Recently, I got stuck for a three-hour layover at the airport. I had brought a few games for just such and emergency! One of them was Deckscape In Wonderland!

Table Space

If you can find a decent sized table (at a cafe or in the club or just around), the Deckscape games will work fine. I had brought Deckscape in Wonderland!

I had a plant on my table that I had to put the side as I played … but I put it back when I was done.

Although I could have brought any number of Deckscape games, Deckscape in Wonderland was the one I brought that day.

As you are playing, you will end up taking over some of the table: see above.

What is Deckscape?

If you’ve never played the Deckscape games before, it’s just an (oversized) deck of cards with a little adventure of puzles contained therein. The game is one-and-done: once you’ve played the game, you’ve seen all the puzzles and exploration … and will probably just want to pass this of to a friend.

The game works by reading the top of the card, and it tells you what to do: see above. Usually, this involves solving a puzzle before you flip the card over to the other size. Once you think you have solved the presented puzzle, you flip the card and see if you are right! Either way, (if you are right or wrong), you still continue on the next card. If you are wrong, however, you get an X—these Xs accumulate and are detrimental to your final score.

There’s a neat little mirror in this game you have to use to solve puzzles!

Game Arc

The game lasts about an hour as you try to get to the end of the deck. Along the way, you will solve puzzles. The game recommends a pencil and paper to help with some of the puzzles, but I didn’t need any for my play.

When you get to the very end (the last card is 64: note the upper left corner), you’re done! Your score is then based on how many Xs you got. Honestly, I didn’t care for the score too much. But it’s nice to do better than worse.

Airport Game

In some ways, this is the worst Deckscape game to play at the airport, and some ways the best. What do I mean by that?

Of all the Deckscape games, Deckscape in Wonderland is probably the most “meta” and “outside the box” of all the Deckscape games … which makes sense when you consider the source material: Lewis Carrol is known to have many hidden puzzles and metajokes in his Alice books. Thus, when you are tired and grumpy because you are stuck in the airport for three hours, sometimes your brain doesn’t work as well. Maybe this game is best to be played when you are at full capacity?

On the other hand, the game is so inviting and colorful and fresh, it’s invigorating to play! The colors, the puzzles, the simple mechanisms are a perfect lift-me-up when you are stuck at the airport and grumpy. I found that when playing Deckscape in Wonderland, that the hour just zoomed by! I had so much fun playing!

Conclusion

I really liked the Deckscape in Wonderland game. It’s not my favorite Deckscape game, but it’s close (my favorite is probably Behind the Curtain): it may be #2? I wish I had more of a brain when I played it, because this one is slightly more challenging than previous Deckscapes.

But the thing is: I had a blast playing it, even when I was tired. The fun vibe, the colors, the interesting puzzles, the simplicity of the game was invigorating! After playing through for an hour, I was very glad I had brought this with me to the airport.

For first-timers, I probably recommend taking a different Deckscape game to the airport (maybe Time Test), but if you have played any of these, try Deckscape in Wonderland. What a wonderful way to pass an hour at the airport! The form factor was perfect: small deck of cards, easy to play, small playing surface, and easy to clean-up.

Maybe I should have brought three Deckscape game to take up the three hours at the airport?

P.S. I didn’t get any funny looks when playing this at the airport. At least, I didn’t notice if I did because I was having so much fun!