Scabby Queen, Old Maid, no I’m not throwing insults at you they are actually card games that we have probably all played by different names. It is a game that been around since the 1800s, a matching and pairing game. It is also a game that probably wouldn’t appeal to children too much if just using a standard deck of cards. But in the Wizarding World of everybody’s favourite wizard (who also seems to have been around forever), Harry Potter, games get updated to appeal to more people. The version I have here is Avoid You-Know-Who based on Harry Potter characters and is a much more child-friendly and good quick fun.
Avoid You-Know-Who is a matching and pairing card game for 2 or more players aged 6 and over. It has a playing time of around 15 minutes and the aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards and not be left holding You Know Who.
The game is supplied in a handy carry tin, and it contains 48 cards with characters from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The cards are thick good quality cards with child-friendly images of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Professor McGonagall, Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, Professor Snape, Professor Trelawney and of course, You-Know-Who (aka Lord Voldemort).
Avoid You-Know-Who is a very simple card game to play. The 48 cards are dealt out between all the players. Players then sort through their cards pairing up cards and disposing of them in the centre of the table face up so that everybody can see them. When all the players have sorted through their hand and removed all the matching cards play starts with the youngest player.
To play, players hold their cards fanned out in their hand with the backs of the cards facing the other players. The youngest players starts with the player to their left taking a card from their hand, if they have a matching pair they discard them on to the pile on the table. Play then continues with the player on their left talking a card from their hand and so on.
The objective of the game is to get rid your hand of all your cards and not be left holding You-Know-Who. The player who is left with the dreaded card is the loser.
Overall, Avoid You-Know-Who is a quick and fun little Harry Potter themed card game. It is fast to play, and the rules are simple to understand.
The game takes up very little space and is packaged in a handy travelled-sized tin that is durable so can be taken on car and train journeys, on holiday, to a friend’s house and anyway that you want to go. The cards themselves are excellent quality, nice and thick and very well illustrated with Harry Potter characters that you love and hate.
With only one of the villainous You-Know-Who Lord Voldemort cards in the deck, there is always going to a loser, but it is such a fun game to play.
A great little game for quick fun play and one that will really appeal to Harry Potter fans. Perfect for when you haven’t got time to play a board game but want to play something that won’t take too long.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £6.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
Disclosure: This is an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.
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