Cranium

Cranium - Board Game

Cranium is an excellent game that embodies all the best aspects of board games--it doesn't last too long (about an hour for a game), it's exciting and funny and it also relies on the chance element as well as skill. The game is played by two or more teams of one or more players and the object is to get round the board into the Cranium Central area and be the first team to complete the activities there. Easy, isn't it? To do this, each team has to complete an activity, the selection of which depends on the square they last landed on--but it has to be completed before the egg timer runs out. There are also two routes to follow--the fast route (only available if you complete your first activity within the time) and the scenic route for those who don't. The activities are split into four groups: "Creative Cat", which asks, amongst other things, that you sculpt a miniature tea set out of clay--or draw a picture of baked beans on toast (with your eyes closed, of course). Then there is "Data Head"--do you know where the saying "back to square one" originates? Did Thomas Crapper really invent the flushing toilet? Another activity is the "Word Worm"--can you spell words backwards or solve puzzles with a cryptic clue such as "nervous neckwear"? Finally, there is the "Star Performer" activity (all families have one or two in this category.) Get them to emulate a John Cleese sketch or act "a back seat driver". When a team reaches Cranium Central, they have to complete one activity from each activity category to win. --Ben King