Spaghettin
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The FroGames review
It's your turn. You grab the tweezers, choose a seemingly safe spaghetti string, and gently pull. The toppings tremble. Someone laughs. You sweat. Until the cube hits the bottom of the box, and you're out. The game lasts five minutes, but the laughter lingers all evening.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
A plate of pasta that eliminates diners one by one
Spaghettin comes from the Tin Line by Alley Cat Games, the same series that spawned Tinderblox and Barbecubes. Designed by Franco Sardo and illustrated by Rory Muldoon, it's a dexterity game in a tin box that takes the idea of Ker Plunk and transforms it into a fake plate of spaghetti with precarious toppings.
You use the included tweezers to pull out the colorful strings (the spaghetti) from the box. Five cubes (the toppings) rest on top of them. If a cube touches the bottom of the box during your turn, you are eliminated. The last player remaining wins. The strings have different lengths and intertwine: choose the right one or pray it holds.
What they say abroad
"The accessible entrée to the rest of the line."
The most accessible dish in the entire series.
— Our Board Game Life
This is the first reading of the review. The game has just been released, has few ratings on BGG, and no verifiable Italian reviews. We will update as soon as we have played real games at the table.
— FroGames
Spaghettin
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first reading: based on rules and official presentation, updated with first playsIn the box
What you find in the tin can
Colored strings (spaghetti)
They have different lengths and intertwine during setup. You don't see which one holds and which doesn't: you have to pull and find out.
5 cubes (toppings)
They rest on top of the strings at the start of the game. If one touches the bottom during your turn, you are eliminated. Five are enough: with more than four, the game would end too quickly.
Miniature tweezers
You use them to grab and pull the strings. No fingers: only tweezers, otherwise it would be too easy to feel how taut a string is.
Tin box
It's the spaghetti plate and the game board. Part of Alley Cat's Tin Line, it fits in your pocket and travels everywhere.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each turn lasts ten seconds: choose, pull, pray.
Intertwine the colored strings in the tin box and place the five cubes (toppings) on top. No strict rules: they just need to balance.
On your turn, choose a string and grasp it with the tweezers. You can try to figure out which one is best supported, but it's almost impossible from the outside. Luck matters more than sight.
Gently pull the string out of the box. The cubes on top will move. If even one touches the bottom of the box during your move, you are eliminated.
If you survived, pass the turn. If a cube fell, you're out of the game. The last player remaining wins. The end. Start again immediately.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Chaotic setup
You toss the strings into the box, stir them with your fingers until they intertwine like forgotten headphones in a pocket. You place the five cubes on top. It looks stable. It never is.
The first turn is easy
There are many strings, the cubes stay still. Someone pulls a string confidently. No one is eliminated. Everyone laughs. It's the only calm moment.
Tension begins
Now there are few strings left and the cubes wobble with every touch. Someone hesitates, studies, pulls slowly. A cube slips. It touches the bottom. Out.
The moment of prayer
Three strings and four cubes remain. There is no safe choice. You close your eyes, pull, hold your breath. The cubes dance but hold on. For now.
The last string
Two players, only one string left. Whoever pulls it will almost certainly lose. But someone has to. They pull. Everything falls. The other wins. Immediate rematch.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things you need to consider
It's almost all luck
You can't see inside the box. The strings are randomly intertwined. You can try to guess which one is best supported, but it's often impossible. You pull and you hope. If you're looking for a pure skill game, this isn't it.
It's really short
Two to five minutes per game, as stated. It's a pure filler: you play it between games, during lunch breaks, in waiting rooms. Don't expect a long or structured experience.
Early elimination
If you're eliminated in the second round, you sit out and watch others play. With large groups, someone will be idle for four minutes. It's better to have an immediate rematch or have two boxes.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Victory by survival, defeat by gravity.
Victory
- You are the last player remaining in the game
- Everyone else has been eliminated
- You have pulled out at least one string without knocking over any cubes
Elimination
- A cube touches the bottom of the box during your turn
- You knock over more than one cube in a single move
- You pull out a string that was providing primary support
Spaghettin doesn't reinvent anything. It gives you five minutes of nervous tension in a pocket-sized box. It works at parties, with families, when you have little time. That's what it is.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
Spaghettin FAQ
What mechanics does Spaghettin use?
It's a game of pure dexterity with progressive elimination. Each turn you pull an element from an unstable pile (dexterity) and risk being knocked out (player elimination). Think of Ker Plunk or Jenga, but with intertwined strings instead of straight sticks.
Is it really that fast?
Yes. A game lasts 2-5 actual minutes, setup included. The game ends when only one player remains. With six people quickly pulling out strings, it can be over in two minutes. It's designed as a quick filler or party game.
Does it work well with six players?
Technically yes, but with six people, someone will be eliminated early and left to watch. It's better to play immediate rematches or have two boxes and run parallel tournaments. With 3-4 players, the experience is more balanced.
Is it suitable for children under 8?
The box says 8+ but the complexity is almost nil: pulling strings with tweezers. The real limit is the fine motor skills needed to use the tweezers without shaking everything. It depends on the child: some 6-year-olds can do it, others at 8 struggle.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English edition from Alley Cat Games. But the game is language-independent: there are no texts on cards or components, only icons and visual rules. The rules are available as a PDF on the publisher's website.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Spaghettin is a dexterity party game for 2-6 players designed by Franco Sardo and published by Alley Cat Games in their popular Tin Line. Each game lasts 2-5 minutes: you use tweezers to pull colored strings (spaghetti) from a tin box without knocking over the cubes (toppings) placed on top. If a cube touches the bottom, you are eliminated. Recommended age 8+, but the progressive elimination and pure dexterity mechanics make it ideal as a quick filler for families, parties, and casual evenings. Available at FroGames.it.
Spaghettin
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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