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Some of the most entertaining games that I’ve ever played were no-tech, meaning there was no batteries, tablets or computers involved. There’s just something about playing games hands on with other people, with no need for computer intervention. Those are the games that really make you think, and they can be really entertaining. When I walk down the toy aisles now I see more and more things that require at least batteries. You’d almost think that good old fashioned games were a lost art. Unless you’d heard of Funnybone Toys.
I just learned about Funnybone Toys recently. The folks at Funnybone wanted to create games that sparked an appreciation for color and art. The physical games themselves were designed to look good, featuring bold colors and interesting designs. The game designers also wanted to encourage the use of imagination and creative thinking during game play. To that end, the colors and designs themselves became a part of the game play.
Here are some of the games that Funnybone currently offers.
Funnybones
Ages 6 & older — MSRP/MAP $9.99 • 1 or more players
THE WORLD’S OLDEST GAME YOU’VE NEVER PLAYED…YET!
Funnybones is part skill, part tradition…and ALL fun! And, with 30 game challenges, the excitement never ends. Funnybones dates to the Greek and Roman periods & now this game is played in many places around the world.
Funnybone Toys is thrilled to introduce its special version in the US, with game challenges ranging from easy to difficult! These include Overhand Ones, Twos, Threes and Fours; Clicks; Horses in the Stable; Eggs in the Basket – and more! Brief instructional videos of each challenge are posted on Funnybone Toys’ YouTube channel. Players improve hand-eye coordination as they tackle the challenges. Funnybones is great to practice alone and play with others while taking turns.
Array
AGES 8 TO ADULT – $14.99
Array is a game where players compete to place the highest number of multi color cards into connecting patterns. Special slice and splice moves enable more cards to be played in each turn.
Action cards allow players to shake up the game by following instructions to Splatter and Slam their opponents (to give more cards & points)
Game definitions:
ARRAY: the individual patterns created during the game where cards are touching each other
SPLICE: to match a color and therefore add a card to the array. There are 2 possible levels to the splice moves:
Splice 1 and Splice 2
SLICE: to separate two matching and touching colors and therefore create two separate arrays from the original array.
SLICE AND SPLICE: to separate two matching and touching colors, create two arrays from the original array, and add new cards to the two separate arrays.
This special move allows the player to double the number of opportunities to place down more cards
SPLATTER: to use an action card that causes opponents to pick up a specific number of cards
SLAM: to use an action card that gives an opponent 10 additional points.
Connect the cards to build a beautiful array of colors.
Add a little splice and slice to make the array explode! Sound simple? Wait till someone tosses a Splatter or SLAM card your way!
You can play Array on a table – but for even more fun, play it on the floor and see how big your array can grow! Be the last person in the game by building the largest array of color you can.
Cubu
AGES 8 TO ADULT – $14.99
Cubu where visual illusion leads to confusion as you try to follow number and color sequences.
Watch out for the action cards that could disrupt your turn!
Get to 100 points before the rest and you’ve won the CUBU challenge!
Play Speed CUBU and really test your visual perception!
Visual illusion leads to confusion as you try to follow number and color sequences. Watch out for the action cards that could completely disrupt your turn! Get to 100 points before the rest and you’ve won the CUBU challenge! Play Speed CUBU and really test your visual perception!
Arrazzles
AGES 4-99 – $19.99
Arrazzles lets you explore abstract geometrical configurations. Each card has one of five different patterns of slots allowing for abstract building and design opportunities. Arrazzles cards are covered in five beautiful, reflective metallic colors, with a different color on each side of the card. As you build and connect the cards, the metallic colors reflect off each other. The hole in the middle of each card allows for further form exploration – it’s sized to perfectly hold a standard plastic straw, so you can connect the cards that way, or string them together with yarn or pipe cleaner, allowing you to build a completely unique abstraction every time you play!
IMAGINE Peek at the sky at night and see the different arrays of stars. Can you recreate one of them?
Look at the patterns of leaves on trees. Can you build the same?
Appreciate the flower arrangements in your garden and how the colors play off of each other. Try that with the Arrazzles cards!
Start with just one card and attach more cards without a plan in mind!
CONNECT Make interesting arrangements where colors branch off from one another by placing cards side by side on a flat surface.
Connect all of the cards with 4 slots and then do the same for 6 and 8 slotted cards and see how the position of the slots changes the three-dimensional geometry.
Connect the cards in specific color sequences.
BUILD Variations in slot position allow you multiple ways to shape your creation.
Flip a card from one side to another for a completely different color perspective and overall look.
Thread colorful objects through the holes like straws, strings, yarn or pipe cleaners.
Use all of the cards or a select few – it’s up to you!
Spectrix
AGES 8 TO ADULT – $14.99
Spectrix™ is a colorful take on the game of Rummy, played in multiple fast paced rounds. The object is to be the first player to get rid of all of the cards in your hand by placing them into color sequences based on the order of colors on the Spectrix™ guide card or into collections of the same color. Players who are left with cards at the end of each round are given points.
Players who reach 100 points or more are eliminated from the game.
Disruptus
AGES 10 to 99 – $24.99
Disruptus asks players to look at objects and ideas and use different approaches — as determined by the roll of a die — to innovate. Disruptus™ draws inspiration from the very important practice of ‘disruptive thinking’. Disruptive thinking is one of the most powerful ways to innovate. It has been used to create ideas and objects like digital music, camera phones, and car sharing programs. Disruptive thinking is looking at an object or idea and coming up with an entirely different way to achieve the same end.
So, in the case of car sharing, the innovators looked at the car rental industry and came up with a new approach that ‘disrupted’ the old conventional method.
Need a better explanation? Here’s a brief video that should help.
CONNECT
Funnybone Toys website – Funnybone Toys on Facebook – Funnybone Toys on Twitter – Funnybone Toys YouTube Channel
I love games that have NO BATTERIES!! Have you tried to find them lateley? Most of them take batteries!!
You have made some really good finds with these games.
I like the Arazzles one – can build almost anything they can imagine. And they’re not blocks!
Oh my heavens–they all look intriguing. I bet my friends would love to be given any one of these as a gift.
We’re a game family. I think the Funnybones would be our fave, but I bet we’d like them all.
I love games and we always have a Family Game night on friday.. these look like a lot of fun.. some I remember when I was younger playing or at least similar games.. soo cool..thanks for sharing, will check them out
That looks like a game my children would really enjoy, I’ve never heard of Funny Bone before. Thank you for sharing.
These games look like they are a lot of fun and have some engaging colors and pieces. They are perfect for family game night.
Maybe Cuba. I remember my favorite uncle bringing home small cardboard puzzles (about four pieces each) for a square and triangle. I loved them as a little girl as I loved him.
Funny Bones looks very interesting, but then they all do. I would like to try them all out.