Removal is a title you can find on your table thanks to Albi. Designed by Michał Reszka, this game lets you step into the shoes of a moving company employee and feel the weight of all those boxes—and some rather unusual objects too (people really do collect the strangest things!). 🏠🚚 Let’s get moving with our review!
Gameplay
As any reliable moving company would, your task is to efficiently and safely load various household items into your truck. Each object has its shape, weight, and delicacy, so you’ll need to pack them carefully—placing heavy items delicate items, and antiques in a way that keeps everything safe during transport. Depending on the player count, you’ll use a house board with more or fewer rooms.
Each player gets their delivery truck to fill with items of different sizes and characteristics. Heavy items must rest on the truck’s floor, common items have no special restrictions, and boxes may hide up to 2 victory points inside! Antiques are worth a set number of points at the end of the game, while Delicate Items can get damaged if you’re careless and stack something too heavy on top.
You can only take tiles from rooms where all floors beneath them are already cleared—so no skipping steps in the moving process! Once your truck is full (or you can’t fit anything else), it’s time to drive off, unload, and score points.
You also have Helpers at your disposal—handy specialists who can bend the laws of gravity and packing logic. The game is played over three rounds (three different houses), and your goal is to deliver as many loads as possible.
You’ll mainly score points for completed deliveries and for successfully transporting heavy and delicate items. It’s also worth collecting antiques, since they add valuable bonus points at the end.
Review
Removal is a colorful, Tetris-style puzzle that challenges you to strategically pick and fit items into your truck.
There’s plenty of friendly competition here—everyone’s chasing after the best-shaped items that will fit neatly into their truck while maximizing points. You’ll also want to grab a few filler tiles to cover those pesky penalty spaces or to fill the small leftover gaps.
A bit of planning goes a long way. Since you can see all the available items for the current round, it’s worth sketching out a packing strategy. Of course, your plans may crumble if another player snatches the perfect piece before you—or fails to free up the item you need in time—but having a plan is still better than pure chaos.
The game fits perfectly within the family game genre: it’s accessible, quick to play, and never overstays its welcome. The rules are simple and easy to recall, even if you return to the game after a long break.
In our experience, three or four players provide the best mix of interaction and competition. With two, the game feels a bit calmer and less cutthroat, but it still flows smoothly and remains enjoyable.
Summary
If you enjoy Tetris-like puzzles and prefer the simulation of moving house to the real thing, this one might be right up your alley. A clever, colorful, and surprisingly relaxing moving-day experience. 🚛📦
