The Floor is Lava

Details: Category: Board/Card/Paper RPG; By Cheryl Gress; 19.Jun; Hits: 1620

Game Info:

The Floor is Lava
Manufactured by: Endless Games
Release date: August 17, 2018
Number of players: 2-6
Price: $16.97
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Thank you Endless Games for sending us a review copy!

Many kids play imaginary versions of the floor is lava and avoid touching it at all costs. Endless Games’ version consists of twenty-five foam floor pieces, twenty-seven challenge cards, and a spinner that requires assembly.

Between 2-6 people within the recommended age range of 5-105 can partake in this timeless classic. Estimated playtime is between ten and forty-five minutes according to the box. The foam tiles are very thin and if there is any wind outside, they may blow away so be careful!

Highlights:

Strong Points: A timeless classic
Weak Points: The floor pieces may slide around and lose their markings
Moral Warnings: None!

The first order of business will be to select a designated spinner who will be in charge of the challenge card deck as well as calling out the colors chosen by the spinner. Once the spinner is chosen, the remaining players need to place the foam tiles around the room or outdoor yard.

After the tiles are in place, the spinner yells “THE FLOOR IS LAVA!” and the players will hop on the closest tile regardless of color. The spinner will then spin the next color and all of the players will attempt to leap to the closest one. If anyone touches the floor in the process, they will lose that round and can be the next spinner or tile remover. The last person to land safely on a tile will have their previous tile removed from the game. If all of the tiles of a specific color are removed, the players must remain on their current one until a different color is chosen.

If a player lands on a tile with a “?” they will have to complete a challenge card without falling into the lava. The challenges range from twirling around like a ballerina to pretending to hula-hoop. Oftentimes the challenge cards will have the player switch to a tile of a specified color. Tile hopping and challenge cards should hopefully reduce the player count. The last person standing will be declared the winner.

The instructions outline an alternate co-op gameplay mode. To play the cooperative version the players must lay the tiles randomly from one side of the room/yard to the other. Each player then goes one at a time using the spinner and tiles to get from the dangerous side of the room to the safe side. The player must spin as many times as possible to successfully go from one color to the next without touching the floor or another tile. If the player cannot continue, they’ll stay on their current tile and pass the spinner to the next player. Continue for two rounds or until all players make it to safety. If there are any stragglers, re-arrange the tiles and play for another two rounds until a team makes it to safety.

My kids are teenagers and had no interest in playing this game. They did try playing a game with a 4-year-old who lost interest in the game after a couple of spins. It’s probably best to work with kids between the ages of 5-10 for this game.