Cranium Zooreeka Reviews

• Time flies when you're building a zoo

  
  By A2LEVKA3U6CXX7 on 2006-12-06
  We have several Cranium games at our house, and have played various ones at various times, depending on the age and interest of our kids (currently ages 13, 10, and 7). This is a review of the ones we have used.
  
  So, in no particular order:
  
  Zooreeka - This is the newest addition to our house and the current favorite with our youngest and middle child. In Zooreka, players roll a movement die to move around a game board in typical fashion. Spaces can bestow extra turns, allow players to draw cards, or allow trading of tokens. The tokens are the key. A second die allows players to collect "food", "animal", and "shelter" cards, ultimately turning a correct mix of them in for a "habitat". Four habitats make a "zoo". The first to make a zoo wins. It sounds pretty typical. The twists are that players essentially bet on the outcome of a die roll. Food is the most common outcome, followed by "animal" and "shelter". The odds are better for the food, but the other two are increasingly valuable. This is a great way to teach kids about probability. It also keeps players involved on every die roll, since a player can collect a card on their own roll or that of their opponent. This helps focus wandering attention spans. Certain spaces ask a player to draw a card and follow the directions. These cards are like the "chance" space in Monopoly; they can give or take away accumulated tokens. Finally, tokens can only be "redeemed" at a trading post space. This allows a trailing player a chance to catch up and tends to limit insurmountable leads. Games are of medium length (30 minutes or so).
  
  Bumparena - In this game, players take turns adding bumpers and rubber balls to a sloped game board, base on easy-to-understand game cards (all pictures, no reading). When the balls are released, the bumpers divert the balls to one of three player goals. Collect 6 balls and win. This game sets up and moves quickly, you could probably complete one game within 15 minutes of opening the game box. It is simple to learn, and it probably could be played by most 6 year olds with minimal adult help. While the concept is easy to grasp, there is some strategy involved, as well as some appreciation of physics (angles, rebound, gravity, chance). This is another good game for getting young and old siblings to the same
  table.
  
  Ziggity - Ziggity is a card game - think Uno with the added twist that, like other Cranium games, different parts of the brain are used. The cards have a number, a puzzle piece, a letter, and a shape, one in each corner. On each turn, the player is required to match shapes, add numbers, complete a puzzle or spell words in order to play the cards. There are also draw cards, skip cards, and wild cards. This is a fun game for kids old enough to spell and add, as well as for the rest of the family. The games are very quick, unlike the cranium board games. We will sometimes get in a quick few hands before bedtime when we want o play a family game but don't have much time. Finally, the plastic cards are very colorful and durable, a big plus when you have young `uns wanting to learn to shuffle.
  
  Hullabloo - great, silly fun and very kinetic. It works best when a parent is willing to get down on the floor and be silly with their kids. It holds their interest for a relatively short time (10-20 minutes), but it does burn up the energy and generate the laughs.
  
  Cadoo - a fun, quick board game that taps into different part of you brain - memory, analytical, creative, expressive, etc. - but keeps things fun and fast-paced. We found it more approachable for our younger kids than Cranium
  
  Cranium - like Cadoo, it mixes in many different ways to use your brain, this time in a longer board game format. This one is a bit tougher on younger players. Also, both games do a fair job of letting younger players be competitive, but they are still games that can be a challenge to keep fair and interesting to all players if the age range between them is too great.
  
  Cranium Family Fun Game - Teamwork is probably the best aspect of the Family Fun Game, and it's seems like such a novel idea that you are left wondering why more board games don't use this approach. Unless you have twins, then having multiple kids in your family means wide variations in ability. That is okay for games of chance, but for games that require dexterity or creativity, it's very hard to find a game that kids who are 13, 10, and 7 can enjoy together. This game solves the problem by dividing into two teams. Teams then alternate between completing certain tasks. Examples include "find three items that start the letter S", answer a true/false question, or "build a tower with blocks and then knock it over using the frogs" (they hop like tidily winks). Like other Cranium games, the tasks use your whole brain. Also, the team concept lets at least half of the players come away winners and teaches cooperation, both rare in board games. Another winner from Cranium.
  
  Overall - Cranium makes great family games that stimulate parts of the brain often neglected by board games, yet keep it so fun that kids won't even realize that they are educational.
  
  
  

• Keep 'em Coming!

  
  By A1CHM200OEN65X on 2007-02-12
  I grew up in a game-loving family, but the onset of the digital age has threatened the around-the-table entertainment I so loved as a child. Cranium, almost single-handedly, seems to be rejuvenating this industry.
  
  "Zooreeka" is another hit. I hesitated to buy it, based on the younger flavor of the game. My kids are 12 and 14, so I thought this might be a bit beneath them. After reading the reviews here, I decided to give it a try. And I'm glad I did. Not only does Zooreeka contain the trademark graphics and colors of the Cranium line, it involves a bit of fun imagination. Primarily, this is a game of luck, allowing players to circle the board, gathering animals and food for their future animal habitats. It's easy to learn, with not much to it. Once a player has collected four habitats, he or she is the winner and announces the opening day of the zoo, giving it a name as well. One of my daughters loves to collect the marine-life habitats, forming an aquarium. The other loves the safari creatures. I take the leftovers--the mole rats, for example. And we all have a good time.
  
  While my daughters still love to create online habitats at Neopets and other sites, Zooreeka has allowed us to share that hobby in a fun family format. Cranium, keep 'em coming.
  
  

• Fun for everyone

  
  By A1U9EX5JY2P5IH on 2007-07-24
  This is a very simple but challenging game that the whole family can enjoy. The object is to build a zoo with four habitats, and you have to collect cards (for food, animals, and shelter) while going around the board, eventually trading the cards for habitats. It teaches counting and evaluating skills as well as a bit of understanding about animals. It's lots of fun, and even though the age-range is 8 and over, my 4-yr-old enjoys it too (albeit with some math and reading help from the other players). I even find myself asking my 7-yr-old if he wants to play it with me. Chalk up another one for Cranium!
  
  

• Great. I don't even cringe when they pick it out.....

  
  By A2OAMSOOOJX8QV on 2007-01-15
  This is another great Cranium family game. Easy for young ones to understand, limited reading and a lot of fun. As described by many the game plays as follows...
  
  There are two dice in play. One a classic 6 sided number die and one a resource die, that shows pictures of food (banana), animal (paw print) and shelter (palm tree). 3 sides have bananas, 2 sides have paws and only one has a shelter. Before each roll, every player places a token on one of the 3 symbols (think of craps for kids) to predict what the current player will roll on the resource die. If the item you picked comes up, you get a card of that item. Obviously, there is some strategy here... do you go for the big score and hope for a shelter, only 1 in 6 chance of getting, or do you play it safe and go for the food. I have found even my 5 year old is understanding a bit of probability (though she wouldn't know it) and usually picks food. Sometimes she will announce that she feels lucky and change to a paw or shelter, so she does understand that they are less likely to come up. And if you land on the Lucky space, you get to make 2 guesses for each roll and have a better chance of getting resource cards.
  
  After rolling both dies and distributing cards based on resource die matches, the player moves the number on the other die. Then they follow the instructions on the space. The can get Blue Sky cards (take a resource) or Cloudy Sky cards (lose a resource.) These are the only places the kids need to read, so you could help the young ones out by reading the cards aloud for them. They can also land on Teamwork, where each player rolls the resource die and if they match the first player, they get a card. And they can land on the trading post or roll again spaces.
  
  The whole point is to collect enough of each cards to trade for a habitat piece. Each person completes their zoo when they have 4 habitats. To get a habitat, you must land on a Trading Post space, where you can trade the resource cards you have for a habitat piece to add to your zoo. There is a guide as to how much each resource is worth.
  
  3 bananas = 1 animal
  2 animals = 1 shelter
  4 bananas, 2 animals and 1 shelter = 1 habitat.
  
  The cards that guide you in trading show pictures, so even young kids can work out what they can trade for what. Once you have enough for a habitat (by trading either up or down), you hand it in and get a plastic pie wedge showing some part of a zoo scene. My kids love this part, and we pick randomly, so everyone is excited to see which exhibit they get. They all particularly LOVE when Mom gets the Insectisaruim, since I HATE bugs.
  
  Play continues until one person has 4 habitats, completes their zoo, names it, and announces it open for business.
  
  I have played this with the whole family, mom, dad, 8 and 5 years olds, and with just the 5 year old. It is fun for everyone and simple to play. The game is usually pretty quick, 20 minutes or so, depending on the number of players. This is a bonus as you can decide to make it longer by starting over and playing again. The whole family loves it.
  
  I can say this is one game that I don't cringe at when they bring it out of the closet.
  
  

• Super Fun!

  
  By A10YBQSUDA1UTP on 2006-12-29
  My 9 year old son received this for a Christmas gift, and our family has had a ball playing it. My daughter is 6, and is more than able to play this and enjoy it very much as well. It is exciting because there is a chance for every player to get involved on everyone's turn. I highly recommend this game because of its fast pace and constant interest regardless of whose turn it is. A typical game lasts about 20 minutes.
  
  
• A Puzzle in Itself
  By A383551P2NGGN3 on 2006-12-21
  My sister got this for her birthday 4 days back. It is a fun game, but the first time we played it we were confused and frustrated. The directions for setting up were great. The directions for playing are confusing and incomplete. Well.. they are okay, but you will not know how to get habitats until you play a bit of the game. There are spaces that are called "trading posts". You, of coarse, do not trade with other players but with stacks of cards and chips. When you have enough "resource cards" you can trade for habitats which you need to win. It is fun, but my brother had a fit because we did not "vote"- Put our piece on the resource that we think will come up on the die. We did not play with him any more that day. I think the you-need-to-be-8-years-or-older-to-play is inaccurate. My 6-year-old brother can play it! But if you want to look at a time you played a board game on a cozy, cloudy day with nostagia, this game is for you!
  
  
• Love it!
  By AZFHSPEZUPGD2 on 2007-01-12
  This game is very appealing to my animal-loving 7 year old daughter, who is also a Monopoly fanatic. It is especially appealing to me because it doesn't take nearly as long as Monopoly.
  
  The players move around the game board based on a die roll, trying to collect enough "food", "animal", and "shelter" cards to create a "habitat". One player acts as banker to manage the trading of the cards (several food = animal, several animals = shelter, etc), much like cashing in your bills in Monopoly. There are two stacks of cards, similar to Community Chest and Chance, that will cause a player to win or lose resources.
  
  But you don't just play when it's "your turn". In addition to the number die which directs movement around the board, there is a resource die with symbols for food, animal, and shelter. On each turn of any player, you place your token on either food, animal, or shelter. You're essentially betting what the player's resource die roll will be. Anyone whose bet matches the die roll wins that resource. Resources are not valued equally, and are not represented equally on the die, so there's a lesson in probability there.
  
  There are also spaces on the board marked "teamwork", that involve all players in another opportunity to win resources -- even if it's not "your turn".
  
  So far we have only played it with 2 players. And it's fun. But it would be even better with 3 or more. A 2-player game lasts about 20-30 minutes.
  
  
• Cranium Rocks
  By A3ND4Q4YF8ADFR on 2007-01-06
  Never disappointed with their games. They always manage to incorporate several games into one. Promotes imagination and fun.
  
  So far ages 8 to 36 in my household have enjoyed the game, and requested a rematch over and over.
  
  If you could build a zoo, what animals would you exhibit? This game makes it possible. I just wish that each player could collect more than 4 animal groups.
  
  
• Love it!
  By APWZIJZHNIBQW on 2007-01-09
  Kudos to Cranium. Got this for my 9 year old son for Christmas, and it's wonderful. Smaller kids can play too--my 15 yr. old will play it also. Lots of fun, easy to understand, and doesn't take too long to play.
  
  
• simple but fun
  By A2G0GCUZFMQB4R on 2007-01-10
  My 11 year old son got this game for Christmas and the entire family is enjoying it. It reminds me a little of monopoly, but it doesn't take as long. I like the fact that everyone can benefit(get a card) when another player rolls.
  
  
• Fun Game
  By A17KYGBTSNJHTP on 2007-01-13
  I bought this gamie for my daughters (16 and 17 years old) for Christmas. We played it together and all loved it. Especially being able to pick which 4 animals you want to exibbit in your zoo. Quick and easy to set up and play.
  
  
• We love this game
  By A3DY01L0FA6XT7 on 2007-09-22
  This is a great game--brightly colored, educational, and durable. We play lots of board games in the winter months and this is one of our favorites. Can easily be adapted to make it a little easier for younger kids. The only prob I have is my kids fighting over the habitats.
  
  
• Fun and Different
  By A2FW9SQF65XPEG on 2007-10-02
  I got this game for my daughter's eighth birthday and we have a great time playing it. Not only are you gathering items to trade in for zoo habitats (needed to win the game) but you are also guessing on the roll of a die which is great for learning the concept of probability. The game gets exciting when a player needs something really badly and lands on "Team Up." This allows all players to try to match the roll of the die. When it matches, mayhem ensues. Loved it.
  
  
• Just played it tonight
  By A1JWNNFW2EFQHD on 2007-11-30
  The kids got this last Christmas, and we finally got it out to play! It's a very pleasant game which my 10, 7, and 5 year olds liked a lot. It seemed a little overwhelming at first with all the cards, but the instructions were easy to follow. We were actively playing within 5 minutes. The game took about 20 minutes to get to a winner, but of course we kept going for 2nd, 3rd and last (me.) We have 6 kids and sometimes games can be a chore for me as a parent to play -- this one wasn't. I won't groan under my breath when they ask to play again!
  
  
• Boring
  By A1AVTH8ON6HYYV on 2007-12-18
  We have many Cranium games but this is by far the worst. Too simplistic for my 8 year old (its for 8 and up). Basically no educational value. Simply a
  trading game. Having said that my 6 and 4 year olds do seem to enjoy it. I do cringe when they pick it to play.
  
  
• My Kindergartener LOVES this game
  By A2XYZMVEUE4ZWI on 2008-01-30
  This game is recommended for ages 8+, however my 5-year old just LOVES it. We need to help him read the action cards, but he has gotten the trading down pat. He now knows how many of each card he needs to buy habitats with. This is a great game for the family. Winning is based on a combination of luck as well as skill.
  
  
• Lots of family fun
  By A165CAQ3BTOS0R on 2008-02-11
  My 6 year old son received Zooreeka for Christmas, and he and his 4 year old sister love to play it with mom and dad. The 6 year old caught on quickly. The 4 year old can lose interest if a game goes long, but generally it is one the whole family has fun playing. The kids really like picking out which habitats to include in their zoo, and they have fun seeing who will win the lucky day piece next. This is great for family game night.
  
  
• Build a Better Zoo
  By A3GKPMHV4U64IY on 2008-03-31
  Players compete to build a zoo and open first. A zoo can be opened after a player builds four habitats. Habitats require food, animals and shelter in order to be built. On each turn players try to guess which of the tree resources will be rolled on the resource die. If they guess correctly, they take an appropriate resource card. The player whose turn it is then moves the number of spaces shown on the standard die and follows the space's instructions.
  
  Play is fairly simple but fun. Although resources can be collected by everyone on every turn all other functions can only be performed by the player whose turn it is (the box claims all players can play on all turns). The game comes with sixteen habitats. Usually a player will choose a habitat when they can build one but variations can include dealing out the habitats at the beginning or having players choose them at the beginning (this can remove some of the disappointments from not being able to build first). All in all a fun game. Check it out.
  
  
• Fabulous Game! 6 & 8 yr olds love it!
  By A2VHS45ZQTQXDG on 2008-06-12
  Some of the Cranium products are iffy - confusing, little pieces, etc. This one is definitely a hit! Everyone gets to play each turn so it moves quickly. Basic math is involved so it requires thinking and it's just a fun game! You can team up with little ones if needed but no one seems to get bored.
  
  The family enjoys it and the kids love to play it with their friends. We've given several copies as gifts and have gotten follow up calls from parents to thank us!
  
  
• Another great game from Cranium!
  By ASZCP13UIXXF1 on 2008-08-27
  My kids love all of the Cranium games, but I think this one is a favorite with both the kids and the grown ups in the family. Very good game for kids who like games like Parcheesi. Lots of informative about ecology, and really well designed.
  
  

• Cranium Whoonu (Tin)
• Cranium Hullabaloo
• Blokus Classic
• Cranium Wonder Works Super Story Recorder
• Cranium Bumparena