Zitternix tests your skill and steadiness of your hands by asking you to draw a stick from the pile without collapsing it. HABA's set complicates things a little by including a wooden die with colored pips to dictate which color of stick you have to draw. And, it's much, much easier said than done.
The set consists of twenty-seven brightly painted, wooden sticks, a single wooden ring, and the aforementioned die. The sticks are, from thinnest to thickest, yellow, red, and blue, each with a different point value. They are painted and coated in a thick, heavy gloss that is resistant to chipping and flaking, and have flat capped ends to make them a bit safer for smaller children. The wooden ring is unpainted, as is the die save for the pips.
Setting up the game involves little more than putting the sticks into the ring, and then letting them fall into a pile with the ring keeping them upright. The official instructions say "Hold the bundle vertically on the playing surface and twist the end of the sticks in opposite directions until the ring sits firmly in the middle and keeps the sticks together." Which can be a little challenging for small fingers and hands. I played with a group of eight-year-olds and had to help them set up the game at first, but after some practice and coaching, they were able to do it themselves.
As with many great, simple games, the variations and challenges you can add to your game are endless. Use it to make decisions on movie night or to determine who has to wash the dishes. Play by the rules or make up your own game. However you play, have fun and don't collapse the pile!
– Joel Neff
