Designed for up to four players ages 8 and up, Haywire Group‘s Shaboom! game gives youngsters the chance to face off in a true test of speed and agility. Using a wide variety of different game pieces, Shaboom! is fast-paced fun and challenge hilarity. Included in the set are 100 event (challenge) cards, four player trays, a game bowl, an instruction sheet, and the assortment of game pieces I mentioned earlier.
To begin, each player places a tray of pieces in front of them. There are dice of various colors, a handful of tiddlywinks, small cubes, checkers, dominoes, and a one-sided die in the mix. It’s quite the collection. After placing the stack of challenge cards in the center, players take turns flipping them over for all to see. There are three types of cards in Shaboom!: Event cards, Last Out cards, and Boom Laws cards.
Event cards are pretty self-explanatory, as they illustrate the action players must complete. These cards challenge kids to do things like bounce a checker into their tray, stack an “L” shape with their small cubes, or roll a specific number using a certain color die. Bouncing a checker into the tray was my definitely my favorite. Try it with a quarter right now and tell me that’s not fun. Anyway, kids who are quick enough to complete these event tasks before their opponents earn themselves the event card, and a point. First player to earn 10 cards wins the game.
Last Out cards play the same as Event cards, but instead, they challenge players to avoid being the last one to complete the required task. If a player finishes last on a card like this, they’ll have to forfeit a point, or a card of their own. These cards add more risk to the game, and certainly raise the stakes.
Boom Laws cards are where Shaboom! really gets interesting. When this card is first turned over, players don’t have to do anything. Easy, right? Wrong. Boom Laws cards put a restriction on the next Event or Last Out card played, making the task even more difficult and amusing. “Put your right face cheek on the table” sounds like a doozy, but others such as “no talking” or “stand up” are fun, too. These laws must be followed while players compete in their next event.
Shaboom! is fast-paced fun that’s sure to bring some energy to any family game night.
