Happy Salmon

Official Rules

The official rules are available here. This is a very straighforward game and the rules explain everything well.

Enhanced Rules

See our Custom Rules section for ideas on how to improve gameplay, especially the "Switcheroo" card.

How many players?

• Playable with 3 - 6
• Best with 4 - 6

What ages can play?

• Playable for ages 2 to Adult
• Best for ages 2 to 7
  
  Young kids will love playing this game because it gives them a chance to high five and fist bump with siblings, friends, and parents. Kids as young as 2 will be able to perform the necessary actions, they just may need some help identifying their card. While this game can be made competitive, it's mostly about having fun, so this won't really detract from gameplay and is a great way to include younger kids in a quick gametime.

Can different skill levels or ages play together?

Yes, the mechanics are very simple and there are very few cards to recognize even for kids that can't read. And in the end it's mostly about having fun.

How long does it take to play?

Less than 5 minutes, this is a very quick game.

Will we get bored after a few games or does it have good replayability?

Young kids will want to play it over and over again.

Setup/Cleanup

How much work is it?
Almost no work at all. The cards are color coded and just need to be sorted into their respective piles.

Would kids be able to do it on their own?
Yes, this is one of the simplest setups you'll find in a game. You don't even really need to shuffle the cards.

Will parents have fun too...

...when playing with the kids?
Yes, this is a very social and interactive game. Parents will likely want to move on after a few games, but it's so fun and cute with younger kids that it's hard to say no.

...without the kids?
No, this would be much too simple though it could be good for a few laughs with other adults.

What skills will this game help develop?

Social Interaction
Everyone plays simultaneously in this game, so all players will be yelling out their cards constantly. Young kids will need to listen to the other players and then respond quickly and with the proper action. These include high fives, fist bumps, happy salmon (slapping your arms together like flopping fish tails), and trading cards.

Motor Skills
Performing the various actions quickly and correctly is good practice for young kids' gross motor skills.

Verbal Skills
Players will need to yell out the card they currently have and listen for the cards other players have (similar to the classic trading game Pit). This can be especially good practice for 2 - 4 year olds.

But will my kids actually have fun playing it?

Yes, the game is fast paced and fun for younger kids.

Improve gameflow

Change the action performed for the "Switcheroo" card
We suggest players simply swap cards for the Switcheroo action. The official rules state players should physically switch places with a Switcheroo card. This is a fun idea, but can be impractical for many families. All other actions in the game are very fast paced but switching positions seems out of place because it takes so long compared to these other actions. It could also be concerning with very young kids ( 2 - 4 year olds) if playing at a table to try and do this quickly.

Do you use custom rules we haven't thought of? If you have found some other ways to customize the rules, please share them with us through our Contact page. We're always interested in new ways to improve gameplay.

If you like this game, we suggest these others

• Happy Salmon - Blue Fish version
• Roll & Play
• Monkey Beach
• Silly Street

Or check out our full list of Reviews where you can sort by any of these categories

• Our Ratings
• Number of Players
• Playing Time
• Competitive vs Cooperative
• Educational Skills