Simpsons fix without the TV! (Simpsons Uno)

Member Name: Cutecandy

Product:	Simpsons Uno
Date:	15/09/09 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Educational, sturdy, tactical attractive game at many levels.

Disadvantages: I suppose you have to like the Simpsons.

%% Simpsons Uno%%

Flair games have added some fun to our summer holidays this year with this Uno game.

**Presentation
The game comes in an attractive face shaped plastic container which is fun enough to encourage the kids to tidy up! The cards themselves are sturdy, shiny and attractively coloured with entertaining pictures - an added bonus if a player is taking a while to decide their next move!

Includes: 108 cards for 2 - 10 players.
For ages 7 Years +. Features 15 character cards representing your favourite Simpsons characters.

**How to play.
The deck has 108 cards which can be divided into four sets, wild cards, and word cards with directions on them.


First choose a dealer by having each player pick one card. Whoever picks highest number is the dealer (Word cards count as zero) and deals each player seven cards.The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the table.
Turn the top card of this draw pile over to begin a second pile: the discard pile.

The player on the dealer's left begins and play continues thus:
Place one of your cards on the discard pile when it's your turn. Your card must have the same number, color or wording as the top card of the discard pile - or be a wild card.

If you cannot discard you must pick up a card from the draw pile and add this to your hand. Play the drawn card if you can. If you can't, it's the next person's turn.
*Wild cards:
You can play a wild card any time it's your turn and can use it to name any suit you wish ie to change the colour of the card which must follow you.

*Draw cards:
Draw 3 and draw 4 cards force the next player along to pick up that number of cards from the discard pile and miss their go . You can also change the colour to follow - both handy tactics if someone is going well!
Draw 2 cards:
These work the same way but without the chance to change the colour

*Skip cards:
These force the next person along to skip their turn (if 2 are playing it means its your go again!)
*Reverse cards:
These reverse the direction of play and are useful to avoid a winning player having a turn or to change the player preceding you if they seem to have a lot of nasty cards! (if 2 are playing it means its your go again!)


**How to win!
This is the moment when I have to say something like - an easy idea that will take you your whole life to master! To some extent this is true - it works on various levels and some tactics can be developed as I have hinted. The novel notion of this game is that your aim is to get rid of your cards. When you have just one left you have to declare UNO (preferably in a very dramatic way!) and then the temperature is turned up as others pull out all their sneaky cards to foil you. If you forget your dramatic declaration you have to pick up a 2 card penalty.
If you successfully get rid of your final card all players then add up the points remaining in their hands. Most cards add up their face value but be warned that
Draw Two, Skip, and Reverse cards count as 20 points and Wild and Wild Draw Four cards count as 50 points. Thus there is a balance between the need to hold onto them to ensure your swift victory at the end and the risk of giving away lots of points if you are left with them at the end!

Officially play continues until someone gets 500 points but in reality you can set this limit depending on age of players and amount of time available.
Why Simpsons?

I haven't played traditional UNO so I can't make entirely unbiased judgement on this except to say that the character pictures are entertaining and interesting and the children certainly gained a lot from chatting about the characters and their role in the game - Sideshow Bob is up to his usual sadistic antics making you draw four, Mr. Burns wields his power as the Wild card and Homer represents his favourite number 0 mmm, donuts!!

**Verdict

A super family game which can be accessed at several levels. Can be long or short. Attractively presented. Durable cards and container. Inexpensive at around £8. The children also found the cards strong enough to play with in the back of the car and preferred this to chasing their usual flimsy playing cards under the seats!

Summary: Fabulous family game.