Pass the Pigs

Pass the Pigs! Not something you’d expect to hear on an average Games Night, unless you know of this cult classic already. Compact, quirky and uncomplicated, is Pass the Pigs worth your time and money?

This is a game I hold dear, as my family and I used to play it a lot when I was young. I have vivid memories of being on holiday in France, in a beautiful little town surrounded by lovely weather and breathtaking mountain views, with the four of us inside hunched over a table in complete, tense silence as we passed the pigs between us. I recently got my hands on another set of pigs all these years later to find out- does Pass the Pigs hold up?

Design

Stored in a palm-sized silver carry case, the game is compact and neatly slides open to reveal its pieces. The most fun and important of the pieces, however, are already on display, thanks to a little rocket ship-style window. This window, boasting the crux of the game and the only pieces for gameplay, reveals two small rubber pigs. The tablet shaped container also contains two small pencils, a notepad along with a card showing all the possible scoring combinations.

Gameplay

As mentioned, this game is straightforward, and does not require much time beforehand to learn the rules. The two pigs- absolutely gleaming with delight at the prospect of being chucked around- get rolled like dice, and the different ways in which they land produce points. For example, if one of the pigs lands on its back, or “Razorback”, you score 5 points, 20 if the other pig follows suit. If you manage the feat of having a pig leaning half on its nose and half on an oversized ear, you have achieved the much coveted “Leaning Jowler”, which scores you 15 points (60 points if they both partake).

You can keep rolling them to your heart’s content and rack up points, but beware- each pig has a black dot on one of their sides, so if you roll the pigs, they both land on their sides, one side shows a dot and the other is bare (a position named “Pig Out”), you lose all the points you made since you were last passed the pigs. It is a game of luck, risk, and… well, pigs.

But… is it fun?

The whole concept is quite unique and entertaining, and whilst the novelty of throwing tiny pigs does wear off slightly, the excitement of each game certainly makes up for it.

The time it takes to play this game is adaptable to your circumstances; an average game where the points goal is 100, as recommended, takes around five minutes to complete. This can vary quite a bit, of course, as it really depends upon the luck of your rolls; I have had games where the winner has racked up about 30 points each time they roll, and the game concludes almost as soon as it has started. Other times, clearly when the pigs are feeling lazy, everyone keeps Pigging Out and failing to gather any points at all, for ages. But usually, if you have places to be, one round will have you rolling, winning/losing and out the door in a matter of minutes. For a longer session, you can up the points goal and play multiple rounds- and believe me, its addictive nature will leave you wanting another round.

For such a small and simple game, I find it creates a lot of energy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a game of Pass the Pigs that hasn’t included some sort of golf-like silence, or a heated debate about whether the pigs are “Makin’ Bacon” (in any way touching, therefore losing ALL the thrower’s points gathered in the entirety of the game).

The only downsides I can think of are down to the pig pieces themselves; firstly, a large, flat surface is required, as they can often become volatile when being thrown. It is easy to underestimate how large of a surface you might need, or have a particularly violent roll and end up losing a pig to the crevices of your sofa, airbnb, or even worse, a GWR train.

Also, the paint on the pigs is quite quick to wear off; I found this with both the sets I have owned in my life. This becomes particularly problematic when the black dots begin to wear away, making it difficult to see if you have Pigged Out or not. A quick fix is to draw it back on yourself so absolutely not a dealbreaker, but make sure to use a permanent marker, as it is difficult to tell if the spot you’re seeing is a weak biro mark or just dirt from the pig’s latest tumble under the sofa.

Summary

Pass the Pigs is a neat little game, easily portable so great for travelling and boasts quick, upbeat game sessions. Whilst definitely a novelty that might wear out quickly in both your own intrigue and the physical game, the name really tells you all you need to know and can keep you and your playmates busy for at least a little while. If you’re looking for a rewarding game infused with strategy, interesting mechanics and story, I would suggest you look elsewhere, But for a bit of uncomplicated, some-nonsense fun? These pigs are your guys.