Spin Master Games has an obsession with props…there’s no other logical explanation behind it. In “Moustache Smash“, for example, players had to pretend to wear mustaches. “Hedbanz Act Up!” is a lot like “Heads Up!” in the sense that players will be wearing headbands and inserting cards into them to engage in “Reverse Charades” as I’ve dubbed it. In fact, both games are almost exactly alike save for the different categories featured in the latter. Before moving on to the review, I’d like to quickly thank the folks at Spin Master Games for providing me with a free press copy.
Hedbanz Act Up!: 2-6 Players, Ages 8+, Average Play Time = 20-30 Minutes
Components
Headbands & Matching Cards – There are six different headbands each with its own unique color and matching player card. The player card simply serves to remind the player as to what color they are.
Die, Tokens, & Timer – The die lists six different colors (matching the six player colors) and is used to determine partners during the game. The timer will time players during a turn and tokens are used to determine who wins the game.
Act Up Cards – Each card (total of 180) lists a noun (person, place, or thing).
Setup & Gameplay
Each player chooses a headband, puts it on, and receives a card of the same color to place in front of them. The deck of Act Up cards is shuffled with the die and timer being placed nearby. Each player received twelve tokens, the object of which is to get rid of all of them in order to win the game.
Players take turns being the “guesser” and on a player turn, they’ll roll the colored die to see who their partner or “actor” is. The “guesser” will draw a card and place it in their headband (without looking at it) and when ready, the “actor” will begin by flipping the sand timer. Without using words, the “actor” will attempt to get the “guesser” to guess what is on the card. A correct answer allows both players to place a token into the center of the table. The “guesser” draws a new card (keeping the same “actor”) and keeps going until the time runs out. The role of the “guesser” moves on to the next person and play continues until one player gets rid of all of their tokens.
The Review
I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this one. On the plus side, there are 180 cards allowing for a few playthroughs before cards begin repeating themselves. “Heads Up!” suffered the same problem and it’s a shame that the developers couldn’t include more cards to help add some much-needed replayability to the game. The cards themselves are too flimsy for my tastes and often warp/bend when trying to fit them into the headband slot. I was also not too crazy about the “pizza box lid” for lack of better term as it made putting the game away a pain. The headbands often rest to the one side of the box and it can be difficult getting the grooves to neatly tuck away without them interfering. I also felt that the timer was a bit too harsh/short. With that said, the game certainly encourages a lot of interaction and as a family game, it does that job well. The price tag is the real downer here as I feel $20-$30 as seen on Amazon is just too much to ask for the content it offers. At that price range, you’re better off playing your own homemade version of “Reverse Charades”.
Final Verdict: 5/10
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