"Ugly" is certainly a matter of perception, as we all know. So when a game called Uglydoll (Gamewright, 2006 - Jason Schneider) came up, I doubted seriously that Gamewright, a company known for making games aimed towards children, would make a game about hideous creatures - and lo, I was correct. After doing some research on the internet, I found that Uglydoll is a brand name of supposedly hideous creatures sold as stuffed animals. Truth be told, they aren't really that ugly but come across as rather cute (at least to my children and others). In fact, Uglydoll is quickly becoming one of daughter's favorite games.
And for good reason! I would never bring out Uglydoll with a group of adults, as it's certainly aimed at children. But with children involved the game becomes a riotous, fun time. I don't know how well the cards will hold up over dozens of games (they've done well through six), but games can be wild and silly; and this makes the game a tremendous one for children as young as four years old (even though the rules recommend six and older). It's a frantic, fast-paced game that is more exciting than Memory Match, bringing delight to youngsters.
Gameplay is extremely simple. A seventy card deck, which is composed of seven cards each of ten different "Uglydolls", is shuffled; and five cards are removed from play. The remainder of the cards is scattered face-down across the table, and the game is ready to begin - starting with the player who most recently took a bath.
On a player's turn, they simply flip any card on the table over quickly. Play then passes to the next person, who does likewise. If, at any point, there are three identical Uglydolls face-up on the table, then everyone races to grab the three cards and place them in a pile in front of them. If two people grab the same card simultaneously, then the first one to shout "Ugly!" three times in a row keeps the card. Players who grab cards at incorrect times must lose one of their cards from their personal pile. The game continues until all cards have been turned face-up, at which point the player with the most cards in their pile is declared the winner!
Some quick comments about the game…
1.) Components: The cards are of a very durable quality, with gigantic white borders surrounding the cartoon drawing of the Uglydoll on one side, and a large cartoon eye on the other. This is for good reason, as cards are being grabbed and mishandled constantly throughout the game. I can see a bit of wear and bending on some of the cards - and I can't see how this wouldn't happen, given the crazy nature of the game. I think that as long as one isn't playing with a complete maniac, the cards will last for scores of games - unless two people are so intent on a tie that they rip a card. The cards are stored inside a plastic insert in a nice sized small box.
2.) Uglydolls: As I said, I never heard of these cartoon creatures until I got this game, but my daughter fell in love with their pictures, and calling them "ugly" wasn't really part of her vocabulary. I can see how the fan base of these dolls would be interested in the game. But really, the cartoon artwork is very clean and cute, and most young kids will probably enjoy the cute little critters.
3.) Speed: If you don't like speed games, then avoid Uglydoll, because it's all about quickly grabbing the cards in the middle of the table. It is possible for older kids to dominate smaller ones through sheer quickness and aggressiveness, but I've found that it's fairly difficult to get all three cards for yourself. As soon as one player lunges for a card, everyone else realizes that they must grab cards, and there's a mad scramble for the other two cards. The monsters are all distinctly different, yet they have some of the same characteristics, occasionally causing some confusion when grabbing (which is a good thing).
4.) Fun Factor: I don't think that the game makes any pretense on being anything other than a silly, fast, fun kids' game. It's easy to play, and everyone has a blast grabbing cards and shouting, "Ugly! Ugly! Ugly!" (Although in the advanced version, you can shout the specific name of the monster - something I passed on). Young children will be enamored with the colorful, cute monsters, and the gameplay is something they will understand and enjoy.
If you have young children between ages four and ten, I think they'll be delighted to play this game. It's a game that causes them to constantly scan the table, looking for matches, and more importantly - is a lot of fun for them. When I play my six-year old daughter, we come out almost in a tie each time - as we are evenly matched, despite my so called intellectual superiority. But we laughed together and had fun together - the goal of a good family board game. And since Uglydoll can handle up to six players, the fun is big enough for all.
Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com
