Bamboleo (1996)

About this game

This is definitely one of the more unusual offerings from our German friends. An assortment of oddly shaped wooden blocks are placed onto a round, wooden 'platter.' The platter has a cork ball on its underside, which is then placed on top of a conical stand. The trick is that the oddly shaped pieces are to be removed one-by-one, which has a high probability of upsetting the whole contraption's delicate balance. The bigger the piece that you remove when it's your turn, the more points you'll score, but you have a higher likelihood of spilling everything, which scores you negative points.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 7.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 6 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.