Imagine a game of Jenga (the classic dexterity tower block-building game from yester year) but where, in place of chunky wooden blocks you manipulate a stack of soft (squishy even), brightly coloured, Muppety, pompoms.
Yes you read right. Dreams do come true!
gentler, fluffier, strokable
Enter The Fuzzies – a delightfully gentler, fluffier (strokable) version of that decades old block building opus.
The basic gameplay loop remains super similar – remove a block Fuzzie from the tower and place it higher than it was (but not necessarily at the top as with Jenga).
The gameplay differences quickly become evident as you start playing.
Instead of picking any block Fuzzie, a deck of differently coloured cards dictate the colour of the Fuzzie to be removed each turn, occasionally forcing you to grapple with a tricksy and seriously embedded fluffball of that colour.
Fuzzies are removed by hand or by using the provided plastic tweezers, whichever is preferred.
Play continues clockwise with each player rescuing a Fuzzie from the stack and repositioning to a higher point on the tower before discarding the coloured card.
Players must remain seated – no pacing around the tower deliberating where to strike, although you are free to rotate the tower base to help identify any easier low-hanging (fuzz)fruit that may exist out of sight round the back.
unscrupulous players will set traps
Be wary of unscrupulous players (every group has one!) whom will almost certainly set a trap – by deliberately placing barely balanced shaggy globes just out of sight ready to quietly tumble on to the table as you inquisitively rotate the stack.
fallen balls mean penalties
And this is where the fundamental difference with Jenga comes in to play (aside from the super squishiness). Each fallen pom pom earns a penalty for that player on their next turn.
These are publically revealed by dealing out the corresponding number of cards (to a maximum of 3) from the same deck but placed reverse side up next to the klutz-handed offender as a humiliating reminder of what’s to come.
Four potential penalties await the hulk handed:
Place the highest
The removed Fuzzie must be placed at the highest point in the tower.
Hand over one eye
Remove the Fuzzie with one eye obscured.
Index & middle finger
Use your forefinger and index finger like a pair of scissors to chopstick the Fuzzie to safety.
Elephant Arms
Easily the most challenging (especially for my aging, inflexible body anyway) – touching your nose with one hand and placing your fuzzy-grabbing arm through the newly formed arm-hole
Should multiple penalty cards be acquired these are performed in combination (eek!) so pincer AND elephant arms (for example) are discarded once (if!) achieved.
Of course if you’re enduring several penalties then the probable outcome is further Fuzzies falling victim to your awkward, knotted arms, in which case you earn further penalties for the next turn.
If the (fuzz)tower ever collapses, or 10 or more Fuzzies tumble in one go – the game is over and everyone else is declared joint victors.
I regularly scour Kickstarter in the hope that an oversized outdoor garden variant with tennis ball sized pompoms is on the cards… I can only assume I need to adjust my search terms, or it just isn’t happening…yet!
It all starts so gently – typically the first dozen fuzzies are easily manipulated.
Once there is some height, a few overhangs, gaps or delicately balanced fluffballs are in place the tension mounts up.
The Fuzzies is not an outdoor or travel game. Definitely don’t play outside or on a windy day (and especially whilst trying to paddle across an Italian lake using a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for example).
To preserve your 100 (95?) new fluff-buddies I’d recommend playing with the tower base placed on a lipped tray to catch the inevitable Fuzzie casualties. If you have pets be sure to quickly reclaim any that fall to the floor.
Games of dexterity aren’t for everyone but this joyously broadens the mechanics of Jenga in a super entertaining manner. As with Jenga the super simple gameplay loop won’t appeal or hold everyone’s attention but this will be a guaranteed hit with fuzz fans or those seeking an undemanding, gentle, more relaxing game sesh.
Moderate
2+
20 mins
Easy
Superb, peaceful tumbling, Jenga update with humorous penalty mechanics. The tactile squishiness will instantly appeal to younger kids (4-8yo) and fluff addicted older ones. A great easy teach. A delectable fun 20 minute distraction that holds up to repeated plays.
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