Smart Ass

Smart Ass Review

Smart Ass Feature

• The ultimate trivia game
• Fast-paced, multiple player game play
• Includes 490 questions and unique jumbo dice
• Quick moving, fun party game
• Nominated for 2007 "Game of the Year"

University Games Smart Ass -- The Board Game

Smart Ass the Game is here. Have you ever played a game and been bursting to yell out the answer, even when it's not your turn? Well, here's your chance. Each Who, What and Where Am I card has ten clues and the first player to yell out the correct answer moves one step closer to being the ultimate Smart Ass. This fast-paced, multiple player game includes 490 questions and a unique jumbo dice.

• Product Dimensions: 11 (L) x 3 (W) x 11 (H)
• Age: 12 years and up

Qwirkle Board Game

Qwirkle Board Game Review

Qwirkle Board Game Feature

• No reading required
• Great for critical thinking

An addictive strategy game in the tradition of Sequence, Scrabble, and Othello, the Qwirkle Board Game from MindWare has a simple, straightforward premise: match tiles and win points. But the real joy of the game lies in plotting and scheming your way to victory. Winner of the Parent's Choice Gold Award and a Mensa Select National Competition Winner, Qwirkle is destined to be a family game night favorite. This game is designed for ages six and up and for two to four players.

Qwirkle
Board Game

• Ages: Six and up
• Players: Two to four

At a Glance:

• A fun twist on Scrabble and matching games
• Players strategize to make matches and earn points
• Comes with 108 wooden tiles
• Winner of Parent's Choice Gold Award and Mensa National Competition
• Includes drawstring bag for tile storage and instructions

This award-winning strategy game is easy to learn. View larger.

Match colors and shapes in this enthralling strategy game. View larger.

Mix, Match, Score, and Win

Qwirkle consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six colors. Using the blocks, players attempt to score the most points by building lines that share the same shape or color. The simple setup makes this an instant winner for younger kids, while adults will enjoy strategizing to win.

How to Play

A typical game of Qwirkle lasts about 45 minutes--longer when you're first learning how to play--and players will likely catch on to the rules in no time at all. The game can be set up anywhere, although a large tabletop is best to accommodate the generous number of tiles. The only other thing you'll need is a pencil and paper to keep track of everyone's point count.

Each tile has an illustration on the back (circle, eight-point star, four-point star, square, clover, or diamond). Each of these symbols appears in six different colors (red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple). In total, the game has three tiles each of the 36 possible color-symbol combinations. To help make sure you don't lose any tiles in between games, Qwirkle comes with a drawstring storage pouch.

Straightforward, Easy-to-Follow Rules

As in Scrabble, the game starts with players drawing their own "hand" of six tiles. The player with the most tiles that share something in common (color or symbol) plays their pieces and wins points. And so it goes until the pieces make up a giant grid. One rule adults will likely need to reiterate to little ones is that duplicate tiles don't count. For instance, if someone has three diamonds, and two of them are green, they can only count one of those diamonds for points.

As play continues and the stakes get higher, younger kids may need some help deciding where to build to maximize their points. Our testers found that the length of the game may make younger kids squirmy halfway through. To keep them engaged, parents can always distribute half the number of tiles to start. The game is over when all the tiles have been played and all the points have been tallied.

What's in the Box

108 wooden tiles, cloth drawstring bag, and instruction booklet.

Combining well-thought strategy with quick-thinking challenges, Qwirkle is played by creating rows and columns of matching colors and shapes. Since the simple play requires no reading, the whole gang can connect shapes and colors, making the strategic multiple-tile moves that earn maximum points. 108 wood blocks. 2 to 4 players. Ages 6+.

Bible Taboo: The Game of Unspeakable Fun

Bible Taboo: The Game of Unspeakable Fun Review

Bible Taboo: The Game of Unspeakable Fun Feature

• For 4 or more players
• Easy to learn
• Family fun

An obvious clue could be strictly TABOO! To get your team to say MOSES would you say, PRINCE, EGYPT, PLAGUES, PHAROAH, or COMMANDMENT? In this game you can’t because all of those words are strictly TABOO. Rattle off clues while the time counts down. You’ll earn a point each time your team guesses correctly. But watch what you say. If your opponents hear a TABOO word, you’ll get buzzed and they’ll get the point.

Educational Insights Blurt! The Uproarious Word Race Game!

Educational Insights Blurt! The Uproarious Word Race Game! Review

Educational Insights Blurt! The Uproarious Word Race Game! Feature

• Promotes vocabulary building and word recall
• Includes 300 cards, which have 1800 clues at 2 playing levels
• This special edition includes a Junior version for ages 7-9, as well as the regular version
• World-famous game is back and better than before
• Great for family game nights, parties, classrooms and more

Blurt is a hilarious, fast-paced game of rapid recall that will have both kids and adults scrambling to be the first to shout out a word based on a given definition. In the heat of the race to call out the right word, even bookworms with big vocabularies may find themselves tongue-tied. With a Junior Version that gives kids as young as seven years old a chance to learn new words, Blurt is both educational and fun for groups of three to 12 players.

Blurt! Ages: 7+ Requires: 3 to 12 players

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Fast-paced word recall game teaches kids vocabulary while having fun. The Challenging: Adults-only groups may want to skip unchallenging clues. In a Nutshell: Fun vocabulary testing game with 1800 clues and many advanced-play options.

This tongue-twisting game will have players racking their brains for words.

Be the First to Blurt the Right Word
An updated version of the original classic, Blurt features a new look but is a cinch to learn. With a total of 1800 different clues of varying difficulty, the fun never ends! A roll of the die determines which clue is read as well as the amount that a correct guess will be worth. As soon as the clue is read aloud, get ready for the room to erupt with rapid-fire guesses!

There's no penalty for blurting our wrong answers, so things can get crazy in a hurry. Whoever guesses the correct answer first gets to move his or her token forward. The first player to make a complete circle around the colorful jumbo game board wins!

Get the Whole Family Laughing
One of the best features of Blurt is its all-inclusive game play. While some of the clues such as "the decision made at the end of a trial" will seem obvious to adults, over-confident guessers may find themselves bested by a quick-witted youngster half their age. And for those clues that seem too tough for a seven-year-old, the flip side of each card offers easier clues designed specifically for kids.

Junior Version Builds Vocabulary
Groups of kids ages seven to nine will love playing the Junior Version of Blurt (additional instructions included). In this version, players write down their guesses rather than blurting them. Every clue offers the opportunity to learn a new vocabulary word, and extra points are awarded for correct spelling!

Raise the Stakes with Advanced Play Options
The instruction manual includes a number of variations on the standard rules of game play that can level the playing field or raise the stakes. For added excitement, players can stipulate that whomever lands on a square that matches the color of his or her own game piece can challenge another player to a one-on-one showdown.

Alternatively, a variation called "Name that Word" allows players to bid on the number of words in which they think they can identify the correct answer. In this way, a fairly easy clue can become extremely difficult. With a total of 1800 clues and many different ways to play, Blurt is sure to become an old standby for large parties or family game nights.

What's in the Box
Blurt jumbo game board, 300 cards with 1800 clues at two playing levels, six game pieces, and die.

With 1,800 clues, the game will be sure to boost and develop vocabulary. View larger.

Move your token along the board with right guesses. The first player to make a complete circle wins! View larger.

Blurt The Webster's Game of Word Racing

Think fast. What word means a partially dried grape? Be the first player to say raisin and you're on your way to winning this riotous game of rapid word recall. Players take turns reading clues aloud, competing to blurt the correct answer first and move ahead on the board. The first person or team to circle the board is the winner. Sounds simple, right? But as the race for the right word heats up and the blurting gets boisterous, it's easy to get tongue-tied.

Blurt is a great vocabulary builder for the kids, a hilarious addition to adult parties and a must for a family game night. It's for 3 to 12 players and includes a Junior version for ages 7 to 9.

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 (L) x 3 (W) x 10.5 (H)
• Recommended Ages: 10 years & up ; Junior version 7-9 years

Cranium Family Edition

Cranium Family Edition Review

Cranium Family Edition Feature

• Cranium Family Fun features a variety of hilarious activities that will have everyone laughing, high-fiving, and working and playing together!
• Players compete by building, flipping, sketching, sculpting, and guessing
• Object of the game: Be the first team to reach the finish line at the end of the twisting and turning path.
• With colorful Cranium Cubes and fun Flipper Frogs, The Family Fun Game delivers the ultimate game night!
• Perfect for Family Game Night
• Can Mom flip a frog through a hoop you've sculpted out of clay? Can you pass the Cranium Cubes to Dad without using your hands?
• To advance around the board, your team must harness its collective talents to answer questions and complete activities from the 4 card decks

The original highly successful Cranium game is a great way for adults and older children to face off in entertaining challenges. Later games using a similar model were greatly simplified and geared more toward younger players. But with this new family model, everyone can play together. It still employs the same four basic Cranium categories: Creative Cat, Data Head, Star Performer, and Word Worm but within those groupings there are numerous new challenges for players of all ages. Like the traditional game, there is squishable clay for sculpture challenges but now there are also stacking cubes and a set of plastic frogs that players are occasionally called upon to flip. The game board is scaled back a bit, offering a short length of the game. We found the questions and pacing to be brisk and while younger players (age 8 and over, kids younger than that would be fine playing with an older teammate) would be able to have fun, it’s one of those rare family games that adults can actually enjoy playing. --Charlie Williams Cranium Family Fun gives families the best way to play together as a team in an unforgettably fun game that gives everyone a chance to shine. Packed with 16 hilarious activities, Cranium Family Fun gets you building, flipping, sketching, sculpting, guessing and laughing out loud together every time you play!

Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase

Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase Review

Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase Feature

• Classic Electronic Catch Phrase with over a thousand updated new phrases for 2009
• You have to guess fast, then pass the game fast, so you won't get caught holding it when the buzzer goes off! Once you pick it up, it's tough to put it down
• An electronic timer and a built-in scorekeeper
• Includes Catch Phrase game unit and rules
• You can do or say just about anything to get them to guess the phrase

Guess the answers to the clues for more than 10,000 words. Just don't be the last one holding the game.

Milton Bradley Pictionary Game

Milton Bradley Pictionary Game Review

Milton Bradley Pictionary Game Feature

• Board game packed with laughs and fun for kids and parents
• Designed for 4 or more players
• Features more than 2,800 words to guess
• Includes game board, 324 cards, 4 pencils, 4 playing pieces, 4 pads of paper, card tray, standard die, and challenge die
• Recommended for ages 12 and up

Can you draw a cat? How about sketching something that conveys the word area or The English Patient? Can you do it in less than 60 seconds while your team yells the wrong answers at you and the other team is close to getting it right? Welcome to the game of Pictionary, in which players attempt to guess words from sketches made by other members of their team. The words can be objects, people, actions, places, animals, or the dreaded "difficult," although in the heat of an exciting game, even house can be difficult. Word cards are randomly selected, the timer is activated, and players begin scribbling franticly as they race to beat the clock. Correct answers are rewarded with a toss of the die and progression around the board toward victory. Pictionary veterans should note that this is an updated edition of the game, including more than 1,000 new words to challenge even the most experienced quick-draw artist. Pencils, sketchpads, and a 60-second timer are included. Pictionary is for four or more players. --Simon Leake

Features include:

•Board game packed with laughs and fun for kids and parents
•Designed for 4 or more players
•Features more than 2,800 words to guess
•Includes game board, 324 cards, 4 pencils, 4 playing pieces, 4 pads of paper, card tray, standard die, and challenge die
•Recommended for ages 12 and up