Nanu?

Nanu? - A visual memory game

Remember five different color/image combinations at the same time. Now quickly forget those as new combinations are introduced, over and over. That's Nanu?

When I run across a Ravensburger game I always have to check it out. If you have read this blog much, you know how much I like the Ravensburger brand for its quality. As far as I can tell, Nanu? means What? in German. The instructions in the box are in German so I had to go to You Tube to find out how to play. 

The goal is to collect the most discs by remembering the images under the covers. The discs are 1 5/8" in diameter and the plastic covers are just a little bit bigger so they can fit over the top of them. Each disc has one ordinary item pictured on it such as tree, rooster, ball, cat, cherries and sail boat and each disc has a different image.  As I look over the images above, I see some that I don't have. And the ones I do have are different pictures of the same thing. For instance I have a cat and a fish but mine look different. I either have an older or a newer version. Probably older. It doesn't change the game any though.

The covers are about 7/16" deep and are hollow so that they fit over the top of the disc without anything showing. The cover colors are red, blue, green, yellow and orange.

The die has a different color on five of the sides, to match the colors of the covers, and the sixth side has a picture of a joker. 

Object:

Have the most discs when the game is over.

Set up:

Place the 24 discs, picture side up, in a grid shape on the table top. Place the five covers over five discs. As you place each cover say something like "The tree is under the orange disc". All players pay attention to this part and watch and listen to remember which pictures are where.

Play:

The first player throws the die. The color he gets will indicate the color of cover he will he lifting. If he gets the joker he can lift any cover. Let's pretend the player got an orange on the die. Before lifting the cover, the player must announce the image that is under the cover, saying something like "Under the orange cover is the tree". If he is correct, he takes the disc and sets it by his place (to be counted at the end of the game). He then takes the cover and puts it on any disc left in the grid, announcing what he is covering and the color of the cover. His turn is over. If he is incorrect, he has to leave the disc there, re-cover it, and the next player throws the die for their turn. The game will end when there are only four discs left in the grid and there is nowhere to place the fifth cover. Player with the most discs at this point is the winner.

Try this: 

• Make sure the players can all recognize all the colors and images before starting the game.
• Rehearse the information as the player puts a cover over a new disc. Repeat it several times in your mind or out loud.
• Start with two covers and work your way up to five. Five can be a lot to remember, especially as they are quickly changing throughout the game.
• Teach basic mnemonics - strategies to assist the memory. Since the color/picture combinations change so fast I found myself trying to tie the color into the picture somehow and it seemed to work a little. I say a little because when the combinations change that fast, it can be hard to remember if your combination is still the same or if it has changed already. For instance, you can put the green cover over the tree and say "I am putting the green cover over the tree because it has green leaves". Or I am putting the blue over the shoe because they rhyme. Or I am putting the blue over the fish because I am thinking about a blue gill.
• If the player makes a match, let him turn the cover upside down on the disc and keep throwing the die and playing. He can play as long as he dares. He should quit whenever he no longer feels confident that he can remember images because if he misses, he cannot take any of the discs that he has matched and must turn the cover back over and re-cover the ones that are still on the table. If he quits before he misses, he collects the discs under the upside down covers on the table and covers new images with those covers.
• Place two discs face-up on the table and ask the player to memorize the images. Ask them to close their eyes and cover one of the images with a plastic cover. Ask them to open their eyes and tell you which image is covered. Once they can do two, move to three, then four images, etc. Keep working your way up.
• Place two discs face-up on the table and ask the player to memorize the images. Ask them to close their eyes and cover one of the images with a plastic cover. Ask them to open their eyes and tell you which image is covered. Once they can do two, add one more image and then cover two and ask them to remember. After that three and so forth.
• Turn the covers upside-down so that they are like little bowls. Sort the pictures by color into the bowls. Most of the pictures has several of the colors on one image, so sort it to any bowl you want. But, if a bowl has so many covers that they stack over the top of the bowl, take them out and sort through for colors that will fit into other bowls. Each bowl can hold six images without going over the top. To sort, place a stack in the non-dominant hand and push them off, one at a time, with the thumb. Take the disc with the dominant hand and drop it into the bowl. Or, place the discs all face up on the table top and pick them up from there, without sliding them to the edge of the table for assist. 
• Work on visual memory, visual discrimination, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 24 round picture discs, 5 plastic covers, 1 die

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.