I've got some exciting news - our game shelf just got a whole lot more interesting. I cleared out some of the old games that were taking up space, and suddenly I craved something new.
I stumbled upon a review for this little gem while browsing for new tabletop games released this year. That's when I fell in love with its design and simple mechanics: guessing characters based on descriptions.
I also appreciate that it's a team-based game. I like to offer my younger friends games that encourage teamwork and healthy competition - not everyone can handle losing graciously, after all.
There are five Similo variants in the series: Myths, Fairy Tales, Animals, Spooky Stories, and History.
Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales
Fairy Tales caught my eye, along with Animals and Historical Figures. I decided to try out Similo: Fairy Tales first.
If my kids enjoy this game, I'll consider getting Animals next. Similo: History is also a personal favorite of mine, but it might be a bit challenging for my younger child to play until they're a bit older - it requires a good understanding of historical figures.
Spooky Stories isn't really my thing, and Myths didn't quite appeal to me either.
Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales - Review
Recommended Age - it's listed as 8+, but I think you can start playing Fairy Tales and Animals with younger kids.
Number of Players - you can play with two or ten players, as long as nobody gets too competitive
Game Length - each game takes around 5 minutes.
Price - it starts at 390 rubles, depending on the store and any discounts
First Impressions of Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales
The game comes with a box, instructions, and 34 cards featuring fairy tale characters.
Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales Board GameFirst things first, let's get familiar with these characters. All the images are heroes from international fairy tales. You've got Cinderella and her wicked stepmother, Snow White and her evil stepmother, Peter Pan and the fairy Tinker Bell, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf from the Land of Oz.
And then there's Alice from Wonderland with the Cheshire Cat and the Queen. Alice from WonderlandThere are plenty of recognizable faces here!xa0
How to Play
The game needs a leader, who comes up with a character and gives us subtle hints without saying a word.
The other players use these hints to figure out the character on the board by process of elimination.
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Preparation Time - 1 minute. We'll lay out the characters in a 3x4 grid.
The leader takes 5 cards in their hand. Using these cards, they'll give us clues about the character they're thinking of, without saying a word.
If the leader lays a card vertically - it means the character they're thinking of shares some similarity with the character on that card: same fairy tale, similar appearance, personality, clothing, powers, background, and so on.
If the leader lays a card horizontally - the character they're thinking of has nothing in common with the character on that card.
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We get 5 clues in total. After each one, the players discuss, think, and flip over the characters they think can be ruled out.
After the first clue, we eliminate 1 card. In the second round, it's 2 cards, in the third, it's 3, and in the fourth, it's 4.
After the fifth and final hint, you're left with two characters on the table. You'll choose one, taking into account the last hint and all the previous ones.
Winning Conditions
If you guess correctly, everyone wins!
If players accidentally remove the hidden card, everyone loses - that includes the host, so the hints were unsuccessful.
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Example Game:
The hidden character is among the cards. We're playing with my son, and he's the host; I'm the one guessing.
Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales Board GameHis First Hint - The wicked stepmother lies horizontally, so the hidden character can't be like her. In the first round, I close one card - I choose another stepmother from a different fairy tale.
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Second Hint - Ellie, the girl from The Wizard of Oz, is also lying horizontally. We call her that because we haven't read the Emerald City version, only the Russian adaptation. Maybe this hint suggests the character isn't a child or a girl.
I need to close two more cards. I choose characters that resemble Ellie. I close two more girl characters.
Hobby World Similo: Fairy Tales Board Game Reviewxa0
Third Hint - The fairy godmother from Snow White is lying vertically - she shares something with the hero. This one's a bit tougher.
Third RoundI'm removing three more cards - the wicked Bastingundo, Cheshire Cat, and Buratino's animals.xa0
The Fourth Hint - Genie from the Aladdin story is placed vertically (that's a similarity). I need to remove four more cards. What do Genie and the remaining characters have in common?
Alice and I don't share any similarities, in my opinion. Cheshire Cat and I are both male, but our expressions, personalities, and stories are different. It's a risk, but I'm going to cut him too. Following the same logic, I'm also removing the Mad Hatter. Jack from the beanstalk - I'm removing him too. The clues I've posted so far suggest he's unnecessary.Fourth Roundxa0
The Fifth and Final Hint and two suspected characters. I posted Snow White vertically, so there must be something in common between her and the hero.
Fifth Round, Final, Two ContendersThe Red Queen is very similar to the fairy godmother from the third hint - in terms of clothing, but not character..Prince has a connection to Cinderella, just like the fairy godmother. He's a male character and a positive type, just like Genie. Snow White eventually marries the prince... they're both positive heroes... something similar in their clothing...
I decide to remove the Queen and name the Prince as the winner. Yes! We've won)
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My Impressions
This game is a breeze to play and just as quickly wraps up. It's super easy to take with you to a friend's place or even to school - which is exactly what my son does sometimes. It's way better than having them stuck in their phones during recess.
The game is team-based, so I'd recommend it for kids who aren't too proud to lose. There's no one to get upset with, but the leader might get a bit carried away sometimes - like, 'How did you figure that out?... What's the connection between them?'
I love the themes in this series - they're perfect for all ages and tastes. We really enjoyed the Fairy Tales, and I'm planning to grab the Animals one for our summer break.
I see a bit of detective work in this game, a little bit of Dixit and Mysterium, and a bit of Codenames and Guess Who.
It's a great fit for any group, even adults, and works for players of all ages - we often take it to my mom's place and she loves playing with the grandkids.
The game offers tons of room for interpretation and connections, which can be both a blessing and a curse. It's like, is it just a single story or are there external clues and even background info? The more players, the more opinions, and that can be both a strength and a weakness - you can call it a con if you want to nitpick.
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If Paevskaya knew about Similiio and got paid to promote it, she'd definitely recommend these games. But this is a new release, and she's just jumping on old bestsellers. Honestly, I think it's best to follow your kid's lead and see what they enjoy. You can also look at the top-rated games on BBG's family and kids' board game list. Paevskaya's recommendations are super subjective - I browsed through her lists out of curiosity, and they're just too hit-or-miss. I mean, she loves Munchkin, which is fun, but Monopoly is just a drag.
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Overall, this is a solid, engaging little game. We had a blast playing it, and it's not a total hit, but we definitely loved it. I highly recommend it!
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Other great kids' team games to try out:
Forbidden Island
The Cunning Wolf and The Cunning Fox
I've also had a blast with Sleeping Queens, which is an awesome game for practicing your verbal counting skills.
And if you're looking for something to get your kids moving, Wild Cross is a fun strategy game that's perfect for all ages.