Measure in Squirrels and Weiner Dogs in Party Game TAPES!

How many chicken eggs long is that carpet? Or many bananas around is that bowling ball? Make a guess and measure away!

Published by Hog Wild, TAPES! is an unusual party game for 2-4 players, all about measuring nearby objects in various bizarre units of measurement. So how does the game itself measure up?

Gameplay

The game is played over four rounds. A round is over once each player has had a turn. On your turn, you start by spinning the spinner to determine what the challenge effect will be. The inner circle of the spinner will tell you. There might be triple points up for grabs this turn or players may be allowed to move up close to the object being measured to examine it.

Next, you get to pick what object will be measured. It must be visible in the room (or nearby if playing outside). You also decide what dimension of the object is being measured: width, height, or depth. Even circumference is an option. Then you spin the spinner again, using the outer circle of the spinner to determine what unit of measurement you will be using. Do you have to guess the length of that desk in honeybees? Or the depth of that drawer in squirrels? Without moving any closer to the object (unless the challenge effect allows it), each player writes down their guess as to the measurement of the object in the unique unit chosen.

Once everyone has made their guess, you take the correct measuring tape and measure the object. The player whose guess was closest to the correct length earns five points, the player who was second closest earns three points, and the player who was the third closest earns two points. If someone manages to guess the exact length, he earns five bonus points.

After each round, players are encouraged to switch their surrounding, either moving to a different room or going outside. The player with the most points at the end of four rounds wins the game.

Review

TAPES! is a unique party game, based on a mechanism we’ve not seen before. The different units of measurements are varied, silly, and amusing, and it’s interesting to see how each person approaches them, or to see how you yourself end up trying to guess a size (a car in gummy bears is surprisingly challenging!).

We liked the fact that when you first pick the object for measurement, you don’t know yet what the unit of measurement is going to be. The fact that you can also choose which dimension you’re measuring, as well as the challenge effects, leads to lots of variety from measurement to measurement and round to round.

The game is quite cleverly packaged. While there is a game box, all the components fit inside the utility box that the spinner is built into and which you can also clip the score sheet to. It would be easy to pack or to carry if you want to play the game outside. We liked the fact that the game encourages you to switch locations while playing the game, as this adds more movement and changes up scenery. This also makes the game a fun way to explore different locations, which is excellent for travel.

It can be a little frustrating to search for which side of which measuring tape has the unit of measurement you’re looking for, as there are sixteen measurement types in the game. If you are playing this outside and trying to keep the components in the utility box, this can also slow gameplay down a bit.

There are a lot of party games out there, and a lot of them share similar mechanics, so it’s refreshing to find one that takes a new approach. The game is very easy to learn, and there’s even a quick start guide printed on the inside lid of the utility box. Both families and adult game groups can have a lot of fun with this one, so if you’re looking for a unique party game, give TAPES! a try.

Pros: Very portable, everything fits in the utility box, unique party game mechanism, works with a range of ages

Cons: Finding the right tape measure can take a few tries, only supports up to 4 players

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