Review of the board game Quelf

Quelf is an extremely fun game that is fairly new, but has won several awards.  It won the Board Game of the Year award by UpBeat magazine in 2005. the 2006 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, 2007 iParenting  Media Award, and the 2007 Creative Child Seal of Excellence.  The game plays like an adaption of several other fun group games, combined into one: Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit, Charades, and Guesstures!

My family played this game on Thanksgiving evening and everyone gave it a thumbs up for the fun factor, after playing it beyond our bedtimes.  This game involves different types of activities, some that happen simultaneously and ongoing plus some that are a one time event. This can lead to eventual side-splitting chaos!

Quelf Game Basics

Recommended Age of players: 12 and up

Number of Players: 3 - 8

Game Pieces: The Quelf board, a timer, 5 categories of activity cards, character game pieces

Quelf Game Play

Gameplay in Quelf is easy.  Just:

• Roll the dice
• Move the number of squares accordingly
• Draw the activity card that corresponds to the square's color
• Read the card aloud and
• Follow the card's instructions

The fun comes in following those instructions to prevent not being  penalized and to continue your journey around the Quelf  board.  (Every card has a number on it that represents the number of spaces that you must move backwards if the activity is not completed!) Also some cards give additional conditions to certain characters, so which character you pick, matters!

The player who reaches the finish space,and completes the final Scatterbrainz questions, wins!

Quelf card instructions

There are five colors of cards, each containing a differing category type: "Stuntz", "ScatterBrainz", "Roolz", "Quizzle", and "ShowBiz".  Here are examples:

Quelf Yellow Card - "Stuntz"

Every stuntz card has an activity that someone must perform. Examples:

1. Get a necktie, put it on.  If you can't find a necktie, wear some other article of clothing as a tie.  If you take off the "necktie" at any point in the game, you are penalized.  (Since I am a woman without a necktie, the player who drew this had to resort to wearing a sock!)
2. Balance a book on your head and walk 20 feet backwards. (If the player succeeds all other players are penalized!)
3. Take a piece of paper and write "Quelf" on it.  Find tape, gum or anything adhesive and safely attach it to your forehead.  (If the piece of paper falls off or is removed during the game, the penalty applies.

Quelf Red card - "ScatterBrainz"

Each player must give an answer to a specific category question,  until someone can't think of an answer, for which they are penalized by moving backwards!  Examples:

1. Tongue twisters
2. Acronyms for government organizations and their meanings.
3. Things typically found floating in the bathtub

Quelf Blue card - "Roolz"

Roolz creates specific conditions that might apply to everyone, or only the player who drew the card.  I(ts specific "roolz" may last for the entire game if another roolz card doesn't take its place. Examples:

• You must snort like a pig whenever you laugh.
• Every time you draw a card, you must lick your teeth and say, "Willy Wonka has arrived!"
• You must say the word bleep or bleeping in every sentence you speak during your turn. Bleep.

Quelf Green cards - "Quizzle"

The Quizzle cards contain a question that the player to the right must ask you.  These questions may be easy or impossible. Examples:

1. Which 2 of the following are NOT songs by the Beach Boys? A) Last Summer B) Surf's Up C) Get Around D) Surfin' Safari or E) Sand in My Crack (Figure it out!)
2. What is 111,111,111  X  111,111,111? (Timed) (if you missed this one YOU actually advance your game character since that is normal! A correct answer means you're a nerd!
3. Does a chicken have lips and if he did would he smack 'em? The player is rewarded for responding with an answer similar to a possible response given on the card.

Quelf Purple Cards - "Showbiz"

The Quelf purple cards contain instructions that tie closely to show business, ie, songs, movies, etc.  Examples:

• Set the timer and sing any song you wish, EXCEPT sing it in a foregin language. (The first person to guess correctly moves forward.  If no one guess, pay the penalty)
• Set the timer and become a talking parrot. Narrate the last second of a basketball game as a Parrot might. Continue until the timer runs out without laughing to avoid the penalty.
• Set the timer and tell the other players to guess what you are humming, then hum your favorite TV show theme.  The first player to guess correctly moves forward.  If no correct guess, pay the penalty!

Silly?  Yes! As the game progresses, the number of crazy activities that are going on at the same time does create the silliest environment, and laughter is inevitable!  But this is one silly (bleeping) game everyone will enjoy! Bleep!

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