Review copy of HOCUS POCUS was provided by Ravensburger
What’s In The Box?
Disney’s Hocus Pocus is a cooperative board game by Ravensburger, for up to six players. The box includes two boards—one for placing cards and another for the witches—along with a Binx token, several trick tokens, and a deck of cards.
Gameplay & Design
The gameplay blends elements from classic games like Uno, Go Fish, and non-verbal communication games. Your ultimate goal is to defeat the Sanderson sisters by concocting three potions over three rounds. To succeed, you and your teammates must coordinate carefully, hoping to pick up on each other’s strategies without talking. Each turn, you can ask one yes-or-no question to try to gather the information you need to play the right card. But be careful—one wrong assumption can derail your whole plan, which happened to us more than once!
You’ll then play a card, matching either the image or color, much like in Uno. If you successfully match all five images or all five colors, the round is complete. However, there’s a twist: you don’t reshuffle the deck, so every wasted turn puts you closer to running out of cards, making the final rounds feel intense and challenging. After several attempts, we finally succeeded, and it was an incredibly satisfying (luck-filled) victory.
Feedback
Since Hocus Pocus is a family-friendly IP, this game is perfect for a spooky family game night. However, it’s also quite challenging—it really requires players who can understand each other without talking. If you’re planning to play with younger kids, prepare for a bit of frustration or the temptation to bend the rules just to reach the end!
Verdict
Disney’s Hocus Pocus board game has a charming theme and a setup perfect for family game nights, particularly around Halloween. While the cooperative gameplay and focus on non-verbal communication are unique, the game’s difficulty may make it challenging to enjoy with all groups, especially with younger players. It requires a lot of teamwork and strategic thinking, which can lead to some frustration if players aren’t on the same page. If you’re in the mood for a thematic, team-based experience and don’t mind a bit of trial and error, this game may offer a fun seasonal challenge—but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
