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.