Word Has It! - building the tallest word against the clock

We really enjoy playing family games, especially the ones that make you use your brain but are still a lot of fun to play. Word Has It! from University Games definitely meets this criteria. It is a quick paced game where players scramble to create the tallest word, using the stacking letters, against the clock.

The game includes an electronic timer (AAA batteries required) that counts down and builds the tension as players try to come up with a word that fits the criteria of the round. The criteria is decided using a category card and a spinner which picks the starting letter. From there it is a free for all, as you try to think up a word, find the letters you need on the three sided pieces and stack them up to create the tallest word you can think of. It's not that easy when you are under pressure and against the clock.

Each round is quick to play so you can play for as long as you like by playing as many rounds as you want. If you are like us you will always be wanting to play just one more round, hoping to beat your tallest word! It's great fun for wordsmiths and helps children practice their spelling in a really entertaining way.

Word Has It! is suitable for children aged 7+. Younger children might get a bit frustrated playing against competitive adults, but Freddy enjoyed playing with is as we gave him a bit of help to ensure he could keep up and make his words. Anything that encourages a love of words is worth making some concessions for.  When playing with the older children though it was every man for himself!!

You can play with 2 - 4 players so it is great for couples or families to play together. The RRP is £19.99 and it is available from Argos and Amazon.

Board games such as Word Has It! make a great alternative Easter gift and will keep families entertained over the school holidays. University Games also make the Pointless and 5 Second Rule board games, also excellent choices!

5 Second Rule

In our house we adopt the five second rule whenever anyone drops a yummy piece of food on the floor.  As long as you declare the 5 second rule ruling, you are free to eat the treat from the floor without anyone looking at you in disgust!  This rule is regularly evoked with Freddy's habit of throwing tasty morsels around the living room.

However, this post isn't about our dirty eating habits, it's about a fabulous new family game from University Games, 5 Second Rule, that we were sent to test.  It is a game of "quick thinking and fast talking" for 3 to 6 players ages 8 and up.

The game involves having to name three things on a designated subject in just 5 seconds.  This could see you having to name three species of fish, three types of cheese or three things you'd find in a shed.  Each card has a different question, some more challenging than others.  If you fail to name three things in 5 seconds play passes on to the player on your left until someone succeeds and gets to move their playing piece one space on the board.

Pass on and Switch cards and a Danger Zone on the board shake up the gameplay and keep things interesting, in this fast paced family game.

The five second timer is absolutely brilliant.  Ball bearings travel down a spiral in a tube...when they hit the bottom your time is up.  It is a very satisfying way of timing your 5 seconds.  2 year old Freddy thinks it's the funniest thing he's ever seen and it makes him giggle everytime it's turned over!

We tried out the game with the minimum number of three players and then again with five players.  It worked equally well both times.  I liked it because 8 year old Kizzy was just as able to compete as her 19 year old university student sister.  It was a level playing field which is an important factor in family games.

There was lots of laughter, lots of action and lots of fun!  It's amazing how blank your mind can go as you watch the ball bearings spiral down the timer!  You end up saying the most ridiculous answers as you get flustered and put under pressure.  Random things spew out of your mouth in your haste to get your answers out in time...it seems easy until it's your turn!

I really liked this game.  It was simple yet effective and the whole family enjoyed it.  It is priced at £19.99 and can be bought from Amazon.  A great choice for entertaining the family, especially if summer turns out to be the wash out it looks like it's going to be!

Here is a little video of our first go at playing 5 Second Rule!