They really captured the best parts of the original series then added more modern features. It would have beet so nice to have spin dash in the original series. The graphics have the look and feel of the original but with improved added colors and modern resolution lacking in the original.

There are parts of the original stages, bosses, and bonus levels. However, the new content blends in with the original material flawlessly. It’s hard to believe this wasn’t part of the original series, it’s that good!

Because it’s everything great about the original Sonic series minus he drawbacks of old hardware. It feels like playing an old game on a high end system, like all the advertising was back then. The commercial for the game always looked better than actually playing anything on a Genesis, Atari, Intellivision, Commodore, and yes, even the original NES!

If you like side scrollers and quick action then this game is for you. Plus it has a competition mode for 4 players. That’s something missing from the original. Sure, you could have someone join in as Tails, but honestly it kinda sucked trying to keep up with Sonic. It was more of an afterthought than a feature of the original.

Not so with Sonic Mania. This should appeal to anyone who enjoys 4 player games. Each player gets their own screen. Plus you can choose features like item boxes that switch players. Definitely one of the most hilarious features I’ve seen in a 4 player game.

Big surprise, Sonic Mania is comparable to most Sonic games. It’s so much like the original it’s hard to believe it wasn’t released in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s. Llike most side scrollers there are stages followed by a boss battle. Plus bonus rounds. A formula that’s been around since Mario Bros.

The 4 player head to head action in Sonic Mania stands out since many side scrollers are single player. It’s our favorite mode when we play Sonic Mania. It’s a good blend of the best parts of the old with upgraded features and gameplay.

The graphics and soundtrack are an advantage of Sonic Mania. It doesn’t lag or look low resolution like most games back then.

Th 4 player mode is one of the best benefits. Being able to play side by side with each other in a fast moving game just wasn’t possible on the old hardware.

The bonus levels and content are so good it’s hard to believe it wasn’t part of the original. Item boxes with different power ups, hidden paths, new characters, and new bonus levels fit seamlessly with the original.

I can’t forget to mention the shrinking levels. A personal favorite and totally awesome! I really can’t think of any negative things to say. We’re huge Sonic fans around here.

Our review of Sonic Mania gives it 10 stars out of 10. We loved it that much and play it all the time. It’s that good!

Sonic Mania – Review brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

All the games give the players a simple goal. Hit the target. Toss the ring. Sink the ball. Break the stack. The rules are easy to learn and the challenge comes from the play.

Carnival Games offer quick fun for up to 4 players. Most games take only a few minutes. Players don’t need to learn advanced rules or complicated lessons. The mini games use a jump or action button so they can join the action at once.

Players will enjoy the test of skill. Some games also depend on luck. However, most games rely on good timing. This mix keeps each round fresh.

Pros and Cons

One good thing about Carnival Games is there are a lot of games to choose from. They break them down by category. In general the games involve tossing things, races, or shooting gallery stuff.

The bad part is the redundancy. Sure, the games all look different. However, the mechanics underlying most games is the same. There are many different tossing games that use the same power meter to throw things with varying ways to aim.

They recycle the same basic tossing and shooting game for the majority of games. In spite of this, it works well for some mini games. Plus, there are a few unique games that are interesting. The Pig race, Balloon Battle, and Pogo stick stand out as good mini games.

Comparable Games

In my experience, Carnival Games is most comparable to the Sisters series of games, Cakebash, and even Chalkdash Carnival. All are multi player and include quick fun mini games.

Carnival Games has more mini games than the others. Cake Bash has the least amount of games, yet the variety makes up for it. Unlike the others, Carnival Games didn’t have any co op games.

Final Thoughts

Carnival Games adds life to any party game session. It captures the vibe of being at a fair and having fun, without the rigged games. We enjoyed the friendly contest. Each game offers a fun moment with family or friends.

If you remember Carnivals and fairs with fond memories then you’ll like this game. Or if you’ve never been to a Carnival it’s worth checking out. You’ll get the experience of actually winning one of those games.

Overall, it’s a good game considering the price.

Carnival Games – Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

The adventure mode is similar to the first game. Random tasks involving some mini games with some dialog advancing the story. The party mode makes all the minigames available for those who want to cut to the chase.

This game is for people who like party games. The adventure mode doesn’t offer much to a solo player. It’s just filler in my opinion. The main appeal of this game is party mode. It offers 24 mini games.

If you’re looking for some four player action then this is worth checking out. It’s definitely better playing with a crowd of rowdy sisters. Light enough nobody that it won’t permanently damage any relationships. Yet, engaging enough to keep everyone’s interest.

Sisters 2 is comparable to Party Party Time, Smurfs Party, or Carnival Games. All fun party games is my opinion. We tend to favor Party Party Time due to the amount of mini games. But Sisters 2 has some favorites too.

Sisters 2 is probably most similar to Smurfs Party. There’s a lot of similarities between the games, cut scenes, and overall vibe. However, Smurfs Party has twice the games.

Sisters 2 is much better than Carnival Games. Carnival Games uses too many of the same games with a different skin. There is diminishing returns with playing Carnival Games. Sisters 2 definitely has more unique games which hold more interest.

Adventure mode isn’t that interesting. The roller skates do speed it up but look funny skating through the sandy beach. Party mode is better, but I wish they included more games.

The summer fun vibe and sibling rivalry adds carries this game. I can’t say why exactly but the game seems just made for sisters.

Our Sisters 2 Road to Fame review gives it 7 out of 10 stars. The sequel is pretty much the same as the first. It’s not as good as Party Party Time, which genuinely has good content every release. Sisters 2 is light on mini games. If you loved Sisters Party Game of the Year, then you’ll like Sisters 2.

You might also want to take a look at my Sisters Party Game of the Year post.

The Sisters 2 Road to Fame – Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

The story is about a rivalry between two sisters competing to see who gets to plan an upcoming parity The adventure mode is a single player exploring the sisters environment, doing quests and challenges in the form of minigames. The computer, aka AI players, are predictable and boring. They are too easy or impossible, nothing in between.

Adventure mode is okay for what it is but we were there for the four player action. Which is the better way to play the games in our opinion. Just straight to the mini games.

The people who would enjoy this game the most are looking for a party game. They aren’t going to waste too much time in adventure mode. It is basically pointlessly exploring the house while throwing in a few minigames.

The party mode cuts to the chase making all 24 mini games available for up to four players. They can be played individually, combined to make a tournament, or all around the world which plays all of them.

The party mode is much better than the adventure mode. It offers four player head to head action which is what most people will enjoy from this game. The single player mode is there to putt around in but isn’t a reason to get this game. If you want multiplayer action the party mode won’t disappoint.

Sisters is most comparable to Smurfs Party, Party Party Time and Carnival Games.

Party Party Time has much more games plus co-op games. Sisters seems to focus on the sister theme than overall amount of games.

Carnival Games is closer in style and type of games but we prefer Sisters over Carnival Games. It isn’t quite as good as Party Party Time though.

Smurfs Party is made by the same people who made Sisters and you can tell that the Sisters was a template for Smurfs. They do both offer unique minigames but the systems are the same.

The theme carries this game. It’s a fun sister type of rivalry. This game is full of summer fun, contagious laughter, and good nature competition.

The story mode is lacking. It would have been nice to include a few co-op games but nether the less it’s still fun.

Our Sisters: Party of the Year review doesn’t agree this is the party game of the year, but it isn’t a total bomb either. It offer great minigames that the whole family can enjoy for a while just not hours on end. We give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Not as great as the title suggests, but does provide some good party games.

If you enjoyed this game then you should check out my review of the sequel Sisters 2 Road to Fame.

The Sisters Party of the Year – Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

It’s your basic racing game with on road tracks, off road tracks, and several minigames. There’s a lot to customize as well. You can create your own vehicles and create your own tracks. Creating your own tracks definitely is a lot of fun, more on that later.

It’s your basic racing game with on road tracks, off road tracks, and several minigames. There’s a lot to customize as well. You can create your own vehicles and create your own tracks. Creating your own tracks definitely is a lot of fun, more on that later.

Anyone looking for an easy party game to play with friends should give Rev Up RC Grand Prix a try. If you like party games with friends, this is an easy racing game to add to the mix.

Anyone can learn to race with this game. Plus the 9 minigames offer a lot of head to head competition if you ever want to do something besides race.

Rev Up RC Grand Prix is comparable to Hello Kitty 3D Racing, Cars 3 Driven to Win, Team Sonic Racing, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This game looks and feels most similar to Hello Kitty 3D racing. One major difference is customizing tracks in Rev Up RC. Hello Kitty offers some vehicle customization but not near as much as Rev Up RC.

Cars 3, Team Sonic Racing, Mario Kart 8 all have that “A” list look and feel, but honestly I enjoy many of the “B” list racing games just as much. They all offer great racing and fun minigames. Still, only Rev Up RC offers creating your own tracks.

Rev Up RC Grand Prix has another game mechanic others are missing: on road and off road tracks and vehicles. Most racing games have heavy and light vehicles, but Rev Up RC offers two different track and vehicle types.

The off road tracks have a lot more drifting while the on road tracks seem faster and focus on taking good racing lines. There’s also on and off road vehicles to match the tracks.

One of the best parts was creating our own tracks. We were able to make off road courses with wide gradual turns to get the most out of drifting. Then make tracks with tight corners to really take advantage of the acceleration and braking of the race cars.

Customizing cars was also a robust feature. We were able to get very creative with colors, wheels, and other features.

The only drawback I found is with one of the racing mechanics. Every time you even touch a wall it nearly brings you to a dead stop. This game really punishes you for even slightly touching a wall. Drifting is fun but avoiding the walls has the greatest impact on winning.

Our review of Rev Up RC Grand Prix gives it 7 out of 10 stars. The gameplay, graphics, sounds, and overall appearance is reflective of the lower price tag. However, that doesn’t mean this game isn’t as much fun as many A list racing games.

Rev Up RC Grand Prix – Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Bowser’s Fury feels more like a prolonged boss battle while also trying to complete a standard level. Both games are great for different reasons. Super Mario 3D World is best when played with multiple players. It’s the multiplayer game Odyssey wasn’t. While Bowser’s Fury is a condensed, tougher version of Odyssey.

Super Mario 3D World is one of our favorite multiplayer games. There’s four of us roaming around the screen so there’s always something to laugh about. Even though we’ve completed every level we still go back through many levels since they’re so much fun. Gargantuan Grotto is a favorite due to so many mega mushrooms.

If you’re a fan of any Mario side scroller then you should give this game a try. The 3D world is very different from any side scroller and takes some getting used to. I still have a hard time landing on small platforms, but falling off screen is all part of the fun.

Whether you’re a casual or intense gamer Super Mario 3D World has a lot to offer. There are tons of levels, boss fights, and bonus stages in 3D World. Each with varying levels of difficulty. The most difficult level, Champion’s Road, isn’t required since it’s after beating the final boss Bowser.

If you’re looking for a fun Mario game 3D World is one of the best multiplayer games available. Bowser’s Fury does offer two player mode, it’s really a solo player game since the camera stays on Mario not Bowser Jr.

Super Mario 3D World is similar to Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario 64. All are 3D worlds for you to explore. The graphics and sounds vary across these games with Odyssey being the best but Galaxy a close second.

Still, the gameplay for many 3D worlds is alike in many ways. The levels themselves vary widely across these games. Which makes each one unique. Super Mario 3D World differs in that it allows up to 4 players.

The best part about Super Mario 3D World is the multiplayer action. Even with 4 players it’s a lot of fun. Nintendo finds a balance between the screen size and the camera angle for 4 players. I didn’t feel lost or fighting to stay on screen with 4 players moving around.

The exception was when everyone had the invincible tanooki or the fire-flower power up. Then it got a little tricky to keep track your character.

The game is huge with many levels, hidden features, and boss fights. There’s plenty to explore and keep you occupied. That being said, it isn’t the hardest game I’ve ever played. Sure there’s some tricky jumps and surprise enemies in places. Still, overall it isn’t a very challenging game. Except Championship Road, that’s definitely one of the top five hardest levels of all time.

Our Super Mario 3D World gives it 8 out of 10 stars. Mostly for the huge size, multiplayer action, and the bonus game: Bowser’s Fury. Both have great graphics, sounds, and gameplay. 3D world is definitely the easier of the two. If you’re a Mario fan you’ll enjoy Super Mario 3D World and Bowser’s Fury!

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Frantic Antics is one of the better games ported from a TV show. You can play as Tom the cat, Jerry the mouse, or both for some two player side scrolling action. In my experience, it’s actually better as a two player game. Playing solo is on par with the Shinobi games for Genesis, it takes a lot of practice. When you have two players, the game is much better.

The game is based on Tom and Jerry: The Movie from 1992. Tom and Jerry have to help the Robyn defeat her aunt Figg, the final boss and reunite her with her father. The levels are based on places from the movie. It starts in a nice enough neighborhood dodging dogs, pits, and other obstacles. Other levels include a condemned house, an alley, the sewers, a library, the dog pound, the carnival, and finally a cabin.

Each level relies on very well timed jumps and dodges. Sometimes a frisbee, football, or other weapon is available. However, these attacks are limited to 3 shots. The only other way to take out enemies is to roll into them. Mostly, it’s better to just avoid anything thrown at you.

This game heavily relies on being able to jump properly. Meaning getting a running start and jumping as close to the edge as possible. I’ll admit there are places in the library, the carnival, and the cabin where it’s brutal if you miss certain jumps. These jumps are the most challenging part of the game. The end boss is easy compared to some of those jumps.

My favorite parts are the two player mode. Being able to play side by side is a rarity for many Genesis games. Frantic Antics gets this part right. The two player mode lets players look out for each other and spread the damage out so both can live longer.

Tom can jump higher and is a bit of a tank character while Jerry can jump farther, slides more, but has a very small hit box. These small differences have advantages in two player mode but seem to make it harder in single player mode.

The critical jumps in most levels from the library on. Really there are only about 3 or 4 hard jumps total. You’ll know them when you get to them. Missing them eats up crucial time or sends you plummeting back a long way.

Other than those extremely difficult jumps, the game is a lot of fun. The timer can be a bit of a bummer from time to time. But we learned to keep running as much as possible to beat the clock.

Overall, Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics is a lot of fun, and very rewarding to see that final screen shot. It takes a lot of practice to get there but it’s worth it.

If you like two player games, Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics is worth a try. The strengths and weaknesses of each player is really important to finishing each level. Staying in sync and on screen gets to be second nature after a while. It makes for a fun gaming experience.

Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics came out in 1992 for the Sega Genesis but still holds up as a great game.

Best of Sega Genesis Games Tom and Jerry Frantic Antics
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Yahtzee involves a scorecard and rolling five dice. At the end of 13 rounds, the player with the highest score wins. The scorecard is based loosely on the card game Poker since it includes straights, a full house, three and four of a kind. A Yahtzee is five of a kind.

Everybody gets a thrill from their first Yahtzee! Overall, Yahtzee is a game of chance and is a lot more fun than it sounds.

The game starts by passing out score cards and deciding who goes first by whatever method you prefer. Players take turns rolling the dice and entering a score. After 13 rounds, the game is over and everyone totals their score. The player with the highest score wins.

Each turn begins by a player rolling all five dice. They decide which dice to keep and which to reroll. The player is allowed three rolls of the dice per turn. They can choose to end their turn after one or two rolls depending on how the dice turned out.

The goal is to get the best score on the score card. Most of the scores involve rolling 3, 4, or 5 of a kind. There’s also a full house, a small and large straight on the score card. Chance is simply the total of all five dice.

Once the player records their score their turn is over and the next player takes their turn. Play continues in this fashion for 13 rounds. As the scorecard fills it becomes increasingly difficult for players. For example, if a player rolls several 2’s and has already filled their 2’s score, chance, 3 of a kind, and 4 of a kind. They have a tough choice to keep the 2’s or reroll all the dice. In my experience getting a Yahtzee doesn’t happen every game.

Anyone who likes games of chance would enjoy this game. There’s something strangely exhilarating about rolling a Yahtzee. Or filling a full house on the final roll of the dice.

It doesn’t require as much concentration compared to say a card game or board game. Each player takes a turn so there’s ample opportunity for conversation. If you enjoy gathering around the table and talking with friends, then Yahtzee is an ideal game to pass the time.

We tested this game with 1, 2, 3, and 4 players.

Yahtzee is similar to Strike. Both involve rolling dice. Strike is simpler since the only goal is to not run out of dice. Yahtzee involves scorekeeping and choosing the best way to fill the scorecard.

The best part about Yahtzee is it’s easy to learn. People of all ages can play. Everyone enjoys filling up the scorecard.

On the other hand, it’s disappointing to take a 0 for failing to roll a score such as a large straight or Yahtzee. Yahtzee can also feel slow if you have 4 or more players. Some may get distracted while the others takes their turn.

Our Yahtzee game review gives it 7 out of 10 stars. It’s not a bad game and we usually have fun playing it. Some may find it boring since it’s just rolling dice. However, we like to chat a lot so this game works for us.

If that sort of game appeals to you then you should give Yahtzee a try!

Yahtzee! Review
brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

We enjoy all the random, non sequitur answers that are at the heart of this game. Some may feel the game is a bit irreverent but it’s not in my opinion. We’re laughing at the bizarre results, not the bible itself.

This game has a player reading a question and the other players choose an answer from one of their cards with words or phrases from the Bible. Some answers are off the wall weird, but most wind up being pretty hilarious.

I think this party game may not appeal to everybody, but for our experience we loved it. We’ve been known to laugh at mispronounced words or misheard phrases anyway so this game fit right into our sense of humor. I’ll just say there are a lot of unexpected responses to the questions.

If this sounds like your sense of humor you would enjoy this game. We love Mad Libs and The Bible is Funny Volume II is very similar.

This game is very simple. Choose who goes first by whatever method you prefer. Each player is dealt 7 answer cards. The first player draws a question card. They pick between the two questions on the card which they want to read.

They read the question out loud for the other players. The other players chooses one card from their hand, and passes it to the player that read the question. Then, the player who read the question card gets to read each answer card. That player then chooses the best answer, usually the answer which got the biggest laughs!

The player with winning answer gets to keep the question card. The first player to collect seven question cards wins the game.

Anyone with a sense of humor would enjoy this game. Players don’t need any biblical knowledge to play. Sensitive people may want to avoid this game just because it contains quotes from the Bible.

Whether it’s from disdain or reverence, I think they’re missing out on a lot of fun. Both The Bible Is Funny and it’s sequel had us in stitches. It didn’t offended me in the least.

If you like play on word games then you would enjoy this game. It’s not a card game, strategy game, or puzzle game. The Bible Is Funny Volume II doesn’t require any skill beyond reading. Some of the funniest rounds involve the most random answers. If you just picked answers at random you’d still have a good time.

Similar games that come to mind to us are Mad Libs, Taboo, Mad Gab, Spontooneous, and possibly Cards Against Humanity. It’s similar to Mad Libs except instead of an entire story being read, it’s only one line or question at a time. Instead of thinking of random nouns, verbs, or adjectives this game has preprinted lines or words taken from the Bible.

The other games are similar in that they are play on words or phrases. These games are simple, don’t have complicated rules, or scorekeeping. Mostly they are intended to make everyone laugh.

The good parts of this game are it doesn’t need dice, pencils, a board, or game pieces. Cards are both used for play and scorekeeping. So everything necessary to play comes in the box. Sure, it’s best to use a table or flat surface to play. However, you can all play sitting on a couch and chairs.

The subjective nature of the game is one drawback. It’s the opinion of the current reader who determines who score’s a point. Whether they pick the funniest, weirdest, or logical response is up to them. Generally the funniest response wins, but not always.

Another drawback is the lack of cards. This was true for the original game as well. It just isn’t as much material as it should be. We started running into repeat cards. The five of us went through all the cards after a couple games.

For this review, we give The Bible is Funny Volume II 9 out of 10 stars. It’s a great game to play with friends or family. We wish they had combined these games into one due to the scant supply of material. I can say it’s easy to learn, isn’t limited to a specific amount of players, and doesn’t require any special knowledge of the Bible.

We all had such a great time playing both versions. I highly recommend adding this game to any family game night.

As I mention before, we loved the first volume and I have a review of it right here that you might also want to check out.

The Bible is Funny Volume II Review brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.

Word Rummy combines Rummy and Scrabble. If you know how to play rummy then you’ll be ahead of the learning curve. Scrabble is just making words of the letters you’re given. So having a large vocabulary helps.

Either way, this is a great game for people who enjoy word games. It’s a card game with fairly quick rounds. Keeping score is easy. So it’s flexible enough to play to a certain score or set time.

Overall, Word Rummy seems awkward the first round. However, everyone quickly caught on. It turned out to be quite the competitive game for our local wordsmiths.

Word Rummy play is similar to Rummy. Players are dealt cards. They draw and discard one card per turn. Players lay down sets or runs. When a player runs out of cards the round is over. The main difference is players assemble words instead of sets or runs.

Word Rummy begins by dealing out 7 cards to each player. Then place the deck face down and flip over the top card. The player to go first has the option of drawing one card from the deck or picking up the card showing.

The player lays down any words they can form with the letters in their hand. If they use every card (letter) in their hand the round is over. If they have leftover cards, can’t, or won’t form any words then they discard a card. Then the next player has the choice to pick up the discarded card or draw from the deck.

Play continues until a player runs out of cards. Players can use their cards to build words from other players words to use up their cards.

We found many times players could go out on their first play, leaving everyone else with negative scores. Leftover cards deduct points from a players total. Players score points for every word they form, including the ones from other players even if they only added one letter.

Anyone who enjoys word games would love this game. You don’t necessarily need to be a fan of card games appreciate Word Rummy. At it’s core this game is about forming words with the random letters you are given. Or forming new words of the ones in play.

If you’re a fan of Scrabble, Boggle, Words With Friends, Word Wheel, or any other word jumble game then it’s a good idea to check out Word Rummy.

Word Rummy is similar to Scrabble and Words With Friends. As for Rummy, I don’t consider them similar beyond the card mechanics. Rummy uses numbers while the other is a word game.

Word Rummy is all about forming words for points. Instead of tiles of a board in Scrabble, this game is just cards laid out in front of each player. There aren’t any double or triple scores in Word Rummy.

As odd as it sounds getting a letter such as the Q is bad in this game. In Scrabble it’s an opportunity for a high point word. In Word Rummy a high point letter usually counts against you. If I couldn’t play it immediately, it was my first discard.

Word Rummy is quicker and simpler than Scrabble in my opinion. We found many rounds were over within the first or second play. A player rarely had four opportunities to draw before someone went out.

The only drawbacks I noticed were the first round was awkward. I’m thinking I’m playing Rummy, but instead of kings and aces I’m looking at letters. Deciding whether to draw up the letter showing or pick up a random letter was bewildering. Of course, once the other player played all their cards the first try I caught on.

Scoring is a bit complicated. They suggest using Scrabble tile points. However, using 10 points for X, Y, Z, & Q while all other letters score 5 points did simplify things.

I enjoyed the quick pace compared to Scrabble. Those can be long games figuring out the best play for the highest points. Word Rummy is about dumping all your cards before you eat them in points. Discarding high point letters would be unheard of in Scrabble. It was common to discard the Q in this game. Different but good.

For this review, we give Word Rummy 9 out of 10 stars. We’re a bit biased since we love word games but this game was a lot of fun. It was quick. Simplified scoring was an improvement. Creatively building off other players words. Everything about this game is fun.

Word Rummy Card Game Review brought to you by: David M.

I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.