Hamster Roll Review

Let’s not bury the lead, Hamster Roll is a dexterity game that draws people to the game table. There’s something about that bright yellow wheel that beckons both kids and adults to play this fun and frustrating game. After being available in Europe for more than twenty years, Hamster Roll is now stateside and published by 25th Century Games.

On a Roll

The goal of Hamster Roll is to place all of your wooden pieces into the wheel as it rolls forward, little by little, across the table. Players are always adding pieces in a single direction on the large yellow wheel. You only have a handful of restrictions when placing your pieces.

You must place your piece further along in the compartment than the previously placed pieces.
You can place your piece in the same compartment, or the next two compartments in the wheel.
You cannot place your piece if the exact same piece is already present in that compartment.

Each player starts with the same wooden pieces. Some of these pieces are narrow and light while others take up quite a bit of space and weigh more. Players are taking turns around the table as they try to shed all their pieces before the other players. Physics and gravity are working against everyone as the weight of the blocks move the wheel forward.

If a piece or pieces fall off the wheel onto the table, the current player takes those pieces into their supply to place on a future turn. Causing a large number of pieces to fall out of the wheel is almost impossible to come back from.

The starting piece on the wheel is the black cone. This large and heavy wooden cone is used to stabilize the wheel during the initial setup. Once this piece starts moving around, it will eventually slide out of place and hit the table. If you’re the unfortunate soul to make this piece fall, good luck trying to place it on a future turn. The first person to place all the wooden pieces in their possession is the winner of the game.

Gravity, My Enemy

Hamster Roll becomes a game of “who’s the biggest troll?”. Intentionally placing a piece to set up the next player to fail is so fantastic. Players become desperate as they attempt to defy physics, and sometimes succeed, when blocks get jammed in a compartment of the wheel.

Dexterity games like Hamster Roll have become some of our favorite games to introduce to families. Kids and adults have a blast as they add wooden pieces to the wheel, being ever so gentle as they step back from the table. Speaking of the table, this is a major consideration when playing the game. You need a sturdy, stable surface that isn’t going to easily rock. Having a table with enough length will make sure that you don’t have to keep resetting the wheel back in front of the players.

If all the players at the table play conservatively, Hamster Roll can be a bit mundane. The fun of the game lies in players taking risks and adding pieces that make their opponents shake their heads.

Players should be aware that Hamster Roll requires a relatively steady hand. If you have a condition that causes tremors or shaking hands, this could be a frustrating experience. The rules allow you to steady the wheel with one hand while placing the piece with your other hand. This is a big help, but can also give a false sense of security as the weight of the newly placed block takes over as you let go of the wheel.

I’m so thankful this classic dexterity game is now available in the US. This is a game with a huge table presence and is so accessible to new players. If Hamster Roll isn’t already on your family game shelf, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy before your next game night.

Hamster Roll is available at your local game store, through the 25th Century Games webstore or online through Amazon today.