Wits & Wagers

Wits & Wagers -How good are you at guesstimating?

Wits & Wagers claim they are history's most award-winning party game. Not sure where that came from because there are no award seals on the box, and people like to brag about those things. If you ask me, my vote would be for Apples to Apples.

Wits & Wagers is a fun game because you don't have to know the exact answers. Questions are asked and you will write your guess (estimate) to the answer, always a number, on your answer board. After answers are submitted and the real answer is revealed, the number that is closest without going over is the winning number. Some of the types of questions in the box are:

• In feet, how long is a Slinky when it is stretched out and laying flat?
• On average, how many whiskers does a cat have on its muzzle?
• In seconds, what is the world record for solving the Rubik's Cube? (REALLY?? Somebody can do it in seconds? I got mine when I was 9 and I'm still working on it.)

As you can see, these are not answers that the average person would know right off the top of their head. That's what makes it fun, everybody will be guessing.

The game includes 250 questions, 5 dry erase answer boards, 1 number "1" answer board, 5 dry erase pens, 5 large Meeples, 5 small Meeples, and 1 dry erase score board.

Each answer board has a colored border and there is one large Meeple and one small Meeple of the same color. Meeples are wooden shaped pawns. The question cards have two questions per card and the answers are on the back.  

Object:
Be the first player to accumulate 15 points.

Set up:
Give each person an answer board, 2 Meeples the same color as the border on their answer board, a dry erase marker, and a paper napkin to erase the board. Place the score board off to the side. Place the answer board with the number 1 in the middle of the players. It will always be the first board when the answer boards are lined up in number order (see image above). Choose someone to be the question reader and give them the tray of cards.

Play:
Read the top question on a question card. The answer will always be a number. You might want to leave the question card flat on the table since the answer is on the back and may be seen if you hold the card up to read it. Each player secretly writes their best guess on their answer board and places it face-down in the middle of the table. After all boards are in the middle, turn them face-up and put them in number order (see image above). Did you know the exact number? If you didn't, after looking over the numbers, do you think someone else at the table does, or maybe is closer? Players now put their two Meeples on the answer board(s) that they think is closest to the answer without going over. You can put them both on one, or divide them between two boards if you are unsure and hopeful of getting points. Put both Meeples on the "1" board if you decide that all guess are too high. After everyone has made their guess(es), turn the question card over and read the answer. Choose the board that was closest without going over the number. This will be the winning board that you needed to have Meeples on to score. Score this way:

• 1 point if you wrote the exact winning number
• 1 point if you had a small Meeple on the winning answer board.
• 2 points if you had a large Meeple on the winning answer board.

Use the dry erase marker to X a circle on your path on the score board for every point you won. First person who gets to the end of the path (15 points) wins the game.

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

Stomple

Stomple - As easy as roll, stomp and trap.

Stomple is not like any other game I own, or have seen. Every once in a while I see a game on Amazon that is pretty cheap for them (this one was $6). Prices can really vary on Amazon over time. For instance I just went and checked the price of this game and it is now listed at $30 and selling for $15. So you can't really trust the listed prices either because they vary also and you might not be getting the deal that you think you are.

I like games with different kinds of hand tools, so I went ahead and purchased this one. The hand tool (stomper) is made of wood and has an embedded marble on the top of it. There are six different marble colors and there are six stompers, each with a different colored marble on the top. The bottom, the part you stomp with, is a narrower piece carved out on the bottom and that is the part you use to push marbles through the board with.

WARNING: Marbles may look like candy to some. Monitor for safety. 

The board base is made of wood and the white piece you see in the image above is hard plastic and removable. Marbles will sit on top of the holes, but will only fall through if you push them through with the stomper.

The plastic marbles are a little smaller than your "typical" marble and they come in six colors. 

Object: 

The player with the last stomper on the board at the end of a game wins point. Play several rounds and the person with the most points is the winner.

Set up:

Lift the white piece off the top of the game and take the bag of marbles out. Take the stomper pieces out of the bag and then dump the marbles onto the top of the white piece. Each marble should come to rest on one hole. Tilt the tray if some marbles need a little push. Place the white piece with the marbles back onto the wooden base. Place the six stompers into the bag. Each player reaches in without looking and pulls out one stomper to use during the game. Set any extra stompers and bag off to the side, they will not be used.

 

Play:

Players take turns. On your first turn stomp out any marble on the border. You do not have to stomp out a marble of a matching color to your stomper. At the end of every turn you will leave your stomper sitting in the board where you stomped. On your second and following turns you must do one of the following:

• Stomp an adjacent marble
• Move to and stomp any adjacent marble of any color, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
• Hop and stomp. Stomp any adjacent marble of your color, and then keep stomping an adjacent marble to any marble you stomp. You can stomp several marbles this way and you must keep going as long as there are adjacent marbles of your color. But remember, the goal is not to stomp the most marbles, but be the last stomper standing.
• Hop and stomp any marble on the board that matches the color on your stomper
• Instead of stomping an adjacent marble, you can choose to hop to any space on the board with a marble of your color and stomp that one marble. Your turn is now over.

If you can't stomp a marble at the beginning of your turn, you are out of the game, remove your stomper. Last stomper standing is the winner. Points are scored. Play multiple rounds (number determined before starting) and the person with the most points at the end is the winner.

  

Try this:

• Skip the game, just play with the pieces. Randomly place the pieces on the board, then call out one color at a time as the player pushes all of that color marble in. 
• Make a pattern using different color marbles. Ask the player to either copy your pattern or to continue your pattern. 
• Use the marbles and make a symmetrical design on the white board. Hold several marbles in your hand and push them to your fingertips, one at a time, for placement. 
• Skip the game. Randomly place the marbles on the board. Use one stomper at a time and push down all the matching color marbles. Time yourself. Grab another stomper and push down all of those colored marbles and time yourself, try to go a little faster. Play until all the marbles have been pushed through. Were you able to increase your speed as you went?
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, manual dexterity, tool use, separation of hand, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Game board, storage tray, 48 marbles, 6 stomper movers, 1 stomper storage pouch

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