It was only September, but already I was being hit by a slight case of summertime blues. Thankfully, while going over the Board Game Geek Essen Spiel preview list, looking to find a new family title for FoxMind, I spotted a title that brought me back to those sweet, sunny summer days of July. I had to have a copy!

Straight from the creative minds of Mandoo Games, a South Korean publisher (Banana Bandits, Rising 5), Slide Blast’s simple and elegant gameplay was an instant hit with the FoxMind team when I put it out on the play-test table. Personally, as a fan of tile-laying games, I felt that building a waterpark was the perfect family theme for this type of game; it really gave players a sense of achieving the longest slides each time they placed a tile on the table. But, even better, it made the closing of our local waterpark less bitter, as I knew I would have this game to play during our long, cold Canadian winter!

Slide Blast offers players a simple pick-and-play experience. On your turn, choose between two tiles and try to slide your way to victory (the sliding meeples are worth the game by themselves!). Some players might say Lady Luck plays a big part in this game, but as you play along, you’ll realize that placing a curve at the right spot may lead you to unused tunnels to boost your points.

If Slide Blast was only about building your own continuous slide path, players would have probably left the waterpark quickly. Thankfully, the game offers a collaborative way for players to slide together in a fun and friendly manner; helping your fellow waterpark slider go further can earn you bonus tokens, which are added to your score at the end of the game. Thus, the more sunscreen and ice cream (aka: bonus tokens) you collect, the greater your chance of winning the game increases!

And, let’s not forget about the special tiles: ‘High Speed’ & ‘Attraction’. While staying in tune with the game’s theme, laying down those special tiles can quickly change the outcome of a match and add a lot of extra fun. Who wouldn’t want to, all of a sudden, slide down at full speed, dive into a tunnel, or spin in a giant whirlpool?

On my first-ever play, as soon as the first full turn ended, I immediately noticed how the pace of the game quickly accelerated. It didn’t take long for the game to end and for all the players around the table to express how they would’ve liked the stack of tiles to have lasted longer. In other words, we definitely wanted to play another game, straightaway. So we did!

Another clear indication that we had a winner on our hands was that players spontaneously let out enthusiastic “Wheeeees!” as they made their meeple slide. When I head to the waterpark this summer, I bet it will be no different!

Slide Blast delivers true enjoyment for the family. The easy gameplay and fun theme will bring young and experienced gamers together. For a fresh take on tile-laying games, check out Slide Blast at your local game stores today. Now, there’s no excuse not to hit the waterpark, even on rainy days!

JC Dorais is the Social Media Manager at FoxMind Games in Montreal. An avid gamer, he has also worked for Asmodee USA and has been passionate about the board game industry since he was a child. His second home is on Instagram, where you can get a glimpse of exclusive FoxMind content at @foxmindgames.