How it plays
In the Philos edition reviewed, the 24 small plastic chairs come in three colours and two models; everyone chooses a colour. In turn, each player places a chair on the tower, and only the first chair may touch the table. Upside down, at an angle, nested inside each other: anything that holds is allowed. If the tower collapses, the round ends. In the Philos edition reviewed, whoever caused it receives one penalty point for each fallen chair; after the agreed number of rounds, whoever has the fewest penalty points wins. In the variant, whoever caused the collapse takes the fallen chairs, and the first player to have none left wins.
What it can help develop
Where, and in which position, will this chair stay put? Children turn it in their hands, picture its position and judge where the weight will tip: this calls for spatial reasoning. When placing a chair, a steady hand and measured force count: one jerk and the tower wobbles. Impulse control comes in too: taking it slowly even as the tension rises. Experienced players often think further ahead and leave the next player a tricky position.
Especially suitable for
- School-age children with a steady hand who enjoy building
- Mixed groups of young and old
- Short games that need almost no explanation
Less suitable for
- People who want tactics and depth of play
- Wobbly tables: the tower needs a firm footing
Our verdict
Chairs is a worthwhile choice for school-age children who can build calmly and for families with a large age gap. The rules are quickly explained, and the chair shapes allow many ways of building. Its limitations are little depth, brief rules that some groups supplement themselves, and a firm table, which the tower needs.
Getting started
- Build on a firm table, because a wobbly surface will bring the tower down.
- Try out what holds: upside down, at an angle or nested inside each other is allowed, and only the first chair may touch the table.
- For a variant, share out the chairs evenly: whoever causes the collapse picks up the fallen chairs, and the first player to have no chairs left wins.
In detail
Variants and player count
Philos gives 1 to 3 people, so the game is also listed for one person on their own. The rules of the Philos edition reviewed give the playing time as 5 minutes upwards with no upper limit, and the age as 6 to 99 years. According to Philos, patience and dexterity are called for. The Philos edition includes rules in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian, among others. According to luding.org, the game was published under the name Chairs by Fundex in 1999 and by Jumbo in 2002; BoardGameGeek also names Noris and Trefl.
What reviewers say
We do not have a review of Chairs by a specialist editorial team. Instead, our editorial team looked through over 260 player comments on BoardGameGeek, which refer to different editions of Chairs. There, the simple rules are praised, and the game is regarded as suitable for children and for mixed age groups. Some find the rules too brief and think that house rules or variants are needed.
How it compares
Animal Upon Animal (from age 4, 2 to 4 people, about 15 minutes) shares with Chairs the skill areas of fine motor skills as well as logic and planning. Animal Upon Animal already appeals to children aged 4 to 6 who like building, but is less suited to children who still find setbacks hard to cope with. Jenga (from age 6, 1 or more people, about 15 to 20 minutes) suits groups ranging from children to grandparents, and less so people who are sensitive to noise, because the collapse is loud. As with Chairs, fans of tactics get less out of Jenga. At around 5 minutes in the Philos edition reviewed, Chairs is the shortest of the three games, and it needs almost no explanation.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What age is Chairs suitable for?
Chairs is recommended from age 6. A child who places chairs calmly and enjoys building is ready; anyone looking for tactics and depth will find little. Those who find losing hard can start by building a tower together with the others.
How long does a game take and how many people can play?
A game takes about 5 minutes in the Philos edition reviewed; players agree on a number of rounds. According to the publisher, Philos, 1 to 3 people can play. In the Philos edition reviewed, with several players, whoever has the fewest penalty points after the rounds wins.
What skills can Chairs help develop?
Chairs can help develop fine motor skills as well as logic and planning. A jerk when placing a chair makes the tower wobble, and beforehand players need to judge in which position a chair will stay put and where the weight will tip.
What is the rule if a chair only slips off?
The rules of the Philos edition reviewed do not say whether a chair that only slips off already counts as a collapse. Players can agree on this beforehand at the table so that there is no argument.
