What would you do if you were stranded on a deserted island with Robinson Crusoe? In Friday, a solo card game from Rio Grande Games, you take on the role of Friday and help Robinson develop the skills he needs to survive, overcome the dangers of the island, and eventually escape. But there's a catch: the longer Robinson stays, the older and clumsier he becomes!
Designed by Friedemann Friese, Friday is a compact deck-building game that offers a surprisingly challenging puzzle for one player. You'll need to make thoughtful decisions, manage limited resources, and figure out when it's worth taking a loss in order to become stronger.
Although Friday is designed as a solo game, it offers plenty of opportunities for learning. It's a great choice for an older student who enjoys a challenge and likes games that require careful thought.
Math Skills
There are lots of opportunities to practice addition and subtraction throughout the game. Students must add the fighting values of their cards, compare the total to the hazard's required value, and calculate the difference when they decide to lose a fight. They'll also need to keep track of life points and determine how many additional cards they can afford to draw.
Strategic Thinking and Decision-Making
One of the most interesting parts of Friday is that winning every fight isn't necessarily the best strategy. Sometimes deliberately losing is the smarter move because it allows you to remove a weak card from your deck. Students must weigh the immediate cost against the potential long-term benefit and decide which hazards are worth fighting.
Probability and Risk Assessment
The cards are shuffled, so you never know exactly what you'll draw next. Students can consider which cards remain in their deck, estimate the likelihood of drawing helpful or harmful cards, and decide whether spending additional life points is worthwhile. They'll learn that even a well-thought-out plan doesn't guarantee the outcome they want!
Resource Management
Robinson's life points are a limited resource. They can be spent to draw extra fighting cards or used to remove unwanted cards after a lost fight. Students must decide when to conserve those points and when spending them could help Robinson become stronger in the long run. Running out of life points when another payment is required means losing the game.
Adaptability and Learning from Mistakes
A failed encounter isn't always a wasted turn. Sometimes it creates an opportunity to remove a troublesome card and improve the deck. Students learn to evaluate what went wrong, adjust their strategy, and make better decisions as the challenges become harder.
Friday is a great example of how a small card game can offer a surprisingly challenging experience. The solo-only format makes it different from many family board games, but it can be a nice addition to a gameschooling collection for students who enjoy working through puzzles independently.
One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the way it makes losing part of the strategy. Instead of treating every setback as a failure, players have to consider whether taking a loss now might put them in a better position later. It's a meaningful lesson in planning ahead, managing resources, and learning from mistakes.
Game Details
Game: Friday
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Designer: Friedemann Friese
Players: 1
Playing Time: Less than 30 minutes
Game Type: Solo deck-building, strategy, and survival
Objective: Help Robinson survive the island's hazards and defeat two pirates so he can escape!
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