5 Alive Review

Ian Fleming claimed that we only live twice, some live by the saying, “One life, live it” and the old adage tells us that cats have nine lives. But don’t feel jealous of your feline friends… now gamers in 5 Alive can have 5 lives in this chaotic card game from Hasbro!

In 5 Alive, anything can happen as players desperately try to hang on to life (though thankfully not literally!) and outlast their opponents as the cards fly fast and free. Now, you may recognise this game or you may even own an original copy from its first release in the 90s. The question is, will this card game live a long and happy life on your tabletop or end it’s days sad and alone on a dusty shelf?

“Are You Over 21?”

Right away you are bound to realise that this game is not a new concept. In fact, 5 Alive is derived from the classic card game, 21. Not only that, there are strong similarities to Uno so we should really highlight that this is a nice and breezy game that can be played in a short period of time and will need practically no explaining to newcomers. When we play tested it we included our 8 year old son (the minimum age recommended by Hasbro) but this would easily be picked up in no time by even younger children.

Another advantage of 5 Alive is that the size of the game and the space needed to play makes it perfect for travel, holidays or car journeys. We are always on the lookout for a good game to take camping with us!

“#gaminglife”

Gameplay in 5 Alive is fast and engaging as turns last just a few seconds before play passes to the next player. The aim of the game is very simple - be the last player standing by keeping as many of your lives in tact. To do this, players will take turns adding cards to a communal pile, making sure that the running total of the cards stays under 21. If a player goes over 21 then they lose a life. Easy enough, right? Well not necessarily!

Players of games such as Exploding Kittens will be familiar with the joys and frustrations of Wild Cards being played at just the right time (or just the wrong time depending on your personal circumstances!). 5 Alive is one of those games that ensures the path to victory doesn’t come cheap, and utilising the many types of wild cards will ultimately be the key to your success or defeat.

In total there are 10 types of Wild Card, each designed to either avoid losing a life or sabotage other players. Some cards enable you to disrupt the flow of play by skipping players, reversing play order or passing a turn whilst others set the next player up for a fall. Certain types of Wild Card will affect the running total of the deck so that it immediately becomes 0,10 or 21 respectively. These are the cards that really hold sway over other players as playing the ‘=21’ card immediately means the next player is in hot water and will need to pull out all the stops to stay under 21!

Perhaps the sneakiest card though is the Bomb. When Bomb is played, all other players must discard a ‘=0’ card and if they can’t… they lose a life!

Opinions

Ok, so let’s be clear 5 Alive is not up there with modern classics like Ticket to Ride, Wingspan and Twilight Imperium… but neither is it trying to be. What we have here is a fun little card game for up to 6 players to pass half an hour and, hopefully, not fall out over. It’s a simple card game based on an existing idea and is accessible to all.

Really, the two sentences of text on the back of the box tell you all you need to know. There’s no need to overthink this one. There’s no artwork really to speak of so visually wise there is no discussion to have on the look of the game.

We very much enjoyed our time with 5 Alive and, although it probably won’t hold pride of place on your shelf, it’s perfect to pull out for a family night or to take along on a journey. If you are looking for something to play with non gamers or newcomers to the hobby then this is a really welcoming game that won’t intimidate or confuse.