Hasbro's Hungry Hungry Hippos (item F8815)Photo: Toycra
Four hippos around the pondPhoto: Toycra
Everyone chomps at oncePhoto: Toycra
Made for children from 4Photo: Toycra
The marbles drop from their case into the pondPhoto: Toycra
Gobble the most marbles to winPhoto: Toycra
Hasbro's box says it's made in IndiaPhoto: Toycra
Video

Party game

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Bash your hippo's lever and gobble the most marbles to win

2–4players · best with 4
5–10 minplaying time
4+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
More luck than skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Children from 4 who can't yet manage turns, cards or reading

Think twice if You want a game adults will choose to play on their own; reviewers say the fun wears off fast for grown-ups

How we rate it

Learning curve. Press a lever, grab marbles, count them. There is nothing to learn, which puts it alongside UNO and Connect 4 at 1 on our scale.

Luck & skill. Mostly speed and luck: where the marbles roll decides a lot. Releasing marbles one at a time adds a little timing skill.

Interaction. All four hippos fight over the same marbles at the same time, so every grab takes a marble from someone else.

Set-up. The first time, an adult assembles the game unit (Hasbro says adult assembly is required). After that, take the unit out of the box, put in the marbles and play, all in under a minute.

Reading. No text during play; only the rules leaflet has words.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is Hungry Hungry Hippos right for you?

Great if

  • Children from 4 who can't yet manage turns, cards or reading
  • Three or four children at once: everyone plays together, so nobody waits
  • Quick rounds between other games, or while the grown-ups finish chai
  • A gift for a young child that parents and grandparents can join in on

Skip it if

  • You want a game adults will choose to play on their own; reviewers say the fun wears off fast for grown-ups
  • You need a quiet game: four plastic hippos clattering at once is loud
  • There's a child under 3 in the house who puts things in their mouth; the marbles are a choking hazard

How Hungry Hungry Hippos plays

Set-up: the first time, an adult puts the game unit together, as Hasbro says. After that, put the unit in the middle of the table and have each player sit behind one of the four hippos. In Hasbro's current box the marbles wait in a trough by each hippo.

  • Time to teach: about 1 minute.
  • Reading and language: Nothing to read at all: you press a lever and count marbles. Once someone shows the children how the hippos work, it plays the same in Hindi, Tamil or any mix of languages. Only Hasbro's rules leaflet has text.
Everyone chomps at once · Photo: Toycra

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS 2023 Unboxing, History and How-To! - Dandy Fun House episode 27 · Dandy Fun House

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A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Release

    Everyone lets their marbles roll into the centre pond at the same moment.

  2. 2
    Chomp

    Press your hippo's lever again and again to make it lunge out and swallow marbles; there are no turns.

  3. 3
    Count

    When the pond is empty, count your hippo's marbles; the golden marble counts as two, and the most marbles wins.

Read the official rulesHungry Hungry Hippos instructions (Hasbro item F8815) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos goes

Hasbro's rule is simple: everyone releases their marbles into the centre pond at the same moment, and the chomping begins. Press your hippo's lever again and again to make it lunge forward and swallow any marble within reach. There are no turns; everyone plays at once.

When the pond is empty, each player counts the marbles their hippo has eaten. The golden marble counts as two. The player with the most marbles wins.

For a calmer game with very young children, try releasing one marble at a time and letting everyone go for it. Some older boxes played this way, and one reviewer found it rewards timing more than the free-for-all does.

When you finish, the eaten marbles are already back in the troughs, ready for the next round. To pack away, put the marbles in the storage case and push up the lever on the back of each hippo so the unit fits in its box.

What's in the box

Four hippos around the pond · Photo: Toycra
  • 1Game unit
    the pond with four hippos, each worked by a lever on its back; an adult assembles it the first time
  • 20Marbles
    Hasbro lists 20 marbles; the golden marble counts as two
  • 1Marble storage case
  • 1Game rules

From Hasbro's description of item F8815, which an Indian store listing repeats. The eaten marbles collect in a trough by each hippo, ready for the next game. The older Elefun & Friends box (item 98936) lists different parts for the same game: 4 hippo heads, 4 hippo bodies, 4 marble launchers and guides, 20 plastic marbles, 1 golden marble, a label sheet, instructions, and marble and hippo storage.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Hungry Hungry Hippos is made in India: the back of Hasbro's current box (item F8815) says 'Made in India', and Hasbro sells it here through its Indian company, Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai. The box to buy is this current design, whose marbles roll back into each hippo's trough and pack into a storage case. Our Amazon.in link goes to it.

Before you choose

  • Look for the Hasbro Gaming logo and the Hungry Hungry Hippos name on the box. Indian listings for the current box give item F8815 and name Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.
  • Check for the ISI mark and a BIS licence number; toys sold in India must carry it.
  • The current box holds one game unit with four hippos, 20 marbles (the golden one counts as two) and a marble storage case. Eaten marbles collect in a trough by each hippo.
  • An Indian store listing gives barcode 195166247700 for item F8815.
  • Marble-grabbing games with frogs, dinosaurs or other animals come from other brands under their own names. They play much the same, but a listing that says 'Hungry Hippos' without naming Hasbro is not Hasbro's game.

What reviewers and players say

Reviewers agree Hungry Hungry Hippos is a children's game first: quick, loud and over in a minute or two. Father Geek found it 'a big hit' with his sons but low on lasting value for adults, and suggests using it as a quick opener before something meatier. Geeky Hobbies says it 'works better for adults than most people would expect', especially if marbles are released one at a time so timing matters, but warns that it relies heavily on luck and gets repetitive after 10 to 15 minutes. Families on a board game forum mostly play it as joyful chaos, and argue happily over whether to release the marbles all at once or one by one. Both reviews are of older boxes; we found none of Hasbro's current design.

What people love

  • Children love the frantic, everyone-at-once chomping, and it takes seconds to explain
  • No reading and no turns, so preschoolers can play with older cousins and grandparents
  • Releasing one marble at a time turns it into a timing game that adults can enjoy too
  • Very quick to set up and play, so it fits in anywhere

Common complaints

  • Mostly luck, and the fun wears off quickly for grown-ups
  • One of the loudest games you can own
  • Marbles get lost easily, and pressing the lever over and over can make small hands sore
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Questions people ask about Hungry Hungry Hippos

What age is Hungry Hungry Hippos for?

Hasbro rates it for ages 4 and up, for 2 to 4 players. The marbles are a choking hazard, so keep them away from children under 3, and an adult needs to put the game together the first time.

How do you win Hungry Hungry Hippos?

When the pond is empty, every player counts the marbles their hippo has eaten, and the most marbles wins. In Hasbro's current box the golden marble counts as two.

What is the difference between the old and new Hungry Hungry Hippos?

In Hasbro's current box (item F8815) the eaten marbles roll into a trough by each hippo, ready to launch again, and the hippos' levers push up so the game packs into its box. The older Elefun & Friends box (item 98936) had snap-together hippos, separate marble launchers and a sticker sheet. The game itself is the same.

Does Hungry Hungry Hippos need batteries?

No. Each hippo is worked by pressing the lever on its back, so it runs on hand power alone. That is also why it's so loud when four children press at once.

Can two people play Hungry Hungry Hippos?

Yes. Hasbro says 2 to 4 players. It's liveliest with four, because every hippo is fighting for the same marbles, but a parent and child can play a quick game together.

Game facts

Designed by
Fred Kroll
Publisher
Hasbro (Hasbro Gaming; first sold by Milton Bradley in 1978)
In India
Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (named as manufacturer/importer on an Indian store listing)
First published
1978
Players
2–4
Barcode
195166247700
Language
No reading – Nothing to read at all: you press a lever and count marbles. Once someone shows the children how the hippos work, it plays the same in Hindi, Tamil or any mix of languages. Only Hasbro's rules leaflet has text.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.