Wonky and Tapple -- Games your whole family will enjoy! {Product Review}

Our family loves to play games. We have several favorite card and board games that come out pretty regularly at our house. It's always fun to find a new one to add to our family collection, so I was very eager to do my review for USAopoly of the games Tapple: Fast Word Fun for Everyone and Wonky: The Crazy Cubes Card Game. I really hoped that these would be some more to add to our collection of games we loved to play!

Product Information

USAopoly has been making board games since 1994, with the goal to create something fun for family and friends to be able to come together for a time of laughter and fun! They have released a couple games lately which aren't your typical board/card game.

Wonky: The Crazy Cubes Card Game Price: $19.95 Ages: 8+ Players: 2+ Take stackable blocks with unfinished round sides, a set of playing cards, and add some reverse, pass, and wildcard plays and you have an idea on how to play Wonky! This fun game includes 9 odd-shaped blocks in three colors and sizes, and then playing cards!  Each person is dealt a hand and when it's their turn they pick which card they want to play--if it's a block card, they pick a block and stack it on the tower--but watch out! These blocks have rounded corners and are a bit tricky to get to stay! If you make the tower fall, you have to draw more cards! Throw the next person in a panic by playing a skip or reverse card and let THEM be the one to knock it down! Be the first one to get play all your cards and keep the tower standing!

Tapple: Fast Word Fun for Everyone Price: $19.95 Age: 8+ Players: 2-8 Tapple is a fast moving game that everyone will love! The object is simple--draw a card with a category theme. Hit the red button to start the timer and the game it off! Each person playing has to come up with a word that fits the theme--but it has to start with a letter on the Tapple wheel--and it can't be a letter already hit by someone else! If you can't think of a word that works within the time limit (10 seconds) you are out and the wheel is passed and the timer reset for the next person! The game continues until one person is left! It's a great party game and sure to make the level of excitement in the room rise! We were given both of these games to review with our family.

How Did We Use the Product?

We were pretty excited to dig out these games when they arrived. The packaging was very bright and colorful and it greatly appealed to the boys who love playing games. I really loved how the Wonky game box was unusually shaped as it made it fun. I opened up each game to get a handle on what was required and whether or not we could incorporate Baby Britches (Age 5) into the games. I noticed that the Wonky game appeared to be much simpler and was ready to be played upon opening. The Tapple wheel needed to have 2 AA batteries before it would work (for the timer). We decided that we would investigate Wonky. When we opened the box we discovered that the blocks were in a very nice bright purple drawstring bag. The playing cards were neatly packaged. We took out the blocks and found them to be painted and wooden in bright colors. The cards were high quality playing cards.

The rules were very simple to understand and to explain to both boys. They go like this:

1. Deal the cards (7 ea). 

2. Tallest player goes first. They pick a card from their hand to play. They DO what it says whether picking a block for the tower, using a reverse card or using a pass card.

3. Next player clockwise goes and does the same. They can play any card as long as the block on the card is still available to be used. They stack their block on top of the beginning tower block. 

4. The tower must remain standing for the count of 3. If it does, play moves to the next person. If the tower does fall while they are putting their block on, after they put their block on or within the 3 count, they must take 3 cards from the deck. They then play an action card to move on.

5. The play continues until someone plays their final action card--it has to be a tower block card--and the tower remains standing.

Even my 5 year old was able to play this game--though he sometimes had issues with not being steady enough to place his block. Here are some photos from the towers we've built while playing the game!

So far seven out of nine is the tallest our tower has ever gotten! It's really fun to play and we look forward to playing it with my parents this coming weekend. Maybe we can get it to all nine blocks tall?!

We decided to tackle Tapple next. The first thing I needed to do was add 2 AA batteries to the Tapple wheel so that the timer would work. I was please to see there was an on-off switch for the game. I also love that the cards for the game are stored in a little compartment next to the batteries under the wheel. This is great for storing the game itself!

The game of Tapple is simple. You pick a category from the game cards which are double sided. One side has more easy categories while the other side has more challenging themes. Once you pick a theme, the game begins.

1. The person with a first initial of their middle name closest to A goes first (silly huh?!). 

2. The category is read and then the red button is hit starting the 10 second timer. The first person has 10 seconds to name something that relates to the category--AND it has to begin with a letter around the wheel. Once they say their word, they push down the letter that matches the first letter of their word, and hit the timer to restart it.

3. They pass the Tapple wheel clockwise and the next person has 10 seconds to think of a word or idea that goes with the theme--again pushing down the letter that matches the first letter of their word. This process continues until either someone cannot think of something in their 10 seconds, or all the letters are pushed down.

4. If all the letters get pushed down, the next round continues by sliding over the yellow ring to release the letters. Now each person has to say TWO things that match the theme--and again has to be available letters on the Tapple wheel--within the 10 seconds. This continues as before until all the letters are used up or someone cannot beat the timer.

5. Last person standing wins the game.

We played this a few times. It took some help from me for the boys since their spelling isn't quite good enough yet to know what letters start their words at times. Baby Britches even did well--though we allowed him 2 pushes of the red button to come up with his word. I think we did the best with the categories: In the Fridge/Freezer, In the Jungle, and Animals

I can't wait to try this in a party setting with adults because I think it will be quite loud and exciting!

What Are Our Thoughts on This Product?

Both boys really like the games, though they say that Tapple is their favorite. They ask to play it A LOT! They like Wonky, but say they want to play it with more people besides us to make it more fun.

I agree that these games are fun! I think that they make great family games, but they make ESPECIALLY fun party games. I look forward to trying them out with just adults.

Both games are easy to play right from the box. Each game is made of high quality materials--especially the game cards. Both games are easy to store, even without their respective boxes. They are definitely able to be played by children younger than the proposed ages--with help. I love how colorful each game is as well.

I do have a "I wish it did" for the game Tapple. I wish that it was possible to just release the last button pushed down instead of all of the letters. We had some "whoopsies" where the boys accidentally hit the wrong letters, but we had to just keep playing because we can't reset a letter without resetting the whole wheel.

Would I Recommend this Product?

Yes! They are great family friendly games and good for even the kids to play. My only concern is the pricing. I think that $19.95 is a bit steep for these games--I think the $10 to $15 range would make them more reasonable for what you are receiving with them. But they are great games and they are worth the buy because they are just fun!

Want to Know More?

We reviewed Tapple: Fast Word Fun for Everyone and Wonky: The Crazy Cubes Card Game from USAopoly. You have seen how we have enjoyed these games...but make sure you check out what the other crew members thought!

You can stay up with all the events or releases going on for USAopoly through these social media channels:

Twitter
 https://twitter.com/USAopoly

Instagram
https://instagram.com/usaopoly/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/usaopoly

Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/usaopoly/


***

We are heading to a beach house with family this weekend, and these two games will be going with us! I look forward to even bigger family game nights when we play with the grandparents and my brother! I hope to have even more photos to share later this week!