Hisss! A game review

This stylish variant of dominoes is a good introductory game for young children, and it has the all-important virtues of simplicity, brevity, and adult appeal.

The game consists of a set of tiles, each illustrating a portion of a snake. The object of the game is to assemble the tiles into one or more plausible-looking snakes.

At the beginning of the game, the tiles are shuffled and one is turned face up on the floor. This tile becomes the “bud” of a new snake. The first player selects another tile from the deck and sees if she can connect it to the tile on the floor.

If so, she puts the tile in place and her turn ends. If not (because, for example, both tiles depict tails), she sets the second tile aside where it will serve as the “bud” for another snake, and her turn ends.

Players take turns until one of them completes a snake. When this happens, the snake is claimed by that player. The game continues until all tiles have been used up. Victory goes to the player with the most snakes.

Why I like this game
There are no game tokens to keep track of, and, because the game ends when the cards run out, game sessions rarely take more than 15 minutes. The game entertains adults because there are choices to make. This is a game that families will enjoy playing for many years.

In addition, the game has educational value. Kids have to think about which parts fit together. Kids practice counting (to see who has assembled the greatest number of snakes). And kids can make strategic choices. For instance, game rules permit a player to connect two previously distinct “snakes in progress” if he draws the right card. But you have to spot the opportunity before you can take advantage of it.

Finally, kids have fun playing with the tiles on their own. This makes it relatively easy for the adult to escape after the end of a game!