Catch the Match (Playroom Entertainment, 2004 -- Reinhard Staupe) is a small, simple, easy game, thus getting a short review. But don't let that, or the "kiddie" look of it fool you. Although the game consists solely of fifteen cards, it's a work of pure genius, and the kids (and even adults) are consistently playing it when I have it on the game table.

The game reminds me of the "Find the Difference" puzzles that were in the Highlights magazine I read as a child. With only fifteen cards, fifteen pictures, and four colors, Mr. Staupe has really done something nifty. When talking to him, he told me that the game took weeks to put together, and that he considered it a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Now, considering how simplistic the game is, and how that many gamers will scoff upon seeing it, that seems like a weighty statement. But it's true on many levels--the idea is brilliant, and the execution works well with children.

Fifteen cards are used in the game, each with fifteen objects on them (fish, drum, airplane, teapot, pencil, flowerpot, ship, sweater, ball, duck, kite, hat, teddy bear, butterfly, and car). Each object is made up of several segments and colored in two different colors (red, yellow, green, and blue). The cards are shuffled and placed face down on the table, and the game is ready to begin.

The oldest player takes any two cards and places them face up in the middle of the table. Every two cards have one and only one possible exact match (colors and shape). The colors of the pictures must also be in the same segment. For example, if the body of the airplane is red, and the wings are green, it does NOT match a picture where the airplane's body is green with red wings. The first player to point out the correct match takes one of the two cards, placing it in front of them (an incorrect call removes the player from the current round.)

The next card is flipped over and placed next to the remaining card, and the game continues. When only one card is left in the game, the game ends. The player with the most cards in front of them is the winner!

Some comments on the game...

1. Components: The cards are thick, heavy cardboard stock, and can take a lot of abuse. My one year old daughter managed to snag them, and they came out none the worse for wear (something a lot of other games have sadly not been able to claim.) The images on the cards are clear, bright, colorful, and especially attractive to kids. The cards fit in a nice cardboard insert in a small, sturdy (and once again colorful!) box.


2. Rules: I don't know why I need discuss the rules, since they're so incredibly simple. So I won't.


3. Colors: One small problem that the game would have is that it's heavily dependent on color. Thus, colorblind folk would have a terrible time distinguishing the differences between some of the pictures. I can't think of any way to rectify this, so I would just recommend people with this eye disorder to avoid playing the game.


4. Ages: I've played the game with three-year-olds, and they were able to hold their own against much older adults. This is one game that my family can play together, and it's a fair match all the way through. My daughter brought in a bunch of Korean friends, and with no language needed, I was able to explain the game to them, and they had a great time!


5. Diversion and Fun Factor: For adults, I have to admit that Catch the Match falls into the "bring it out as a diversion" category. Since a game can last about two minutes, it works well in this regard but doesn't really satisfy much more. It's like eating a delicious piece of candy -- it might be delectable, but not satisfying for an entire meal.

If you have children, especially younger ones, then you can't do much better than picking up this innovative game. If your playing group consists entirely of adults, then perhaps I would only get this as a novelty-type gift. For heavy gaming groups, this is certainly too light. But for families, it's a wonderful time of frenzied looking to see who can match the pictures first.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games."