Customer Reviews

Squint Game

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

 

 

I'm not a big fan of Pictionary. However, the game, when played with a lot of people having a good time - can be fairly fun. So when I heard about Squint, a type of Pictionary clone, I wasn't too keen on getting it. But I knew that the publisher, Out of the Box Games, had made some incredibly fun games, so I decided to give Squint a try.

So is Squint worth your time? The short answer is if you need a inexpensive filler, then yes. A longer answer follows:

First of all, a short description of game play. Squint comes with 72 small square cards with different simple shapes on them. These shapes include lines, circles, curves, etc. These cards are spread face up all over the middle of the table.

Each player then takes a turn. They draw a "Squint" Card from the box and roll a die. The die has numbers 3 "1"'s, 2 "2"'s, and 1 "3" on it. The die determines which word on the card the player will use, with "1" being the easiest word, and "3" being the hardest.

A small timer is then flipped over, giving the player 45 seconds to get the other players to guess their word. They do this by arranging the picture cards in the middle of the table into a shape or picture. They may not give verbal clues, but may animate their picture or point to part of the picture. If someone can correctly shout out the answer, they and the player making the picture both get the points indicated on the die. (1 point for "1", etc.) If no one figures out the picture before the timer finishes, then no points are awarded. The next player then goes.

Whenever points are awarded, small green chips (Tiddly wink style) are given out for points. After each player has gone a specified number of times, the game ends with the person who has the highest amount of points being the winner!

Comments on the game:

1). Components: Out of the Box Games produces some of the best components in their games. This is a small game, but the stuff inside is top notch! The timer is nicely colored, and is very sturdy. The picture cards are a nice shape, and are quite thick and durable. The "Squint" cards are thinner, but are only used minimally, so it doesn't matter. The die has clear numbers written on it, easy to see. The box is the same size as many of the OOTB game boxes, and is very sturdy, and easy to fit on a shelf. All the components fit superbly in the box. The only components I wasn't pleased with were the scoring chips. They are very small and an ugly pea-green. They are too easy to lose, fall on the floor. I would have preferred bigger, easier to handle chips. But still, it doesn't really detract from the game that much.

2). Rules: As with all OOTB games, the rules are very short, and very easy to understand. They are on 3 pages of laminated thick paper, and are easy to read. The back page I found quite helpful, as it shows a picture of every picture card. Not only is this good for inventory purposes, but it is a handy reference when you are deciding exactly how to build your picture. The rules also offer several tips to help include game play.

3). Ease of Play: It's possible to teach this game in less than a minute. Most people are familiar with Pictionary, and the comparisons are evident. People do differ on the picture cards. Some (like me) like the picture cards much better than drawing a picture. Others would rather draw the picture than search through cards and make a picture with predetermined shapes. It's all a matter of personal taste. Many of the "3" words are also extremely difficult to build with the picture cards.

4). Animation: The little feature that allows you to animate your cards is not only fun, but very useful! For example, when I make a Cannonball, and can show it shooting out of a cannon, it's a lot easier for others to guess it. This is my personal favorite part of the game.

5). Playing area: We found that this game actually plays very well on the floor. As the game name implies, it's actually easier to see the pictures when you squint at them. So, if the pictures are farther down, on the floor, it actually works better.

6). The Fun Factor: Squint is fun. We have a lot of fun playing with it, moving around the picture cards, and animating them. I think for it's price and easiness to play and teach, many will enjoy the game. However, it lacks a certain "zing" that I've found in other party games, like Time's Up and Apples to Apples. People are interested in playing the game when I suggest it, but they don't get as excited as they do about other games. Squint is fun, but not massively fun.

However, I still recommend the game. It's a good party game, and it's really quick to play. When you have a short, fun game to pull out, you have a wonderful little filler game. It's not the best filler I've played - but it's quite functional and fun. So try it out and see if you like it!

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games."

I bought this game for my eight year old cousin, but the entire extended family (three generations) ended up playing it for hours, and I'm going to have to buy one for myself now! Wonderfully creative, everyone has a different technique. It was easy enough for the 8 year old to play, but challenging enough for the rest of us to enjoy. A wonderful way to encourage creative thinking in children and adults and, of course, an immense amount of fun!

I would definitely recommend Squint over Pictionary... It's easy to learn and every turn is laughter-filled:) The most crucial component is the sturdy shape cards used to cleverly create visual images. Honestly, we didn't even bother using the timer or the scoring chips--we just had a blast taking turns trying to guess what each other's crazy graphic creations were! The word cards are fine, but we had fun extending the game by pulling books off a nearby shelf and randomly choosing words out of them to use for an even greater challenge. Let your imagination run wild!

We are always looking for great party games and the traditional trivia games do not work with the crowd we normally meet with, so we thought we would give this a try. Unfortunately, although it is fast paced, it is not for the typical casual get together. It requires skewing your mind and keeping it opened to see the pictures out of various shapes. It was great for our son to try and be creative in building his picture. (He was better at the building then the guessing). So, it does have some edcuational value, but choose wisely for the crowd you will expose it to.

We enjoyed this game so much that I bought 3 more to give to my adult children for Christmas. This game contains square cardboard cards with lines, curves, squiggles, shapes, etc. on them, and other cards that list the names of objects on them. The player roles the die, looks on the card to see what object is listed next to the number rolled, and then attempts to "draw" the object by combining the line and shape cards. The other players call out their guesses as to what the player is "drawing". It's fun and challenging. The only thing we don't like is that the hourglass timer that comes with it sometimes stops up and quits timing. It's also annoying to have to watch the timer when you'd rather be watching the player "draw" his object. I'd prefer a noise making timer that you don't have to watch, similar to that which comes with Scattergories.

Lots of fun for all ages. Easy to learn...we play as a family with players from age 11 through 70...everyone enjoys it!

A twist on pictionary. If you like pictionary you'll love this. If you didn't like pictionary because you couldn't draw, this is the game for you. No drawing just creating.

The game is alot of fun, but don't play it with the timer . The timer doesn't give you enough time to think about which cards to use, and make the shape with. The #1's on the cards are the easiest ones to make.