I've played some pretty strange games in the last few years, but nothing beats the uniqueness of this one.
This is "What's that Smell" from WowWee toys. As you can probably guess, it's all about the smells and some of them are down right revolting.
There is no board with this game, nor any batteries or proper playing pieces. Instead there are scorepads, whiff strips, bags, and whiff cards. 48 whiff cards in total and 4 extra stank cards too.
It's designed for over 14s so it's at the parents discretion if younger kids are allowed to play. Personally I don't see any harm in my 11 year old joining in the fun. Up to 6 players is the recommendation.
Each player chooses a sniff card on each round. They look like this
Each person also has a whiff strip which is just a piece of card used to brush the scent panel. It's a bit like those scented pages in an Avon brochure that you can rub and smell, only the majority of these cards don't smell as nice.
Players get one brush each and can sniff until the scent disappears. They then all write their guesses on these score sheets.
There is more than one way to get points. Guessing the exact scent obviously gets maximum points but so do very close guesses. There is also a category guess if you're struggling to pinpoint the exact smell. There are 7 categories to guess from and points are given for correct guesses. Then the smell association which can relate to memories or things associated with that smell.
Once the guesses are marked down, players then pass their cards around so that all the players have guesses of the same cards. After everyone has guessed the answer gets revealed and points scored. The winner then gets to impose a stinky forefit on any loser of there choice.
The whiff of shame! If chosen for a losers forefit, that player must sniff one of four horrible stinky cards. These include hot chunky vomit, toe cheese and 2 other outrageously disgusting experiences. Trust me you can smell these revolting scents if the card is even placed near where you are sat. I have not sniffed one close up myself yet.
There is an app to download with the game which includes countdown timers and more ways to play the game.
Some of the scents are down right revolting, some not too bad. With 48 cards you are bound to get the same card again but it somehow seems to smell different every time. I guess our noses pick up familiar scents differently each time. There is no real indication on how long the scents on the cards will last, obviously they won't last forever but as long as they get stored correctly then hopefully a good while. It would be a good idea to see some sort of expansion/addition pack released with extra sniff & Stack cards and score sheets.
RRP - £24.99
