Similo History: A Fast-Playing Family Card Game - Guess the Secret Historical Character, 1 Player is the Clue Giver & Others Must Guess the Character, 2-8 Players, Ages 8+, 20 min

Summary: Similo History is a cooperative game for two or more players, ages 7+ that typically lasts less than ten minutes and is distributed by Horrible Games.To start, shuffle the deck of character cards.The first Clue Giver draws a card from the deck. This is the secret character that the other players must guess. Then, the Clue Giver draws 11 more cards. The twelve cards (secret character + 11 other characters) are laid out randomly in a 4x3 grid (12 cards).Then, the Clue Giver draws five additional cards that will be clues for the identity of the secret character.The game is played in five rounds. Each round begins with the Clue Giver playing a clue card either vertically (it has something similar to the secret character) or horizontally (it has a key difference to the secret character).The other players debate what they know based on clues to that point, and then, they remove a number of character cards from the grid based on the round. Round One only one character card is eliminated. Round Two removes two cards. Round Three takes out three cards, and Round Four takes out four cards. By Round Five only two cards are remaining. If the players take away the last, false character, leaving the secret character, everyone wins.We generally play until each person playing has had a chance to be the Clue Giver.On to the Dr Games’ Criteria …GO/NO GO Criterion• Complexity: (GO): This is not a complex game and plays quickly. Players learn as time goes on what the other players in the group tend to focus on in a portrait, and this makes each successive play with the group go more smoothly.• Balanced: (GO ) It is a cooperative game so there are no balance issues between players. We found it useful to play multiple times, and you might consider doing a few practice rounds so that players get to know the group a little. Every group focuses on different details in the portraits, and knowing what your group will gravitate towards helps select the right clues.• Chance (GO) There is a significant amount of chance in the game in terms of character cards in the grid and clues that the clue giver receives. Some games of Similo are easier than others. There is also a bit of luck in whether the other players pick up on what the clue giver was trying to convey through the clues.• Clarity: (GO) The rules are clear, and there are on-line resources if you are still confused about any points in the rules.• Reasonable Time: (GO) You will be able to play an entire game in ten minutes or less.Bonus Criteria• Social: The game is both cooperative and involves discussion. It is a great game to have as an ice breaker or warm up for more strategic games.• Unique/Interesting Mechanics: The players have to discuss and guess what the clue giver meant by either saying the clue was similar or different. Often, the other players guess at something entirely different than the clue giver meant, and then, the fun begins.• Informed: When we played with the adults, there was not a lot of learning that occured, but, when we played with a mixed generational group, there was much discussion, and the kids learned a lot about history that had not been taught to them in school.• Rewards Throughout: No, everyone wins or everyone loses. It is a quick game though, and if people want to reclaim their honor then they can easily play another game.• House Rule: We allowed the group to guess at the identity of the secret character after round two. If they guessed wrong then they lost, but, often, they got the answer right, and it allowed us to play more games/rounds of Similo quickly.All in all, it is a fun game that almost anyone can learn and enjoy.

My 6yo loves this game. We plays all the time. We have a few of the other decks and will mix them to make it more difficult/interesting. So fun!

First, let me say that my family LOVES the Similo History game in terms of game play. It's very fun and super quick which makes it a perfect filler game to add a bit of fun in between our homeschool lessons. That said, I'm very upset by the lack of black people in the deck. There literally isn't a single black person! There are so many to choose from too: Katherine Johnson, George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Queen Nzinga, Frederick Douglas... the list goes on and on.It seems to me like this is a pretty awful omission and could be remedied by creating a new deck adding in 5-10 more cards representing POC. The current deck has 22 white people, 3 Asian, 2 Middle Eastern (-ish? Tutankhamun and Saladin), and 3 Native Americans. That's pretty heavily Euro-centric.It is a very fun game and my children have been picking up on the little bit of historic knowledge this game provides. I just think it could do so much more and be so much better with more diverse representation and that's why I can't give it 5 stars.

Great game that is easy to learn and fun for the kids!

Simple fun, quick to set up and teach. It's super portable and a hit with the family!

I would much rather play Similo than Mysterium. There's hardly any setup, very little downtime, it takes up less table space, and it comes in a small box. There are different Similo decks; History seems fine to me, but I also like Fables and Animals.

Really fun, easy game. Round one, remove one card; Round two, remove two etc. Round four is the clincher!

This game is one that can be played anytime. It is quick, and as you get to know those around you, it can be really fun. The only issue I had is that the container for the game is fragile. When I got my copy of the game, the box is can in was torn.