The ultimate brain stimulator (Cranium)

Member Name: metbebe

Product:	Cranium
Date:	04/11/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to play. Something for everyone

Disadvantages: None really

I first played this game a week ago and have by now played it five times. I played with my husband's family, whom are all British between the ages of 16 to 50, and we all had a great time. Learning the game was not very difficult neither was playing.
We played the UK edition so that is the one I will be reviewing. The game is set for 4 people or more and will take about an hour to play depending on how many teams there are.

After playing this game a lot of times you will end up knowing the questions by heart and that's where the additional booster box 1 comes handy. You get 800 new questions which is 200 cards in every category.

Cranium is created by Hasbro, an American company who makes toys as well as games. Their products can be found in numerous countries, such as; Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, the UK, France and more than 100 other countries throughout the world.
Hasbro has a wide selection of cranium games for all ages, such as; Cranium WOW, Cranium Cadoo, Cranium Cloodle, Cranium Letter Line-Up, Cranium Sculptorades, Cranium Humdinger and varies of Cranium card decks. All games can be found on their website http://www.hasbro.com/games/cranium/browse.cfm?cat =74 where information and prices are posted.

~Packaging~

The box which the game comes in is colourful with a purple brain on the front, also called purple planet or cranium central.
The box includes:

1 board
4 character card boxes
800 character cards
4 game pieces coloured green, blue, red and yellow.
10 sided dice
60 seconds timer
Cranium clay
4 Sketch pads

~How to play~

The aim of the game is to be the first team to go from the purple planet labelled start to the cranium central in the middle. Once you get to the cranium central your team must finish the last challenge to win. Each team should have a minimum of 2 players otherwise you will not be able to play.

When a club cranium card is drawn (a purple club cranium mark is shown on these cards) the game pause for an all team challenge, where the winning team receives a bonus roll. On the cranium club cards you will find the rules for the specific challenge and what you have to do. Every time you finish a challenge you keep the card even though it is a club cranium one.

After the club cranium card is played the winner of the club cranium card takes one bonus roll and moves. Keep in mind that the winning team only rolls and draw a card with a challenge. Then the team whose turn it was when the club cranium card was drawn takes its normal turn.
If your team wins the club cranium card and it was your first activity while on a planet cranium, roll and move onto the fast track.
If your team doesn't win the club cranium and it was your first activity while on a planet cranium, you can still try for the fast track on your normal turn.

~Your turn~

The team on your right draws your card from the character card box that matches the coloured space your team's game piece is standing on. On your first turn, and every time you are on a purple Planet cranium, you get to choose which character box card you want to play.

If you are successful, roll the dice and move to the next colour indicated on the dice. You must stop on every purple planet cranium even if your roll would otherwise take you past it. If you roll purple simply move to the next planet cranium. Your turn is now over and the team on your left will have their go.

~Getting there quicker~

On every planet cranium you have a chance to get on the fast track. If your team is successful on the first activity you do on the planet cranium, you take the fast track otherwise you stay on the outer track. The difference between the two is that there are twice as many figures on the outer than what there are on the inner, so called fast track. They also have different figures. The fast track has a running figure and the outer, slower track, has a head that resembles some kind of cat.

~Who wins?~

Your team wins when you have reached the Purple Planet in the very middle of the board with one card from every category. When in the cranium central the other teams choose a final challenge for you and if you are successful you win. If you are not successful you will have to wait until your next turn.

~Character card boxes~

Cranium has four different character card boxes with a variety of challenges and charades. Each character card box has a colour that represents their category; Word Worm (Yellow), Star Performer (Green), Data Head (Red) and Creative Cat (Blue).

Word worm

Are you good with words or solve a lot of crosswords then this is the category for you. In Worm activities you have to unscramble words, spell correctly, guess definitions, fill in the blanks and even spell backwards.

Zelpuz
Example: To win the zelpuz, your team must rearrange all the letters in the mixed-up puzzle below to find the answer. I'll read the hint aloud then start the timer.
Hint: Morning maize
Puzzle: Clean forks

Spellbound
Example: To win the spellbound the team choose a teammate who can correctly spell the word below on the first try without writing it down.
Word: Connoisseur

Blankout
Example: To win this blankout, your team must complete the puzzle below by filling in the blanks with the missing letters. I'll read the hint aloud, pass the card to you then start the timer.
Hint: Fanatic periphery.
Puzzle: L_ _ _ _ _ _C F_ _ _ G_

Gnilleps
Example: To win the gnilleps, choose a teammate who can correctly spell the word below backwards on the first try without writing it down. I'll read the word to the speller and then start the timer.
Word: Equestrian

Lexicon
Example: To win this lexicon, your team must determine the correct definition of the word below. I'll read the word and definitions aloud, pass the card and start the timer.
Word: Gastropad
A) Valve separating the oesophagus and the stomach
B) slug-like mollusc
C) food expert or pundit
D) small dining room

Star performer

If you draw a Star performer activity you will have to start humming and whistling tunes, impersonating celebrities and acting out clues/charades. These are definitely activities for the showbiz person who keeps track on the famous.

Humdinger
Example: To win this humdinger, choose a performer from your team who can get you to guess the song on the back of this card by humming or whistling with no lyrics or gestures. I'll pass the card to the performer and then start the timer.
Song: Stayin' Alive with Bee Gees

Copycat
Example: To win this copycat, choose a performer from your team who can get you to guess the answer by acting like the famous person or character named on the back of this card. The performer can talk like the person but can not say names of people or places. I'll pass the card to the performer and start the timer.
Famous person: Rik Mayall

Cameo
Example: To win this Cameo, choose a performer from your team who can get you to guess the answer on the back of this card by acting out silent clues, just like charades. I'll read the hint aloud and then pass the card to the performer and start the timer.

This challenge is also available as a club cranium card where everyone plays the cameo. One from each team act out silent clues, just like charades. The first team to guess the answer wins an immediate bonus roll.
Categories in this specific challenge can be anything from a thing to an expression.

Data head

Data head activities are for the general knowledge person. They test you on your knowledge on uncommon info, true/false queries and challenging you with multiple-choice questions.

Polygraph
Example: Your team has to determine whether this statement is true or false.
Statement: Cash points have been installed on every continent.

Selectaquest
Example: To win the selectaquest, your team must correctly answer the multiple-choice question below. I'll read the question and choices aloud, pass the card and start the timer. Question: Dance music star Fatboy Slim started out with which band?
A) Happy Mondays
B) Beautiful South
C) Fine young Cannibals
D) The Housemartins.

Factoid
Example: To win this factoid, your team must correctly answer the question on this card. I'll read the question aloud and then start the timer.
Question: In the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race, what do the initials TT stands for?

Creative Cat

With Creative cat activities you sketch, sculpt with clay and draw with your eyes closed. In this category you get clues for what you are drawing or sculpting, such as; a thing, place, expression, action, condition or an animal. All the cards in this character box are also available as club cranium card where all teams compete.

Cloodle
Draw clues on paper with no talking, letters or symbols.
Hint: Condition.
Answer: Seasick.

Sculptorades
Guess the answer correctly by sculpting the subject with no talking or gestures.
Hint: Place
Answer: Tower Bridge

Sensosketch
Draw clues on paper with no peeking, talking, letters or symbols. The artists' eyes must stay closed during the challenge.
Hint: A thing.
Answer: Double Chin.

~So what do I think of Cranium?~

This is a very versatile game for teens and adults. I do recommend being at least 15 when playing this game because the questions and people to act like could be very difficult. There is definitely something for everyone; the intelligent one, the creative one, the language specialist and the actor. If you are not good at anything, which I doubt, I still think Cranium will give you a great time with your friends and family.

If you are not British or haven't much knowledge of English politicians or celebrities you might have problems knowing who some of the people in the questions are, such as Ian Paisley, Des Lynam and Rik Mayall. I am Swedish and most of the names were unknown for me but it didn't stop me from having a good time. If you are in the same position as me you could either take another question or the rest of your team can try figure it out, depending on how many players you are in each team.

In the rules there is no mentioning of who gets to start the game. The times I have played Cranium we have either let the dice decide by trying to role the teams colour and the first team who gets their own colour begins. In other cases we have chosen the youngest team to begin, either by the youngest player or by adding all ages in one team together and see whose team has the youngest age.
I would say that the biggest down-side with this game is still whether or not you are familiar with English celebrities or not due to the fact that this is an UK edition. On the other hand this is for English people and there are other editions for other nationalities.

The tagline 'You will not believe what your friends can do' might be exaggerating a little bit but this game keeps you interested and makes you want to play it, over and over again. Therefore I definitely recommend this game.

Summary: Great entertainment for a saterday night