Viva Topo!

Viva Topo!
Game data
author	Manfred Ludwig
graphic	Barbara Kinzebach
publishing company	Selecta
Publishing year	2003
Art	Board game
Teammates	2 to 4
Duration	30 minutes
Age	from 4 years
Awards
Children's Game of the Year 2003 Game of Games : Children's game hit 2003 Japan Boardgame Prize 2003: The Best Childgame Boardgames Australia Awards 2009: Best Children's Game

Viva Topo! is an award-winning board game for children from 4 years. It was developed by Manfred Ludwig and was published by Selecta in 2003 .

Game play and material

Four families of mice leave their safe home to embark on a journey to the “cheese land of milk and honey ”. The hike is dangerous, however, because a cat follows the mice and catches those who cannot reach the land of milk and honey or one of the four caves along the way in time.

The game material includes 20 mice figures in four colors, a cat figure, 20 pieces of cheese in five different sizes, a special dice and the game board. Play figures and pieces of cheese are made of wood and painted in different colors. The figures also have ears made of felt and a cord as a tail.

Depending on the number of players, each player starts with four or five mouse figures of one color, all of which start in a common shelter. In turn, the players now roll a special six-sided die and move one of their mice according to the number rolled. The way to the land of milk and honey leads around the game board, the four caves are located along the way in the corners of the game board. The cat starts a little behind the mice and is always moved when one of the two cat symbols is thrown. On her way she catches all the mice, these are removed from the game. As the game progresses, the cat moves faster and faster, so the journey becomes more and more risky for the mice.

The aim is to bring the mice either to the land of milk and honey, or to one of the caves and collect as much cheese as possible: In each of the targets there are pieces of cheese of different sizes, which earn more points the further away the target is from the shelter. The game ends when all mice have reached one of the objectives or have been caught by the cat. The winner is whoever was able to collect the most cheese at the end of the game.

Reviews and awards

In 2003 the jury chose Viva Topo! for Children's Game of the Year . The editors of Game of the Year wrote in the article Children's Game of the Year 2003 - Viva Topo! :

“First, simple tactics considerations that turn a mere running game into an exciting adventure for the whole family. And real, enthusiastic players from just busy children. "

Also in 2003 Viva Topo! Awarded the Austrian Spiel der Spiele award as a “game hit for children” and the Japan Boardgame Prize as “The Best Childgame”.

The reviews of Viva Topo! were very positive. Reviewers particularly praised the high-quality game material as well as the simple comprehensibility of the game principle with a high fun and excitement factor at the same time.

Web links

• Viva Topo! in the Luding games database
• Viva Topo! in the games database BoardGameGeek (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Children's game of the year 2003 - Viva Topo! at game of the year
2. ↑ Arno Steinwender: Review at Spieletest.at from July 18, 2004
3. ↑ Jörg Lehmann: Review by Brettspiele-Report from October 28, 2008