Angry Birds Card Game

I admit, I'm not a die-hard Angry Birds Fan. I suppose proof of that is that I didn't even know the Angry Birds Card Game existed until my son shouted at me, "Dad! Dad! I've gotta show you something!" We were in REI of all places and he pointed to this card game as said, "I want that, can we get it!!??" Being the shrewd internet shopper I am, my mind quickly ascertained that I could surely get it cheaper online. Even though it was less than $10, I was thrilled at the opportunity to save wherever possible (I actually found it for $2 cheaper online, shipped).Since I Christmas was just a few weeks away (and I knew this would make a great stocking-stuffer) I told my son we'd have to hold off on getting it. We have started the family tradition of celebrating St. Nick's around December 6th, and so this was the gift we had included in my son's stocking. He was THRILLED to get it! In this day and age of expensive video games, I thought it was pretty cool to be able to find something for less than $10 that would create such excitement.Of course the true test would be whether or not the game was actually any fun to play. At first glance, I was expecting this to be just like UNO, only with an Angry Bird Theme. But after reading the rules and playing a few times I was quite pleased that this isn't a clone of UNO and it does a good job of putting the Angry Bird elements into a card game.The object of this card game is to discard all of your structure cards and be the first person to knock down the King Pig with a flick of the die!The Set-up is Simple:The first thing to do is to place the King Pig into the provided stand. You don't need him right away so you can just set him to the side for now. Then you can shuffle the Power Cards and deal 2 cards to each player. Next, shuffle the Structure Cards and deal 6 to each player. After shuffling both the Power and Structure cards you can place both piles face down into separate draw piles.Here's were a bit of strategy comes into play (though it's still up to the roll of the die). Your job is to look at your 6 structure cards and place them in the order that you want to "know them out." You want to place them face up (so everyone will see), in a vertical column (this is called your "Castle"). The card at the bottom will be the one you'll try to know out first.You can look at your special Power Cards but keep them face down (so you'll be the only one to see them).How to Play:If you're the youngest player, you get to go first! You begin your turn by rolling the dice. Your goal is to try and "knock out" each of your Structure Cards, one at a time, beginning with the Structure Card at the bottom of your vertical column (Castle). In order to knock out a Structure Card you must roll the Angry Bird shown on the card. Remember, you must knock out you cards in order, beginning with the one closes to you.So if your first card is a `red bird' then you need to roll a die with at least 1 red bird on it. If you knock out a Structure Card then you can remove it from your Castle and place it on the discard pile (for Structure Cards).Note: If you happen to roll the Angry Birds needed to knock out both the 1st and 2nd cards in position, you may remove both Structure Cards. Keep in mind though that you MUST go in order. You can't knock out card number two until you've knocked out the Structure Card before it.If you fail to knock out any Angry Birds (Structure Cards) then you still have the opportunity to play a Special Power Card.Winning the Game:Once you've removed all your Structure Cards, the next step is to knock down the King Pig piece. You'll want to place him at least 2 feet away from you on the table (or floor, your neighbors airplane tray, or wherever you might be playing). Your goal is to flick (not throw!) one of the dice at him in hopes of knocking him down. Everyone loves this part! And of course, the first player to knock down the King Pig Wins!!So Is This Game Any Fun to Play?In short, Yes!! I was impressed by the fun factor. Whether you like Angry Birds or not, I think this is a card game anyone (kids in particular) can enjoy.Pro's and Con's:There were several things I liked about this game. First, it's pretty easy to learn how to play. There were a few things we overlooked the first time around, but after re-reading the rules a second, and third time we were pros! Second, I like that there are a few elements of strategy such as how you place your Structure Cards and the utilization of your Power Cards throughout the game. The game is simple enough that younger kids can play without much though, while older kids and adults can enjoy the little bit of strategy involved. I love that to win the game it comes down to skill. You've got to click that die and known down the Pig. We created some variations of this to suit the varied age and skill levels of our family. I would put the King Pig about 6 inches from my 6 year old daughter, 1 foot away for my 8 year old son, and I stuck with the recommended two feet (though I think I'll try 3 feet next time, Yeah!!!)I like that the game is compact (it's easy to take on a trip or vacation) and it's also a fairly quick game to play. It depends a bit on the role of the die, but you're looking at anywhere between 5-15 minutes a game (approximately).I think the one possible negative to the game is the dice flicking. For some kids (including my own) this can be a source of frustration (if they can't get their wee little finger to flick the die). But as I mentioned previously, you can change some things to help accommodate them such as moving the King Pig closer and give them more tries.Recommended Ages:The game says this is recommended for kids ages 5+. I'd day that's about right. My 6 year old needed some help but had fun playing with us. My 8 year old just loves anything to do with Angry Birds (he even has an Angry Bird stuffed animal he sleeps with!), so he loves the game. My other daughter who is 10 finds it ok, but it's not something she would go out of her way to play.Conclusion:For the value and fun factor I gave this 5 Stars (particularly if you're an Angry Birds Fan). If you're looking for something simple and fun that the whole family play even if you don't have a lot of time, then I would highly recommend the Angry Birds Card Game.For more details about this game including a video of how to play you can check out my review at: ReviewsByLance (dot) com

A pretty basic card game overall, but my young Angry Birds fan loves it and will gladly play it when banned from the cyber-version.The good news:It reinforces the basics of game play for those still learning those skills (taking turns, picking cards and discarding them, rolling dice, understanding wild cards) and the good news is that the game is simple enough so that the little one can play without having to reveal his cards to get help. He's happy to play for awhile and likes to make up his own rules (which range from stacking the deck, to special powers for birds of certain colors, to changing the meanings of the Power Up cards - such as +1 really means you give 2 cards to the other player).Oh yeah - and it doesn't involve screen time, which in this day and age, is not a bad thing.The bad news:Not much thinking required from anyone over the age of, say, 5 or 6. And at the end of the "strategic" card game, there is a lame final stage where you physically knock over a cardboard pig by flicking ("not throwing") one of the dice at him. This last step feels like an afterthought (as if getting rid of your cards wasn't enough), but is somewhat of a real-world analogy to knocking over the virtual pig by slinging a virtual bird at it. So I can't stand this step (too many nights spent retrieving wildly-flung dice from under tables, couches, beds, and newspapers), but again, the little one loves it.

We love this game! I bought it as a baby shower prize for a baby bird themed party. My daughter won, and we love playing it together. From the 4 year old boy to the 40 something year old uncles, this game is cool. There is strategy in determining how to lay out your cards, and how to play your bonus cards. There is a level of chance that comes from rolling the dice, first while trying to eliminate your hand, and then in the end, by using it to physically knock over the pig. I thought it was a goofy game that would be all about the licensing. However, a lot of thought went into designing it. I'm glad we own it!

Interesting game, comes in a box the same size as a UNO box. Each person gets 6 blue cards, and you roll the dice in order to match the dice to the card. You also get two orange cards, which give you an advantage like passing a blue card to someone else, or rolling your dice again. When all your blue cards are gone, you try to knock down the "King Pig" token by flicking it with the dice.Daughter is 6, Son is 8, and we all enjoy this one. Very quick game, 5-10 min with the three of us, lots of laughter.

I got this game because my grandkids (ages 10,9 & 7)enjoy Angry Birds on the cell phone. It is easy to play but I didn't think there was much to it. You place your cards in order, then throw the dice to remove the cards. Extra cards allow you to add more plays to your opponents. To win, you must flick one die at the pig to knock him over. Our first game was over so quickly that I was a little let down. But the kids LOVED it. They played over and over again.

I was a little skeptical about ordering the game at first because, I did not know if the rules would be too hard for my 5yr old to understand. But then again at a very reasonable price, I finally ordered one. And to my surprise, it has become one of my son's favorite games. I have been trying to minimize his screen time, and this game has solved that. He just wanted to play over and over again. Though he tries to avoid the 2x cards the most, it did not take long for him to realize he has power cards to get rid of it. Very fun game, that even mom enjoyed it!