Awesome Pack! Subscription Box Review – November 2015

Disclosure: This box was paid for by me. There are affiliate links.

 

Subscription: Awesome Pack, Big Kid Mode

Cost: $44.99/box or $49.99/box with a pet gift.

What to Expect: “A wide variety of exciting games and activities”

 


Warning

This month was not a good subscription box delivery week for me! I am sorry, but all my reviews lately have been very Debbie Downer-esque. I’ll still to make little positive bits, but looking at everything, I’m thinking about areas I could’ve spent more wisely.

 

And onto the box!

I really really want to like Awesome Pack. It was started by a brother-sister team, and I’m a sucker for things like that. I love board games, especially fun new ones. But, I also don’t really have any friends where I live, and McBoyfriends friends aren’t really into board games, plus he’s usually very tired when he gets home from work. But, I think the box for families is way cooler than what we’ve gotten as two adults.

So, I decided to try out the Big Kids Awesome Pack earlier this year, and because of the price I asked Kat [one half of the founding members] if I could go quarterly. We didn’t like our first box, then I lost my job, and forgot to cancel the second box which we really didn’t like. Then I got a new job, and realized I was still subscribed when I got charged again. I remembered to cancel this time, though I feel guilty for some reason.

awesome pack
I love boxes that have customized packaging!

Each time you get a box they send out a survey to see what you thought, and you have the opportunity to let them know likes, dislikes, games you already own, and if you want more games, more toys, or a bit of everything.

I texted McBoyfriend while he was out and asked if I could open this. He didn’t respond soon enough so I opened it! He was mad… and said I waited like 4 minutes… this may be true………..

 

I've been awesomed!
I’ve been awesomed!

Hello, box! This kid looks pretty jazzed and almost makes me miss working with kids and simultaneously glad I don’t work with them anymore. If that makes sense…

 

The McPack!
The McPack!

I always read the spoiler card last, but it tells a little about what we got. There’s a hint to why I call my boyfriend “McBoyfriend” 😉

 

MindTrap Shadow Mysteries
MindTrap Shadow Mysteries

MindTrap Shadow Mysteries: $8.97 on Amazon.

BoardGameGeek Review: 5/10 stars [based on one review], published 2011

Not very popular on the internets, apparently! McBoyfriend isn’t into mysteries, and actually gets upset when I ask him lots of questions, so this game isn’t for us. My parents had MindTrap when I was a kid, and I just remember it having really frustrating questions with answers that didn’t seem to make sense, so that also contributed to a disinterested in this card game. Also, the designers used the same color scheme from the 90s game, which makes it look much older than the 2011 publishing date.

It’s definitely not a mystery: this game is going bye bye!

 

Scopa
Scopa Card Game

Scopa Traditional Italian Card Game: $10.58 on Amazon [for the same packaging, though it is as low as $4.71 for other packaging]

BoardGameGeek Review: 6.6/10 stars [based on 472 reviews], published 2015

This was the only game McBoyfriend was interested in maybe playing. It’s apparently from the 1600s involving memory, skill, and luck.

I could use all of those things in my life.

 

Marvel Stuff
Marvel Stuff

Marvel VS System Trading Card Game: Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock 2-Player Starter Deck: $4.99 on Amazon

BoardGameGeek Review: none

Honestly I had no idea what this was. I saw Marvel on it and immediately dismissed it. I wanted to be Spiderman when I was 4, but as a classy boxed wine drinking twenty-something, I have no interest in trading your Green Lanterns for my Spidey Senses.

Maybe I’ll leave this at the schoolbus stop for some little kids to fight over! That sounds like a horrible idea for a tv show: Kids vs Toys vs Kids. Just leave random toys laying around and watch kids throw blows over them!

 

Pamplona
Pamplona

Pamplona–Viva San Fermín!: $39.98 on Amazon.

BoardGameGeek Review: 6.1/10 stars [based on 114 reviews], published 2011

This is the big item and it’s based off of the running of the bulls.

Pamplona Rules
Pamplona Rules

Here’s the back side with game layout and rules in several languages.

We weren’t particularly interested in this game either. It just didn’t scream PLAY ME!!! Plus, I’m not a fan of the running of the bulls because I happen to think it’s an idiotic thing to do, and it started from male machismo.

 


 

All the games
All the games

Verdict: This box was a $45.99 bust. We’ll maybe play the Scopa game, but the rest will be swapped, gifted, or traded in at our nearby game store. The contents total ~$60-65, so that’s pretty good price-wise. However, for us it wasn’t worth it for a $5 card game.

I did cancel my box, and got a response right away–they do have great customer service. I really wish the website had a profile area with the preference quiz integrated in so they didn’t have to send it separately, and people who don’t get the box monthly can let Awesome Pack! know right away if they got a new game.

 

What do you think? Have you played any of these games, or do you want to? 

  27 comments for “Awesome Pack! Subscription Box Review – November 2015

  1. Subscriptionista
    November 19, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    Three words: totally amazing awesome review… So I lied. 4 words. Sue me. But if you do bring cake.

    Ps email a pic of every bring together for the Istagram magic

    • November 19, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Oooh, yeah I totally forgot to do that kind of pic for this box! Good thing I stole a camera….

    • November 20, 2015 at 10:31 am

      Square pic inserted! Also, you can use as many words as you want, miscount them like a madwoman, and I’ll promise not to sue and still provide cake! We’re a big fan of this banana cake my mom always made. Mmmm… it’s sort of like banana bread, but a cake.

      • November 22, 2015 at 1:53 pm

        LOL I want some cake! Or bread! I will take it all. also thanks for the square!

  2. November 19, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    I think you realize that you are awesome which is why it is hard for you to realize awesome pack is not as awesome as you are! Review was hilarious thank you for sharing!

    I was told there would be cake. The cake is a lie.

    That is my geeky awesome idea of gaming.

    • November 19, 2015 at 11:54 pm

      I had to look up the cake bit because it sounded familiar. Did you play Portal? I played a few times with my brother, and it was pretty fun!

      Thanks lady =D

      • November 20, 2015 at 12:03 am

        My husband played Portal. That is our kind of gaming (computer).

        I used to watch my father play RPG D&D (avatars not b/w screen lol) on the Commodore 64 before I played early for my wee age. Before my Pnut people it was mostly 75% watching and 25% playing. Now Pipsqueak has taken my role and is watching her daddy play when he is able to (I usually elect lying down with my eyes closed to relax). It’s a cute show. She is very helpful like her momma but more cuter because of her weehood.

        • November 20, 2015 at 12:12 am

          Oh and to make it more geekier, one of my favorite RPGs, Dragon Age, a character references The Cake Is A Lie in the tail end of the game.

        • November 20, 2015 at 10:36 am

          Pnut, I love your secret dorky side!! I actually really fell for McBoyfriend when he opened his closet and showed me all of the miniature war figures and buildings he’d painted and plays miniature games with. I was like, look at this cute dork! he spends his free time painting and is good at it. He painted banditos this week, and I got excited about Skippyjon Jones, but of course a 32 year old childless male has no clue who that confused cat bandito is…

  3. Melissa
    November 20, 2015 at 2:48 am

    I had trouble with awesome pack sending me weird items too. I’m not sure they pay attention to the surveys they send out. I think I’d like them more if the games were a bit more mainstream. I’m intrigued though by the shadow mysteries game as a gift for my mom. She loves mysteries. And the scopa game also looks interesting. Let us know what you thought after you play it.

    • November 20, 2015 at 10:39 am

      Melissa what sort of games are you into? We’re big fans of Settlers, Carcassonne, and lately we’ve been playing a lot of Indigo. I have Stone Age, but we haven’t opened it yet, so I’m excited to break into that!

      I was wondering how they look at and utilize the surveys. Perhaps like Wantable does? Not sure… sometimes with Wantable I wondered if they somehow found out all the things I didn’t like and didn’t have room to list and sent those! Haha.

  4. Heat7918
    November 20, 2015 at 5:29 am

    I enjoyed this review. What kind of cake are we talking? Now I want cake for breakfast… Yellow with chocolate icing. (No reference here – just me fantasizing.)

    My husband isn’t a game person… At all. Sorry your Awesome Pack wasn’t awesome for you! Do not feel guilty for canceling.

    • November 20, 2015 at 10:40 am

      Thanks, Heat! I think we could go for like a round of cakes. Just a table full of delicious cakes. I could go for carrot cake with raisins and a reasonable amount of cream cheese frosting!

      • November 20, 2015 at 12:55 pm

        Me three but with unreasonable amounts of frosting!!!

  5. November 20, 2015 at 6:57 am

    Now I am loving my cake sign from MyIrelandBox even more.

    It’s difficult to write a negative review. It came from your heart and showed why you were unsatisfied with the selection.I would not enjoy a game about running with the bulls either.

    I had a difficult time with Awesome Pack. I have subscribed to many different boxes in the past couple of years. Awesome Pack is one of the few i would never, ever subscribe to again.I know that there are people that have great experiences. I love the blogger reviews especially the ones that have children near my younger son’s age. It did not work for us and ended on a bad note. The pet toys were great.

    • November 20, 2015 at 10:44 am

      Sub Bella, I like some of the kid/dad box openings I’ve seen. I hope my brother does something like that with his daughters when they’re just a little older. As for the pet toys, Bella loved her first toys that were little catnip butterflies. She recently even ripped one open! The second one they accidentally sent a toy, and it was this frightening handmade felt creature from some other country. Anyway, she peed on it, peed in the box, and thus started a few weeks of her peeing on the carpet. Sigh. Thank goodness for Oxy clean!!!!!!!!

  6. Rachel
    November 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    Off topic. Sub Bella, how is Daisy doing? Hopefully she is feeling better! 🙂

    • Rachel
      November 20, 2015 at 3:22 pm

      Sorry, I wasn’t sure where to post this.

    • November 20, 2015 at 8:04 pm

      Rachel, thank you for asking. I did take her to my regular vet twice because her temperature was spiking. She is feeling much better. She went for a fun car ride today. I could tell she was feeling her normal Daisy Girl self again.

      • Rachel
        November 20, 2015 at 8:08 pm

        So glad to hear she is doing better!

  7. November 20, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    We had chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday today. I felt guilty for eating it because I was working on the Bianca Jade Quarterly review.

  8. Kelly
    November 21, 2015 at 7:44 am

    Great review, lame box, we have cooler games at thrift store. Subboxes are like slot machines, a gamble. Thank you.

    • November 21, 2015 at 9:48 am

      Great commentary there Kelly!!!

      • Kelly
        November 21, 2015 at 10:12 am

        Aww, thanks Pnutter.

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