Board games have a funny way of evolving. You start with a box, some cardboard chits, and maybe a rulebook that smells like a 1990s library. Then, a few years later, the "big box" arrives. That's exactly where we are with Quacks All In Edition. If you’ve spent any time in the tabletop hobby, you know Wolfgang Warsch’s The Quacks of Quedlinburg is basically the king of "push your luck" games. It’s chaotic. It’s frustrating. It’s brilliant.
But honestly? Keeping track of the base game plus The Herb Witches and The Alchemists expansions is a logistical nightmare.
The Quacks All In Edition isn't just a marketing gimmick; it’s a response to the fact that most players refuse to play the base game without the expansions anyway. Once you’ve used the Locoweed or dealt with the variable player powers of the witches, going back to the "vanilla" 2018 version feels like eating unseasoned chicken. It's fine, I guess, but why would you do that to yourself?
What’s Actually Inside the Quacks All In Edition?
Let’s get into the weeds. This edition bundles the core game and both major expansions into one cohesive ecosystem. You aren't just getting more "stuff." You’re getting a refined version of the "bag-building" mechanic that made the original a Kennerspiel des Jahres winner.
The core loop remains: you are a fraud doctor—a quack—tossing ingredients into a pot. You want the most points and the most money to buy better ingredients. But if you pull too many cherry bombs? Boom. Your pot explodes, and you’re left choosing between points or shopping money. It’s gambling for people who like colorful cardboard.
The Herb Witches expansion adds a fifth player, which is essential because this is a social game. It also introduces "Witch Pennies" and three types of witches who provide one-time abilities that can save your skin when your bag is full of garbage.
Then there’s The Alchemists. This one is the "heavy" addition. It introduces a separate Alchemist board where you track the "essence" of your brew. It’s a bit more "mathy," but it gives players a way to mitigate bad luck. If you’ve ever felt like the dice and the bag were conspiring against you, this expansion is your therapy.
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Why "Bag Building" Still Hooks Us in 2026
It’s about the dopamine hit. Period.
Most games try to be fair. They have catch-up mechanics and balanced economies. Quacks of Quedlinburg mocks the idea of fairness. You can have a statistically perfect bag and still pull four cherry bombs in a row. It’s hilarious when it happens to your friend and devastating when it happens to you.
The Quacks All In Edition works because it leans into this variance. By adding the expansion modules, you’re widening the decision space. You aren't just pulling tokens; you’re deciding whether to spend a Witch Penny to double a movement or using the Alchemist track to turn a failure into a strategic pivot.
The Component Quality Reality Check
We need to talk about the chips.
In the standard editions, the cardboard tokens eventually fray. They get "white edges." If you play this game as much as most fans do, the tokens start to feel like soggy crackers after a year. While the Quacks All In Edition improves the storage solution, many hardcore players still end up buying the plastic "GeekUp" bit sets from BoardGameGeek.
Is the cardboard in the All In Edition better? Sorta. It’s high-quality punchboard, but it’s still punchboard. If you’re a "forever" gamer, you’ll likely want to look into coin capsules or the official plastic upgrades. But for the average person hosting a game night? The retail components in this edition are more than enough to handle a hundred sessions.
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The box insert is the real hero here. If you’ve ever tried to fit the base game and two expansions into the original box, you know it’s like playing Tetris with pieces that hate you. The All In Edition fixes the "box lift" issue, keeping your ingredient books and player boards organized so setup doesn't take twenty minutes.
How the Strategy Changes With Everything Included
New players often make the mistake of buying too many high-value blue or red chips early on. In the All In Edition, the meta shifts because of the Alchemists. You have to think about the "Essence" track.
The "Big Bag" Philosophy
Some people love the Purple (Ghost) chips. They’re expensive but powerful. In the full edition, you can lean into a "cycling" strategy where you try to empty your bag as fast as possible to get back to your power chips.
The Witch Penny Timing
Don't use your witches in round one. It's tempting. Don't do it. Save the Silver or Gold witch for rounds 6 through 9 when the stakes are higher and an explosion means losing 15+ points.
The Alchemist Pivot
If you’re playing with the Alchemist expansion, focus on the "patients." Each round, you’re trying to move your essence marker to gain bonuses. Sometimes, it’s actually better to let your pot get close to exploding if it means hitting a specific essence threshold that grants a massive end-of-round bonus.
Is It Too Much "Chrome" for New Players?
Complexity is a valid concern. If you’re teaching your grandma who hasn't played a game since Monopoly, do not throw the Alchemists at her.
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The beauty of the Quacks All In Edition is its modularity. You can—and should—start with just the base game components. Use the Level 1 ingredient books. Get a feel for the "pop" of the pot. Once the group understands that "White Chips = Bad," then you sprinkle in the witches.
The game scales beautifully. It’s one of the few titles that feels just as good with two players as it does with five. With five, there’s a lot more shouting. With two, it’s a tense, tactical race.
Practical Steps for Owners of the Quacks All In Edition
If you've just picked up this behemoth, don't just dump all the bags into one pile. Here is how you actually get the most out of it without burning out:
- Organize by Expansion: Use small plastic bags or a dedicated organizer to keep the Alchemist components separate. You won't use them every time.
- The Coin Capsule Trick: If you can’t afford the $40 plastic chip upgrades, buy 21mm coin capsules on Amazon. They make the "clink" sound in the bag much more satisfying and protect the cardboard from finger oils.
- App Support: Use a digital scoring app or a D20 to track your score if the scoring track gets too crowded. With five players, the little wooden droplets tend to get knocked over.
- Balance the Books: Every game, try a different "Set" of ingredient books. The game comes with multiple versions of each color. Mix and match them to see how the "Green" chips interact with the "Yellow" ones in different ways.
The Quacks All In Edition remains one of the most reliable "hits" for any board game collection because it balances pure luck with just enough strategy to make you feel smart when you win. It's a game about the hilarious tragedy of greed. When you pull that 3-value white chip and your pot goes up in smoke, you’ll be mad for exactly ten seconds before you start planning your next draw. That's the magic of Quedlinburg.
To get started, set up a "Base + Witches" game for your first three sessions. This introduces the variety of the extra ingredients and the safety net of the witches without the overhead of the essence track. Once your group is comfortably making it to the 9th round without checking the rulebook every two minutes, integrate the Alchemist boards to add that final layer of tactical depth. This progression ensures the game stays a staple on your shelf rather than a confusing one-off experience.