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Posted October 12, 2013 by Amy in Board Games
 
 

Flash! (Family Fiends) Review

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The dashing dice game!

Flash! is a game that is quite simple and quick to pick up, yet it kind of sucks you in (especially if you’re a competitive sort). The basic game play requires a combination of skill, speed, and luck, making improving your time a real benefit in game. It all plays out a bit like a game of speed Yahtzee, where you and your opponents must come up with various combinations of dice.

As you begin the game, you set out a number of score tiles that are equal to the amount of players – anywhere from two to six. Each player gets six dice, all of the same color (which makes it really easy to keep your dice separate from those of the other players). There are eight different score goals, each of which must be completed before the game is finished. These range from things like a straight or three pairs, to all odds or all evens. In place of the one, all of the dice have a Flash! symbol, which serves as a wild card and comes in handy for creating difficult patterns.

One player selects one of the goals – for instance, six of a kind – for all of the players to work for. Everyone throws their dice at the same time, and then tries to create the proper sequence as quickly as possible. You can keep desired dice, and re-roll others, as many times as necessary – but you have to be pretty quick on the draw to score higher points. The first player to achieve the goal calls out “Flash!”, and then takes the highest score tile out of the pile (for instance, the six if six people are playing).

The other players continue to roll, each taking the next highest score tile once they have created their dice sequence. All of the points are recorded on the included score cards, another goal is selected, and the game play continues in that way until all of the goals have been completed – typically around ten to fifteen minutes for an average game. The players who finishes with the most points overall wins the game.

Everything you need to play Flash! is included in the game – score cards, a little pencil, thirty-six dice, score tiles, and a handy carrying case to store it all in. It is a compact game that fits easily in a backpack, your purse, or on the shelf, and at under twenty bucks it’s an inexpensive way to connect with your kids when time is at a premium. Flash! is suggested for ages seven and up; that’s a pretty accurate range, but if your seven year old is easily frustrated it might be best to hold off for a year or two, as speed is just as important as accuracy in this game.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)