Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A "Cluzzle-ing" Review, April 26, 2005
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
OVERVIEW: Cluzzle covers the somewhat odd "world" of clay puzzle making.
Basically, each player must create a puzzle (or should I say, "Cluzzle") of an object, action or idea, but must create it in such as way as to avoid it being too easy. The trade-off is that one must also be careful as to not make the puzzle too hard, or risk receiving no points at all for their masterpiece.
My group played this using the latest edition rules which do away with the question markers and allow for unlimited questions each round, with the only requirement being that one question must be answered before a new one is asked (to avoid yelling over each other). We also saw fit to play with a house rule that required the person asking the question to pause for a second after their question was answered, to allow time for someone else to start a question. This really helped keep things civil, and stopped one player from "grilling" another under a hot lamp (We tried the old "good cop/bad cop" routine, with mixed results).
In each round, the value of each cluzzle rises by one point until the last round in which cluzzles are worth 3 points. This point scheme applies to both the guesser, and the cluzzle-maker, with both being awarded for a correct guess. In some cases, multiple guessers are awarded.
THE HIGHS: First, the clay itself is quite nice. You can tell that there was an eye to quality here, and while the amount of clay is slightly limiting, it is nice to know that the next time you come back to play, the clay will still be moist enough to work with.
Additionally, we found that the choice of puzzles to create was very random, and didn't follow any one theme. This makes the game much more challenging, as one doesn't know if the puzzle will be a vegetable, or an olympic event. Also, there are enough catagories that it would be nearly impossible to recognize one from a previous playing.
The laugh factor is huge. We played with a 20-something crowd, and found that the jokes were pretty much endless. A good laugh was had by all, as we pointed out various alternate possibilities for puzzles, or scratched our heads trying to figure out just what that extra glob of clay was meant to represent.
THE LOWS: Only a few things come to mind here. First, the play money is a little tough to work with. It's thin, and sticks together, making it difficult to hand out. All of those playing felt that it would have been better to create a scoring track on the center board, and have each player place a dab of clay denoting their score.
Another item that may have been useful would have been a cardboard "blind" so that others couldn't see your puzzle in it's creation stage. Many times a player will cloud their puzzle in mystery by removing certain give-away attributes, and it would have been nice to have a screen that blocked others from seeing.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was a bit stunned by the response "Cluzzle" received. From the most serious players, all the way up to the strictly party-gamers, this one was a success. I had the impression that most felt this was a game not meant to be played at every opportunity, but rather one that would be called on to provide a little comic relief, especially after a longer, more serious game.
I would be inclined to recommend this game to families with young children, as this could be the "Pictionary" of their generation. I would also recommend this to people who like party games, or have friends that would provide extra humour to their creations.
Overall, this is a suprisingly good game worthy of the consideration of almost all gamer types.
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ready for a Night of 'Claughter' (with a word of 'claution'), January 7, 2009
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
As a preface to the review I would just like to emphasize the importance of being well-informed of what edition of the game you buy. There's a long story involving North Star Games losing ownership over the first production that I would like to retell (if I could remember). But to make a long story short, there are many batches of the game still out there with inferior clay that completely dries out and is left unusable. As mentioned in "chodgkin's" review, be wary of the "Eagle Games" label on the bottom/left corner of the box. Evidently, to appease parents with messy children, they opted for a water-based clay that would not be as greasy and sticky as the 1st edition clay. Of course, as is the case with most water, it tends to dry out.
The North Star website put a page up that offers suggestions, such as adding a single drop of water at a time and kneading the moisture into the clay or placing it in a damp paper towel overnight. Needless to say, most people won't want to spend an evening mositening clay. Hitting an all time low of desperation, I even attempted to microwave the stuff! (FYI - doesn't work...).
But there is hope! After researching "Play Doh" prices online, I decided to contact North Star myself - despite "chodgkin's" negative experience. To my surprise, I was greeted by the nicest customer service guy I ever met! He apologized profusely and sent out replacement clay within a few days! I was extremely impressed with North Star's fast service and recommend contacting them with any problems with their games.
With that out of the way, the game itself is loads of fun! With uninhibited creativty, the possibilties are endless; you can make the game as simple or complex as you'd like. All ages are able to enjoy. I am in my 20s and probably enjoy playing this game with as much zeal as any 8 year old out there. And don't worry grandpa, it's fun for you too! Sad to say, this truly is an underappreciated game... I encourage anyone out there that has played this game to spread the word!
I give the game itself 5/5 stars... assuming there are no issues with the clay.
Oh.. And sorry for the super corny title...
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for everyone here! , March 30, 2005
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
Cluzzle is a great game to pull out for a mixed crowd. It's a ton of fun, and has the added benefit of getting you to think outside the box. Having worked with kids for over three years, I have had a chance to play a wide variety of games with children aged 6-12. Cluzzle is definately one of the better games which will be enjoyed equally by kids and adults.
The scoring system in Cluzzle evens the playing ground for even the most diverse group. Rather than rewarding the player with the best fine motor skills, Cluzzle rewards sculptural ambiguity (or those who are merely average at sculpting) and adroit questioning. The earlier one's sculpture is guessed, the fewer points one scores for it. But be careful because an unguessed sculpture won't get you any points either!
In terms of educational value, there are several ways Cluzzle really forces kids (and adults) to think. Try sculpting "love" or "charity" with a tiny lump of clay....not as easy as you would think, eh? :) Now try figuring out what that other player's lump of clay is supposed to be. Also, you have to be careful with how you word your questions to each other, lest you give away your train of thought! I think there is enough in this game to keep children fully engaged, while adults can explore some of the more strategic elements in the game.
Parents who have quieter, shyer, artistic children take note: Cluzzle, if played correctly, should give your kids room to shine! The various mechanisms built into the game force assertive children to sit back and let everyone have a fair chance. Also, it gives younger kids a chance to gain recognition when their sculptures are correctly identified.
The clay that comes with this game is of excellent quality; it is not the greasy kind which stains fingers, clothing and furniture. It also comes with little baggies which if used properly, should extend the life span of the clay significantly.
Everyone I play Cluzzle with ends up wanting to play again. Probably because half the time we were laughing too hard to concentrate on the game! There is a lot of replayability and fun in this game. A very good buy for your money.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
