Review - Ohanami

 

Players: 2 - 4
Playing Time: 20 Minutes
Age: 8+

According to a quick Google search, Ohanami (Hanami) (花見, "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers.

In the game Ohanami, player try to grow the best garden! 

Cherry blossom season is about the blanket zen gardens with their resplendent wonder. Water, vegetation, stones, and sakura trees must be placed in perfect harmony in order to become a Master Gardener. 

Designed by the Spiel des Jahres nominated designer of The Game, Ohanami is a relaxing and competitive drafting game where players grow their gardens season after season.

The Goal:

Score the most points by building the best garden.

The Setup:

Shuffle the deck of cards numbered 1 to 120.  Deal 10 cards to each player.  Remaining cards will be used in future rounds.

The Play:

Each player looks at the 10 cards in their hand and chooses 2 cards.  Players pass the remaining cards to the next player face down.   Players must then play both cards either in their garden or by discarding.  

Players can have up to 3 columns of cards that represent their garden. To play on a garden, the card must have a higher value than the highest card in a column or be lower than the lowest number in a column.  If you cannot or choose not to play either of the cards, you may discard them face down.

After all players have played their cards, repeat choosing, passing and playing until card cards have been played (each player will have played/discarded 10 cards).  The round ends and you calculate your score for the round.

Round 1:  Only blue cards (3 points each) are scored.  

Round 2:  Only blue cards (3 points each) and green cards (4 points each) are scored.  

Round 3: All cards are scored...blue (3 points each), green (4 points each), gray (7 points each) and pink (sliding number of points based on how many pink cards you have in your garden.

You can read the complete rules here.

Review:

Fans of The Game will love Ohanami.  There are a lot of the same gameplay elements between the games, specifically making columns of cards in ascending/descending order.    We played it with both 2 and 4 players and it worked well with both, but we preferred 4 players because all 120 cards would be used.  With 2 players, only 60 of the cards are seen.

Overall, we give Ohanami an 8 out of 10.  It is a nice, fast game.  Would be a great filler game on game night  You can pick up a copy of Ohanami in our eBay Store or in our new web store at www.howlingfun.games. 
 
You can follow us on Twitter @HowlingFunGames and on Facebook.  

Games To Play While Waiting For Pie On Thanksgiving

Hours of cooking have ended....the feast consumed...now you have several hours to digest before pie is served.  What should you do?  #PlayMoreGames!

Here are 5 games to play on Thanksgiving to help you avoid food coma.  Click on any title to be taken to the game in our eBay store.

Speechless

Players in Speechless take turns being the “presenter”. The Presenter will act out 6 words, trying to get the other players to correctly guess what word they are acting out. They only have 90 seconds to do this! In Speechless, cards are separated into 3 decks by color and difficulty:

Easy cards are Green, Medium cards are Yellow, and Hard cards are Red.

While the presenter is acting out the words, the other players are watching and trying to guess what word is being acted out. If they think they know the word, they write it down on their marker board with their dry erase marker.

Both presenter and the other players are not allowed to talk during the acting!

After the presenter’s time is up, he or she will reveal the words to the players, one at a time, asking the players what their guesses were for each word. For example, the presenter may say “What did you guess for word #1?”. Then, the other players, one at a time going clockwise around the table, reveal their guesses.

After all guesses have been revealed for that word, the presenter then reveals what the actual word was.

Players score 2 points for guessing the correct word!

However…If a player did not guess the correct word, but at least one other player made the same incorrect guess, all players with the same guess score 1 point!

Bound to bring bouts of laughter and memorable moments for all players, the sheer fun and enjoyment Speechless brings on game night truly makes this an Essential game for any collection!

SLAPZI

A fast-paced, strategic matching game perfect for the whole family! 

The rules are simple: Players get 5 double-sided picture cards that they must lay out in front of them. A Clue Card is drawn and placed in the middle of the table and the first person to find an appropriate Picture Card to match the clue must quickly slam their card down on the Clue Card and yell, "SLAPZI!" 

At this point in the game other players have the opportunity to challenge whether or not the Picture Card matches the clue; if it doesn't, the player who slammed it down must take it back and also draw an extra Picture Card to add to their 5. 

The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins! 

Happy Salmon

Happy Salmon is the simple, fast-paced card game packed to the gills with high-fivin’, fin-flappin’ fun. Actions including the classic "High 5", the unifying "Pound It", the frantic "Switcheroo", and the delightful “Happy Salmon” will leave players doubled over in laughter. With so many mini-celebrations built into the play, it’s the happiest game ever!

Everyone calls out the action shown on their top card.
When two players have a match, they celebrate by performing that action together, then discard their top card.

The first player to match all of the cards in their deck wins!

Codenames...

The two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their CODENAMES.

The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.

Codenames: win or lose, it’s fun to figure out the clues.

...(and Codenames Pictures)

What are these strange symbols on the map? They code for locations where spies must contact secret agents!

Two rival spymasters know the agent in each location. They deliver coded messages telling their field operatives where to go for clandestine meetings. Operatives must be clever. A decoding mistake could lead to an unpleasant encounter with an enemy agent – or worse, with the assassin!

Both teams race to contact all their agents, but only one team can win.

Codenames: Pictures differs from the original Codenames - Pictures in that the agents are no longer represented by a single word, but by an image that contains multiple elements.

Kill Doctor Lucky (Deluxe 19.5 Anniversary Edition)

Welcome to Lucky Mansion, a sprawling country estate seven miles north of nowhere.

You've hated Doctor Lucky for as long as you can remember, and this is your perfect chance to take the old man out. And unbeknownst to you, everyone else in the house wants to kill him too.

But he's not called "Doctor Lucky" for nothing. He has an uncanny knack for staying out of harm's way.

Take heart. Persevere. Someone is going to kill Doctor Lucky tonight, and it might as well be you.

This is the 19.5 Anniversary Edition of Kill Doctor Lucky, a classic board game from the late 1900's.

What is your favorite game to play with your family on Thanksgiving?  Let us know below or send us a tweet @howlingfungames, use #FoodComaGames.

Review - "The Game": Are You Ready To Play?

The Game

Players: 1-5
Playing Time: 20 Minutes
Age: 8+
Suggested Retail: $19.99

Can you beat "The Game"?  Working together, players play cards from their hand to any of the 4 piles.  But be careful!  You might just mess up another player!  The Game is the 2015 winner of the Spiel Des Jahres.

The Goal:

Work together to play all the cards.

The Setup:

Shuffle the deck of cards numbered 2 to 98.  Create 4 piles, to ascending piles starting with the two "1" cards and two descending piles starting with the "100" cards.  Deal cards to each player.

The Play:

Each player MUST play at least 2 cards from their hand in any of the 4 piles.  Each card played must following the ascending or descending type of pile, with one important exception, if you can play a card that is EXACTLY 10 different than the card currently on the top of the pile, you can back the pile up.  This becomes a huge part of the game.  After playing, draw cards from the draw deck back up to your hand size.

When the draw deck is gone then players are only required to play 1 card from their hand.

During play, player may communicate, but they may not discuss specific card values.  For example, a player could say "I REALLY like that pile, please do not play on it."  However, the player could not say "I have the 28 and 29, please do not play on the pile."

Game End:

When the last card is played the players win.  If any cards cannot be played, then the game wins.

Review:

"The Game" is a fun, fast card game.  I was a bit surprised how hard it is to actually beat "The Game" without cheating on the communication rules.  It is really easy to say things you shouldn't.  We've played "The Game" with 2, 3, and 4 players and it works well with all these group sizes.

The only negative thing about "The Game" is it is next to impossible to find anything about it online.  Just try Googling "The Game Rules" and just try to find out anything about "The Game".  However, it is definitely worth searching out!

Overall, I give "The Game" a 7 out of 10.  This is not a game hard-core gamers will play more than a time or two, but fans of lighter games will love it!.  "The Game" is a game fans of Five Crowns, Quiddler, and TENZI would probaly love!

You can buy "The Game" in our eBayStore (www.howlingfungames.com) or by contacting us directly.


 
Follow us on Twitter @HowlingFunGames and on Facebook www.facebook.com/howlingfungames

Review - TENZI & TENZI Party Pack

5 TENZI Tubes, each supports 2-4 players

Players: 2 - 4/6, add more players by adding more sets.  Unlimited players are possible.
Playing Time: Less than 5 Minutes
Age: 8+
Suggested Retail: $14.99 for TENZI, $22.95 for TENZI Party Pack

Everyone gets ten dice of one color. Someone says ”Go.”  Then everyone rolls and rolls as fast as they can until someone gets all their dice on the same number. Sure, there are a few more rules, but you get the idea!

The basic version of TENZI comes with 40 dice, in 4 different, random colors, enough for 2-4 players to play.  Add additional copies of TENZI to add any number of players.  This version comes in a long, skinny tube.  This is the version shown above.

The TENZI Party Pack comes with 60 dice, in 6 different, random colors, enough for 2-6 players to play.  The TENZI Party Pack comes in a plastic, hinged case.

You can mix-and-match TENZI and TENZI Party Packs in any combination.  You can even duplicate dice colors, just don't sit right next to each other so your dice don't get mixed up.

The Goal:

Be the first player to get all ten of your dice to show the same number.

The Setup:

Each player gets a set of 10 dice of the same color.

The Play:

Each player chooses a set of dice. Players hold all ten dice in their hands. Someone says “Go” and everyone rolls at the same time. Quickly look at your roll and decide which number you are going to go for. (For example, if you have more 3’s than any other number, that’s what you want to go for.) Put all your dice with that number aside, collect the remaining dice and quickly roll again. (You do not have to wait for others to roll again. Everyone rolls together only on the first roll.) Keep rolling until all ten of your dice show the same number.

This is how you play the basic game, the rules come with several other ways to play and there is an add on item "77 Ways to play TENZI" which has cards that describe 77 new and different ways to play TENZI.

Game End:

The first player to get all ten of their dice to match (ten 3’s, for example) shouts out “TENZI” and wins the game!

Review:

I'll admit, when I first heard of TENZI, I was sure it would be a play once or twice and then forget about it game.  I was very wrong!

TENZI is a really fun and addictive game!  I have played with several different groups with players of all ages and one game is never enough.  Most players are not what I would consider as "hardcore".

Each game lasted for about 1 or 2 minutes.  When the winner shouted "TENZI!" the other players are all close enough that they want to try again.

Of course, TENZI will never go down as a deep game.  It is definitely a total luck game.  However, it is fast and it is a great filler and we usually play several rounds when it is brought out.

Overall, I give TENZI 7 out of 10...mainly because of the luck factor, but the speed and addictive play makes it an easy game to add, especially for non-hardcore gamers.

Here is a short video that the folks at TENZI put together to show how to play:

You can buy TENZI and TENZI Party Pack in our eBay store (www.howlingfungames.com) or by contacting us directly.  You can also buy TENZI on Amazon.


Follow us on Twitter @HowlingFunGames and on Facebook www.facebook.com/howlingfungames

Review - Poo (Take It Like A Monkey!)

Players: 2 - 8
Playing Time: 5 - 15 Minutes
Age: 8+
Suggested Retail: $9.99

It’s been a tough day in the monkey cage and something in the food tonight wasn’t quite right. In monkey world, there’s only one thing that can be done about it – fling poo!

Poo is a fast-paced card game for two to eight players, requiring anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to play. It’s fast and furious – something you can play while waiting in line or on lunch break.

Each player takes on the role of a monkey. You fling poo and mess with each other until only one monkey is left standing. That monkey, of course, is the cleanest one. Each turn, every player gets to draw and play a card, usually either to fling poo at another player or to clean himself off. Out of turn, each player gets to play cards to defend himself or foil other players’ poo flinging.

With cards like these, you can’t lose!

Not in the Face!
King-Kong Poo
Grandpa Poo
The Big One
Montezuma’s Revenge
Buddy’s Face
Shimmy-Shimmy Shake
Blaze of Glory
The Golden Banana

The Goal:

Be the last Monkey standing.

The Setup:

Remove the Golden Banana Cards and shuffle the cards and deal 5 cards to each player.  Use Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who "goes" first (no pun intended).

The Play:

On you turn either play a card or trade cards.  Playing cards usually ends up in some amount of Poo being flung at another player.   There are also card that allow you to remove Poo from yourself.

You can also choose to trade any number of cards from your hand for cards in the draw pile.

When it is another players turn you might be able to play Defense cards or Mishap cards.  Defense cards basically block poo that is flung your direction...maybe redirecting the poo to another player.  Mishap cards cause problems for the person who flung the poo, like losing a turn.

Players stay in the game until they have 15 Poo stuck on them.  Then they are out...unless a Golden Banana is available.  If so, the player can grab the Golden Banana and rejoin the game, but they start out with 8 Poo already stuck on them.

Game End:

When only one monkey is left standing.


Review:

Poo is a GREAT game!  Almost every group I have played it with enjoy it.  We plussed the game by using chocolate chips as hit markers.  Eating them whenever we clean ourselves...yup, kinda gross, but FUN!!!

You never actually see poo of any kind in this game, just a lot of monkeys with various expressions on their faces that match the level of poo being thrown.  The artwork is very well done and makes players smile as they "Take It Like A Monkey".  Families can bring this out and have a lot of fun with it, no need to be concerned.

Of course, Poo will never go down as a deep game.  It is a great filler and we usually play several rounds when it is brought out.

Overall, I give Poo 9 out of 10...mainly because it knows what kind of game it is and it does it well.


You can buy Poo in our eBay store (www.howlingfungames.com)  or by contact us directly.

Follow us on Twitter (@HowlingFunGames) for a chance to win a copy of Poo on Dec 15.

Howling Fun Games Annual Open House

Friday, November 18, 6:30 to 9:30 PM

Saturday, November 19, 1:00 to 4:00 PM

1587 East 300 South

Springville, UT 84663 

• Save up to 40% off suggested retail prices  on 100's of great games
  
• Lots of Door Prizes
• Refreshments
• Clearance Items 

Special orders are welcome and most will arrive in time for Christmas! 

Demos:

• Spontuneous
• Faux-Cabulary
• Shake 'n Take
• Steam
• Ticket to Ride
• Many, Many, More.... 

Review - Anomia

Players: 3-6
Playing Time: 10 - 20 Minutes
Age: 8+
Suggested Retail: $15.99

Anomia: [uh-NO-mee-uh] - Noun - 1) A problem with word finding or recall. 2) Chaos. 3) The game where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun!

Anomia plays off the fact that our minds are positively brimming with all sorts of random information; things to eat, pop songs, websites, etc... Sure, under normal circumstances, it's easy enough to give an example of a frozen food, or a dog breed; but you will find that your brain works a little differently under pressure!

The directions are simple. Draw a card from the center pile and flip it over. Does the symbol on your card match one on another player's card? If so, you must quickly face-off with the other player by giving an example of the person, place, or thing on their card before they can do the same for yours. If you blurt a correct answer out first, you win their card and drawing continues. Sounds simple, right? Wrong!

Wild cards allow unlike symbols to match, increasing the number of things you must pay attention to. Cascading face-offs can occur when you hand over a lost card revealing a new top card on your play pile. All this adds up to a high-energy, hilarious play experience where everyone is involved at all times.

Easy to learn, fun to play over and over again, Anomia will have any group of friends, family, even perfect strangers, shouting and laughing out loud as they try to beat each other to the punch!

The Goal:

Collect the most cards.

The Setup:

Shuffle one of the 2 decks and create 2 draw piles in the center of the table.

The Play:

The starting player draws a card from either deck and flips it face-up in front of them.  Each additional player does the same thing.  Watch for symbols that match, when a match occurs, the players whose cards match much shout out an answer that matches their opponent's card.  The winner collects their opponents card and places it in a collection pile in front of them.  Play continues with the next player.

Wild cards will add additional symbols to watch for, so face-offs happen more and more frequently.  Once a card has been collected, it will reveal the card underneath, which often leads to a casade of face-offs.  Pay attention!

Game End:

When both draw piles have been depleted the game ends.  Each player counts the number of cards won in face-offs, the player with the most cards wins!


Review:

Anomia is an easy game to play from a rules prespective, but it is a brain cramp waiting to happen.  The hardest part of the game is to remember to shout out an answer for you opponent's card (not your own).  It is very fun as cards start to cascade and the face-offs start lining up.

We played with 4 players, which was very good, but I think 5 or 6 would make it even better.  You can play with 3 players, but I think that more is better.  Younger kids will likely have a harder time with it, but teenagers and adults will love it!

It reminds me a bit of Snorta, but it is more challenging because you have to come up answers for a variety of subjects.

Overall, I give it a 8 out of 10...it will work as a filler game on game night, or it would be a good primary game to play as well.

You can buy Anomia in our eBay store (www.howlingfungames.com) or Our Amazon Store or by contacting us directly.