Full House was a game published by Parker Brothers in the late 1970s. This is a roll-and-move game that has players checking guests in and out of hotels for profit, and upgrading these hotels to gain more money and hopefully be the first to reach the goal of a half million dollars profit. This and Payday were my two favorite board games growing up. Visiting my parent's house, I thought it would be fun to bring both of these games home with me for my own kids to enjoy. It was at this time that I found this new edition of Full House on Board Game Bliss. I'm happy to give you my review.
This new edition of Full House has all of the same features as the 1979 edition, and it has been improved in a number of ways.
Pros:
- The original game played four people. This edition plays six, which is good for larger families. The board is modular to match the number of people playing, which is a nice, aesthetic touch.
- The artwork has been improved from the original, and almost everything in the game is printed with both English and French on it. Materials have also been improved, with the paper money being a higher quality than the original, and things like dice with rounded corners are a nice touch.
- There are many more guests (with even more available with the mini-expansion - see below) and these have helped to better balance out the game.
- Gone is the 'People Popper'. This was a plastic box that came in the original version that housed the guest cards. In theory, it was supposed to slide the guest cards out one at a time for the player to view. In reality, it either didn't do it's job, or instead, it mulched and destroyed the cards. I'm glad it's gone.
- The 'Telegram' cards of the original game have been updated to be 'Email' cards, and the card text has also been updated to better reflect modern life. There is also a nice balance between good and bad cards, each giving the player a small, but not game-ending effect.
- While I've only played a few games of the new Full House, I've played with both three and with six people. I was worried that the game would be slow or unbalanced with many playing. That doesn't seem to be the case, however, and I will happily play this game with almost all player counts. I don't know how well it plays with only two, however. One day I'll have to give that a try.
- If you check out the publisher's web store at https://www.evofun.ca/store/, you can buy replacement guest card, email card, and hotel card packs, which is thoughtful. There is also a mini expansion that gives more guests and more email cards, which is great for a variety. As the cards are all bilingual, there is no worry if you are looking for parts in English or in French.
Neutral / Negatives:
- The game itself is an improved version of the original, but it is still the original gameplay, for better or for worse. This is a classic roll-and-move game, which means that it is very luck-driven by the roll of a die. Games have the potential of being very swingy if the dice and cards don't go your way. If you're looking for a game of brain-burning strategy and tactics, this is not it. It is a simple, roll-and-move family classic, good for players both young and young-at-heart.
- While most everything is bilingual English and French, the only thing that seems to lack this feature is the rule book. Mine seems to only have English.
- There is also no Spanish-language version that I'm aware of.
So, yeah. The original, 1970s Payday will be coming home with me (as the new version is awful), and this new edition of Full House will be joining it. It is all the fun of the classic Full House, and all of the improvements have only only made it better. For what it is, I highly recommend it. :)
