Bob Ross: The Art of Chill Review

You may have rolled your eyes as soon as you heard Bob Ross: The Art of Chill Game. It is easy to jump to a conclusion that this is an easy cash grab based on the name recognition of painter and television host Bob Ross. The game where you try to earn the most Chill points by painting Fluffy Clouds and Happy Little Trees using titanium white and van dyke brown paints is giggle-worthy if you watched the show and outright ridiculous if you don’t know much about Boss Ross.  Yet while all these are all true, Bob Ross: The Art of Chill Game is really, unironically good. 

During the course of the game, you will be completing features on the paintings, based on Ross’ original landscapes. In order to paint something, you will need to collect the right mixture of paint cards and then play the corresponding brush card. But Bob is painting them at the same time, so if you get ahead of him, you get extra chill points. If you master a technique using a certain brush or a colour, whenever you complete a painting with them, you get extra points. In fact, this game is all about giving: any action in the game is entirely positive. That combined with the gentle card drafting mechanics and the painting of calming landscapes, makes this game appropriately all about chilling. 

There is still competition as players try to move along the chill track or race to finish a painting feature first, however, nothing in the game encourages any kind of animosity. You are just here, mixing paints, practising your techniques and painting lush landscapes perched on a custom easel with Bob. Life is good. 

ALEXANDRA SONECHKINA

Play it? Yes 

Designer: Prospero Hall

Publisher: Big G Creative

Time: 30 minutes

Players: 2-4

Ages: 12+

Price: £27

This feature originally appeared in Issue 54 of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

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