table with a range of tabletop experience, from veteran players to relative newbies. Our game started a little slow, as our players got a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the party and poked their way around the edges of the gameplay options itself. The game is complex, but never complicated. As the players became comfortable, turns were punctuated with discussion about what to do and who was likely to be the most successful accomplishing that goal and how/what they needed from the rest of the group.
Meanwhile, our GM plotted and waited…
After a quick mid-game grocery run, our players boldly moved forward, uncovering secrets and falling into the GM’s traps. Moves were made, then second-guessed, as GM and players acted and reacted to one another, setting up a final confrontation at the Wishing Well. How did our game play out? Subscribe to the Pop Goes the Culture podcast and listen in later this summer!
We had a blast playing The Goonies: Never Say Die. As with all the recent Funko Games titles based on properties that we grew up with, the nostalgia factor sucked us in from the get-go. That hook is supported by great gameplay with a ton of replayability. The game rewards groups that work well together and play unselfishly. We’re already planning additional game nights this summer.
Pick up The Goonies: Never Say Die exclusively at Target.
Disclaimer: A copy of The Goonies: NEver Say Die was provided for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
