Operation
Pull silly body parts out of a patient with tweezers and try not to set off the buzzer.
Who it's for
You are playing with kids around six who like gadgets and noise, and you want a dexterity game with a real physical thrill. Also good for a laugh with adults.
Not for you if…
You want strategy or a lot of choices. The game is mostly about who flinches, and it needs batteries.
Vibe's take
Tense silence, a loud buzz, and then a collective groan. Everyone leans in and holds their breath while the one with the tweezers tries not to flinch.
About this game
A dexterity classic from 1965 in which you play a very shaky surgeon. The patient is a board with oddly shaped holes, each one holding a silly body part. Cards tell you which piece to remove. You do it with tweezers wired to the board, and if you touch the metal edge of the hole, the buzzer sounds and the patient's nose lights up. Successful extractions earn you cash, and whoever has the most at the end wins. Many editions swap in other patients, from cartoon characters to a dinosaur's skeleton, but the game itself stays the same. It is tense, noisy, and cathartic, and some version of it works as solo practice or in a group of up to six.
Get it
By the numbers
Players
Duration
10 min
Ages 6+
Complexity
1.1 / 5 — Very LightBGG Rating
4.6/10
Rank #31,473
5.0k ratings
Published
1965
Designed by
Marvin Glass, John Spinello
Published by
Hasbro, Milton Bradley, The Op Games, Alga, MB Spiele and 12 more
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