Can you name a car starting with M? (Scattergories)

Member Name: Rockmaiden

Product:	Scattergories
Date:	12/01/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun, easy to play game

Disadvantages: The timer nearly gives you heart failure

I first came across this game when I played it at a party and loved it so much that I went out and bought it a few days later.

The concept of the game is name items starting with a particular letter, e.g. Name a boys name starting with H. Sounds easy but once your under pressure it's amazing how much your mind goes blank.

Included in the box are:
12 Catergory cards (4 for each player and each with 144 catergories listed)
4 leather folders for holding your catergory cards and answer pad.
4 answer pads
4 pencils
26 sized dice
Board to roll dice on
Timer
Rules

I like the way each player has there own little folder in which you can store all your catergory cards and your answer pads. It makes the game look really good, means you havn't got to find something to lean on and stops other players from seeing your answers so it really is a nice touch.

The game tends to played in 3 rounds but you can play as few or as many rounds as you like. Each round lasts approximatly 10 minutes so you adjust the game depending on the time available to play.

In the first round you roll the dice to select a letter then go down your list of catergories choosing one answer answer beginning with that letter for each catergory. Try to be unique as if you get the same answer as someone else you get no points, e.g An animal starting with C? If you wrote cat you would not be likely to get any points as everyone will think of cat. Try to be unique and come up with answers such as Cheetah instead.

The second round is played the same as the first with a different letter and different list of catergories.

In the third round you select one catergory, roll the dice to selcet the letter and then try to think of as many answers as possible under that catergory. You then get points for each answer that was not repeated by another player.

You occasionally get things that are a little obscure and all players vote to allow or disallow it .e.g. I played with a group of friends once and the catergory was things in the sea beginning with D. One player wrote dead body arguing that dead bodies have been recovered from the sea. It went to a vote and it was disallowed on the grounds that it is not something you would generally find in the sea.

The one thing that I have an issue with is the timer. When it goes off it makes a sharp, sudden bang that makes you jump so much it's really unpleasant. Plus it makes a grinding noise as it's counting down which is really distracting. When we play we never use the timer and instead set the timer on our mobile phone.

It is a good game and really worth playing, as there are so many catergories you never get bored after playing a few games and you can play with a whole group of people by forming 4 teams as we often do.

Summary: Lots of fun to play with friends