Set & Match: Volley Ball

The rules are horribly written, but the game is pretty fun, especially when you play with volleyball fan. My teenagers loves it.

It's only a first impression, but the dice management really breaks the flow. I love volleyball and hoped for a game that felt like a real sport as effortlessly as the tennis-based original. Maybe with practice it would become that way?

[1 play]

This is a great simulation of volleyball on a table. You need to be able to flick reasonably well, at least enough to get the disc/ball in bounds on the other side of the net. Then there is an additionall layer of rolling dice: If, after the initial serve, you can flick the ball to your fellow players (up to two times, simulating the dig/save and set), you get to roll more and better dice after the flick/spike to the other side of the court. If you flick the disc/ball well and then roll 5+, it's unreturnable (a "kill"). You can also get lucky and roll 5+ on the serve, representing an ace. You can also flick well and get a bad dice roll, which can lead to fun swings of momentum – in my mind echoing moments when the offense sets up a great spike but the defense is able to make the dig.

If you're indifferent to the volleyball theme, I can see that this might feel like just another flicking game. But for me, the way this game captures the feeling of the sport makes it pretty special.

[Also: We could not make sense out of the rules that come in the box. Thank you to the BGGers who have posted revised English rules!]

Brilliant game. If you like sports games and games which are theme first - this is the game for you.