Ubi - Have you heard of this game? (Horn Abbot The World According to UBI)

Member Name: dove3066

Product:	Horn Abbot The World According to UBI
Date:	26/03/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good combination of general knowledge and geography

Disadvantages: Can be frustrating if you geography isn't that good

This game is ideal for anyone who likes geography and general knowledge quizes.

This game went on sale in the mid eighties and was created by the same people as trivial Pursuit.

The game is very different to any other even before you open the box. The game is packaged in a triangular box which looks amazing but is a nightmare to stack on the shelf!! Once you have opened the box you will find a map of the world, two boxes of cards, four pyramid stands, some pyramid peices, a number of dice and a hexagonal compass.

The idea of the game is fairly simple - Ubi is Latin for "where" and so all questions start with this - you get asked a question and then you have to find the place on the map - that's where the geography bit is important. So, you not only have to work out the answer you need to know where to find it on the map. The map is divided into a number of different hexagons and depending on the level of accuracy you threw on the dice, you either simply answer with the hexagons number or if you have to answer to triangular accuracy you have to also give the section of the hexagon that the answer is located (each hexagon is divided into six triangles).

You can only put a piece of you pyramid (the trivial pursuit equivalent of a wedge) if you get the aswer correct at the triangle level. The world is divided into 4 sections (Americas,Europe, Water and Universal) so you need to answer a question in each section before you can try to finish your pyramid and top it with the 'Rubi Ubi'.

The person who devised this game had a very odd sense of humour because there are some red Herrings in the game - such as Ubi most Leprechauns live? or Ubi the swiss Navy make its base? The questions are mostly posed in the form of a rhyme.

This game won't appeal to everyone as it can be quiet frustrating at times to know the answer but not have the foggiest where it is on the map - my Sister-in-law really hates the game for that exact reason.

I find it fun to almost have to decode the question before you even start. The game can take anywhere from an hour to 3 hours to play depending on how good you are at locating the right answers. In the same way that trivial pursuit can take forever sometimes.

This game is no longer for sale but it does crop up on E-bay every so often and you may spot it at a car boot sale - make sure it still has the compass or Rubicon Reticule otherwise the game is useless - so if you fancy a slightly different challenge than Triv and you like puzzles and geography give it a try.

Summary: A good alternative to standard trivial pursuit