The 10 Best Cranium Games

Like many of its brand-mates, Cranium Wow (about $22) largely replicates the formula of the original favorite, with a revamped aesthetic that promises more fun and 16 percent more shouting. The new movers each have their own personality and sport an interchangeable hat or hairdo.

Hullabaloo in a Box (appx. $49) was made with young folk in mind, and is filled with fun sounds, cool shapes, and game play that encourages kids to get up and be active. Its rounds are short and simple — crucial for keeping those developing attention spans engaged.

Designed for children who may find the original a bit too tough, Cadoo For Kids (around $24) is an ideal intermediate step. In this edition the modeling clay comes in a baggie instead of a container, so you may want to supply your own to help it stay moist longer.

The cleverly-designed 3-in-1 Board (appx. $30) addresses a primary complaint many have leveled against the prototypical version: it's often an interminable length. With this edition, players can fold sections of the board in for shorter games or extend them all for longer ones.

A revamped edition with updated trivia from late in 2010, The Original (around $15) features that classic four-activity split that makes this a game fit for people of all skill sets. There are few other contests in which a sculptor and a trivia expert can shine with equal brightness.

While Cranium Dark (appx. $10) is rated for adults, with the tagline "For people who want to act up," it doesn't include the extremely politically incorrect, naughty themes that some grownup games out there have that make playing with family members uncomfortable.

Ever wanted to set up a "March Madness" style bracket, pit an assemblage of more or less random nouns head-to-head, and get your friends or family together to vote on each of these absurd match-ups? If so, Party Playoff (appx. $28) is the answer to your oddly specific prayers.

The aptly-named Pop 5 (about $21) is a pop culture variant of the original "game for your whole brain" with some minor twists that keep it fresh for longtime fans of the brand. For media mavens, movie buffs, and others of that stripe, this edition will be a hit.

Based on an older game called "Like It or Lump It," Whoonu Box (around $17) is a simple affair played in quick rounds. After dealing some of its 300 subject cards, participants take turns guessing each others' ranking of preferences out of the hand they've received.

This former Starbucks store exclusive is now available to the masses. Ballpark Blast (appx. $11) is a simple pen-and-paper baseball simulator in which players roll separate pitcher and hitter dice and compare them for the result of each at-bat.