I have many happy memories of playing the classic card game UNO with my older children and their grandparents. It is a simple game but really entertaining and very competitive. We had a lot of fun battling it out to get rid of our cards and become the UNO family champion!
UNO has been given a modern twist in the form of UNO Roboto from Mattel Games which is an interactive way to play the classic game, bringing it to a whole new audience. We were sent one to try out.
UNO Roboto consists of a pack of 108 playing cards and the robot, who is a cute but unpredictable little fellow who likes to mix up the game play whenever he can. He calls out random rules and funny phrases. Players record their own names and some house rules to create customized play. Freddy and Kizzy really enjoyed recording things and hearing them back in Roboto's voice!!
The aim of the game is to loose all your cards. Roboto can throw a spanner in the works at anytime by commanding you to swap cards with another player or issuing a challenge with the loser being forced to pick up extra cards. So fortunes can turn at anytime.
With Roboto addressing players by name, it adds to the excitement. The unpredictable nature of the game creates an atmosphere of uncertainty right until the end, so everyone stands a chance of winning. It adds an element of fun to this simple classic game which makes it more interesting for youngsters who want a little more from their games.
Roboto is a funky gimmick. The kids really do love him and hearing him throw down a challenge to a player by name never ceases to amuse them. It has brought this card game right into the 21st century in terms of adding electronic entertainment. And at the end of the day, if the cheeky robot gets too much you can revert back to just playing with the cards, discarding them as quickly as you can until you get to shout UNO!!
The game is suitable for kids aged 7 and up, although younger children will enjoy the interactivity and voice recording ability of the robot. 2 - 6 players can play as Roboto brings the game UNO to life!
It comes with batteries included and requires no set-up so you could be ready to play straight away. It'd be a great game for Christmas Day when the customized house rules could be themed to the ocassion. How about making a house rule that says you need to eat cold Brussels sprouts!?
I really like that Mattel have kept the essence of the game the same, and have just added an extra fun element to make it appeal to a whole new audience. It is a lot of fun!
UNO Roboto is currently £24.99 and available to buy from good stockists such as Amazon.
