Fafnir

Fafnir is a small-box strategy game about a very unusual chicken who lays gems instead of eggs.

Each round, Fafnir produces new gems, and players compete to claim them. The catch is that the player who throws away the most gems gets first pick of the newly laid gems. That means you are constantly deciding which gems to keep, which ones to sacrifice, and how much you’re willing to toss away to get something better.

The value of each gem colour changes depending on how many of those gems players are holding, so the game becomes a sharp little puzzle of timing and manipulation. Sometimes you want to collect a colour. Sometimes you want to dump it. Sometimes you just stare at the chicken and wonder why your entire financial plan depends on poultry.

Fafnir is quick, quirky, and strategic, with the kind of unusual theme Oink Games is known for. It plays 2–4 players, takes about 20 minutes, and is recommended for ages 8+. It was designed by Jun Sasaki and published by Oink Games.

What We Think

We haven’t played Fafnir yet, but the premise is immediately memorable: a gem-laying chicken and a game built around throwing away treasure to get better treasure. That’s good cardboard weirdness.

What sounds interesting here is that the game is not just about collecting the most gems. Since gem values fluctuate based on what players are holding, every discard can affect the overall economy. It gives the game a bit of a market-manipulation feel, but in a much lighter and stranger package.

This looks like a good fit for players who enjoy quick games with unusual scoring, hidden tension, and small decisions that can suddenly become very expensive.

Why You Might Like It

You might like Fafnir if you enjoy compact strategy games, set collection, auction-style tension, and games where the value of what you’re collecting can shift during play.

It should be a good choice for Oink Games fans, players who like quirky themes, and anyone who wants a quick strategy game that does something a little different. A tiny box full of gems, greed, and one deeply suspicious chicken.