I wanted to tell you about this really fun card game we got for Christmas.  The game is called RATUKI, from HASBRO, and can be purchased for less than $10.00.  It is for ages 8 and up and can be played with 2 -5 players.  It’s fun, fast, and very easy to learn.

We had lots of fun playing this fast action card game over Christmas break.  The fast pace of this game reminds me a little of playing “Spoons”.  The game is fast and “slamming”, so I do recommend that you clear your kitchen table of EVERYTHING!  If you work up a thirst, get a drink and leave your glass on the counter.  Luckily, you have the benefit of learning from my experience.

The object of the game is to build piles of cards from 1 to 5.  If you are the first to “slam” a 5 on top of the deck, you shout “RATUKI!” and the pile of cards is yours.  Your brain does have to do a little bit of processing though because although the cards are numbered from one to five, they are numbered in different forms.  For example, as you can see in the picture, the number can take the form of a dice, an actual number, number of fingers up, or slash/tick marks.  You have to be very fast in adding your cards to the pile, and very fast in shouting “RATUKI!” and grabbing your pile.  And, you can use only one hand to add to the pile of cards.  We had to keep reminding my husband of that rule.  Not that he was trying to cheat, he was just going crazy slamming those cards down.  We also had to remind him to shout “RATUKI!”  For some reason, he kept shouting “Ratatouille!”

Anyway, I recommend this game.  It’s really fun, inexpensive, and a great way to spend a family night.