Top Cap Review

And now onto the next game from the Soda Pop Collection – Top Cap. I already reviewed Light Seeker and was a fan. You can probably tell from our rating graphic above that I am also liking Top Cap. Why? Keep reading to find out!

Top Cap is a puzzle-y game of grid movement in which players are moving Bottle Caps, attempting to land on their opponent’s ‘Bottle’ (corner of the board). To setup for a game, place the board between both players, with a Bottle pointing towards each player. Players each take the 4 Bottle Caps in their color and place them onto their starting spaces. Choose a player to go first, and the game is ready to begin. Pictured below is the starting setup.

Players will alternate turns, moving Caps across the board towards their opponent’s Bottle. On your turn, you must move one of your Caps, following the movement rules. First, select one of your Caps to move this turn. Count the number of orthogonally and diagonally adjacent Caps to your selected Cap – this will dictate how many spaces you can move. (All adjacent Caps are counted, not just those of your own color!) With this number, you must now move your selected Cap. You must move your Cap in a straight line, either diagonally or orthogonally from where it started, and you must move the exact number of spaces as determined in the last step. When you move your Cap, it cannot land on or ‘jump’ over any other Caps, or land on your own Bottle. Once you have performed your turn, your opponent will go, and the game continues as such.

If, on your turn, you have no possible legal movement for any of your Caps, you immediately lose the game. If a player is able to successfully land one of their own Caps onto their opponent’s Bottle, that player wins the game!

I know I said this about Light Seeker too, but there is more to Top Cap than meets the eye. It’s definitely not a heavy game by any means, but it still gets your brain burning enough to keep you engaged throughout the game. If I were looking for the perfect gateway game for 2-players, Top Cap would be towards the top of that list. It is super simple and easy to learn, teach, and play. It has good strategic elements, but definitely won’t scare anyone away with too many options.

One element that I really like about Top Cap is how the movement works. For starters, figuring out how many spaces to move is so cool – you have to count any adjacent Caps. So if you have a Cap next to an opponent, you could inadvertently be helping them out by boosting their movement number. Or hindering them, since you have to move the exact number. And it’s a neat twist that you’re not allowed to land on or ‘jump’ over any Caps. Depending on the strategy you take, you may end up cornering or blocking some of your opponent’s Caps with strategic placement of your own. Those are just a couple of cool mechanics that take Top Cap from a checkers/chess re-skin to a unique game that can stand on its own.

Components. Again, the soda can ‘box’ is a cool touch, and I am a fan of the gimmick. The game components themselves are high quality as well. The game ‘board’ is a fabric board that feels nice and smooth, and has a cool and clear design to it. I’m not sure exactly what the material is, but it’s like the fabric of a mousepad or play mat, just without the foamy part underneath. The Bottle Caps themselves are super sweet too. They’re actual metal Bottle Caps, each with a unique design printed on it. They definitely elevate the gameplay, and make the game feel so much cooler. Again, ThunderGryph Games crushes it with the components.

When it comes to strategy games, Top Cap is definitely in the ‘light’ category, but there is absolutely still strategy involved in the gameplay. As I said above, I would use Top Cap as an introductory 2-player game for newer gamers into the hobby. It gives you strong strategic elements without overwhelming brain burn. As with Light Seeker, this is not my favorite 2-player game, but one that I have been enjoying more and more with every play. If you’re wanting something pretty light, but still with a bit of crunch, I would recommend Top Cap. BGG doesn’t have a listed age for it, but I can absolutely see Top Cap as being playable with young gamers. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a strong 4 / 6. I can’t wait to play it with Travis and get his thoughts, because I think he’ll like it.