I am a sucker for miniatures and I love board games. Imagine my excitement when I found the Scattergories Keychain that includes a miniature version of the actual board game. Okay, so it's the little things that make me happy. Well, sometimes.

The Keychain

The keychain is a basic keychain about 2-3 inches long, which is connected to a miniature Scattergories game box. The game is about 2 inches in length and width. The top of the box opens to reveal small scale replicas of the original board game. The box includes a timer, game lists, 2 tiny pencils, paper, and a die with 20 letters.

Game Play

It's all about "categories." The game is played just like the original. For those who might have never played the game, each player fills out a category list with answers that begin with the same letter that was rolled on the die. If no other player matches your answers, you score points. So the more creative you can be with your answers, the more points you'll rack up. Examples of categories on the list include stuff like a boys name, a U.S. city, or an ice cream flavor. There is a timer included with the game, so you have to think quickly. For example, if you can't think of a school supply that starts with the letter "O" before the timer goes off, you won't get any points. This mini version includes 12 different lists with 8 categories on each list. The game is supposed to be played in rounds, with the winner being the player who scores the most points at the end of 3 rounds. Every time I've played the game, the winner is declared after each list is completed and the timer runs out.

What I like about it

The keychain game is convenient and easy to take along anywhere. I typically keep mine in the side pocket of my travel bag, and I have it to play whenever I take a trip. It's just like the original, but if you want more than 2 people to play, then you'll have to bring extra pencils since this one only comes with 2. It was also very cheap. I snagged this keychain for about $2 on clearance.

Size Matters

The only thing that might be a nuisance is the size of the game. My mother hates miniature cards because she has a hard time seeing them. If you have a hard time reading small print up close, then this might not be the game for you. The pieces are also so small that they can easily get lost. The pencils are too thin to fit in an ordinary pencil sharpener, and if you use the included paper, you have to write in size 6 font.

Overall

Overall, I can't complain about my purchase. Scattergories is a fun word game regardless of the size. I got this one for about $2, and I think the regular purchase price was about $4. I would have paid the full price had it not been on clearance.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 2
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: Whole Family