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Sure, video games are great, but sometimes there is just no beating some good old school fun. If you are looking for some new games to play with your friends and family, two great options to consider include Uno Stacko and Jenga.
That said, these games are fairly different from one another. Yet, they do also share some similarities. So, between the two, which one is better for you?
Uno Stacko vs. Jenga: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Yes, both of these games involve stacking blocks in towers, but they do have different rules in a slightly different gameplay.
What we want to do right now is to compare both of these games based on various factors, including the gameplay, how many people they are ideal for, how difficult they are, and so on.
1. Type of Game
Ok, so neither Uno Stacko nor Jenga is a board game per se, and neither is a card game. Sure, the original Uno game was a card game, but Uno Stack is a specialized version of the original game. In essence, both Uno Stacko and Jenga are very similar, with the exception that Uno incorporates the colors, numbers, and actions from the original card game.
In essence, both Uno Stacko and Jenga are stacking games. In other words, you get a set of blocks that you stack into a tower, with three blocks on each layer. It’s all about not being the player to cause the tower to fall down.
If you like games that involve stacking (with the aim of building a big tower and preventing it from falling), you don’t want too much strategy, and you just want to have some fun with a few friends or family members, then either of these games is great.
2. Basic Gameplay and Objective
In terms of the gameplay and rules, both games are fairly similar. Whether we are talking about Uno Stacko or Jenga, the main objective of both games is to not be the player to knock the tower over. What you do here with both games is to remove one of the blocks from any of the layers, besides the top layers, and to stack those blocks on top of the tower without causing it to topple.
Now, in terms of Jenga, what we just described above is the extent of the gameplay. Blocks are laid down three-wide and then stacked on top of each other to form a tower. A player must use a single hand to remove a block and then stack it on top. If the tower falls, you lose at Jenga.
Uno Stack incorporates all of these elements into the gameplay but it goes beyond that. As you might know, Uno features a color system with four colors, as well as numbers, plus various action cards such as skip the next player, reverse direction, and draw two.
The first player may pick a block of any color. Afterward, players must choose blocks that match either the color or number of the previous block played. Moreover, all of the action cards come into play as well. For instance, if you manage to stack a “draw two blocks” on top, the next player must then remove two blocks of the same color from the tower, and then stack them on top.
3. Difficulty
In terms of overall difficulty, both Uno Stacko and Jenga are very easy. These games are not like poker, Carcassonne, Monopoly, Risk, or any other such board games that require a lot of thinking and strategizing. All you are doing here is removing and stacking blocks.
As long as you have figured out that you have to leave either two blocks on the side, or the one block in the middle of each layer, so the tower does not fall, there is really nothing else to know.
In this sense, both of these games are exceedingly simple. That said, both games require steady hands and good hand-eye coordination. If you have really shaky hands, then neither of these games is right for you.
In terms of comparing the difficulty level of both games, Uno Stacko is the slightly harder one, as it is just like Jenga, but with some added rules based on the original numbers, colors, and action cards that the regular Uno card game comes with.
4. Number of Players
Jenga is designed to be played by two or more people, as is Uno Stacko. Realistically, both games can handle up to eight or even ten people.
5. Required Playtime
Unlike many board games out there that can take hours to play, both of these games are very fast. Neither game is going to take longer than 15 or 20 minutes at the most. Although it is possible to go for longer, technically, the fact here is that keeping those towers upright for any prolonged period of time is not easy.
6. Possible Alternatives
What is cool about Jenga is that there are many different versions of it, well over a dozen, with Giant Jenga, Jenga Boom, and tons of movie and pop-culture-themed alternatives. Other than the regular game of Uno, as well as some of the variations of the Uno card game, there are no other variations of Uno Stacko.
Uno Stacko vs. Jenga: Which One Should I Get?
Honestly, folks, both of these games are very similar. They have more or less the same theme, the same objective, and very similar gameplay too. That said, if you really enjoy Jenga, but you want something with a few more added challenges, then Uno Stacko is a great option to consider.
Both of these games are ideal for virtually all age groups.
Summary
The bottom line here is that if you want to have some fast-paced and excitement-filled fun with your friends and family, both Uno Stacko and Jenga make for great games.
They’re fun, fast, and simple.