Customer Reviews

Coodju

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We recently had a family get together and played several boardgames, including Coodju. It was a HIT, with the little kids and the big kids. It was fast-paced with unique scoring, combining skill with a little bit of "luck of the die". It provided us with hours of fun, while stimulating our minds. I highly recommend this cool little game to anybody looking for something different and fresh.

In school, spelling was my least favorite subject. I hated it, and hated writing papers where I had to continually check if I was spelling things correctly. When I got to college, I was delighted to find that Microsoft Word had a spell checker, and my life has been changed ever since! Now I see a game called Coodju, billing itself as the ultimate party game (very doubtful) about spelling! Oh, the horror. But I got it for a good price, so we tried it out.

And is a game about spelling worth your time? The short answer is if you collect party games, then yes. If you only need a few party games, then no.

A longer answer follows.

First, a short description of the game:

The game is extremely simple. First, like most party games, everyone is split into two teams, that do not have to be even. The games only contents are two six-sided dice, with words printed on each side, a one minute timer, 300 cards with 6 words on each, and a score pad. As usual with party games, and even more so with Coodju, this pad can easily be replaced with a piece of paper. In Coodju's case, all it is a paper split into two sections, to keep track of the points for each team.

A player is chosen on one of the teams to start. He rolls two dice. One die determines how words are to spelled. They can be the following... (Using Spaghetti as the example word)

FORWARD (easy) - S-P-A-G-H-E-T-T-I
BACKWARD (fairly easy) - I-T-T-E-H-G-A-P-S
VOWEL (easy, only the vowels) - A-E-I

CONSONANT (fairly easy, only the consonants) - S-P-G-H-T-T
SKIP A LETTER (every other letter) - S-A-H-T-I
OUTSIDE IN (hard, first letter, than last letter, then second letter, than second last letter, etc.) -
S-I-P-T-A-T-G-E-H

There are 6 words on a card. Normally, the first five words are worth one point each, while the last word - the bonus word - is worth 5 points. However, the other die can modify the scoring of the words. The following are the modifications the die can make.

DOUBLE POINT - Means exactly that, all points this round are doubled.
TRIPLE POINT - Our favorite, giving 15 points for that bonus word!
DOCK `M - The amount of points your team makes are also deducted from the opposing team's score.
DOUBLE TIME - You have 2 minutes instead of 1 to spell the words.
PASS - You are allowed to pass over regular words instead of spelling them.
OVERRIDE - You can pick the way words are spelled (on the other die)

At this point, the player flips the timer and pulls a card. He read the words to one of his teammates, who then spells it. If the word is spelled correctly, the reading player reads the next word. If not, play is passed to a different teammate who must spell the word. If no one on a team can spell a word correctly, then the word is thrown out. The reader is allowed to pronounce things wrong to help his teammates spell them. For example, he could pronounce Candidate as "Can - did - ate". If a team finishes a card, another card is drawn and read until time runs out. Then, points are totaled for the amount of words spelled correctly.

The game is played until one team reaches a certain amount of points (usually 100) at which time the game ends and that team wins!

Comments on the Game:

1). Components - The components in this game are not great, but they work well. The box is VERY nice, as it is a good size, has trays for all the components, and has a short, very clear summary of the rules on the sides of the box. The box is very sturdy and looks good on the shelf. The dice are nice, but with a lot of playing, the words could rub off. (I doubt you would play the game THAT much). The cards are not super quality, but they work for what is needed. They are easy to read, which is important.

2). Web Site - I'm always impressed when a game has good support from the company. Coodju has a nice web site up, with downloadable rules (always a plus!) and some variants on the game. The website looks good, and is easy to navigate at www.coodju.com

3). Fun Factor - I was really surprised. While this game didn't blow my socks off like Apples to Apples or Time's Up, it was a lot of fun. I expected everyone to hate it, as it was about spelling, but everyone really liked it. Some of the pronunciations that people made of the words cracked the whole crowd up. Some words that we thought easy to spell just weren't. Everyone cheered when rolling a "Triple points" and booed when rolling an "Outside In." The game works well with all ages, and was a lot of fun.

4). Time and Place - This game plays very quickly - as you can set the amount of points you play to. Games can last from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, and are fun. Also, the game works well on trips. We played it on a bus traveling, and it wasn't too hard. We rolled the dice in the box lid and shouted the words to be heard over the bus noise. Everyone had a good time. It's easy to throw this game into my traveling backpack of games.

5). And Yet - While everyone liked the game, it just wasn't as much fun as many of our other party games. I'm sure we'll play it again, as it was fun, but I have about 20 party games, and this one isn't one of the top ones asked for.

So, in conclusion - I recommend that you get the game if you find it somewhere for an inexpensive price, and you collect party games. But if you only keep a few party games, and concentrate on war , German, or abstract games - you should pass. But don't let a hatred for spelling deter you - the game is still a lot of fun. I should no, becuz I amm a horrribel spellir.

This game sparks massive fun competition in everyone who plays. I've played with large and small groups and we always have a great time spelling backwards, forwards, from the outside in--you have to try it! The scoring system is inventive and exciting. I highly recommend it for families, friends, classroom teachers and college students. There's no other game like it.

I'm bored with party games that require little thinking or challenge. Granted, it's cool to play charades with the kinfolk, but sometimes you want to do something more stimulating and competitive. Coodju Spell With A Twist is the type of game that engages everyone in the room to pay attention to the action. Anyone who plays the game is bound to be impressed with themselves; you'd be amazed how quickly you can spell any word backwards or outside-in when you really put your mind to it! This is a fantastic game for players of all ages, including teenagers. (Some words may be difficult for younger children; however, you could selectively read words to younger competitors in an effort to even the playing field.)

The game pieces are logical and the directions are quite easy to follow. Each time I play Coodju, I get more confident about my spelling skills. And I've learned to visualize words in a way that I never have before. For example, when providing just the vowels or consonants to each word read, I find myself mentally picturing each word and visualize myself picking just the letters I need to rack up points. You train your brain to take words apart in ways that you otherwise never would, and it's fun!

I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys interaction among houseguests; it's a great icebreaker. Also, it's fun to play with young adults as well as co-workers who have come together for some light conversation and socializing. If you simply set the box out where guests can see it, you'd be amazed at how many people will pick it up and suggest the whole group give it a try!

A friend of mine told me about the game and after some persuasion I picked it up. I played it with a couple of friends and now I'm hooked. It's lots of fun to play with one friend or with a large group....I definitely would recommend that u pick up your own copy!!!!

This game is so much fun! Just when you think you're not as smart the rest, 'Coodju' proves you wrong. It's a great way to have fun and learn for all ages who 'think' they know how to spell!

I'm bored with party games that require little thinking or challenge. Granted, it's cool to play charades with the kinfolk, but sometimes you want to do something more stimulating and competitive. Coodju Spell With A Twist is the type of game that engages everyone in the room to pay attention to the action. Anyone who plays the game is bound to be impressed with themselves; you'd be amazed how quickly you can spell any word backwards or outside-in when you really put your mind to it! This is a fantastic game for players of all ages, including teenagers. (Some words may be difficult for younger children; however, you could selectively read words to younger competitors in an effort to even the playing field.)
The game pieces are logical and the directions are quite easy to follow. Each time I play Coodju, I get more confident about my spelling skills. And I've learned to visualize words in a way that I never have before. For example, when providing just the vowels or consonants to each word read, I find myself mentally picturing each word and visualize myself picking just the letters I need to rack up points. You train your brain to take words apart in ways that you otherwise never would, and it's fun!
I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys interaction among houseguests; it's a great icebreaker. Also, it's fun to play with young adults as well as co-workers who have come together for some light conversation and socializing. If you simply set the box out where guests can see it, you'd be amazed at how many people will pick it up and suggest the whole group give it a try!

Don't be intimidated by this "spelling" game. This is the most fun my friends and I have had playing a game in years! Great for parties and small gatherings.

There ought to be a way to incorporate this into our educational system. Coodju make the Spelling Bee cool?

Being a game enthusiast I did not bat an eye when I saw Coodju and realized it was a spelling game, I am not a great speller but the game looked groovy and I was looking for something new. I decided to give it a try and I am glad I did. Coodju lives up to it's promise to be the best new party game. After playing it at home with my family I decided to take it to a friend's party this past weekend. In the wake of recent events we all needed some tension release and good old-fashioned fun. We all played on the ferry ride over to our desitnation and we were so animated that others on the ferry who were not in our group asked to join in. It felt really great to meet new people and enjoy smiles and laughs. Coodju is easy to learn and exteremly simple in concept so in minutes our group grew from 4 to 8. Later on at the party we once again pulled out Coodju and had a rousing game with the other party-goers. I ended up leaving Coodju with the host as a gift - everyone really loved playing and said it added a great element to an already fun party. I recommend Coodju for parties and for families looking for a new and different game. It is great fun and you may actually learn a thing or two. What I also realized is that Coodju is a great gift alternative (house-warming or otherwise). I hope everyone enjoys Coodju as much as my friends and I do.

A friend of mine told me about the game and after some persuasion I picked it up. I played it with a couple of friends and now I'm hooked. It's lots of fun to play with one friend or with a large group....I definitely would recommend that u pick up your own copy!!!!