Game: Catch The Match

Thread: Variants as the kids get older...

dlow — 2008-05-30T01:04:26+00:00

As my two have become older (now at the giddy heights of kindergarten...), we've been finding ways to keep some of these "baby games" (as they call them!) interesting.

For Catch the Match, we set variant matching rules: you have to find two objects that have reversed colours, for example. If it gets another few sessions out of them...!

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jwedel — 2007-11-03T08:00:28+00:00

Catch The Match - the cards

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jwedel — 2007-10-27T07:35:30+00:00

Catch The Match - card back

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jwedel — 2007-10-27T07:08:16+00:00

Catch The Match - sample pair. Can you spot the match? (Answer Backwards: rewolf eht)

Thread: Catch the Match, review to construe...

rockusultimus — 2007-03-22T01:46:54+00:00

Catch the Match is a simple picture matching game by Reinhard Staupe. It's for 2 to 8 players, ages 5 to adult, and runs between 5 and 10 minutes in length.

The components are simply a stack of 15 sturdy cards, each consisting of 15 different objects of 2 different colors each. You begin by shuffling the cards and turning over 2 of them. Between those two cards there is only 1 object that is identical in colors. The first person to 'catch the match' wins the hand, takes one of the cards as a point, and turns over the next card. Gameplay continues until there is one card left and the person with the most cards wins.

I bought this game on the recommendation that it is good for small children, doesn't take too long to play, and is relatively inexpensive (under $10).

During our first play with my 3 1/2 yr. old son, I expected Catch the Match to entertain my son a bit while I patiently encouraged him to find the matching objects I instantly picked out. Boy was I wrong!

To my pleasant surprise, my son quickly caught on and began to find the matches quicker than I could. After our first game, he found 5 out of the 15 matches before I could, and he's 3 & 1/2!

In summary, Catch the Match is a simple yet stimulating little game that is fun for child and adult alike. It's quick and is a good, light, filler game.

Thread: Catch the Match - A Light Review

Neil Thomson — 2007-01-03T14:19:26+00:00

All of my reviews aim to offer a brief overview that allows people to get a good feel for what the game may offer them. I feel that other reviews can be sought if detailed game mechanics is what you are after.

As this is a game based on educational principles I am also able to draw on my experience as a primary school teacher (Australia) when reviewing them. I hope you find this insight useful.

This game is yet another matching game but like most quality games of recent times there is a twist. Catch the Match uses 15 oversized cards and each of these contain 15 objects. These include things like a duck, bear, ball, teapot, shovel, flower, boat etc. Each of these pictures is also made up of two colours such as blue-green, green-red, yellow-blue and so on.

The game begins with the players turning over 2 cards at the same time and the players are then in a race to identify the 1 object on both cards that is identical by shape and colour. This can be more tricky than it seems as each pair of cards will only offer the 1 identical match and the colour combinations can be quite confusing. The objects are also illustrated in a variety of rotated positions, so comparing the colours of 2 boats when one is upside down or on its side can be a challenge.

The first person to identify the matching picture wins 1 of the cards and the other card is left on the table. A new round begins by drawing a new card and the game continues by studying the new pair. The winner is the person with the most cards when the deck is exhausted.

The Final Word

Catch the Match is a very engaging game that children can enjoy for hours. Its most rewarding feature is that the play is simultaneous, so no player is ever out of the action and waiting for a go. This is very important where young children are concerned. The game encourages children to identify objects drawn at unusual angles and study items carefully for colour matches. For parents it is a winner too because it can easily be played in 5-10 minutes, which makes it a fun activity that will fit between meal and bed time or bath and bed time.

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Mattias Persson — 2006-12-18T18:28:28+00:00

Swedish edition Huller om buller (Tactic)

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nrihtar2 — 2006-10-14T13:20:21+00:00

box art

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melissa — 2006-09-05T02:56:36+00:00

Catching the Match at Melbourne Museum, 3rd September 2006

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Mariana — 2006-03-29T04:27:31+00:00

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Mariana — 2006-03-29T04:27:22+00:00

Thread: [Review] Catch the Match

TomVasel — 2005-09-01T21:21:49+00:00

Catch the Match (Playroom Entertainment, 2004 - Reinhard Staupe) is a small, simple, easy game, thus getting a short review. But don't let that, or the "kiddie" look of it fool you. Although the game consists solely of fifteen cards, it's a work of pure genius, and the kids (and even adults) are consistently playing it when I have it on the game table.

The game reminds me of the "Find the Difference" puzzles that were in the Highlights magazine I read as a child. With only fifteen cards, fifteen pictures, and four colors, Mr. Staupe has really done something nifty. When talking to him, he told me that the game took weeks to put together, and that he considered it a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Now, considering how simplistic the game is, and how that many gamers will scoff upon seeing it, that seems like a weighty statement. But it's true on many levels - the idea is brilliant, and the execution works well with children.

Fifteen cards are used in the game, each with fifteen objects on them (fish, drum, airplane, teapot, pencil, flowerpot, ship, sweater, ball, duck, kite, hat, teddy bear, butterfly, and car). Each object is made up of several segments and colored in two different colors (red, yellow, green, and blue). The cards are shuffled and placed face down on the table, and the game is ready to begin.

The oldest player takes any two cards and places them face up in the middle of the table. Every two cards have one and only one possible exact match (colors and shape). The colors of the pictures must also be in the same segment. For example, if the body of the airplane is red, and the wings are green, it does NOT match a picture where the airplane's body is green with red wings. The first player to point out the correct match takes one of the two cards, placing it in front of them (an incorrect call removes the player from the current round.)

The next card is flipped over and placed next to the remaining card, and the game continues. When only one card is left in the game, the game ends. The player with the most cards in front of them is the winner!

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components: The cards are thick, heavy cardboard stock, and can take a lot of abuse. My one year old daughter managed to snag them, and they came out none the worse for wear (something a lot of other games have sadly not been able to claim.) The images on the cards are clear, bright, colorful, and especially attractive to kids. The cards fit in a nice cardboard insert in a small, sturdy (and once again colorful!) box.

2.) Rules: I don't know why I need discuss the rules, since they're so incredibly simple. So I won't.

3.) Colors: One small problem that the game would have is that it's heavily dependent on color. Thus, colorblind folk would have a terrible time distinguishing the differences between some of the pictures. I can't think of any way to rectify this, so I would just recommend people with this eye disorder to avoid playing the game.

4.) Ages: I've played the game with three year olds, and they were able to hold their own against much older adults. This is one game that my family can play together, and it's a fair match all the way through. My daughter brought in a bunch of Korean friends, and with no language needed, I was able to explain the game to them, and they had a great time!

5.) Diversion and Fun Factor: For adults, I have to admit that Catch the Match falls into the "bring it out as a diversion" category. Since a game can last about two minutes, it works well in this regard but doesn't really satisfy much more. It's like eating a delicious piece of candy - it might be delectable, but not satisfying for an entire meal.

If you have children, especially younger ones, then you can't do much better than picking up this innovative game. If your playing group consists entirely of adults, then perhaps I would only get this as a novelty-type gift. For heavy gaming groups, this is certainly too light. But for families, it's a wonderful time of frenzied looking to see who can match the pictures first.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games."
www.tomvasel.com

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EJKemp — 2005-03-18T21:36:53+00:00

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EJKemp — 2005-03-18T21:36:53+00:00

Thread: User Review

happycamper — 2004-12-21T22:47:55+00:00

Catch the Match is a matching game, but not a memory game. The game consists of a deck of 15 sturdy cardboard cards. Each card has 15 objects, drawn in two of four possible colors. For any given pair of cards, there is only one object that is colored exactly the same on both cards.

To play the game, one card is chosen as the reference card. The other fourteen cards are flipped up, one at a time, and the first person to spot the matching colored object wins that card. When the stack of cards are finished, the winner is the player with the most cards.

While one might think an adult has the advantage in this game, children are a lot quicker at spotting similarities than you might otherwise think. Since it is a quick, interactive, portable game - it is my current favorite to play with any group that includes very young children

Those that want to take this simple game "to another level" can begin to try to keep track of which objects have been matched, as each object tends to have only one match throughout a single game. I only resort to those tactics when playing in situations (like with my nephews) where I need to maintain a solid alpha-leader status in game playing.

Good for fans of the Where's Waldo series of books and good for parents looking for a game to play with thier younger kids that won't drive them insane from boredom. It is also inexpensive, coming in well under $10! (It is nice that one of the only situations where child-focused items actually tend to cheaper is in the world of board games.)

It isn't a long game, so it isn't going to occupy most kids for hours on end, and colorblind people need to steer clear. Otherwise, Catch the Match is my Children's Game Pick of 2004.