Poo: The Card Game by WildFire (published by Sandstorm Productions)
Published:
September 20, 2010
Product: If your sense of humor allows the idea of irate simians taking out their frustrations on each other after a bad day at the zoo, then this is the game for you! Poo is extremely fast paced, with cards enough for up to eight players and accessible for kids as young as eight or nine years old. The box contains 110 sturdy cards and a single instruction sheet.
Gameplay: Every player is dealt five cards. They play Poo (like Bonzo Poo) and Special Poo cards (such as Montezuma’s Revenge) to fling poo at each other, while Defense Cards are played to avoid flung poo. Players can mess with each other by playing Mishaps (give your opponent a cramp) and Events (“Not in the face!”). Finally, you can retreat from the fight for some grooming with Clean cards.
Essentially, the Poo and Special Poo cards bestow a certain number of poo points on the target. Once a player has reached 15 poo points, he’s out of the game. The game continues until only one monkey is left in the game, who is then declared the winner (or least loser).
There are a couple of nice elements to this game (which bears a strong resemblance in play to Lunch Money from Atlas Games). For one, the rule sheet is brief, simple and easy to understand. Anything special that a card might do is printed on the card itself. Second, is that after playing through the deck once, all of the Clean cards are removed, and the discard pile is reshuffled into the draw pile. This means that the game will not go on interminably with monkeys running away from a fight looking for towels or taking a dip in the pool. Eventually, you’ll have to stand your ground, even if it means going out in a Blaze of Glory.
Marketing: First off, all of Poo’s artwork is humorous and tasteful, with funny cartoon monkeys. Still, some parents may find that the subject matter is a little off for young kids. I played it with a 12-year-old during our review session, and she got a kick out of the game, although, admittedly, the adults were more amused.
Sandstorm Productions suggests that the target audience for Poo: The Card Game are adults looking for lighthearted fun, families looking for something to play with the kids and boys of all ages. I think the first and third suggestions are the ones to run with; especially since Sandstorm plans to release a sister game called Nuts (in which squirrels are bonking each other with acorns) that will be more kid appropriate.
One way to keep Poo in front of customers is to consider cross-marketing opportunities in your store. Do you sell a lot of party games, such as those from North Star? Consider stocking Poo nearby. It has a box that screams for attention, and would probably be something that your party-game crowd would enjoy. If you sell plush toy monkeys or other stuffed jungle animals, plastic army men, Hot Wheels cars — anything that is going to attract the attention of young boys — displaying Poo nearby could work out well.
Of course, don’t forget to stock Poo with your non-collectible card games for those who know what they’re looking for and expect to find it in the most “logical” spot.
As a final note, in October, Poo will come in a new package that is the same size as the current one, but from heavier stock and will open like a board game with a lift-off box top. The game will come in a six-pack display box and have a new MSRP of $9.99.
VITAL STATS
Product: Poo: The Card Game
Publisher: Sandstorm Productions
ISBN: 978-1-934857-60-1
MSRP: $12.99
Availability: Check with your favorite game distributor or visit Sandstorm Productions
BOTTOM LINE
Fast and furious game play
Irreverent humor
Market to adults and boys around 10 years old
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