WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!
A fun, clever, party game that will have you coming back for more as soon as the game ends! This is a massive winner in my book…
So… how the heck do I pronounce the title of this game?!?!
I believe it is essentially “Pool Pool” but on the other hand I think there’s like a bit of the final “e” in there… so it’s sort of like “pool-eh” but the “eh” part is rather subtle. Like essentially non-existent. And then one has to factor in the idea that the formal word for chicken is “Poulet” and it IS pronounced “pool-eh.” Ahhhhhhh!
Envoyez de l’aide!
- My French is HORRIBLE!
- I will have to check with Chris and Mimi from Oka Luda so that they can teach me properly.
- (Hey guys… soooooo sorry for my total lack of French language ability… it is embarrassing. I am sure you are embarrassed for me! Send help! Love you guys!)
[Mind you, I stayed in an apartment with Chris and Mimi and other members of the Oka Luda team for all of Essen Spiel in Germany last year (2019)… and we talked about (and played) this game plenty. Clearly my brilliance is in question… hahahaha. I should also note that the Oka Luda team are amongst some of the finest human beings I have EVER encountered. We were friends from the moment we met and the friendship continues to grow! I am SO thankful for having met them!!!]
Drew… take your meds! Tell us about the GAME! 💊
Ah yes… the GAME! Well, straight out of the gate let me say that this game is a TON of fun! It is most decidedly a party game… so if party games are not your thing… please pick up a copy for a friend that LIKES party games! Haha. No, no… if it’s not your thing, just continue along to other titles. 🤣😁👍
The game involves remembering the total number of “exposed” eggs that come out of a shuffled deck of cards and then declaring “Bonzai” or some such once you believe that 5 eggs in total have come out and are validly exposed in the cards dealt in the center of the table!
What? 😳
Let’s start from the beginning. Where are those meds?
Poule Poule is a memory game where you are tracking cards as they are dealt to the center of the table. Your goal is to slam your hand onto the dealt card stack as soon as you believe 5 legitimate eggs are contained within the stack of cards.
Simple, right?
Well, not exactly.
In addition to egg cards… the basic deck contains cards with hens or foxes on them. If a hen card comes out AFTER an egg, the hen will sit on the egg and thereby reduce the egg count by one. If a fox comes out AFTER a hen it will chase the hen away; thereby returning her formerly sat-upon egg to the count!
If a fox comes out but there is no hen prior to that card, there is no effect. Similarly if a hen comes out before an egg, there is no effect.
SO, we’re tracking eggs… but we’re also tracking what happens to those eggs in terms of foxes versus hens. It sounds VERY simple… and in theory it is. But… I promise you. As the cards come flying out onto the table you will start to think, “Wait… there were three eggs and a hen came out so that made it two and then another egg brought it to three and finally a fox chased the hen and now its’ four. Right?”
Uh, yeah. Right.
So the base game is THAT simple. And it is outrageously FUN!
I should mention that this game has taken off in Europe and is Oka Luda’s fastest selling, largest volume game – period. They are in the final stages of “localizing” the game to the US… so at some point in the not too distant future people will definitely start talking about this game here in the states. But until then… I have you backed!
At Essen Spiel 2019 this game was everywhere!
SO… back to what I was about to say….
In addition to the fox and hen characters, the game features a number of other characters that make the otherwise simple act of counting eggs even more painful! But, remember… this is the good kind of pain! Trent Reznor… where are you? 🎸🎶
The farmer – he takes away all the eggs! 👨🌾
The duck – when he comes out everyone is supposed to say “quack.” If the second duck card comes out people are supposed to say “Quack quack.” Does this affect the number of eggs? No. But it keeps everyone distracted! Haha. And there IS a variant where the duck actually eats the worms that come out. 🦆
The Rooster – when he comes out the draw stops. Then the first person to slap the deck and announce how many eggs are there (correctly) will win the game! No waiting until you hit 5 eggs! 🐓
Ostrich Eggs – these are larger eggs and they count as TWO eggs each! 🥚
Worms – If a worm is out, it will distract one hen. So, instead of a hen coming out and sitting on the egg, it will instead go after the worm! 🐛
The Dog – He hunts foxes! So if a dog appears… he stays in the yard and the next fox that comes will be chased away by the dog! 🐶
The Fox in Hens clothing! – Acts just like a fox… but when the dog comes out he doesn’t chase it away because he thinks it’s a hen! 🦊
Whew! My head hurts! Hahahaha.
I have played this game many times… and each time I simply LOVE it! Mind you… I am NOT very good at memory games… haha. But still, this is such a crowd pleaser!!
The game plays with up to eight players… and at these higher player counts it is uproariously fun! There will be loads of laughter, plenty of banter, people saying “shhhhh… I can’t keep track of the eggs with you two talking!” and on and on!
Just be careful of where you keep your beer because if it is anywhere near the table, it may well get knocked aside as an enthusiastic friend slaps the deck and declares “FIVE EGGS!” This is particularly bad when it is a German draft beer! 🍺😅
Videos!!!
Here’s a cool and collected run-through of Poule Poule by my friend Brian over at Super Board Sunday! It provides a great overview of how the game plays and how the different cards affect the eggs! The video is HERE!
And here is a review of the game by Barry Doublet over at Board Games Everybody Should…. The link is HERE!
I searched high and low for a video of a group of people playing the game (as this is where it REALLY shines) but alas… I could not find one! After I post this game I will be writing to Chris and Mimi to ask if they can make one… 😁👍
Of course I will first apologize for my butchering of the French language… hehe.
Final Countdown…
In summary – this is a FANTASTIC, fast-playing party game that you will be pulling of the game shelf a LOT! Simple, elegant mechanics with some lighthearted artwork and a PULL that will have you bringing it back to the table again and again. Many laughs… plenty of incorrect “there are FIVE eggs, darn it!” moments… and a bit of brain-bending goodness in the memory department.
#WINNERWINNERCHICKENDINNER!
Ages: | 8+ |
Players: | 2 – 8 |
Play Time: | 20 minutes |
Designer | Charles Bossart |
Artist: | |
Publisher: | Oka luda Editions |
SKU: | OKA LUDA GAMES 002 |
MSRP: |
I couldn’t find it on US sites! Holy Mackerel!
|
Our Price: | $16.25 |
Link to BGG: | Poule Poule |
So sorry... this game is SOLD OUT 😢
Description
Outbursts of laughter are guaranteed with Poule Poule!! A fast, original and clever card game that will make you love – or hate – omelets!
The principle of Poule Poule is very simple: egg cards, hen cards, fox cards are stacked randomly, the last card hiding the others. As soon as you count 5 eggs in the pile, be the first to hit the pile to win one point! You must win 3 points to win the game. But, be careful not forget that, when a hen passes by and there is an egg in the pile, the hen can not help sitting on an egg! Which means the egg disappears! And if a fox passes by and a hen is sitting, the fox hunts the hen and the egg comes back! Otherwise it would be too simple! Not to mention the intervention of the other characters in the story…
Another solid title by the wonderful people over at Oka Luda!!!
—description from the publisher
Additional information
Weight | 2.2 lbs |
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Dimensions | 6 × 4 × 2 in |
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