The Hollow Woods

Here’s a game we have had for several years, but we’d never actually played it before. I think we half-heartedly tried it once, but we must not have been feeling especially creative at the time, or we’d been expecting a more game-y game, or both. 

There are several ways to play this "storytelling card game" (note that the emphasis is on the "storytelling card" portion, not the "card game" portion) but none of them really involve much competition or any point-earning. The game consists of about two dozen large-format cards, decorated on one side with the same green vines and on the other side with dark, gothic artwork in the style of Edward Gorey. Each card is unique and is meant to be used as a prompt in telling a story.

They way we played was to all tell the same story, each taking turns with one card at a time. We didn't play every single card because our table isn't long enough. But it was more fun than I expected it to be, and Finn loved it. 

Verdict: Despite never having successfully played this game before, I was always loath to get rid of it because it's a very nice box and the cards are interesting to look at. Now that we've played (and Finn enjoyed it so much), I think we'll definitely keep it, although I don't imagine we'll play it very frequently.

Cranium Whoonü

This game is a lot like Oh, Really (with ranked choices) but there are some differences: here, there is one Whoozit for each round, and all the other players give the Whoozit a certain number of word cards, aiming to select the words they think the Whoozit will like the most. The Whoozit ranks the cards they received, then turns the cards over one by one (starting with their least favorite) and the other players get points according to how much the Whoozit liked their cards. 

Playing with 3 people, we were supposed to each take four cards and give two to the Whoozit, who then had four cards to rank. We soon found it was more fun (and less of a chance of a tie score) to take six cards and give three each to the Whoozit, who then had six cards to rank.

Verdict: Oh, Really! is a better game, but we do like the tin that Whoonu comes in, and the game tokens. 

Chutes and Ladders

This is one of those children's games (apparently with Snakes instead of Chutes in the UK?) that is all luck and no skill and really only fun for the very young. You basically spin a spinner and move the number of steps indicated. Sometimes you get to jump ahead (by climbing a ladder) and sometimes you fall behind (by sliding down a chute), but the ultimate goal is to hope you get to the end before the other players. (I say "hope" because in this game, hope or hope not, there is no try. There's nothing you can actually do in order to win.) Sam and I were pretty bored by gameplay, but Finn loved it. 

Theoretically you can also learn morals or values from this game. At the bottom of each ladder, a good choice is depicted, and at the top you see a reward. At the top of each chute, a bad choice is depicted, and at the bottom you see its consequence. As we played, we learned not to be greedy and eat too many apples, or we would get a tummy ache.

Verdict: I like this specific game because it comes in a cute tin. And it's nice to have an alternative to Candyland (which is a relatively equivalent game, but with colors instead of numbers) to play with the grandlings. Or better yet, for Finn to play with the grandlings.

Taboo

Yet another guessing game (are you sensing a theme here?) but one in which you have one word to describe, and a short list of related words that you must not say. I've had a blast playing this at parties, with one specific memory of a friend starting one round by saying, "It's this thing in Europe," and me immediately shouting out "the Eiffel tower!" and being right, to the amazement of me and my friend and everyone else playing the game (some of whom also accused us of cheating). 

Anyway . . . Finn did not really enjoy this game. He had a hard time with it, whether he was the one guessing or the one giving clues. Again, this game is better with a longer timer (3 minutes instead of 1), but even when we gave Finn 6 minutes it was still a bit difficult and frustrating for him.  

Verdict: I love this game, but we should probably let Finn get a few years older before we try to make him play it again.