Katmai: The Bears of Brooks River Review

Written by Dan York

For fans of the joyful celebration of soon-to-be hibernating bears “Fat Bear Week” broadcast from Katmai, Alaska every year, all of your Octobers have come at once with Katmai: the Bears of Brooks River. This two-player card game sees rival bears vying for dominance of the Brooks River, fighting for the right to feast on the salmon in its waters.

How do you play Katmai?

In Katmai, each player uses one of two almost identical decks of cards, featuring artwork and the names of real bears from the Brooks River area. The board lays between the players, a river made up of tiles which cards can be placed in front of. Each round, players put a card face down onto a river section, in turn order, which are then revealed, contributing some amount of dominance points to that area. Some cards also have special abilities when revealed, such as letting you move your cards around, or messing with the opponent’s side of the river. This process repeats until the end of the round at which point dominance values are compared for each tile and the winner earns the right to place one of their “beeples” (bear meeples) onto it, choosing which feature of that river section they wish to claim. Over the course of the game, players earn points based on objectives relating to the position of their bears and the symbols of the features they have covered. Points are earned in the form of salmon tokens which can easily be counted up as the game progresses. 

Katmai Review

Katmai is a lovely game, from the production to the gameplay, there’s so much to like. Rules-wise, it couldn’t be simpler, in the best way possible. It’s easy to pick up and to teach, which is so important in small-box games, because they so often end up in my bad while I’m out and about. Not to say that it’s easy to win, however, the level of tactical play is just right. It’s highly satisfying to manoeuvre your opponent into a spot where they have to yield control of a hotly contested tile or deftly realise that you can bluff your intentions on a down-river spot, before using your special abilities to control an equally important upstream location. 

I particularly enjoy the use of the first player marker, normally a formality in games, but here it is very much part of the strategic puzzle. At the start of your turn, you can pass the marker to the other player, forcing them to act before you for at least one round. This lets you make decisions with more information but runs the risk of them using their turn player advantage to win tied spaces or set up card abilities that are more disruptive than you would like!

Related article: Best 2 player board games

As a production, Katmai is a gem of a box. Small form-factor and the artwork is wonderful. The slightly stylised cartoon versions of real bears suit the chilled vibe of the game perfectly. Everyone I’ve played this with has really enjoyed the theming too. Echoing the appeal of something like the well-loved Cascadia with the added cult appeal of the annual hibernation event and the corners of the internet which it takes over. 

A charming little game, evocative of some of the best two-player options, like Hanamikoji, Schotten Totten and even Marvel Snap, with a delightful theme. Not an inch was spared in the production, everything feels like it’s there for a reason. With multiple complexity options and a range of scoring objectives, no two plays will feel the same. A hearty recommendation for anyone looking for a duo experience with longevity and portability. 

Is Katmai: The Bears of Brooks River good?

Yes – we consider it a must-play game. 

Great theme, great gameplay, great box. Katmai really has it all!

Try it if you liked Schotten Totten.  Katmai feels almost like a modern reimagining of this two-player card driven area control game. A simple goal where your main obstacle is your opponent’s wit and guile.

About the Card Game

Designer: Peter Ridgeway

Publisher: Osprey Games

Time: 30 minutes

Players: 2

Age: 14+

Price: £25