Review: Old Mummy Card Game by Abigail Samoun

OLD MUMMY CARD GAME

by Abigail Samoun

Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

Chronicle Books

 Games

ages 6 to 8

It's a monster mash-up of the classic Old Maid card game! Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls are lurking, and so is one Old Mummy. Ward off the chilling creatures by playing this new twist on a favorite game where players compete for the most pairs of monsters while keeping the Old Mummy at bay. Packaged in a sarcophagus-shaped box and featuring a deck of werewolves, zombies, vampires, and more, this monstrous card game is frighteningly fun for all ages.

MY TIDBITS

I can't remember the last time I'd played Old Maid, let alone introduced it to my kids. This version changed that and is now one we'll grab up more often.

Anyone who's played Old Maid knows it's a pretty simple game, which one can dive right into. This more monstery version is just as easy to play, since it uses the same rules, and for those who are new to the game, the instructions are found on a single card inside. These are written in a concise, fun and still, easy to understand way.

The cards are so creepy and fun. The monsters depicted are mostly familiar (witches, Frankenstein's monster, werewolf, etc), and recognizable. They're dark, slightly sinister and perfect for little monster fans. Actually, we enjoyed flipping through them just to get a glimpse at each monster before we played. While they don't change the game really, it's definitely more exciting to see who can keep away from an old mummy than an old maid.

We played with four people, although it would work for two. It's just more fun when no one is sure where that mummy is hiding.

We enjoyed playing this one quite a bit and will be picking it up for a quick game often.




Abigail Samoun is an author and literary agent living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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