Diced Veggies Review

I know not all gamers will agree with me, but I enjoy a good gimmick in a game. Sometimes it works really well, and sometimes it really just seems to only be a gimmick. But either way, they can be pretty fun. So when I came across Diced Veggies, in which you have a literal cardboard cleaver to use in the game, I was hooked. It sounded like a fun and funny game, so I picked it up (I believe at GenCon last year) to give it a shot. So does the gimmick work in this game? Or is it kind of a letdown? Keep reading to find out!

Diced Veggies is a dice game of set collection in which players take on the roles of chefs slicing and dicing their way to complete various recipes. At the end of the game, the player with the most VP (earned from cooking Recipes) is the winner! To setup for a game, first roll all of the dice into the provided frame – this creates the dice block from which you will take dice. Next, shuffle the Hype cards, dealing one face-down to each player. Shuffle the Recipe cards and deal two face-up to each player, and create a market of three Recipe cards in reach of all players. Everyone receives a Chef token, the starting player is given the Cleaver, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a 3-player game.

The game is played over a series of turns, and each turn is broken down into three steps: Cut, Cook, and Card. The first step of each turn is to Cut, and to do this you need the Cleaver. Using the Cleaver, you will cut a number of dice out of the block. Simple enough, but you must follow the cutting rules: the number values of the dice you cut cannot have a combined total of more than 10, you cannot angle the Cleaver to avoid certain dice (keep it level and even), and your cut cannot divide the block into two separate blocks. Once you’ve made your cut, collect your dice (preserving their number values!) and place them in front of you.

The next step in a turn is to Cook. If you have all the ingredients displayed on one of your Recipe cards, you can Cook it. Discard the used dice back into the frame, and place the cooked Recipe face-down in your play area. Any Recipes you cook will earn you the listed VP for end-game scoring. Before you Cook, you can discard your Chef token to change either the type (color) or the number value of one of your dice. This could allow you to complete a Recipe you might not have been able to yet. You’ll only get your Chef token back during a Restock (more on this in a bit), so use it wisely! Whenever you Cook a Recipe, you can also choose to play one of your Hype cards if you have fulfilled its requirements. Some Hype cards, for example, require that all the numbers of the dice used for the recipe be different, or sequential, etc. Each Hype card also has a listed VP value, and will add into your end-game total.

When you have finished Cooking, it is time for the Card step. Nice and easy – draw either one new Hype card or one new Recipe card (either directly from the deck, or from the face-up market). Once you do that, it’s time to end your turn. At the end of your turn, you may only have a maximum of eight dice, two Recipe cards, and two Hype cards. Anything more than that must be discarded. Pass the Cleaver to the next player, and the game continues! If, when your turn starts, there is at least one ingredient (color) dice missing from the block, you may choose to Restock – take all the discarded dice, reroll them into the frame, and create a new block. All used Chef tokens are returned to their respective players. Take your turn now as normal. The game continues in this fashion, cutting dice/cooking Recipes/using Hype/drawing cards, until one player has cooked their sixth Recipe. All other players get one more turn, and then everyone gets one final Cook action. Everyone then adds up the VP values of their Cooked Recipes and Hype cards. The player with the highest total is the winner!

Ok ok, I know you’re wanting to know – “Laura, tell me about this Cleaver.” Ok, I will. The mechanic with the Cleaver is neat, but gimmicky. In theory, it’s pretty neat, but in actuality, it’s a bit more finicky than you’d think. And that’s simply because the Cleaver is a nice thick cardboard, and that makes it a little difficult to slide seamlessly between the dice in the block. Maybe if it were made of card stock it would be better, but as it is, it’s not exactly the greatest. Still though, I like it and it’s a neat element. The rest of the gameplay is pretty simple – set collection. Which is my JAM. So yes, I love it. But strategy-wise, not too much going on here to really burn your brain. The Hype cards do make for a bit of variability, as it provides additional challenges to earn extra VP. How can you use your dice, or manipulate them, to earn those sweet sweet Hype points?

I’ll touch on components here for a minute. I already spoke about the Cleaver above, so no need to rehash it here. The rest of the components are pretty solid quality. The dice are nice and chunky, and the colors and values are easy to differentiate between. The artwork on the cards is pretty straightforward, but cute and fun to look at. The Hype cards are easy to understand as well, and the iconography on the Recipe cards is easily identifiable for the dice. All in all, great production quality here from Kids Table BG!

Do I like this game? Yes, I really do. Is it my favorite? No. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good. Diced Veggies is easy to learn and teach, and fast to play. It won’t completely burn your brain, but it does offer some strategic options for you to consider, while keeping the gameplay constantly moving. I think this is great as a filler game, or for those nights you simply just don’t have a long time to play. The rules even have a section for modification to play with kids, so it can be played with the whole family. I don’t think this game will ever make my Top 10 of All Time, but it will definitely stick around in my collection for the long-run. If you’re in the market for something cute and fast, with just a pinch of strategy, I would highly recommend Diced Veggies. Just remember that the Cleaver thing isn’t 100% perfect and you’ll be fine. I have enjoyed every Kids Table BG game that I’ve played, and Diced Veggies is no exception. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a well-done 10 / 12.