Gulo Gulo Review

There are a woefully small number of games out there that are great for kids and fun for grown-ups. The only real all-rounders I’ve managed to find are German games. They seem to have this corner of the market sewn up, and do it so much better than anyone else out there.

Warning: Generalisation alert!

Most of the English games for kids are all snakes and ladders variants, with a player rolling the dice and moving his dobber to get to the end, following inane instructions that completely randomise the outcome.

American games for kids tend to be the same, but with a gimmick such as a rolling ball that knocks you over, or a timer, or a flashing light or something.

German games for kids seem to concentrate on having great games with interesting and thought-provoking rules, as well as excellent and very ergonomic components. These are usually made from long-lasting and colourful wood. Gulo Gulo being a perfect example.

The game is about a bunch of wild wolverines trying to rescue Junior Wolverine from the clutches of the evil vultures by stealing eggs. It doesn’t make much sense as a theme, but makes for a brilliant game that the little ones can routinely trounce us oldies on a regular basis.

The components are top-notch, as could be expected from a German games company. You get a bunch of nice thick card tiles to make a track with (each featuring a wolverine stealing a particular coloured egg), a little wooden bowl, a bunch of wooden eggs of varying sizes and colours, and a cloth bag. Most importantly though, you get The Alarm – a wooden stick with an egg on the top of it.

The idea is that the eggs get randomised in the cloth bag, poured into the bowl, and 'The Alarm' is stuck in the mix (egg-end poking into the air), so that the eggs in the bowl are keeping it upright. The players then take it in turns to nick eggs from the bowl without letting 'The Alarm' touch the table. If you successfully nick an egg, you get to move to the next tile with that coloured egg on it. Otherwise you go back to the last tile of the colour that you tried to nick. There are a couple more rules (like how exactly to rescue Junior and so on), but that is basically it.

The reason that the kids find this one easy to play are those damn small fingers of theirs! They can nip in and take an egg that we thicker-fingered adults would balk at. I can almost hear the little ones laughing in my face as they play – finally being small has its advantages. Damn them!

This game is a definite favourite in our house (along with its sister game Chicken Cha Cha Cha), and this kids love it. My three-year-old can play (with some help to select the best colour) and is quickly learning how to optimise her colour-choosing strategy.

The only small problem I have with the game is with the alarm. It is a flimsy stick with an egg on top, and will break very easily with pressure applied in the wrong place (exactly the sort of thing likely to happen with a three-year-old playing). And if your alarm is broken, the game is unplayable. I have mild palpitations every time my daughter says “let me do it!” and grabs for the Alarm to set it up again.

Presentation: Lovely cartoon artwork of wolverines stealing eggs make this a winner in first sight with most children. The tiles are thick and sturdy, the eggs are wood and brightly painted, and the bowl and bag are functional. The Alarm is the only slight quibble, with it looking really really breakable! 8.7/10

Clarity of Rules: Oddly, the game seems confusing at first glance, with some odd-looking rules and set-up. However, after their first turn, people pick it up very quickly. The rules do their best to lay things out in a clear manner, but for some reason, the game needs to be played to be fully appreciated (or maybe I’m just bad at explaining the rules!) 8.1/10

Game Length: It’s all over pretty quickly, with the endgame coming at an unexpected moment (Junior is shuffled into a stack of five tiles at the end of the track). Things happen fast in the game, with players leaping huge swathes of track, meaning it is always a close thing at the end. Really quite evocative of the race this is supposed to be. It’s very well timed, and is always begging to be played again. 8.7/10

Value: Because of the lovely wooden bits and pieces, and those wonderfully illustrated thick tiles, the game is worth the money. Factor in the fun that can be had with your little ones (or your grown-up friends if you are in the right mood) and this one is a real winner. 9.1/10

Overall: An excellent game that appeals to children as well as those adults forced to keep the little ones entertained for hours on end…! It can also be enjoyed by adults on their own, as long as they are in the right mood (e.g. drunk). Definitely one to bridge the generation gap. 8.9/10 (not an average)

Review by David Plank