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Do Tell Family Edition (game) Review by Brandi Tesreau

Do Tell Enterprises
1971 Bush St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
888-424-4430
http://www.dotellthegame.com

Do Tell® Family Edition is a unique board game designed to bond families together while having fun. Family members play and win by sharing life experiences and revealing personal opinions and beliefs. Created for players ages 8-88, Do Tell® Family Edition is about connecting to your family in a comfortable setting. It's about listening and deepening relationships. This is not a game about competition and skill. There's no judging your opponent or getting ahead by being smarter or better than another player.

I have to say this was probably the most beautiful board I've ever played a game on. It felt like I was about to take a whimsical journey into some psychedelic galaxy. I loved the color palette-- purple, magenta, lime green, teal, yellow and orange. The shapes were fun, too--swirls, spirals, pinwheels, and stars.

Contents include a game board, eight pawns, four decks of cards, a score pad, a timer, two dice, rules, and eight pencils. The card decks consist of 100 Do Cards that require players to act out certain scenarios, 100 Tell Cards that require players to share thoughts and feelings, 50 Wild Cards to shake the game up a bit, and 50 Risk Cards that invite players to reveal opinions or perform actions that are more personal or controversial. Questions and actions are neutral, and mixed ages can play at the same time.

To play the game, each family member, when it is his or her turn, rolls the dice and moves his pawn that number of spaces. The player draws a card that matches the symbol on the space, reads the card aloud, and then follows the instructions. Answers must be completed before the one-minute timer runs out. The first player to reach the sun in the center of the board is the winner. For a longer game, the player who wins must have a direct hit.

Our family, minus our 5-year-old daughter, played the game together. It wasn't our favorite family game, but we did laugh and have fun. As my husband says, it's a good social mixer. My middle son, who is 9, really liked the opportunity to be a little obnoxious and had fun performing the Do Cards. I much preferred sharing my thoughts and feelings to acting! I think getting out the Tell Cards and asking each other questions without actually playing the game would be fun, too.

For $29.95 Do Tell® Family Edition would be a great game to add to family game night. Families can relax without the pressure of providing "correct" answers. Though competition can be fun, this was a nice change. Be sure to visit www.dotellthegame.com for more ideas and game variations.

Product review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May 2011

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