Jurrasic Jumble

You know the classic trading game Pit? The game where everyone is yelling out numbers and trading cards? Two. Two. Two. Two? Hold on to that thought. And while you're holding on, do you by any chance remember that equally classic card game called "Spoons"? You know, the one where you put a bunch of spoons or grabbable things in the middle of the table - one less than there are players - and everyone is kind of passing cards around and trying to get four of a kind and as soon as someone succeeds that person grabs a spoon and then everyone else grabs, and the player who doesn't get a spoon pretty much loses? Got it? Good. Because now you have a very good idea why Jurrasic Jumble is such a fun game.

The object of the game is more difficult than Spoons. There are nine cards that you're trying to assemble, and each card is of a different color. And, like Pit there are a couple of cards you really don't want to have at game end, so there's that to think about. And while you're doing all that thinking, there's the fact that someone else has already taken the spoon (actually, a large, rubbery plastic bone that you kinda want to chew), and if you don't notice in time, no matter how close you are to winning, you don't. Which is really what makes this game unique and uniquely playworthy. Especially for kids. It's a perfect combination of two very fun games.

Yes, it's about dinosaurs and bones and paleontology and stuff. But that really has very little to do with the fun of it all. For kids, like I said, especially. And though the manufacturer suggests that kids as young as 6 would like the game, we found that it was a little too much at first, even for an intelligent 7-year old. And though the manufacturer also suggests that the game is adultworthy, it's really a little, well, shallow for extended replay. But for kids, and families with kids who are 7ish or older, and, of course, for adults whose brains are slightly fogged, it's a great game. And as many as 9 people can play it. And it's one of those games that most definitely gets merrier as more people get involved.