Happy Salmon is one of the most chaotic party games we have ever played at game night. In this Happy Salmon game review, we’ll go over why this game is so chaotic and then help you decide whether it is the right game to bring to your next game night.
We love Happy Salmon because it is fast paced and super easy to play. Best of all, it is super chaotic and perfect for a game night. Just picture 8 people shouting at each other, while also trying to make connections and perform silly actions. It is definitely one of our favorite game night games.
Check out this video for a quick overview of Happy Salmon:
What is Happy Salmon
Happy Salmon is a 90 second party game that is fast paced and easy to play. It’s super addictive and can be played at any type of get together. The basic premise of the game consists of players shouting different actions on their personal cards and finding another player shouting the same action. Once they match up with another player and perform the action together, they can discard their card and move onto another action.
The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins! It’s as simple as that. You can play with 3-8 people, but I definitely recommend playing with at least 6 people, as it adds more chaos into the mix. If you can gather 8 friends together, even better!
The game box is small and contains a set of instructions, as well as a deck of cards that has 8 different sets that are color coded. Each set has 12 cards containing different actions on them. Each player that is playing will take their own set of cards with the same color on the back.
How to Play Happy Salmon
Setup for the game is simple. Each player will take their own set of colored cards and shuffle them and hold them face down in their hands. Now players will gather in a circle and wait for someone to countdown from 3.
On go, players will flip over their first card and shout the action on their card. They must find a player shouting the same action and connect with them. Once the action is performed with another player, they can throw the card on the table or the floor. If they can’t find anyone right away, they can decide to skip the card and move onto a different card to perform another action.
The goal of the game is simple. Be the first to get rid of all of your cards.
There are four actions in the game:
- Happy Salmon: players will slap their forearms together 3 times
- Fish Bump: this is basically just a fist bump or a “pound it”
- High Five: just a normal high five
- Switch it Up: players will physically switch places with each other
The game plays on as players shout out their cards, match up with other players, and perform actions until someone has gotten ridden of all of their cards and is the winner!
Here’s a video of us playing at game night:
Happy Salmon Game Review
We definitely recommend Happy Salmon for anyone looking to bring energy into the room for their next game night. Instead of sitting around a table moving pawns, this party game requires players to get up and moving. So if this is something you think your group will enjoy, then you definitely get your own copy of Happy Salmon today!
The thing we like most about this game is that it’s super quick to play and you can play as many rounds as you want. We always have it in our board game backpack when going to game nights, as it can be a huge mood booster if things start to become stale.
If you only have a few players, then you might want to think twice about playing until you have a few more people. I know it can be hard to get a larger group of gamers together, but this game is definitely worth it when you have more people playing. There just isn’t as much excitement when there are only 3 people playing.
In this Happy Salmon game review, we went over why we believe this is the most chaotic party game we have ever played. Once you play it yourself, you will see why it is too! Happy gaming!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is Happy Salmon?
Happy Salmon can be played with 3-8 people. Although you can play with just 3 people, we recommend playing with at least 6 people, as it makes the game more fun and enjoyable. The more people, the better!
What is the age for Happy Salmon?
Happy Salmon is made for people 6 years old and up. It requires players to get up and moving, as well as verbally talking to understand actions and make connections. It is a great family game to play with anyone ages 6 and up.
What are the rules for Happy Salmon?
The rules of Happy Salmon are simple. Each player has their own set of cards that each have one of four actions on them. Players will verbally shout an action on the card to match up with a player shouting the same action. Once they connect and perform the action together, the players can get rid of that card. The first player to get rid of all their cards, wins!