Description
Chicken Out! from Gibsons, encourages players to take it in turns to play the cards from their hand with the aim of reaching 21.
Each player in turn plays the top card of their pile, adding the value to the previous player’s total and announces the new count. If a Chicken card with a black number is played, the number must be added to the running total. If a Chicken card with a red number is played and it brings the total to higher than 21, players can subtract the value from the previous total to avoid them going bust.
But watch out! Hidden among the flock are 10 cheeky foxes that will either help or hinder each player’s chances of winning. The first player to run out of cards rules the roost and wins the game.
What our testers said
“I love it when the count goes down to zero again.” – Girl aged 7
“It’s a lucky egg!” – Girl aged 10
What our experts think
This is a great card game for the whole family – there were lots of giggles as the children played, especially someone used the special fox card! It is a brilliant game for practising mental addition and subtraction in a fun way – the children didn’t even notice that they were using their maths skills – and this twist on the classic card game 21 includes doubling, subtracting or returning to zero for an even greater challenge.
The instructions seem a little daunting (there were lots of instruction cards!) but the gameplay is simple.
Our testers quickly got the hang of it and were able to play alone, although the adults enjoyed it so much, they wanted to join in too! Playing together is a lovely way to develop social skills, including learning to win and lose respectfully.
Skills developed
-Great practise for mental maths skills
-Encourages friendly competition
-Develops social skills
