Everyone in our family loves a board game evening and this christmas season we wanted to find new games that get everyone involved. We have been gifted “5 Second Rule” as it covers all the ages in our house (10-37) and the company are convinced that everyone will love it so let’s see how we get on with it.
If you’re not familiar with this genre of games, BoardGameGeek has a great definition: “Party games are games that encourage social interaction. They generally have easy setups and simple rules, and they can accommodate large groups of people and play in a short amount of time.”
What is “5 Second Rule” ?
5 Second Rule is a party game where players each take a turn trying to name three things in less than five seconds. It is designed for 3+ players and ideally it is aimed at ages 10+. 5 Second Rule was created by PlayMonster, and we have previously enjoyed games created by this company so we were exciting to get playing.
What’s in the box?
- 362 Question Cards (with 652 questions!)
- 6 PASS ON cards
- 6 SWITCH cards
- 6 Playing Pawns
- Playing Board
- Electronic Timer
How To Play 5 Second Rule
The rules for ‘5 Second Rule’ are simple, and everyone can get to grips with the game within 5 minutes which is perfect for us as the kids often just want to get going without learning the rules first. The first person draws a card from the draw box and reads it aloud and another person starts the timer. The person whose turn it is has to name the 3 things on the card but within the 5 seconds.
All of the cards have the same format:
- Name 3 brands of athletic wear
- Name 3 Dr. Seuss books
- Name 3 animals with stripes
If you’re able to name three things, then you earn a point and put the card in front of you as a way to keep score. If you can’t, then you pass the card to the next person, and they get to try. The twist is that they cannot reuse any correct answers that the first person gave. For example, if the card is “name 3 UK Football Teams” and the first person only manages to say, “Arsenal” then the second has to think of three other teams.
It works in the favour of the other players as they have more time to think of answers, but they won’t be allowed to reuse the answers that players before them have already said. If the other players manage to name three things, they score the point and keep the card.
If the card goes all the way around without anyone getting the point, then the first person gets the point and keeps the card. Regardless of who got the point, play then proceeds to the next person.
All of the cards are two-sided, which really increases the replayability. Once you’re answered all the red sides, you flip them over and answer the yellow sides. If there’s any disagreements about an answer—for example, are flip flops really an item of clothing—then the group has to vote to either allow it or not.
If you want to get competitive then you need to get to the finish tile first in order to win. This can take a while depending on the amount of players but if luck is on your side it can happen pretty quickly.
Special cards – these cards can be played in the hot seat, there are two types PASS ON & SWITCH they must be played immediately after hearing their question. You cannot play it after the timer has been started only before. Pass On Cards go to the player on the left and as long as they answer it correctly the new player gets the point otherwise it goes back to the original player.
This game does require 3x AAA batteries so make sure you have them in otherwise you may have disappointed children when they can’t play it.
By their very nature, board games are best played with lots of people, so this can be played 3-6 people and it works well with more people but it is still very playable with 3.
Other Versions
PlayMonster recommends 5 Second Rule for anyone aged 10 or over, and that is about right in our opinion. If you have younger kids in your family, take a look at 5 Second Rule Junior. If you’re looking for, ahem, a more adult version of the game, take a look at 5 Second Rule Uncensored & Uncensored 2. If you’ve looking for a variation of the game with a twist, take a look at 5 Second Rule Spintensity.
Links direct to Playmonster Website: 5 Second Rule Mini / 5 Second Rule Junior / 5 second rule Uncensored / 5 Second Rule Spintensity
Is 5 Second Rule Worth It?
5 Second Rule is a really good family board game which all the kids enjoyed playing and have asked to play it multiple times since. The rules are simple enough to allow anyone to quickly understand them, yet the timer keeps the game challenging. I like this game a lot, and I would say if you are looking for a Christmas family friendly game this year then you should pick it up today.
Where To Buy
The best price I found was on Playmonster, Amazon but it is also available in the majority of toy stores.
Custom keychains are a good choice. You can customize some one-of-a-kind keychains using any favorite patterns, logos, or even numeric text, etc. It is not only beautiful but also very practical. You can use it to decorate keychains, school bags, handbags, and so on. To commemorate this unforgettable gaming experience.
**This Is A Paid Promotional Advert
DISCLAIMER: This item has been gifted to us but our opinions do not reflect on the products company, or the thoughts of any social media companies we have shared this review on.
We give our 100% honest opinions on the products we test and we have declared it is an AD and gifted as required by the ASA guidelines
