We’ve seen a lot of games in this house, and after raising kids for more than a decade now, I’d like to think that I have a pretty good gauge as to what’s hot and what isn’t.
Games tend to come and go, and with few exceptions — usually the classics that have been around for decades — new games fade pretty quickly. They’re generally hot for a bit, and then they live in the closet, sometimes forever. This year, one game arrived that holds a rare distinction in that it hasn’t cooled off at all in our house. It’s also been a unanimous hit across the board with girls, boys, kids, and adults. Our daughters play it with their neighborhood friends and my wife and I have played against the kids and each other. The game: Hasbro‘s Foosketball.
The general concept is pretty simple. Players face off in a fast-paced, head-to-head game that combines elements of foosball and basketball. The tabletop game consists of a miniature basketball court with two hoops, balls, and a pair of plastic athletes. Players pick a side and then control their Foosketball figure by turning rod-mounted handles (like foosball) in an effort to pick up tiny basketballs and shoot them into their opponent’s hoop. Orange balls are worth one point each and the golden ball is worth two points. The first player to score five points wins.
The magic here is that this is a game that actually requires skill (There is a learning curve to make shots!) and it’s a tabletop game that’s active and gets people excited. It activates the competitive nature in some players and you’ll find that a loss can easily become a “best of three?” or “best of five?” situation in which some folks just won’t be able to stop until they make the shots and win the game.
One thing to be aware of is that the game is designed to come apart for easy storage in its box. Because of this, aggressive gameplay may cause the brackets that hold the control rods to pop off, but they simply snap right back into place. Additionally, you will want to have a suitable, sturdy place to play (like a kitchen table) where players can easily sit across from each other in an unobstructed manner so that they have plenty of room to move their arms and play.
Overall, Foosketball is just a ton of fun, and as of this writing, ours has actually not been put away in several days as the kids keep playing it.
If you’re looking for a new game that the whole family can enjoy that doesn’t have a ton of rules to learn and you can jump right into, Foosketball is definitely worth checking out. And, because it boxes up nicely, it’s great for travel, too!
