Roll As Fast As You Can to Help the Monster Recover His Sight in TerrorEyes

The monster needs his eyes! Roll the monster dice as fast as you can to put his eyes back in, and be quick about it as the other players roll to try to steal the monster dice from you!

IELLO has several excellent games for children that parents can have fun with too, and TerrorEyes fits nicely into that line. It plays fast and features gameplay that lends itself nicely to groans or cheers of delight.

Gameplay

The box is set in the middle of the table. It shows a monster face, with space to insert the three monster eye dice. At the start of each round, an eye card is drawn which shows which three eyes you need to roll on the monster dice. One player takes the monster dice and rolls them one at a time, trying to roll the results needed according to the eye card. When the player rolls one of the eyes he needs, he must place it in the correct slot in the box.

However, the other players are taking turns rolling the red die. If one of these players rolls the hand result, they yell stop, and then the player with the monster dice must pass any not already in the box to the player on his left. If the other players do not a roll a hand, whoever just rolled the red dice passes it to the player on their left who then rolls it themselves.

The player who places the third and final monster die into the box ends the round and takes the eye card. If the other players roll a hand before you get that third die into the box, then you do not claim the card, even if you rolled the correct eye, but must pass the die to the next player who starts rolling it. The first player to claim three eye cards wins the game.

There is also an additional variant you can play with, where at the start of each round an action card is drawn. Whenever the red die rolls an exclamation point, the monster dice roller must stop rolling and perform the action shown on the round’s action card before continuing to roll, while the other players keep rolling the red die, trying for that hand. Actions include things such things as high fiving everyone (the other players must cooperate), running around the table, or balancing one of the monster dice on your head.

Review

TerrorEyes is a game designed with kids in mind, and while it’s not a game that adults are likely to play by themselves, it is a game that can definitely be enjoyed by families that offers light, kid-friendly fun. Gameplay is also simple enough that children can easily play the game alone.

The action card variant is particularly enjoyable, with the silly actions you have to perform, and getting players up and moving around. It is both fun and funny to have a player try to crawl quickly under the table and back out again, particularly when he’s down to rolling the last eye (so the need for speed is even greater).

While the game can play up to six, it’s better to play with a smaller number so that players don’t spend too long waiting for the monster dice to reach them. While luck of the roll plays a factor in the speed in which the dice are passed, and the monster dice are also passed to the next player between each round, it is still dissatisfying to go an entire round without having a chance to roll.

The components are few but well made. The monster dice are particularly fun to roll, as they are big and clunky, and having them fit into the box’s monster face is a nice feature.

If you are looking for a light family game to play with your kids or for your kids to play by themselves, this one is a good fit, with a clever semi-cooperative bent, as players are temporarily aligned when rolling the red die — but you're immediately on your own once the monster dice reach you.

Pros: Action card variant, good components, plays quite quickly, great for families

Cons: Not intended for adult only groups, better with a smaller player count

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.