Game Review: Penguins Huddle Up
Today’s review is for Penguins Huddle Up by Smart Games.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary game for review from Timberdoodle. All views expressed are my own.
Penguins Huddle Up
Unlike most other Smart Games, Penguins Huddle Up is a multi-player game. It focuses on flexible thinking, planning, problem-solving, spatial insight, and concentration. It is recommended for ages six and up.
What’s Included
Penguins Huddle Up includes a circle-shaped cardboard game board that folds into fourths for storage. There are four penguin teams (each with three grown-ups and three babies), six ice blocks (four straight and two curved), and a booklet with game rules.
How to Play
First, the ice blocks are randomly placed on the game board, dodging the “holes.” Then, players take turns scattering the penguins around the board, placing opponents’ penguins, not your own.
On your turn, you try to move your penguins towards each other by scooting to an adjacent space, jumping over other penguins, or diving underneath the ice “through the holes.” (There are no actual holes, just spaces that look like holes. That’s probably where the spatial insight comes in.)
The winner is the first player to move all of their penguins into a single connected group on the board. The expert level adds further difficulty by requiring the babies to stand on an ice block and the grown-ups on the board so everyone is the same height.
My Thoughts
Smart Games are always adorable, and this one is no exception. The colorful little penguin game pieces have a rubbery feel to them that makes them fun to touch. I could see younger children enjoying them for free-play activities, which is always a nice bonus with these kinds of games.
Penguins Huddle-Up is designed for 2 to 4 players. We enjoyed trying it out when we had young cousins visiting. It was a huge hit and was the game of the day for two or three days in a row. The kids tried it with two and three players at different times, and I think it was equally fun either way.
The approximate playing time is 20 minutes long enough to enjoy the challenge but not too long. I like that for family game night when you want to play short rounds of various games and not necessarily the same game all evening. We enjoy having Penguins Huddle Up in our collection.
More Reviews
Check out these other Smart Games I’ve reviewed:
