HĀPY FAMILIES – REVIEW

A new spin on a classic card game, we are collecting Little Gods in Hāpy Families, a lovely small box game by LOKI Kids and Coiledspring

Favouritefoefunlearning score 8/10

*Set Collection * Memory * Pattern Matching * Fast * Family * Race * Small Box * Card Drafting*

Happy Families is a tradition in picture card games going back hundreds of years. It’s probably one of the most basic set collection games around, and our son’s Paw Patrol version has been well played.

Hāpy Families by Loki Kids and Coiledspring Games is a fun twist on the familiar “have you got an X?” game play, however, and it might just have pipped Chase and his puppy pals to the post for @minimeepleuk !

Mummies and……..

The main objective hasn’t changed. You are still trying to collect sets (“families”) of characters that match. In Hāpy Families, the families are adorable looking little Egyptian Gods that are linked by colour and species type. But rather than just having a hand of cards each and a common deck, all the cards are arranged in an alternating face up/face down pyramid.

On your turn, you pick a card from the pyramid. If it’s face up, everybody knows what you’re starting to have in your hand. If it’s face down, it remains a secret within your collection. You may also ask another player for a specific card (so long as it hasn’t been requested on the previous turn), but you don’t have to. And if you form a set of 3 cards on your go then you must lay them down in front of you.

The winner is the first player to lay down one complete family of 6 cards or  5/4/3 sets of 3 in a 2/3/4 player game.

Secrets in the Sand!

I know Hāpy Families hasn’t reinvented the wheel when it comes to the game play. But the addition of a pyramid containing a mixture of face up and face down cards does bring a fun new dynamic to the familiar race to match. Knowing what others are picking up is also a good way to introduce younger gamers to set collection (and encourages us oldies to perhaps mess with each other a little! Haha).

Gorgeous Little Gods!

The illustrations on the cards in Hāpy Families are absolutely lovely. And even the card backs are wonderfully detailed. Given that the cards are laid out in a pyramid, the tie in with the Egyptian setting is obviously there, and even the inside of the box hasn’t been forgotten.

Hāpy Families is a sweet, portable, little game that can be easily played in under 10 minutes. The rules are simple and set up is done as soon as the cards are laid out.  Although the pyramid takes up a little more table space that the usual single deck, it’s definitely worth finding a flat surface to see all those lovely card fronts and backs!  

Please note that a copy of this game was kindly provided by the publishers for review. I am not paid for my comments, however, and all opinions are my own]. I am also not affiliated to or sponsored by any retail store.