Customer Reviews

Cranium Whoonu

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My fiancee and I almost didn't buy it because the description on the container doesn't read like a fun game, but thankfully we did buy it and we've yet to play it without uproarious laughter breaking out.

The game play is simple. Anywhere from 3-6 people can play (we've even done teams when too many people were playing) and the instruction sheet CLEARLY shows you how to set up the game based on the number of players.

One person is the "Whoozit" and the other players each have 4 cards that contain a word, phrase, or concept. For instance, some of the cards are "Fizzy Water," "New Year's Eve," "The Color Black," "Hiking," and "The Olympics."

Depending on how many people are playing, the players with cards put 1 or 2 cards into the included sleeve and then the sleeve is handed to the Whoozit. The Whoozit looks at the cards, sorts them in order of most favorite to least favorite, then puts them in front of the numbered chips with the least favorite card going in front of the "1" chip , the next in front of the "2," etc.

And this is when the real fun really begins. Starting with the least favorite card, the Whoozit flips over the card and reveals the text. The person who "owned" the card takes the associated chip and then the Whoozit flips over the next card and the next and so on until the most favorite card is revealed.

Game play shifts to the next person and the whole process is repeated until each player gets a chance at being the Whoozit. After everyone has been the Whoozit, you add up the chips and a winner is declared.

The great thing about this game is not only how easy and quick it is to set up, but how the game changes each time you play it. There's a certain "luck of the draw" associated with it because you may not have any cards that apply to the Whoozit for your current turn. In that case, you have a tough decision to make, regardless of how much you know the Whoozit.

Further, the game is different every time you play it. One time, I gave "Popsicles" to my fiancee and she ranked it second-to-last. Another time we were playing, someone else gave her "Popsicles" and it was ranked second-from-first. When I gave it to her, she had many other cards she liked better. When the other person gave it to her, she only had one other card she liked more. Imagine my surprise to see "Popsicles" ranked so high that time!

During the holidays, we played this with her family, my family, and twice with a group of friends. We played it again last night with a group of friends that didn't know each other at all. Every single time, the laughter went crazy and we played for hours on end. A couple of times, we changed to a different game just to do something different and each time we ended up going back to Whoonu because it was so much more fun.

This isn't a "how much do you know the other person" game as much as it is just a good old fashioned great time. Knowing the people CAN help, but with the "luck of the draw" aspect, it sometimes doesn't matter.

Bottom Line: FUN!

I was out shopping last night, and was debating between several Cranium games. I finally decided on Whoonu, because it seemed like a game that anyone can play, including my 8 year old son.

Based on the packaging, I figured it was a "guess how well you know the other person" type game. You pick two cards and ask someone "What do you like better--roller coasters or building snowmen?"

Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

One person--who's birthday is coming up the soonest--becomes the first Whoozit. Everyone EXCEPT the Whoozit is given four cards and, out of the four cards, you have to guess which two would be the Whoozit's favorite. Each person puts their two selected card in the Whoonu envelope and gives the envelope to the Whoozit. (This is for 3-4 players. Games with 5 or 6 players require only ONE card to be selected.)

The Whoozit then takes out the cards and puts them in order of least favorite to most favorite. Depending on how many people are playing, there are stacks of chips ranging from 1 point to 6 points--the least favorite being worth 1 point with the most favorite earning the highest point. (For example, if you're playing with 3-4 players, the highest chip would be 4 points.)

The other two players get chips that correspond to the placement (favorites) of the Whoozit. For example, if I chose Bugs and Black Licorice for the Whoozit's favorites and he places Bugs as most favorite, then I get a 4 point chip. If he chooses Black Licorice as his LEAST favorite, I get the 1 point chip.

Here's the tricky (and not so fun) part: the NEXT Whoozit (the person on the left of the previous Whoozit) gets the DISCARDED cards from the other players PLUS 2 or 3 new cards (depending on how many people are playing). Not only can this get confusing, but it can get FRUSTRATING. If a card that NO ONE likes is in play (say, Watching Race Car Driving), then that card stays in play.

My family and I played last night, but we had to help our son with some parts. He grew tired after ONE game, so my husband and I decided to play. We realized that AT LEAST 3 players are required for gameplay, so we made up our own rules.

It's not a bad game, but not as fun as I thought it would be. I can't see how people think this would be a good game for strangers--or for team building and ice breaking. I mean, guessing the favorites of a total stranger is NOT fun (for me, anyway). Who CARES what the favorites are of a complete stranger?! It's much more fun to learn more about people you actually KNOW--friends, family, and romantic partners.

If the premise sounds appealing to you, you'll likely enjoy this game. There are 3 packs of cards--300 in all--so there's plenty for playing according to rules without much repeats...or for playing according to your own rules.

My family really likes Cranium Whoonu, as do their friends who come to our home. We bring the game out 2-3 times a week and play a few quick rounds.

As others have noted, you are given cards, one person is the "whoozit", and then you select cards from your hand that you think will be the whoozit's favorite thing.

The whoozit then places the cards in order of preference next to point tokens - his favorite thing will be next to the highest point token, his next favorite thing next to the next highest point token, and so on. This ranking is actually a very nice feature of the game, EVERYONE ends up with a token so you don't have one child who ends up empty handed every time (as has happened to us with Apples to Apples, for instance).

We are always amused and surprised by how the whoozit actually ranks his cards - who knew my oldest son hated zoos because of all the hills he has to walk? Who knew my daughter preferred remote controls to fairs?

This game requires reading, but otherwise, there is no reason to wait for a child to be eight before playing.

My adult children and spouses, my husband (who hates games) and I played this at the lake this summer. Easy to learn, fun to play, and you can quit when you want without having it go on and on. We had fun with it and played it a couple times that weekend. We played it again with my elderly mother and sister at home. It's fun to play and you learn things about everyone, even those you thought you knew well. Probably not a game guys would like to play for hours and hours like Monopoly, etc but they have fun learning and thinking they know the answer and finding they're wrong. It's light-hearted and fun with couples.

Just a quick review to say that I love this game! I received it as a Christmas gift and we've played it several times since with many different people. Everyone we play with loves it. It's pretty quick, not a lot of instructions and you get to know a lot about the people that you play with. We did mix it up a few times and played the 5 least favorite things which was also very fun! If you're on the fence about buying it, I'd say it's worth it.

When we have our grandchildren over, they want to play this game. All ages can play together, and we learn new things about each other every time we play. It's great for interactions between children, parents, and grandparents.

I played this game the other night with a group of friends and it was a blast. I kind of relate it to apples to apples (same concept, but still different... it's more about getting to know people) As with apples to apples, I think it is fun to play with a bigger group of people. The game can be played with three, but it's more fun with 5+ people! I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys games. Children and adults!

This game is alot of fun especially if you know the other people playing. Good double date game or with friends. Game play moves along nicely & is very inclusive. Give it a try. It'll be one of your favorite games!

Whoonu has been out for a few years and was not easy to find...thank goodness Santa came through...guess he had a few kicking around in storage. I have played the regular Cranium, but never this version. My daughter, husband and I played several times over the holiday. There are several advantages to this game. Firstly, it is a fast one...no marathon games with a mess for days while we finish. And, you can play with 3 people. This would be a great game for getting to know people. We had a lot of fun. This game would be different with a different crew that you didn't live with. And of course every game is different, depending on the card selection. Overall, a great game.

WHOONU is a fun game for families to play. It is NOT a competition. It's a 'How well do you know each other' game. Good game for getting acquainted with new friends, too! Amazon usually has the product in stock and at a better price than at the store. And it qualifies for Super Saver Shipping. Who could ask for anything more?