Llamas Unleashed v.s. Unstable Unicorns: Key differences to look for before choosing

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Do you remember the days of your childhood when you and your buddies happily spent hours playing Scrabble and Monopoly? Well, board games have changed a lot since then. This is especially true of the next generation of board games. They will have you challenging your brain and using your wit to outsmart your opponents. Two such board games that have an excellent reputation for this are Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns!

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Goals

These two games have many similarities, but they have many differences as well. When comparing llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns it’s important to look at the goals of each. With llamas unleashed, you want to stop at nothing and be the first to have 7 unique animals in a stable. The goal of unstable unicorns is to do whatever it takes to build amass at least 6 unicorns.

On an interesting note, both games are manufactured by the same company. Amazon.com sells llamas unleashed for $13.53 and it sells unstable unicorns for $19.97. So there is a difference in the price of approximately $6.44 between the two games

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Game Components

Both games come with many components. When discussing Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns, most of them are the same. For example, both have fields. This is the area where players place the cards. They also have nurseries and discard fields and a deck area. However, the main difference in Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns lie in the playing cards.

For instance, the first game has animal, magic, instant, upgrade, downgrade, animals, baby animals, basic animals, and magical game cards. The second has baby unicorn (13), basic unicorn (22), magic unicorn (30). Magic (23), downgrade (8), upgrade (14), and instant (14) cards.

Unstable unicorns also come with a rulebook. Llamas unleashed does not. Also, Llamas unleashed animal cards come with phrases and lines that had punch. While Unstable unicorns lack this, it does come with instructions for each animal and card that are similar to those of Llamas unleashed.

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Terms used

It is important to go through the terminology used in the game before diving to play it. Both these games have unique terms. However, Comparing Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns, we realized most of the terms overlap except for few ones. For instance, Llamas unleashed use the terms: field, nursery, deck, discard pile, sacrifice, destroy, steal, discard, and draw. Whereas, Unstable unicorns use the following terms: instant, upgrade, magic, magical, basic unicorn, magical unicorn, and baby unicorn cards.

As is evident, the only real difference in terms is in the nature of the game – Llamas unleashed uses four types of farm animals: the llama, the alpaca, the goat, and the ram. Unstable unicorns only used one (mythological) animal – the unicorn.

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Actions

Both llamas unleashed and unstable unicorns had cards with interesting actions. The main difference (once again) lay in the usage.

Llamas unleashed have magic cards that could only be used once but were effective in stopping another player. Unstable unicorns have magic cards as well, but these could be used multiple times and only succeeded in destabilizing the outcome of the game.

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: How to Play?

There are many similarities when discussing how to play llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns. One is in the beginning, Where. Llamas unleashed has a beginning of a turn, a draw, an action, and an end of turn phase, Unstable unicorns also have a turn, draw, action, and end of your turn phase.

1.) Effects of cards

Both games have cards with special and powerful effects. For instance, both have cards with a ‘trigger’ effect. These have special commands that ask certain players to take certain actions. The actions must be completed for the game to continue. Some trigger cards had mandatory actions while others had voluntary actions in both games.

2.) Playing the game

Both games start clockwise. However, a key difference in playing llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns lie in the way they’ve played. In llamas unleashed, the game begins when a player finds a baby animal reference card that says, “if the card is in your field, it’s the beginning of your turn!” With unstable unicorns, the game begins with the player having the greatest number of different colored baby unicorn cards.

A key difference is the way cards are picked in beginning. Players choose up to four baby animal cards with Llamas unleashed. They get five cards after getting the initial baby unicorn card in Unstable unicorns.

3.) Draw

Both games have similar actions in the draw phase. Players pick cards from the deck in both games during this phase.

4.) Action

Players can either pick cards from the deck or they can play cards in both board games. End of turn phase Players can be holding only 7 cards as the game ends. They must place extra cards in the discarded field.

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Interesting Facts

This is where key differences in llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns appear. For example, unstable unicorns use the neigh card. Players loathe this card because it can make the effect of any other player who plays a card ineffective. That player will be forced to forfeit his or her card and put it in the discard pile. It gives the person with the neigh hand an unfair advantage during the game.

Llamas unleashed has the herd bonus effect which is triggered when a player has three of any farm animal in his or her deck. The reference cards in the game explain the effects and ramifications of the herd bonus. Another main difference in llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns lie in the relationship of the cards. Llamas unleashed has order of resolution. It describes the effects of the cards in relation to each other. For example, certain cards can activate other cards in a chain-reaction style. Unstable unicorns do not have this.

Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns: Game Ending

There is also the main difference in terms of the ways in which Llamas unleashed v.s. Unstable unicorns end. In llamas unleashed, the first player to have 7 animals in his or her field wins. In unstable unicorns, the first player to have at least six unicorns wins. He or she is then referred to as the ‘righteous ruler’ and has the power to influence the outcome of the rest of the game to benefit him or her.

Our Verdict

Llamas unleashed may make for a better game since it’s fairer. It lacks some of the tricks and turns that unstable unicorns have. Both are unique and innovative board games that challenge and tease the mind. The only difference is that llamas unleashed have some familiarity with already known animals. The same is not true of unstable unicorns. These games are different from traditional board games like Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. that’s why these games (games like llamas unleashed and unstable unicorns) are here to stay!