Friday, September 13, 2013

Magic Jinn...Kind of Fun, Kind of Creepy

I received this game to review for free from BzzAgent.
No other compensation, and you know I'll tell the truth about how I feel.
Post does contain affiliate links.

I'm going to tell you right off the bat that this guy is a little creepy...
...and the creepy will keep drawing you back for more.

Rather than try to explain the game to you, let me share this demonstration video with you and then give you a few pointers for playing it.


Here are a few things we have learned...
1.  Magic Jinn is a bit of a loner.



If the game is going to work, it needs to be able to hear what you are saying.  As you can see from the photo above, the flashing eyes can quickly draw a crowd.  But Magic Jinn's ears must be pretty sensitive.  When he's in a crowd, he often has to ask you to repeat what you're saying.

2.  Magic Jinn has a sense of humor.

When Magic Jinn is successful in guessing your animal, he can actually be kind of rude and snooty about being right and better than you.  And then every once in awhile he decides to play a trick by purposely guessing the wrong animal and just as you begin your victory dance he stops you in your tracks by letting you know he's no fool-he was tricking you and knew your animal all along.  My kids don't appreciate it at all, but every single time it catches us off guard and makes the adults laugh long and hard.

3.  Magic Jinn can be stumped.
How did he know that?!?
Something I love about this game is that it gives you the chance to go back and fix your mistakes.  There are bound to be errors, especially when you're playing with kids and a wrong answer could completely throw off Magic Jinn's guessing. Usually when that happens,he will try another round or two to figure out what animal you're thinking of.

He does pretty well at guessing.  Some examples he had no problem with are kiwi bird, peacock, pig, dolphin, and pony (he LOVES to guess pony)  BUT, I guarantee you he does not know buffalo.  He knows cow and calf, muskox, and bison.  But not buffalo.  He'll ask if it lives on the Savannah, in the forest, on a farm, in water, or the desert.  But a buffalo is native to the North American prairie and Magic Jinn has obviously never been there.  It has become a challenge in our house to get Magic Jinn to guess the buffalo and we are 100% unsuccessful in doing that so far.

4.  You won't be able to put it away.

There are some glitches in this game that sometimes make it annoying to play. The noise issue I mentioned above, of course, but also other little annoyances.  For example, occasionally he decides he's guessed correctly and brags that he's won even though he hasn't.  Also, I have a niece who Magic Jinn can not understand at all.

The testament to this game really comes in the fact that we've had it now for 3 weeks and it's still getting played with.  The kids still love to see his flashing eyes and hear him talk to them. He's small enough for them to hold in their hands and they usually do while they play.  And even though some of us feel like it's become a sick obsession, the adults also can't stay away.  Every time I turn around someone in the house is starting him up again.  And honestly, the challenge of seeing if he will get it right this time is just as addicting as trying to stump him.

Interested in Trying Magic Jinn?
Retailers are beginning to run out, but I've seen a few still available on Amazon.

25 comments:

Eat To Live said...

You can't beat it when you find a game that is still getting played after 3 weeks. Sound like a keeper

Noor Unnahar said...

Hahaha it sounds SO much fun!

Unknown said...

Definitely a creepy looking little guy but my kids especially my son would have the same reactions as yours! Interesting little game!

Dawn said...

I think my cats would attack that thing. But hey if your kids are still interested after more than 2 days, it's a winner.

mail4rosey said...

Games are fun, we're a game fam. too. :)

Trendy Cyndie said...

Sounds like a very fun game!

Unknown said...

my daughter would be so intriqued by that little thing!

The AnnMarie John said...

My 8 year old would enjoy playing with this. Might actually make a great gift for my god-daughter as well for Christmas. :)

Melanie Payne said...

haha Creepy yet...cannot put it down! 3 weeks though! Sounds like it's staying !

Melinda Dunne said...

LOL! He is a bit creepy but it looks like a fun game! I really like that it gets kids to think about things.

Unknown said...

It's rare to find a toy that can keep their attention for that long. Looks like they were having fun!

Grandma Bonnie said...

Sounds like fun for kids and adults. I am not sure if I would like it for my grandchildren. They are probably a bit young yet.

Pam said...

This looks like a fun game, especially if your kids are still enjoying it after three weeks.

kristenione said...

I think I would have a blast with that game. Sounds really funny and entertaining. My son is too young but me and my husband would enjoy!

Michelle H said...

Ha, ha! We're sitting here imagining a cat learning how to tap the nose to turn it on and then hiding it. Very funny.

Michelle H said...

Let me know if you'd like a couple $5 off coupons!

Michelle H said...

That has been the great part of this game. A lot of the time the child playing with it curls up in mom or grandma's lap and it becomes a little learning session as they look up to make sure they know the answer.

Michelle H said...

Honestly, it is fun for the adults, too! Especially because we're not just trying to get him to guess cat or dog or pig or cow :)

Jenny said...

that's... kinda creepy o.O Interesting...

StacieinAtlanta said...

Toys past the first week? Never happens in my household. My son would probably love this!

Michelle H said...

Stacie, I know! But it's true. They're still playing with it.

Hobbies on a Budget said...

I've never even heard of this game, but my kids have found some pretty crazy games that are easy to learn and a struggle to perfect. This looks fun!

Petula said...

He does look a little creepy when his eyes are glowing! LOL... I'm not sure if I've heard of this or not. My children probably tried to show me on a commercial, but I don't participate in any "I want that" conversations because they will never stop if I let them start. :-) My kids would love this though! Great review.

ETowns said...

I haven’t ever seen this game! I need to play more games with my 9 year old that are not just board games. He would probably love something like this.

Michelle H said...

I am completely in agreement on ignoring the "I wants". The day the Toys 'R Us Christmas catalog comes in the mail is dooms day for me!