Synonyms, the game

When I was first approached to review the board game, "Synonyms: The Word Game That Gets Your Mind Racing", I wasn't sure what to expect. Then the game arrived...

Can I just say, "Holy Buckets Batman!"

I knew my vocabulary skills were limited, but I had no idea how limited until I began playing the game with my husband and daughter. For the first few turns, I couldn't even get a single word card correct, but as the game progressed, I am happy to say that my brain started to catch on.

Still, we were all a bit slow when it came to beating the timer and there was no way we were going to be able to play the more difficult version, which required naming off x number of synonyms before the sand ran out. In fact, at one point during the game my husband and I looked at each other and said, "If it weren't so funny, this sure could make a person feel dumb."

It just goes to show you how laid back and laxed we've gotten as a society.

This is definitely one of those games that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) should have a fundraiser for... to make sure there is at least one game in every classroom!

As for the game, I have to tell you that I was really impressed with quality of the product. The game comes in a cellophane wrapped box. Inside the box, is a plastic card holder with compartments for every game piece with the best part being the fact that all 400 of the cards are made of a thick cardstock which are then laminated to protect from spills and rubbings.

Usually, when we purchase a board game, with cards for playing pieces, my husband has to go out and buy some card sleeves to protect the pieces from getting ruined by too many fingers. I can happily say that was not the case with Synonyms.

So how does one play the game?

Each player rolls a die, then moves that number around the board. When the player stops on a colored letter, he picks a card with that color. Each color represents a level of difficulty. On the front of the card is the word. On the back of the card is a list of synonyms. The player must then attempt to name the synonyms within the alloted time. If the player can achieve this goal, the letter his game piece is on is marked off on the tally sheet. The first person to spell the word, "Synonym", wins.

The game can be played with up to 8 players, but it can easily be played by more players if you break your group up into teams. For instance, a classroom of 40 children could be broken into 8 teams of 5 or 5 teams of 8. The key would be to mix the groups up so that there is an even number of players who are strong (and weak) in word vocabultary. It would certainly make it easier to come up with the allotted number of synonyms before the timer ran out!

Now, if you're looking for a gaming experience full of excitement and laughter, you're not going to find it with Synonyms--unless you have a good sense of humor and can laugh at yourself. If, on the other hand, you love word games, cannot get enough of Scrabble, thrive on crossword puzzles, and love to confuse people with big words, then you are going to LOVE this game.

You can order from Amazon.com for $29.99.

Oh, and one more thing... According to the press release, the game--as a learning tool-- helps children improve general word recognition, increase active vocabulary, enable critical thinking skills, and build verbal skills that help with decision making and reasoning.

Disclaimer: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this game for review purposes.

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