As summer holidays approach, many parents are considering which pocket games to pack for travel, visitors and long hot afternoons indoors. I’ve spent the past few months writing about games you might not know yet but this week I’m looking at modern classics. These are games almost everyone recognises, even if they’ve not played them yet. I’ve focused on how they play in practice and when I use them.
Here’s what I’m covering today:
- Uno
- Skip Bo
- Dobble
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
- Rat-a-Tat Cat
- Sleeping Queens
1. UNO
Uno is a simple card-shedding game where players match colours and numbers. Apart from the traditional card deck this is by far the most widely seen pocket card game and is actually just a variation on the card game Crazy Eights.
I definitely think it’s worth the extra investment for an Uno card deck. The bright colours, big numbers and clear symbols for special cards (e.g. skip, reverse, pick up) make the game much easier for children to learn. (There is a colour-blind accessible version if red and green will cause problems). The pack is huge with many duplications, making the odd lost card no big deal.
I use Uno frequently because it is familiar and easy. My kids find it relaxing and new players learn it quickly and are just as likely to win as other players. I like that it is fine for large mixed groups and works in awkward layouts because players only need to be able to see one central card. We’ve played on railway station floors waiting for trains, and most recently in world cup football half time breaks.
I’m more careful with it when the group is very competitive. We have had to ban the “swap hands” cards after frequent floods of tears. And for the same reason I’ve never ventured into the world of Uno spin-offs (Flip, Show ‘Em No Mercy, Teams, Attack etc.) because they all make the game more punitive and that doesn’t suit our style of play.
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/45bg9JT
2. Skip Bo
Skip-Bo is another twist on traditional card games. It is a sequencing game where players use up the cards from their hand and a personal draw pile by building stacks up from 1 to 12. I often use Skip-Bo with a group spanning generations. My Dad likes how it has the feel of a traditional card game (but with a clean modern look). My kids like the clear structure and simple rules, the way that it is clear who is making good progress, and the definite endpoint. I like that it works well for larger groups and that it comes in a slim neat package.
Skip-Bo can have a few downsides. Sometimes it takes a bit long to finish. Sometimes a combination of cards means that one player can’t do anything for several turns in a row. Sometimes one player has a breakthrough and others get frustrated waiting. We occasionally shorten the game by reducing the number of cards players have to dispose of to win, but in general I just use it when we have plenty of time on our hands.
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4fItlMl
3. Dobble (Spot It)
Dobble (Spot It) is a pattern-matching game where players rush to be the first to find the one symbol shared between two round cards, each with 8 symbols. It is quick and engaging with almost no explanation needed, which makes it suitable for younger children than many of my games. It is easy for players to dip in and out, it’s small and it comes in a convenient waterproof tin, so I use it often when I have a group of children in need of entertainment in a queue or at an event (e.g. family party). It’s also good for limited space (e.g. train tray table) and when I need something that can be completed very quickly.
I’m cautious about Dobble if the pace is likely to create stress or allow a particularly quick-thinking player to dominate. Dobble has 5 official ways to play it, and some are less intense than others. We also play a family variation where we lay out 3 or 4 cards for players to match their top card with; it gives my youngest a little more flexibility over where he finds his matches and a little less likelihood that the card changes before he finds one. I have also tried playing without the racing element, taking turns to spot matches. The game became much less fun so I just go for a different game instead.
There are many different sets of Dobble so it’s easy to find a favourite theme. But having tried lots of them our vote still goes to the original. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4wcii3U
4. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is similarly fast-paced to Dobble and has a similar level of difficulty. Players flip over their cards while taking it in turns to say the words Taco Cat Goat Cheese and Pizza. If their card matches what they say then all players scramble to get a hand onto the pile. The last player takes the pile. It almost made the cut for a blog post of its own because it was my go-to game for at least a year when my kids were a bit younger. I still think it’s great when we want something lively and don’t mind a bit of chaos. It’s particularly good as a reset between other activities and children consistently find it funny and exciting.
It doesn’t quite fit with a couple of things I’ve been focused on in this blog, though. It is not a calm game so I pull it out only where I don’t need children to be quiet, sit still or move quickly from the game to something requiring concentration and calm. I wouldn’t attempt to slow the pace with a large group but I did introduce my youngest to the game with much slower and simpler variations. For his first games we simply said what we had turned over (and got excited about all the cats). Then once he had got the hang of the five words and had matched them to the images, we started to try the official rules but left out the 3 special action cards.
Players run out of cards and drop out one by one so we usually stop when the first player is out. I have also occasionally found a child who finds the disconnect between image and words (i.e. playing a cat but saying “pizza”) very uncomfortable.
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4fr0zif
5. Rat-a-Tat Cat
Rat-a-Tat Cat is a small card game for 2-6 players where players try to end with the lowest score by remembering and swapping four cards in front of them. It is quick to set up and fairly easy to learn, although players definitely get better at it with practice. My children like the characters – low scoring cards have cats while high scoring cards have rats.
All my children have enjoyed Rat-a-Tat Cat but I think of it less as an all-rounder and more as a game for a particular stage when children are beginning to tolerate more complex rules and can cope with losing unexpectedly if they turn over a high card. The rules have options for less experienced players that reduce the memory burden but players do still have to keep track of what they have seen and live with a bit of uncertainty. So I try to bring it out mainly when I have players of similar ability and confidence. It’s also better suited to a tabletop and can stretch out to 15-20 mins of play.
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4fKU62I
6. Sleeping Queens
Sleeping Queens is a relative newcomer in this group but growing fast in popularity so I’m including it here. It is a turn-based card game where players build up their points by “waking” queens using different card combinations.
Sleeping Queens works well when players are happy with structure, taking turns and working with a basic set of options for actions. In that sense it’s a good introduction to slightly more complex game play than many other simple children’s games. It also gives the game a nice interactive feel, with options for players to take cards from their opponents that don’t feel too punitive. My youngest loves the illustrations and has clear favourite queens that he is prepared to sacrifice possible victory to secure for himself – perhaps not the best selling point for a game but at his age as long as he’s playing games regularly I don’t mind how he’s approaching it.
The added complexity means that it can take a little longer to get going (and a little longer to play) than other simpler games, particularly if players are unfamiliar with the different card effects. It’s also not quite as immediately gratifying as some of the quicker games. It has hidden cards and some memory requirements that can introduce a bit of tension for some players, and it also requires a bit of maths in using card combinations and calculating victory. So it’s another game I tend to avoid with mixed groups.
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4b5BPuy
And that’s it for this week…
I’ll go back to single‑game reviews next week, but if you enjoy these round‑ups of pocket classics or have suggestions for other themes you’d be interested to hear from me on, do let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to write more.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links. I only link to games I already use.
Leave a Reply