Walkie Talkie: A card game for fast-thinking word lovers
Frances & Anthony
Anthony and Frances have been producing playthrough and review videos since 2016, and bring to the Nexus a fun-first approach. Primarily mid-heavy eurogamers, they provide insight into the 2 player experience for many popular board games. Join them as they show you how your next game plays.
Summary
A fast playing word game for 2-8 players that we feel could be played as it, or used as a learning tool in disguise.
How it Plays
Walkie talkie is a cooperative word game for 2-8 players. The game features a single deck with colors on one side and letters on the other. To prepare, divide the deck in two, and shuffle the cards so that the colored sides and lettered sides are mixed. Place two cards face up in reach of all players. One should be color side up and the other letter side up. Players are dealt a hand of six cards.
To play, set a timer for 30seconds per player. The goal of the game is to get rid of as many cards as possible within the time set. Each player plays either a letter or a color to the respective deck at the center of the table, then names a word that corresponds with the color and starts with the letter now showing on the center decks.
The game ends when all players run out of cards, or when the time expires. At the end of the game, players add up all of the asterisks on cards played, and subtract the number of cards not played. This is the group’s total score.
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Verdict
What impressed us the most about this game was its versatility. Yes, its a fun experience to try and come up with words on the fly, but as a former Educator, I instantly saw the applications for everything from language processing to acquisition. While I would probably recommend this for English language learning due to the English alphabet used, it could easily be used to facilitate other latin-based language learning too. I am equally excited to get this in front of my toddler as she is learning colors and vocabulary as well.
I can also see this being played as an improv warm up, or a team ice breaker. At under $10, buying this game is a no-brainer – mastering it is another story.
What we liked
- Fast play and easy to learn
- Travels well in a small box
- Versatile – you can omit the timer, or lengthen the time if needed for your group
Who Its For
- Word and language enthusiasts
- Improv groups
- Second-language learners
- Younger children (as a tool without the timer)
Our Reservations
The language dependence may restrict this to English or at most latin-based language speaking gamers. However, being a one-deck game, this could likely be available in other languages if not already.
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