Growing up in Ohio, experiencing the essence of cows was not an uncommon feat while driving literally anywhere because there was a dairy farm right next to my neighborhood. But once I moved to Brooklyn, I never suspected the moos and toots of the midwest would follow me to game night.
The gassy game of Farty Franny, from KD Games, embraces the au naturel way these adorable creatures live. Players take turns spinning and following the commands they land on, with a cow named Franny sitting in the center of the game. Depending on where players land, they have to either take a fly, or they could be able to pass their flies on to their opponents. The game ends when all the flies are distributed, and whoever has the least wins.
I declared that the bravest goes first, so naturally I stepped up with confidence to venture into this flatulent experience. I would suggest creating a house rule ahead of time for if the spinner lands perfectly in between two spots, because it happened a couple times for each player. We decided to just spin again until the selector was clearly over one icon more than another.
There are five different icons players can land on. If players land on the tail, he or she must lift Franny’s tail and she could moo or she could hint at a poo (if ya know what I’m saying), which would require taking a fly. When a player lands on the cow icon, that player gets to challenge an opponent by pointing Franny’s tail at them. Then it’s their turn to wait in suspense as to what might happen when they lift it. The perfume bottle icon allows a player to pass one of their flies to another player. The poo symbol means the player immediately takes a fly. Lastly, is the coveted clothespin icon (there’s only ONE of them on the board), provides a very special power. A player who lands on the clothespin is shielded from taking any flies until another player lands on that icon and takes it away from them.
Some of Franny’s farts are more….robust than others. But luckily for everyone, none of her vapors are scented. The game is quick to play, lends itself to many giggles, and most importantly, allows for an appreciation of natural bodily functions. Also, please no tipping of the cow. She doesn’t deserve it.
