This summer, whether you are staying at home, going abroad, having a staycation or just having day trips out with the kids, at some point there will be some downtime, and everybody will need entertaining. A fun way to entertain everybody would be with a game, but a lot of family games are generally in big boxes that are not exactly portable. But now an old classic has leapt out of its box and into pouch to become a perfect travel game with the same playability as the big boxed version. The game is Rummikub Mini Pouch.
Rummikub Mini Pouch is supplied in a red zip-up pouch (about 21cm in length) with a carry handle that contains the 106 number tiles (8 sets of tiles 1-13 in four colours and 2 jokers), 4 racks plus rack holders and instructions. A perfect package that makes it easy to take on your travels to play anywhere!
It is a number-based tile game for 2-4 players, aged 7+. The objective of the game is to lay down the tiles in runs of the same colour, or groups of the same number and be the first to play all of your tiles. It is a fast paced constantly changing game of tile manipulation and strategy.
To play, all players take 14 tiles and place them on their tile rack. The remaining tiles are placed face down inbetween the players (these tiles become the pool). Once each player has sorted their tiles on their rack, each player selects a new tile from the pool and the player with the highest number starts the game. These tiles are then replaced back in the pool and the tiles mixed up.
Before play begins, players must decide between them how many rounds they want to play. Each round consists of multiple games determined by the number of players – if 2 people are playing a round is made up of 2 games, if 3 are playing its 3 games and if 4 playing its 4 games.
To begin the game, each player must make an initial meld by laying down a group or run that is worth 30 points or more (each tile is face value, so adding up all the numbers you put down will give you your points total). For the initial meld, players can only use tiles already on their rack and not use any tiles that may have already been put down. If a player is unsuccessful in trying to lay down their initial 30 point run or group that player must select a new tile from the pool and add it to their rack, and that players turn ends.
A run is a set of 3 or 4 consecutive number tiles in the same colour, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 in red. A group is a set of 3 or 4 tiles of the same number but in different colours, you can’t have 2 of the same colours, e.g., 1 (red), 1 (white, 1 (yellow) and 1 (blue).
After each player has laid their initial 30 point meld, each player on their turn must lay at least 1 tile from their rack. This can be either adding a new group or run or manipulating one that has already laid (e.g., adding a 4 to a sequence of 1, 2, 3 already on the table). If a player can’t play a tile, they must take one from the pile and add it to their rack and then play goes to the next player.
Play continues around the table until one player has laid all their tiles on the table and called out, “Rummikub”. If you are playing more than one game, the losing players add up the values of their remaining tiles and the total of all losing players tiles is given to the winner as a positive score, while each losing player receives a minus score to the value of their own remaining tiles. After a few games, the player with the overall highest number of points is the declared the winner.
Overall, Rummikub is a very simple game to learn, easy to play and is an extremely addictive game. And this travel game version makes it perfect for taking away on days trips, staycations or even holidays abroad. It is an excellent game of strategy.
The initial build-up of the game can sometimes be a bit slow with, but there is a 1 minute time limit per player and if they go over this, they must take another tile from the pool and add it to their rack. Once players start to build up runs and groups it gets a lot faster and more exciting once players start to manipulate sets by adding to or rearranging tiles. When playing with children, depending on their ability you might want to remove the timer for them or give them a bit longer time.
The quality of the pieces feel good although the numbers on the tiles are not etched in so may rub off over time (or may not, only time will tell). The tiles are smaller than the classic boxed version, although still a good size to play with and you can very easily see the numbers. The racks are collapsible for easy storage in the durable pouch.
I love this version of Rummikub. The slightly smaller tiles and travel pouch I think make it a more user-friendly option. The tiles are still a good size for child and adult players. Contained neatly in the handy pouch it makes it easier to store, taking up less space, and is a perfect sized travel game or one just to take outside in the garden and enjoy the outdoors whilst playing. And at only £12.99, it’s a great price too!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99
For more information, visit www.johnadams.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.
DISCLOSURE: I received this item for free for the purposes of writing 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.
