Navigator Lana

Gator’s Game Overview

Navigating Five by Five

Designed by Tim Tender
Published by Red Mitten Games

Dice chucking meets puzzle patterns in Five by Five! Players manipulate the dice on the board through action cards while completing objectives. With each turn, the board changes as the players shift the dice for their personal gains. When the board is complete, the game ends, and the player with the most points wins!

Key Coordinates

Players: 1-5
Play Time: 30 minutes
Ages: 8+

Mapping the Mechanics

Setting up Five by Five is quick and easy! Place three special objectives above the game board and pass out four action cards to each player and three personal objective cards. With each turn, one player must play one action card from their hand and manipulate the dice determined by the action. If you have created a pattern fulfilling the objective, score those points immediately, even if the board changes. The dice constantly change throughout the game. If you’re not satisfied with your hand, there is always the option to discard the hand and take new cards. Once the last die is placed, the end game triggers, tally’s the most points, and declares the winner.

You can find a 90-ish second rundown of the game rules here.

Navigator’s Notes

The Journey’s Feel: Five by Five is a delightful way to bring anyone to the game table. There’s a pleasant balance between focusing on your own objectives for points and enough tension created as your opponents change the dice. The more dice fill the board, the more patterns you can make, and conversely, the more ways to have your objectives derailed by a competitor. So, while the rules are straightforward to learn, there’s enough tug-of-war between players, creating unique challenges but fewer “In your face! Gotcha!” moments. The only objectives that each player knows are available are the public ones. Anything in hand is private to the player holding it, which takes away from the vindictive player’s move yet still provides a solid jab to your plans when someone else relocates or changes the dice around.

Dicey Encounters: For me, the thrill comes when you play an action card and create a chain reaction of solved objectives. Watching the board and how the dice are moving, then realizing you have the perfect action card to change the puzzle for your benefit, is what makes Five by Five shine in satisfaction. It’s an added (non-point) bonus when you hear the other players groan at their ruined plans.

Strategic Depths and Tactical Choices: With four cards in hand, there are enough choices to create progress each turn and begin planning ahead for your next move. While your opponents are working on their own goals and changing the dice, the 25 square spaces create enough space between moves that I don’t feel boxed out of a move every single round, either. Suppose I notice a pattern that another player is working on. In that case, I might temporarily shift my focus to another part of the board. Sometimes, you feel so stuck with zero beneficial action cards or objectives that it’s always possible to discard your hand and draw new choices. Sacrificing any dice movement during that turn can pay off in the long run.

Visuals, Vessels, and Treasures: Five by Five comes in a portable game box that’s big enough to take on many outings. Whether it’s a casual get-together with friends and family or your community game day, the size of the box and components doesn’t make it a space hog to take on the go. The dice have a solid, chunky feel without being overly large. It’s a nice balance for the smaller hands of children to handle or the hands of older friends to grasp without frustration or fumbling. The board itself features an excellent double-layer design, allowing the dice to rest easily in their place. Again, a nice feature when anyone is trying to pick them up and shift them on the board. Minor bumps on the board won’t send the current dice flying around.

Flying Solo

Albatross’s Assessment: The solo variant of Five by Five is similar enough to the main board game that I didn’t feel overwhelmed with new rules. As much as I loved the game with other people, it was a delightful game as a solo player because I could sit and work through the puzzle of my next plays and move the dice without concern of dragging my feet for other players in “Analysis Paralysis.” For any solo players who also enjoy the medium to light puzzle game, this is a must in your collection.

Who Should Embark?

Five by Five is a fantastic game for a variety of ages and players. The light gamers found it within their comfort zone. In contrast, my more experienced hobby gamer friends took joy in managing the puzzle. During our recent game day, it was the perfect “filler game” between lengthier games and a great choice to finish off the night.

The Navigator’s Chart

Calm Coastline: A light and easy-to-learn game, perfect for casual play.

End of the Voyage

Our time with Five by Five has reached its final destination! This game is a compact treasure of strategic fun, sure to dice up endless replayability. If you’re eager to solve new puzzles with every roll and perfectly fill your board, then Five by Five is your next great adventure! You can add Five by Five to your own treasure hoard HERE!

A special thanks to Red Mitten Games for generously providing a copy of Five by Five.