👑 Rebel Princesses – a fairy tale not for me

⭐ 1/10

Players: 3+
Playtime: 15–20 min
Difficulty: Light
Game type: Card game / Trick-taking

Rebel Princesses is a quirky card game that boldly flips classic fairy-tale tropes on their head. Familiar heroines – Snow White, Cinderella, or the Little Mermaid – gather for a five-day ball, but instead of waiting for a charming prince, their mission is to dodge his unwanted proposals. This playful twist on well-known characters doesn’t just entertain – it also makes you rethink the roles fairy tales have always assigned to women.
At first, the game seemed perfect – a clever theme, gorgeous art, and a promise of breaking stereotypes. And yes, the theme is wonderful, and the choice of setting is spot-on – princesses who take charge of their own destiny resonate strongly with players and feel refreshing.

Unfortunately, the magic faded quickly for me. I tried this game with three different groups, and none of us could make it through the rulebook without getting frustrated. By the time we finally figured it out, the enthusiasm was gone. Add the requirement of at least three players, and the game barely had a chance to hit the table. A real pity – I passed it on.

🎯 Objective
The goal is to avoid “unwanted princes” and play your cards in a way that keeps your penalty points as low as possible. Each princess has a unique ability, and extra round cards change the rules, so every session feels slightly different.

🃏 How a turn works
This is a classic trick-taking game – very much like Hearts or Tysiąc. One player leads with a card, others follow suit if they can, and the winner of the trick takes the pile. The twist: here you don’t want to win tricks. Every trick you take means penalty points in the form of unwanted proposals.

🧩 Why I (don’t) like it

Pros:

• 🌸 fantastic theme that breaks stereotypes and feels refreshing,

• 🎨 beautiful artwork by Alfredo Cáceres – original and atmospheric,

• 🔄 replayability – each session changes thanks to round cards and princess powers,

• ⚡ fun moments – passing cards around and dodging points can be tense and funny.

Cons:

• 📖 the rulebook – ultra clunky, confusing instead of helpful,

• ⏱️ playtime (about 40 minutes) – longer than it looks, feels stretched for what it is,

• 🙅‍♀️ 3+ player requirement – limits how often it gets played,

• 😐 no “wow” factor – despite the clever theme, I never felt like I wanted to play again.

🏆 How to win in Rebel Princesses

1. Play your cards carefully – sometimes it’s better to take a small loss than risk a bigger one.

2. Use princess powers – they can change the rhythm of the game.

3. Pay attention to round cards – they shape the character of each session.

4. Patience wins – it’s not about striking, but about avoiding.

☕ Impressions
Rebel Princesses has all the ingredients for a hit: a bold theme, striking art, a promise of replayability. And many reviews praise exactly that – the emotions, the variety, the fun moments.

For me, though, the experience was different. At first the game seemed perfect – clever theme, fresh art, stereotype-breaking heroines. But the excitement was crushed by the ultra clunky rulebook. I tried it with three different groups, and even my own “council of sages” – friends who usually crack any rulebook in minutes – bounced right off it. Honestly, we were like rubber balls hitting a wall of text. That wasn’t my fault – it was the rules that made the game harder than it should be. I play for fun, not to wrestle with poorly written instructions. Add the 3+ player requirement and stretched playtime, and I knew this wasn’t for me. A real pity – I gave it away.

🎯 Rating: 1/10 – Rebel Princesses dazzles with its theme and artwork, but the ultra clunky rulebook, the 3+ player limit, and the drawn-out sessions killed the fun for me. I see why others may enjoy it, but for me it’s a fairy tale I won’t be revisiting.