Halli Galli

How have I not heard about the game Halli Galli before? Now it is an iPhone app but before that it was (and still is) a popular card game that involves ringing a bell. I’ve been playing the iPhone app and I think I’m going to have to ask Santa for the actual board game for Christmas. My kids would go nuts for a game that allowed them to ring a bell. Halli Galli is one fun and addicting game.

There are three different versions of the board game and all are included with the iPhone app. First you have classic Halli Galli. Four players are each turning over cards that have different fruits on them. When you see five of the same fruit on the table (could be your card, could be a combination of others) you ring the bell. If you ring first then you win the stack of cards. If you ring and there turn out to not be five matching fruits you lose points. The game is over when one player has run out of cards. The winner will be the player with the most cards. That is the general gist of the board game and it’s interpreted well by the iPhone app. When you play the app there are four different stacks of cards and the app turns them over, one after another. When you spot the five fruit you tap the screen to ring the bell. The app will either award you the cards or dock your points. You may play the classic Halli Galli as a single player or against someone else. If you choose multiplayer then you can play against one friend on the same phone or against additional friends using bluetooth or wi-fi. The game has three levels and in addition to that you can play an arcade mode for an extra challenge. Here the app deals out cards, increasing in speed as you try to give up. I pretty much failed that one.

Halli Galli Extreme follows the same general rules but with a tweak or two. Instead of watching for five matching fruit you are looking for two identical sets of fruit or a card showing an animal with it’s favorite fruit. When you spot one of these then tap the screen to ring the bell. Points will be awarded or subtracted, depending on your results. Again, this game has three different levels and also allows for an arcade or multiplayer game.

Finally, there is Halli Galli Junior which was developed for children. With this game you need to find two matching clown faces. Their color and facial expressions must match exactly. Ring the bell when you’ve found it. Yet again, this version of the game has three skill levels plus an arcade and multi-player mode.

Halli Galli is easy to learn but fast paced and challenging enough to appeal to a wide range of players. I think it’s great that you and your children can all play the same game but in different variations. The game was quick, addicting and a big winner in my book.

Price when Reviewed: $1.99 (Sale Price)

See the app in iTunes

Seller: iPhSoft

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.