This Is Not a Hat – Memory Game Review, Test and Criticism

Our brains are capable of doing really brilliant things. However they fail, or rather we fail at some point, due to such banal requirements as some simple picture cards, which are first passed face up, but later face down in a game round and later recognized…

This process is not a hat

The process of That’s Not A Hat by Kasper Lapp (Ravensburger) is really simple and straightforward. All participants get one of the Endless Game cards face up and placed in front of them. Everyday objects such as a hat, a bicycle, a fried egg or an hourglass are depicted. We remember all the different things, and then another thought card comes into mind. It is scrolled open in the direction of the arrow image on the back with the words “I give you…” (the corresponding motif on the front of the card).

Always be polite

We gratefully accept the gift, but we turn the card we received on its back and place it in front of us. So politeness now dictates that we distribute the next gift. To do this, we take the old card that is already in front of us, turn it over on its back and pass it in the direction of its arrow, indicating exactly what is shown on the front, and which is no longer visible.

Challenge: Pass the cards

Within a short time, all the cards are turned onto their backs, but must be passed continuously, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right, depending on what the arrow on the back of the cards in question indicates. Now we are in the middle of problems that are difficult to explain. Although there is only one card in the game, most of us would have no idea which card has which picture and where it is. It’s really scary how quickly this happens, except for those who, in some way I don’t know, are still able to keep track of things and remember the location and distribution of individual cards and the topics printed on them on the (hidden) front. .

Anyone who receives a gift with accompanying information about what is on the front of the card may question this statement. The card in question is then revealed and everyone sees what is depicted on it, which in most cases is not actually the so-called umbrella, but a ball, a teddy bear or something else.

Show your boundaries

This is not the hat that pushes us, or at least me, to our own limits. I want to like the game and not consider the task particularly difficult – I have already coped with completely different games. However, I still can’t remember the ever-changing stops for individual subjects, at least in larger groups. This is frustrating and makes me doubt myself. The only solace is others, who are usually no better off. Except for those who managed to do it anyway and can’t imagine how bad we feel for them.

Deception is possible, but…

Of course, you can bluff and confidently say what is supposed to be on the face of the hole card I’m about to pass. Unfortunately, many people know very well that my claim is incorrect, even if they themselves do not know the correct solution and the correct topic. However, the latter is not at all necessary, because I get the penalty point and can then think about it or have to.

Where are the attributes?

This is not a hat and therefore a truly polarizing toy. Some people like it very much, others find it an interesting challenge, while most people get bored within a short period of time and would rather play something else. I would like to belong to the first or second faction myself, but I can’t even do that, the game must definitely have qualities that, after all, the Game of the Year jury included in their list of recommendations for 2022. It’s a shame that I can’t really recognize these qualities And enjoy it.

But maybe I miss the stories, for example Fabula rasa lies beyond. I’ll probably have to check this more closely. Until then, I’ll keep giving gifts in hopes that at some point there might still be a spark between me and “That’s Not a Hat.” With an emphasis on maybe and someday.