Introduction
I received Bumfuzzle as a review copy. This is a party game comprised of a deck of 80 cards and a single sheet of rules the size of two cards. The deck is split in half in the box so that the rules fit on top.
The information on the box says for 2+ players, implying that it can be played by any number except solo. However, there are two practical considerations that put an effective upper limit on player count. The first is the size of the deck, and, OK, you got me, that’s not very constraining, given that 10 players would start with 8 cards each. However, the second consideration is the need to actually see the cards as they are played and to react to them in sufficient time. There’s a colocation issue here, and milliseconds could make all the difference between saying the right word first or blurting out the wrong one. So, practically, a group of 4-6 players around a small table is probably the ideal situation.
Gameplay
OK, I’m getting ahead of myself, I need to tell you how it’s played. Well, the rules fit on a single small sheet, so it’s not complex. You deal out all the cards face down and they remain face down in front of each player. You choose a starting player – the rules say “the oldest player”, but you may want to use Chwazi or some similar app for randomising the start. That player turns over the top card of their pile – without looking at it / examining it first – and puts it onto the pile in the centre of the table. Or starts such a pile.
The first person to react correctly to the card that has just been turned over gets to go next. Each card will have a word on it and a background colour. There are a few rules for how to react depending on the colour and the word. If the card is coloured red or green, you just read the word as printed. If the card is coloured blue, you say the colour of the word. That’s the word, not the background. So far, so simple. Now, here’s where the name of the game comes in. If you see the word “Bumfuzzle” on a red or green background, instead of reading the word, you silently stand up. You must not say the word in this case. If it’s on a blue background, you can just say the colour of the word, because you’re not actually saying the forbidden word “Bumfuzzle”.
The object is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible, so you are constantly looking for a way to break the active player’s serve, so to speak, so that you can start ditching your own cards.
What happens if you make a mistake? In that case, you take the pile of cards that has built up in the centre of the table, knocking you back with many more cards to dispose of. You then start again by turning over your top card to the centre of the table.
Note that there are many cards with words that look similar to “Bumfuzzle”, but the Bumfuzzle rule only applies to that word – not to fumbuzzle, or bumblefluzz, or flumblezub, or any other similar variations. When played at speed, mistakes will happen and you will go from only one card left to ten or fifteen or more.
Conclusion
Bumfuzzle is a very silly game, so you need to embrace the silliness. This means it’s ideal for playing with your children/grandchildren/nephews and nieces. It’s also very quick and simple to teach and play. The art/design is simple and recognizable – I would score it a 3/5 for artwork. The component quality is fine – it’s just cards – I think 2/5 for components.
It’s pretty replayable and it will probably see some service as a “filler” game or at the beginning or end of the evening. I think 4/5 for replayability.
Complexity – no, this is not a complex game at all. Did I mention that the rules fit on a single small sheet of paper? I think this is a 1/5 for complexity.
Player interaction is what this game is all about. You, and by that, I mean everyone, need(s) to watch the card being turned over with hawk-like perception, ready to pounce with the word or the colour or to leap to your feet silently. I think Bumfuzzle deserves a 5/5 for player interaction.
If you like other fast, shouty games like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, then take a look at Bumfuzzle. There is no analysis paralysis in Bumfuzzle – seriously, you snooze, you lose. Overall, I would rate Bumfuzzle 65%.
