I’m reviewing Hungy Hungry Hippos? Really? Who hasn’t played Hungy Hungry Hippos?! Well, my 3-year-old son, for one. And my 8-month-old daughter for two. So this one goes out to all the young’ns and those who have never had the chance to actually play this game.
| Hungry Hungry Hippos | Hasbro |
| 2-4 Players | 10 minutes |
| Ages 4+ | BGG Weight – 1.05 / 5 |
Ok so let me explain this game in great detail so that anyone may grab this and get playing. Setup the hippos around the board/disc/pool area. Fill up the marble wells with marbles (food for the hangry hippos). Choose a hippo to jockey. You are now setup.
So there aren’t really turns as everyone is playing simultaneously and marbles are going to be bouncing all over the board once launched into play. Your goal: eat as many marbles as you can until the marbles are all gone. Then count up your haul to determine the winner. Like, that’s it.
Components. Actually, the components in this one are really really good. I mean, you press a lever on the hippo’s butt (the tail maybe?) and it extends the head piece, comically, toward the center of the arena to gobble up delicious marble chow. The version we have all stores neatly together and fits in the box (YAY!) very well. I have zero complaints about the components. Well, okay, one complaint – but it’s NOT the game’s fault… is it? The marbles are wee and are definitely a choking hazard. So please please please be careful around children or dumb pets who may want to chomp them.
Though I have written this review in jest thus far as a game reviewer, the real reason I am putting this out there is because my son, age 3, absolutely loves this game. So much that I oftentimes am not allowed to actually press my hippo-butt-lever so that he may get all the marbles for himself. But, he’s having fun with board games and with his family. If that’s not the point of why people play games – to have fun and bond with people – then I do not know why people play games. This is a silly one, yes, but you have to have a few of these in your collection to just be crazy with the kids. So if you see it on the shelf, looking lonely, please pick up a copy. Your young ones will love it. I promise.
