The final cooperative game we're going to look at is a game that's part of a series commonly seen as being for kids.  In fact, the series does focus heavily on games for families.  This particular game is intended for older audiences, specifically ages 13 and up - I'd say it's probably accessible by younger children than that.  The series is Cranium, and the game is Hoopla.


(BGG image by user ArtEmiSa64)

Hoopla is a game for 2-8 players, and comes to you from Cranium (which is, not surprisingly, owned by Hasbro).  The designer is listed as the Forrest-Pruzan Creative, which is a company that has designed many games in the Cranium line.  However, I'm not sure the exact person (or people) that created the game.  Group effort!  The game was released in 2002.

Like most (if not all) Cranium games, you have to accomplish tasks in several different categories to win.  Unlike most (if not all) Cranium games, all players are on the same team.  You have fifteen minutes to get everyone else to guess words on your cards, and they have to get you to guess their cards as well.


(BGG image by user JonBen)

Each player will initially be dealt a hand of four cards, with eight more cards set in a common pile.  On your turn, you roll a special ten sided die to see what task you'll have to perform, and pick a card to go with that task.  If you roll blue, it's Cloodle time!  Draw your clue Pictionary style, and hopefully someone will guess it!  A green roll means it's time for Soundstage, where you have to act it out using gestures and sound effects, but no words.  A roll of yellow means it's time for Tongue-Tied.  You give one word clues for your card, but all clues must start with the same letter.  Red will mean that it's time for Tweener, where your clue is in the form "It's bigger than _____, but smaller than _____."  A purple roll is Wild, and you get to choose your clue style.

Once someone guesses your word, you discard it into a face up Hall of Fame.  You'll then draw another card from the common pile (unless the common pile is gone, in which case you don't draw anything).  When everyone is out of cards, the game is over.

Here's the catch:  You're all on one team, and you have to finish in fifteen minutes.


(BGG image by user kilroy_locke)

At the beginning of the game, you set the timer for 15 minutes.  When you start giving a clue, you start the timer.  When someone guess it, you stop the timer.  If you complete all cards before the timer goes off, you win.  If the timer goes off before the last clue is finished, you lose.

A couple of notes - there are three wild chips in the game.  These can be used to change a clue style.  You only get three for the whole group, and once they've been used, they're gone - so use them wisely.  Also, you can give up on a clue.  If you do, you can discard the card you were working on, but you must draw two new cards from the deck (not the common pile).  This means that you'll have more work to do.

That's it.  I told you it was easy.  Read up on it at BGG, watch the Board Games with Scott episode about the game, and then get your own.  It looks like it's out of print, but you might find it in a store with other Cranium games.  I found my copy in a clearance sale at Barnes & Noble.

That's it for the in-depth look at cooperative games.  Stay tuned for some more cooperative games you may want to look at in the next expansion.  Happy gaming!
-Jesse