Leira Moore

Have you ever played Quelf? If not, then Quelf is an “Obey the card” type of game. Quelf starts out like the usual board games where you choose what color board piece you want, and everyone begins at the start. Everyone then takes turns to roll a die, and the one with the highest number gets to go first. The board has a series of spaces that spiral into the center to reach the finish line.

All the spaces alternate between the colors red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Each color card has its own set of comedy and rules. Red is the “Scatterbrain” card meaning the card holder starts a conversation and he or she must go around the table making sure everyone contributes to the topic. The topic keeps going around the table until a person repeats an answer, says the wrong answer, or takes too long to answer. If the person cannot contribute then they can get penalized 1-3 spaces depending on what the card says. When this card is in play, it doesn’t take long until the players begin to run out of answers. An example of a red topic is “Stuff that stains”; possible answers are wine, BBQ sauce, mustard, grease and so on. After one person has paid the penalty and the red card played then the die moves to the next player and they roll it and so on.
The yellow cards are the “Stuntz” cards. These are more action based and will need you to act out an action, whether it’s a thumb war or to lick your own elbow. One card even requires you to suck your thumb in silence and start rolling the die. When you roll a “3” shout, “Get off my land!” in your best chipmunk voice. The penalty for that particular card is three spaces.

The green cards are the “Quizzle” cards. These cards are not played, instead testing your thinking capacity. The questions tend to be in A B C D format. If you get it wrong, you pay the penalty. If, you get the bonus question correct on these cards then you get the opportunity to move one space forward. One of the funnier questions is: which of the following plays was not written by William Shakespeare? A) The Tempest B) Othello C) Taming of the Shrew D) Romeo and Quelfiette E) All’s well that ends well. If they got this particular question wrong, it’s a two space penalty. However, they have a bonus question worth one space. The bonus question says “Oh that’s too easy you say? Well, then tell us which of the remaining four plays is not a comedy. The Answer is B) Othello is not a comedy.” The green cards are more like brain teasers, but sometimes the answer choices are comical. Let’s say they land on a blue space.

Blue spaces are pure evil at times because the consequences don’t stop adding up. The blue cards are the “Roolz” cards, and they are divided into three sets. Global Roolz affect all players-some examples of the global rule is every time a person laughs they must snort like a pig. So, when one person snorts someone else is going to laugh and snort leading to a fit of laughter from everyone. Another example is no one is allowed to talk unless it is their turn and if they talk they move back two spaces. Next is the Talking rule which affects only the player that drew it. An example is when the player makes eye contact with another they must say “I have you now!”, Another funny one is if someone else starts laughing the player must say “I command you to be quiet!” The last set of Roolz is the action rule, which could require a person to sit on their hands for the rest of the game or could make someone be it. When that card is in play anyone who touches this person takes the penalty and then becomes it until another action rule comes into play. These three simple rules are hard to follow and end your turn.

The purple cards are the “Showbiz” cards, and they are very similar to the yellow cards. The purple card could require a person to do the chicken dance or sing Kumbaya. One of the many comical cards in this series is the one where you are a news anchor. Without laughing report in your most serious voice the shocking news of your mother’s underwear catching fire in the dryer. If you laugh, you go back two spaces.

I wasn’t too excited to play this game at first because I was not about making a fool of myself but it has quickly become one of my favorite board games. I have friends and family members that are not afraid to make fools of themselves, and when everyone laugh and becomes embarrassed, it makes it easier to act a little silly. With most board games the more people who play, the better the game is. I will say that I have played this game several times, and I don’t think we’ve made it through all the cards yet. This game is fascinating because it has a way of pulling people out of his or her shell, while allowing others to really get to know them and even laugh at good naturally. I recommend everyone to try this game. It is family friendly and is great for those stay in, low-budget, nights. So, one night grab the game, a couple of friends, and have fun. You can buy this hilarious game at Wal-Mart for 20$. This game is full of crazy stunts and questions that will have all ages laughing until tears are in everyone’s eyes.