Not An Ordinary Board Game - Cranium
Written: Jun 11 '01
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Pros: fun, something different
Cons: need 4 or more players to play
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a different game to add to your board game collection, I highly recommend Cranium.
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| bmcnichol's Full Review: Cranium Game |
Bored with the same old games? I have a game for you. Try Cranium. I purchased Cranium at Christmas to add to our collection for adult game night.
The object of Cranium is to be the first team to move around the board and into Cranium Central where the final activities will take place.
Cranium comes with a game board, four movers, four decks of cards and a color-coded die. The four decks of cards consist of Creative Cat, Word Worm, Star Performer and Data Head. Each deck contains activities and is colored to match the different positions on the board. The activities on the card can be anything from humming, to acting, drawing, to spelling backwards.
The Game Board is divided into four parts that coincide with the four card decks. There is a big purple brain in the center of the board that is Cranium Central.
To play Cranium you will need two or more teams consisting of two or more players.
Set up the board and open each box of cards. Put the cards near the matching Cranium character. Each team needs a pencil and paper. The timer and die should be placed in the center of the board. The Cranium Clay should be close. Each team chooses a mover and puts it on Start.
To begin play, one team picks a card from the deck that matches the board position where the opposite team resides and reads it to the other team. Your team must complete the activity. If you are successful you will roll the die. If your team is not successful you will stay put.
If you roll green on the die you will pick a Star Performer card. These cards ask you to perform. You may have to do a celebrity impersonation, do a charade or hum.
If you roll red on the die you will pick a Data Head card. These cards have questions, pictures, multiple choice or a true/false question.
If the blue is rolled on the die, you pick the Creative Cat card. These cards will have you drawing or sculpting. You will use the Cranium Clay when sculpting.
And last if you roll the yellow you will pick a Word Worm card. These cards have word-solving problems. You may have to spell backwards or definitions.
If you roll the purple, you will move to the next section of the brain.
The first turn always starts with Planet Cranium. On Planet Cranium your team can choose their favorite deck to play from. Also on Planet Cranium, your team has the opportunity to get on the fast track leading to the next Planet Cranium. You can move on the fast track or on the scenic path. Your team must stop at every Planet Cranium.
The first team to reach Cranium Central and complete a final activity successfully wins. When you get to Cranium Central you will get one card from each deck. Once you complete an activity successfully, keep the card and move to the next deck. All teams must agree on the deck for which the final activity will be chosen. If your team is successful you win, if you are unsuccessful, you lose your turn and must wait until your next turn to complete another task.
There are a good variety of questions in this game. Some are easy, some hard, some younger persons will be more familiar with and some older person will be familiar with.
There are booster sets for Cranium, which is a big plus. If you play this game frequently and with the same players, this is a must.
Cranium is recommended for children 12 and older. I think the game is a bit complex for a 12 year old. They will not know some of the music and some of the word questions may be overwhelming for a child of 12.
One complaint I have with this game is the minimum number of players needed is four. The more people you have the more fun it is but at times it is hard to get four people together to play. I like having three or more players on a team, it makes it more interesting.
So if you are looking for a different game to add to your board game collection, I highly recommend Cranium. Not An Ordinary Board Game.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30.00
Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: Other
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bmcnichol
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Member: Bonnette
Location: Dover, PA
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