Blue Orange Games has made what must be the most exciting discovery in paleo-gameology since it was revealed that our hominid ancestors played an early version of Pictionary in Spanish and French caves approximately 40,000 years ago. Yes, Blue Orange unveiled their discovery of the game, Ooga Booga (named after for the universal language of all pre-modern humans) which definitively proves that our cave dwelling, stick beating, spear whittling distant relatives also loved them some raucous party games.
The game also shows that their memories must have been pretty good.
Ooga Booga is a variation on memory games that require players to repeat what each player has said (or done) before. Each player is given 6-8 cards. On each card is a phrase or a gesture. The first player to go sets down a card, chants the word (or performs the action, and ends the display with a resounding “HA!” The next player places a card so that it covers the first word, chants all of them in order, and ends with “HA!” Play continues until someone runs out of cards and shouts “OOGA BOOGA” or until someone messes up and the gathered crowd chants “PABO! PABO! PABO!”
When you mess up (and it generally is a question of when rather than if) and your fellow cave dwellers gleefully chant “Pabo” thrice the game stops and everyone checks to see if an error has occurred. If it has, the offending player receives three more cards and play starts over.
You get a lot of games that sound like this:
ZEE – OOGA – AKA – IGA – BOOGA – Maaaaa… PABO! PABO! PABO!
As we’ve come to expect from Blue Orange, the game is wonderfully illustrated, clearly explained, and fits in a small round tin. It’s silly and frustrating and oh so Major Fun.
It’s good to know that after a hard day of inventing fire and running away from saber-toothed felines, our ur-ancestors could settle down to some boisterous family entertainment. Once they’d finished repainting the living room.
For 3-6 players, ages 7+
Ooga Booga created by Daniel Quobbach and Bony. © 2013 Blue Orange.