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What an iconic childhood game! Who didn’t have a set of this when they were young? Fast, Frantic and Intense. Hungry Hungry Hippos is an absolute whirlwind of a children’s (and family) game.
The Rules.
There really are not too many rules to consider in this game which is great. It’s suitable for all (just watch out for young ones and the balls being a possible choking hazard). The game is for 2 to 4 players and works well with any amount.
What I was pleased to see was two options for the victory condition which is cool. You have
1. The classic rule of the player who collects the most balls wins.
2. The golden ball. Which is the player who gathers the golden ball automatically wins.
This set (compared with my childhood set) actually has a fun way to put the balls in the middle. There are 20 balls to compete over and 4 spaces off the edge with a little launcher. Each player can launch the 5 balls into the middle of play. It bears no real significance to the game but it is fun to fire the balls up and into the middle.
Someone then calls go, or however you want to manage starting and the contest is on.
Component quality.
I remember my childhood version of the game not lasting particularly long. We are going back to the 90’s now, but it didn’t survive so well. This set does feel a little more robust and has actually been well designed to pack down much smaller. The robustness has already been put to the test by my younglings. They have pulled at the heads, hit the game and it is standing up well so far. Also the lever for activating the hippo head does feel more durable than previous editions. All positive on this front.
As noted the game does pack down when disassembling. It’s been really well designed. My original old set was massive. This game is still a decent size, but tidies away well. Young ones will just need some assistance when packing up and probably setting up.
Feeding Time.
When the game starts, if it goes beyond 30 seconds I would be shocked. It really doesn’t last long at all. That may be a slight drawback in that I also remember there being way more than 20 balls, The game never lasted long anyway, now it is very short. One of the most intense moments is getting all players to hold their nerves before someone has started the game. The temptation to feed early is hard to resist. Everyone wants that advantage.
However the feeding time does cause a frenzy. My children find this incredibly intense and somewhat get overcome by the emotions they are feeling. The game doesn’t involve much thinking or strategy and they know they just need as many balls as possible, so they get competitive which is great. They have struggled a little to keep themselves together when they have lost though, still not fully accepting that you can play a new game straight away and get going again. Occasionally their hands have drifted on to the board to pull balls towards their hippo, which is cheating, but they have such a huge desire to win they cannot help themselves. They are 5 and 2 and their impulses are huge. So the game is brilliant for teaching these emotions, letting them feel them and playing out their reactions to the game in a safe space. It might not feel great in that moment for the child that doesn’t win but there is a lot of critical learning happening and we (as parents) are very pleased about that.
They are learning this and the games are fun. To see the excitement bubble up in play is hugely satisfying as a parent and it is wonderful family time.
Final Thoughts
Hungry Hungry Hippos is as good as it ever was. It’s a super fun family game, particularly suitable for families with young children.
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