The Top 10 Game is Now One of our Top Ten Games
Written: Mar 16 '05
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Pros: Easy to learn and doesn't put anyone on the "spot'
Cons: Some answers can be subjective so the right mix of people could be important.
The Bottom Line: This is a game that 13 year olds to adults can play. We have played it with a mix of generations with fun filled positive results.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: The Top Ten Game |
With a fun loving wife, five children, and good friends who like board games, we have seen and played most that are available. A new one in our household that is worth writing about is The Top 10 Game. It's a good game that throws in a couple of ideas that can make it more personal. In our household, if it makes it into the Top Ten it's a good one.
A Brief Word from the Manufacturer
This game is brought to you by the USAopoly company that stresses games with a twist. Here are their words about The Top Ten Game
Can you score a perfect 10 and, in 60 seconds or less, come up with the top 10 answers to the TOP 10 ANIMALS THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM PLASTIC SURGERY or the TOP 10 CHOCOLATE-CONSUMING COUNTRIES? The Top 10 Game brings the popularity of top 10 lists to a unique board game where players must come up with 10 answers to every question about pop culture, sports, entertainment, history and more. You'll laugh your way to the Winner's Circle as you download all that knowledge that's been accumulating in your brain in a race against time and your competitors. Ages 13 .
Contents
The game comes in a bright red box about 12 1/2"l x 8"w x 3 1/2"h. I happen to like this kind of boxing rather than the longer and thinner boxes as basic Monopoly comes in. This is a strong box that will last for years without tape having to be placed on the corners for support. Inside the box are all the pieces that are confined to specific homes in a bright-red, glossy, molded-plastic tray. It's a very neat packaging. Aside from the single die that I cannot take out because of finger tips that are just to large to grab it while it is in it's home, everything else is very accessible.
The board is folded into thirds and opens to a 12" x 22" play area. It has the numbers 1-10 interconnected with spaces on each that are the trail from the games beginning to the end winner's circle.
A Timer clock comes with the game. No batteries are needed. It is spring wound, a rarity these days. It cannot be over wound due to a stopper. This is good.
Six short golf-type pencils are provided along with score/play sheets.
200 question cards come in their own stand-up case that players draw from.
It has one die and six player pieces.
The Cards and Die
Before getting into play of the game I just want to explain the category cards and die. The die's six sides are each dedicated to one of the categories of the Game.
The first is the Top Ten. These are questions about anything and everything. One card may have Top Ten Most Played Songs by a DJ in the year 2003. Another may have Top Ten Sea Foods Consumed in the US. While still another asks for the Top Ten deepest oceans and seas.
The Pop Ten. The second list of questions are the Pop Questions. These are supposed to be more fun and/or exciting but it seems to me they just needed a different category to fill the die and made up a name that rhymed with Top, therefor "Pop". I found these to be in the same very general listings like the Top Ten Questions. Now these aren't bad questions and in fact they are much the same in diversity as the Top Ten, It's just that they really aren't category unto itself. Here are some of the questions from the same cards that I took the Top Ten questions from. Along with the deepest seas question is "The 10 Highest Safety Rated Family Sedans", The Top ten seafoods shared the card with "Top Ten Radio Metro Markets for ages 12 " 2003. The last example was on the card with the question about Top Ten Songs by DJ's That question is "Top Ten Brands by add spending".
Just a quick mention here. Some of these may seem a bit dry, boring or not of all that much interest at first look but if this is played with fun loving people enjoyment does come out of it. On the last question, about add spending, as the answers came out everyone started talking about favorite and worst commercials. That's what this game does. It brings out some lively and usually upbeat dialog.
On the cards are three other categories. The die has four more listings.
The Pen Ten This is where every one answers a specific question on the card Such as "Top Ten Places where People Lose Their Keys". These are answered by everyone not trying to match anything already on the card (because there is no listing) but by answering and then being scrutinized by all the other players. Here somebody may answer "In one of my pocketbooks" and another "Somewhere on my desk at work"
After they give their answer out loud the other team players decide if it's a good answer or not. This is the subjective part of the game that continues into a few more categories. It is also an interesting, and thought provoking part of the game. You see you want answers that will be acceptable but at the same time different than other people's answers because duplicate answers by players do not receive points. If two people or more answered "In a pocketbook" No one gets a move on the board.
To give an example, I go to beaches often on vacation and sometimes hide my rental car keys in the sand. Though I have always found them eventually, I have "lost" them a couple of times. This answer was not duplicated but was acceptable to the majority of players so I received a point so as to move up on the board.
Name Ten is a category where a question come up to name ten answers to questions like Top ten areas in a library or Top Ten TV Game Shows or maybe Top Ten Teen Idols.
Again these are subjective. Is Michael Jackson a Teen Idol? Let the fun fly! That's the name of the game.
Invent Your Own Question. This is exactly what it says. If you roll it, you make it up. Let your mind go free and have fun. Again answers are subjective. Some people may use this as a place to score points by asking a question that others may not know the answers to. Please name the top ten best seller books of the 1990's. Name the top ten constellations that are seen in the southern hemisphere? Usually people come up with questions that are much more known to the majority of people. Again, the majority rules on acceptable answers.
That's all the categories on the card but the die has one more and that is the Wild Ten. If someone rolls this, they may choose any of the previous five categories to ask a Top Ten Question from.
Play
Everyone has a piece at the top of the board at number "1". The object is to make it to the Winners Circle first by compiling answers to those questions given in two categories or receiving an acceptable one-of-a-kind answer in the other three categories. Everyone has the paper and pencil and writes down their answers in the allotted time. The time is set by turning the arm of the clock into position and stating it by pushing a rocker switch type of button.
Each player in turn (clockwise play)rolls the die. They then pick a card and go to the category the die suggests. The question is read and the timer is turned on. Most questions have about 60 seconds time. There are a few different time settings on the clock that are clearly marked as to usage.
Once the clock starts everyone starts writing. As the timer goes off indicating the round is over, all pencils go to the table and then the person with the die takes control.
If the questions are from the listed two first categories that person will read all top ten answers on the card. Each person indicated how many they matched. They get to move their player a space for each correct answer.
If the categories are the subjective questions then more time is taken. One player gives their list at a time. If it is matched by someone else, no one gets a point. If it is different than others then the group may decide if it is acceptable or not. Again one space is given for each accepted and unique answer.
Play continues in clockwise fashion until someone makes it to the winners circle. The END.
Objections
Some questions in the listed categories can be a bit difficult. Name the Top Ten Sleepiest Animals. Now after the laughter of my wife answering popsrocks as the top sleeping animal, the answers were more difficult to know. with the Koala, Sloth, Armadillo and Opossum leading the pack. Though they may not be as interesting, at least to some in our group, the questions did create some answers to those deep long unanswered questions we always wanted and needed to know. Just kiddin'. The good thing is each round goes by as quickly or as slowly the interest in the question demands.
Last Thoughts
I like the timer. It seems like it will last forever and it is simple to use and I won't have to spend money or time getting batteries.
The game is simple enough to understand after a round or two is done. We have had a lot of laughs playing this game and that's with teens and adults.
Though the game comes with six play pieces, we played with ten. I will say that the spaces do not allow more than two or three pieces on a space so we did have a crowded board at the games beginning.
The game play lasts as long as two hours but more likely one hour should do it.
People who like the Family Feud game should like this one. It has that same "Top answers" challenge.
Because this game can be so subjective, argumentative people may not enjoy it or you may not like being around these people. At the same time it can sure be fun watching sparks fly.
Other Games in Our Top Ten
A Games for adults, but not an "Adult Game"
How to Host a Murder This is our favorite game of all!
Deluxe Scrabble Play in style!
Monopoly Special Edition
Catch Phrase, a wonderful family and friend game!
Encore Deluxe Fun, Fun, Fun!!
BALDERDASH, A game of Bluffing
Three more games will finish this top ten list. I hope to have them all in withing a month or so.
Other Games
CLUE A classic " Who dun it?" game.
Stratego A time tested game of strategy.
Fact or Crap A new game that is fun for 15-adult
Texas Hold'em Poker
Family Feud DVD Game
Scrabble Regular Family Edition
Worst-Case Scenario Survivor Game Can you survive?
Men are From Mars, Woman are From Venus
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
Type of Toy: Board Game
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