thing-a-ma-bots - designer: Bernie DeKoven
- publisher: Gamewright
- date: 2006
- BoardGameGeek rank/rating: not ranked/6.2
- age: 6+
- # of players: 2-6
- print status: in print
- cost: $5.95 (FunAgain.com)
Another favorite genre of kid game is the quick recognition game - flip a card over & see who can remember what to do or whose name to yell first. Thing-a-ma-bots takes that basic idea and goes it one better - the first time you turn over a particular robot, you get to name him/her. (For example, in the above picture, I could have well named them Brainiac 1000, WireHair, Catmogo, Horny, and FunnelCake.) So, when another card is flipped over, the first player to howl out their "given" name wins the stack of cards. If the robot matches the top of another scoring pile, yell out "Thing-a-ma-bot" and claim those cards.
What makes this one work is the combination of imagination & adrenaline - the silliness of the names blends really nicely with the excitement of trying to shout out the correct name.
OK, I was getting worried here that Mark was going to go European games only on this list - nice to see Gamewright get some love (is Playroom gonna show up at all?)
ReplyDeleteThingamabots is a tremendous game, if only for the hilarious names that you and the kids will make up. It's also one of those games that may give the children a decent advantage, as you struggle to remember the name Star Shining Princess, while you simply named them R2 D3, or something like that.
You'll see a lot more of Gamewright on the list - but not Playroom (with one or two exceptions). I really dislike Playroom's art design, so we don't end up with much of their stuff in our house.
ReplyDeleteThat may be a function of Playroom making "girl-friendly" animal art in a house full of boys... I dunno.
Hmm, sounds interesting. I'll have to track this one down.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the BGG link is incorrect. It should be 22753.
Thanks for the list!
--Ken (BGG ID = Rubric)