Customer Reviews

Cranium Cosmo

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

 

 

I LOVE the original Cranium game, so when I saw a new one had come out, I was thrilled. Somehow the fact that it is designed to be an office game completely slipped past me (I realize this is my own stupidity/ignorance; I don't fault Cranium for this!). I got it for Christmas and was surprised at the basic premise of the game. The thing I don't like is that it's not a game you sit down and play (like the original Cranium); in fact, it's really not a game that works well as a family game. HOWEVER, it's not worthless--it's actually really fun to pull out a few game "cards" when people are just sitting around at home, when company's over, to get conversations/arguments started, etc. True, some of the activities are definitely office-oriented (typing with your nose, using office supplies to perform death-defying feats), but many can easily be adapted for outside the office.

The activities are generally very similar to the original game, with one big exception: the blocks. We think they're a great addition! They have letters and words on them, and different activities call for using them to create crosswords or fortune-cookie fortunes; some just call for arranging the blocks in a particular configuration.

If you're not planning to use this game in an office, or if like me you were expecting a more structured party game, don't despair. It really is fun. I do hope they come out with more game packs, though, because I can see how you could easily deplete the supply very quickly.

Okay, maybe it's not entirely worthless, but it's overpriced for what you get--which is a post-it note trivia game/dispenser. Each trivia card is actually a flimsy piece of paper; if you want to play more, you'll eventually have to buy more. I can see why they suggest playing it on short breaks because any longer and you'd quickly run through the trivia packs (they include two). The first disappointment from the makers of Cranium.

My new Cosmo sits on my desk in my dorm @ Stanford, and I love it! I'm studying for finals right now, and this thing provides a great (but thankfully, quick!) distraction from the joys of linear algebra and whatnot. I've posted some of the puzzles on my door and in the dining room; my friends are intrigued! Yesterday there was a group of about 5 people hanging around trying to figure out one of the PictOQuest puzzles (How many types of underwear can you find in this picture?). Granted, there are some categories of puzzles that don't work that well in a dorm setting, but for the most part I have been thoroughly entertained by my Cosmo.

I have an office job in insurance and Cosmo fits right in. My co-workers love doing a puzzle or two even when we're really busy. It gives your brain a break and keeps things lively! I can't help but smile everytime I look at my Cosmo (the game is geniusly designed). One reviewer wasn't sure where Cosmo would fit in at work, but it's been great for me. I suspect anybody with an office job would enjoy Cosmo, but Cosmo seems like a great gift for college students or people on the go. It be a great addition to anyone's computer room or den. What other game can be played in under 2 minutes?

The only downside to the game (hence my lower durable score) is you do have to order more trivia post-it notes, but even with Cranium you'll run out of cards eventually so it's good they are going to keep making more boosters to keep the game going. The (...)price tag may seem steep, but I'm cutting them some slack as this is an independently made game by a smaller company. I only hope the additional booster packs of trivia cards are reasonably priced. If you have [money] to spend on a game and like the idea of a game you can share at work, they get Cosmo - you won't be disappointed!

I don't have my own copy of Cosmo yet: I played it as a playtester in a group of about 30.

Cosmo's an interesting beast. The puzzles/games/questions are, by and large, fun; the categories, like Cranium, reflect mixed skill sets (though I think the Cranium categories don't fall down as often as the Cosmo ones do); the physical nature of the game is awful neat.

The weird problem, though, is that it's really difficult to imagine the office scenario where you'd play this. This game was designed to be all about the quick coffee break -- do something fun by yourself or with your coworkers -- and this sounds like a great concept. In playtesting, though, people couldn't figure out how this would actually get into their day-to-day lives, and there aren't a lot of businesses where it would be socially acceptable to pull out some cubes and start trying to make funny words in the middle of the day.

This feels like a game without a home. I don't know if I would buy it, because I don't know what would happen to it if I did.

First off this thing looks really cool, so its fun to have on your desk. The games come on sticky notes, kind of like a Far Side calendar, you can play them by yourself (like trivia questions) or there are others that you can get your team involved with (bowling with marker pens as pins!. Its a blast, our whole office have had a riot.

I absolutely LOVE the original Cranium game, so I figured I'd just have to have one for all my silly co-workers to play too.
I was hugely disappointed when I found out that the game answers are NOT printed on the back of the card, instead you must log onto the Internet to get answers.
What a time consuming annoying thing!
Forget it if you don't have Internet access in your office.
I think there should be a list of answers to print out somewhere and take with you.

Just something to be aware of: when Hasbro bought Cranium earlier this year, they took down [...] website and with it the answers to all the questions. So, while it's still usable, it's a little frustrating that you can no longer get the answers if everyone in your office is stumped.

That said, I really like this game and have been through a number of answer packets over the years. It's always been popular in any office I worked in.

since i got the cranium cosmo game, everyone is asking where I got it, always ready to start a game, great game...

since i got the cranium cosmo game, everyone is asking where I got it, always ready to start a game, great game...