Cranium: The Next Big Drinking Game!

I bought Cranium's The Family Fun Game for my family as a Christmas 2006 gift. It was something I was sure would pull my husband's lazy butt off the couch and bring the family together. Not only did that work, my husband is now the first to suggest 'Let's play a game!'

To describe this game best, I have to mention it is never the same thing twice.

You need at least 4 people to play, because you need at least 2 teams and at least 2 people per team to play. It is hard to say what age this is appropiate for, because the youngest you'd have to be to play this is probably somewhere around 5. It is important to say it doesn't matter how old you are, you will not be bored with this game. (Thusfore, I wouldn't say this is for ages 5+ because then you would be thinking 'oh goody, a little kids game.')

There are four different 'colors' of cards, each offering their own type of 'mission'. The categories and some examples of what you'll be doing follow.

Data Head is the trivia category. There are many 'true or false questions'. The knowledge this tests is appropiate for all ages, there are no questions that are 'too easy' or 'too hard'. This is the least physical category. Along with trivia questions, you may be shown a pattern for ten seconds of different colored squares, and then be given 6 colored dice to roll and re-create the pattern from memory. Your team may also be tested to work together and list a certain number of things in a challenging category.

Star Performer is one of the most physical categories. At one turn your group may be attempting to flip a certain number of plastic frogs through a ring that one team mate must make out of clay and hold mid air. You may have to choose one team mate who can lie down with a cube on their forehead, and stand up without the cube falling. You may have to work together to scavenger hunt the house for 3 requested items (example, something you can roll on the floor with your nose.)

Creative Cat inspires the most creativity. Most common are two types of 'pictionary' style games. In one, the artist must keep their eyes closed while drawing, in another the artist must use the hand of another team mate to draw the picture. You also shape things out of clay,

Word Worm is also less physical. In this category, players will work together to spell words backwards (one letter at a time in a rotation), list a certain number of words in a category using the last letter of the previous word in a rotation, word searches, and more word related missions.

I love this game because not only does it bring the family together for a real fun time, but it also challenges everybody to get off their butts and encourages every individual to show their personal strengths. The teamwork is vital, and nobody is left out. I would recommend this game to any family... but the best thing is that you don't have to play this game with children as a family.

I am pleased with this game as a game my husband and I will enjoy playing with the kids. Cranium's Family Fun Game is just as fun to play with the kids as it is playing with a bunch of drunks trying to balance three cubes on their head while they act out "I'm a little tea pot".