Quirky Circuits: Penny & Gizmo’s Snow Day! was designed by Nikki Valens with art by Danalyn Reyes, and published by Plaid Hat Games in 2022. It is a budget-friendly implementation of the original Quirky Circuits (2019) by the same team, replacing the four robots from the original with two characters in this version.
Note: the new game is still called Quirky Circuits (without the subtitle), which I initially found confusing. On a positive note, if you enjoy this new version, the original game can serve as an expansion of sorts, with additional robots and several unique scenarios.
Gameplay
In Quirky Circuits: Penny & Gizmo’s Snow Day!, two to four players work together to complete 10 different programming puzzles, chasing down dust bunnies and collecting flags with one of two robot characters. In this limited-information cooperative game, players use movement cards to program the robots each turn, and turns are limited by their battery life. The spiralbound book of scenarios works very well and is similar to Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion and Ravensburger’s recent Adventure Book Games (The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz).
I played Quirky Circuits in its 2-player mode and a solo variant developed by Michael Kelley of the One Stop Coop Shop. Mike’s version incorporates a “dummy hand” of cards to replicate a second player. The solo gamer adds those cards semi-randomly and then has the ability to make small changes before running the program each turn.
Accessibility Review
Quirky Circuits, while cooperative, is a limited communication game with hidden information in the form of card hands. For some players with accessibility needs (e.g., blind or very low vision), this could be a limiting factor. Also, card counting (memorizing what has been played and what cards remain in the deck) can help a team succeed in this game, so depending on the group’s makeup, this is an issue to consider.
Color Vision Accessibility
Overall, I had no trouble playing Quirky Circuits as a colorblind player. The designer and publisher did an excellent job meeting my accessibility needs, and even a gamer with full colorblindness (i.e., seeing only in black, white, and grey) could play without modifications.
Components. All game components are easy to compare using information other than color. As shown below, each token is distinct from the others, and even items that don’t ever share the same board (flags/dust bunnies, penguin/cat) are easily distinguished.
Cards. The colors and iconography are very clear on the front and back of each card. While the white icons on yellow cards could be low-contrast for some players, I found everything easy to read in real-world play.
Game Scenarios. I found the game’s scenarios easy to understand with no color vision concerns. The only icon that uses color alone is the double arrow indicating tunnels, but this serves as a single icon showing two directions; the colors do not affect gameplay. A full greyscale version of the scenario book would be playable.
The battery track, which serves as a turn counter on the right side of each board, was also very clear. Even though it uses green, yellow, and red to determine an end-game rating for the players, those colors are not required during gameplay.
Low Vision Accessibility
One accessibility issue I experienced was low contrast on the robot reference cards. The numbers and arrows on these two cards are a little tough to read—particularly the yellow items. For some players and in low-light situations, these cards could cause some difficulties.
Modifications
To make the robot reference cards easier to read, I filled in the white numbers and arrows. Since the icons and numbers are small, I used the Sharpie Ultra Fine Point marker for this mod.
These robot reference cards are double-sided with identical information, so if a player prefers to use the original design without modifications, they can simply flip the card over.
Conclusion
Quirky Circuits is a quick-to-play programming game that’s fun for various ages and experience levels. Color vision and low vision players won’t run into significant accessibility barriers. As always, I recommend all consumers review the components before purchasing.
Quirky Circuits: Penny & Gizmo’s Snow Day! is available at the Plaid Hat Games website and wherever games are sold.
Disclaimer: Colorblind Games received a complimentary copy of the game for this review.
Photo Credits: Header image, cover art, and final image by Plaid Hat Games. All others by Brian Chandler.
Colorblind Games 