Bananagrams
Roll two dice, snatch the matching stone
Cobra Paw
Dimple contact settles every tied grab when hands drop onto the same clawfuku stone at the same split second.
$47.95
Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 2,174 players
Two symbols face up on a stone match the two that landed on the dice. You spot the pair, touch the stone first, and pull it in.
Play moves as fast as fingers can reach. The person who snatches the winning piece rolls next, keeping the pace hot.
| Players | 2–6 |
| Ages | 6 and up |
| A game runs | About 15 minutes |
| In the box | 21 clawfuku stones, 2 dice and a rulebook |
| You also need | A table everyone can reach across. No reading and no spelling at any point. |
| The feel | Matching, no spelling needed |
How a game unfolds
Spread the stones once
All twenty-one stones go face up in the middle of the table. No two carry the same pair of symbols.
Roll each turn
The player with the smallest hands rolls the two dice first.
Snatch all at once
Everyone goes for the one stone whose pair matches the dice. Whoever gets it rolls next, so winning a stone and keeping the pace are the same move.
Six stones wins ends it
The first player to hold six stones takes the game. A two-player game runs to eight.
What makes it its own game
- Twenty-one clawfuku stones sit face up in the middle of the table, and no two share the same symbol pair.
- Dice show symbols in cream, yellow, red, teal, green or orange on black faces.
- Opponents can snatch stones right out of your pile, so holding a lead takes defense as well as speed.
- Winning claims six stones in a group, or eight when two players face off alone.
Worth knowing before you open the box
Stones may be snatched from in front of other players, not only from the middle, so a lead is never safe. Ties are settled by the dimple in the stone: the finger in it, or nearest it, keeps the stone.
Who it suits
Mixed ages do well here because no reading or spelling ever enters play. Younger players spot matching colors and shapes as fast as adults. It is rough on anyone who dislikes physical scrambles for pieces, or who prefers quietly taking turns.
Before your first game
Spread all twenty-one stones out so every player can reach them easily across the table. Agree on the dimple rule before the first roll lands. Let everyone test their reach once, then hand the two dice to the player with the smallest hands.
Elsewhere on the shelf
Still reading? That is usually a yes.
No letters at all: two dice roll a pair of symbols, and the first finger on the matching stone keeps it.
$47.95