What do you do with a bell and dozens of fuzzy hairbands?
If your answer was “host an ‘80s rock festival” then I applaud your way with words.
If your answer was “make a game” then you have a mind like Haim Shafir and the good people at Amigo Games.
Finger Twist (also known as Ringlding in its native German tongue) is one of several games that Haim Shafir and Amigo have released this year. It comes with a bell (the kind you would ring at a service counter), 72 stretchy hair ties (think small scrunchies instead of rubber bands) in six colors, and 32 cards. The cards show a hand with several of the hair bands wrapped around different combinations of fingers.
To play, set the bell in the middle of the table, surrounded by all of the hair ties. Shuffle the deck and flip over the top card. Whoever is the first to put the hair ties around his or her fingers so that they match the card, rings the bell.
The game plays out in three phases that can be tracked by their distinct sounds. Once the card is flipped there is an immediate shout and surge as everyone grabs for the colors they need. The noise level only increases in volume and in the amount of profanity as everyone struggles to wrap the correct color around the correct fingers. Finally, when someone rings the bell, there is a series of groans and frustrated gesticulations as everyone plucks off the bands and prepares for the next round.
This is one of those games whose rules are virtually intuitive from the moment you open the box. It is quick and raucous and colorful. It’s fun to see how a common item like a hair tie can be repurposed for such a fun—Major Fun— game.
2 – 6 players or teams. Ages: 4+
Finger Twist was designed by Haim Shafir and © 2012 by Amigo.