Fluxx, the flagship game system of Looney Labs, has sold over a half million copies, and there seems like there's always room for more versions of the game to be released. The grounds for the franchise's success is simple: great gameplay. The idea behind the card game is to start with two simple rules: draw a card, play a card. From there, the rules build and expand. Not uncontrollably, like the infamous Mao (Remember that from high school? Started more than one fist-fight that I can remember), but as a system that changes the system from within the system.
Deep, huh?
Actually, not so much. The learning curve only takes a minute or two. And now Looney Labs has made it even easier with Family Fluxx. To quote Looney Labs, “Easy enough for children, yet still challenging for adults,” it describes the game well. The Fluxx aspect of the family version game has been simplified with many of the more advanced rules and actions cards taken out. Without such chances for confusion, the game really is just picture-matching, but with the added level of knowing how ma
ny cards to draw or play. Younger kids might need a reminder from Mom or Dad every so often, but they'll catch on as soon as they overcome their attention spans.
Said attention spans (or deficits) are the trick. Since we're programmed to complain about a twenty-second commercial being boring, it's hard to imagine a family sitting down to play a card game. Fortunately, Family Fluxx has plenty of action to hold everyone's interest. Players collect their Keepers like badges of honor (or luck), change the rules, and establish new Goals — something is always happening.
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