Cranium

I can understand why this game has done so well. It has lots of different aspects so everyone can be successful at something, so thats great. The plasticine section is my favourite, but that's because I love rapidough. Lots of great reviews already so pick it up if you need a fun party game.

OVERVIEW

Cranium is a board game all to do with using different aspects of your brain it could be spelling,drawing,scuplting ,acting or general knowledge. You have one minute to complete the task on the card. In which you time using the egg timer provided. You work in teams you could have your team of two people or as many as you like per team.

The object of the game is to get to the inner cranium by getting questions or actions correct

You roll the coloured dice to determine what colour card you have to do, the only way you can choose what card you want is by rolling a purple..

CARDS

Data head:

These are questions of general knowledge. You have selectoquest which is multiple choice. Factoid is where you must know the answer and polygraph which is whether a statement is true or false.

Word worm:

These are mainly spelling an solving anagrams. You have zelpus which is an anagram based puzzle. You have blankout which is a missing letters puzzle. You have gnilleps which is spelling a word backwards and spellbound which is spelling a word forwards. Another of the card is lexicon in which you must determine the correct definition of a word it states.

Star performer:

These are mainly acting cards.

You have humdinger in which you must whistle or hum a tune it states for another to guess.

Copycat is where you act like a famous person in which you can talk like the person for another to guess.

Cameo is where you get a hint to tell the guesser and you have to act out silent clues for another to guess.

Creative cat:

These cards are drawing and sculpting. You have sensosketch in which you get a hint to tell the person who's guessing you then have to look at the answer and draw it with your eyes closed,

Cloddle is where you get a hint to tell the guesser you look at the answer and must draw clues for them to guess the answer. You also have sculptorades in which you again get a hint to tell the guesser , after you have looked at the answer you must sculpt it out of clay so they can guess the answer.

Club cranium:

These are cards which are included only in creative cat and star performer packs of cards. Club cranium is where everyone who is playing can play the card, so like one person out of each team is the guesser the other the actor/drawer/sculptor.Then when the card is guessed the team who got it correct gets a bonus roll.

My opinion of the game

I went out and bought the game and played it with family in teams of 2. I think it is a great game just maybe a bit on the difficult side especially the general knowledge but then I suppose you can't be good at everything.

I found it most difficult as you are being timed so I found my brain went a bit mad trying to get the correct answers to some questions but then I guess that was part of the fun.

You also have a lot of fun when trying to think how to act out things it seems easy but can be quite difficult, I know I had fun watching my dad act out a " Whirly washing line" was even funnier when my mum could not guess it.

Some of the clay sculpting was quite bizarre I mean how do you sculpt "half hearted" not exactly easy I can tell you.

Overall the game was good but not for those that don't enjoy long games, we played for 5 hours and still no-one won.

You can buy cranium at Argos for £24.99 or you can go to www.argos.co.uk and reserve to pick up or get it delivered but at cost of £3.95 if order is under £125.

Cranium has won plenty of awards as the best new board game on the market, and it certainly deserves them. Bringing together the best bits from games including Charades, Taboo, Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary, its got something for everyone.

The game lasts for about an hour, although if you're anything like me and my friends you'll end up playing games all night. You need at least 4 people, and it's more fun with more.

It's sometimes a little saucy (miming reproduction to my brother and cousin was a little embarassing) and can test the mind, but most of all it's plenty of fun.

Highly recommended.