Throw Throw Burrito review: is this zany family game worth the hype?

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Our verdict

From the same crazed minds that brought the world Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito combines a card game with dodgeball, except instead of a ball you have a foam burrito – yes really.  The aim of the game is to collect matching sets of cards and avoid getting bopped on the bonce with a burrito. It’s a great alternative for families who may not particularly be into traditional family board games like Monopoly or Ticket to Ride.

Although it sounds like a simple premise, it took a few reads of the rules and a couple of practice games before we really knew what we were doing. But once we got the hang of it, it was great fun, and young and old alike enjoyed the gloriously silly spectacle of a full-on burrito war in the living room. Just beware of breakables, nervous pets and overexcited children before playing - otherwise, go ahead and embrace the chaos!

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How we tested 

I played Throw Throw Burrito with my extended family and it was put through its paces by four adults, all aged in their 40s and 50s, my two kids, aged five and seven, and my grown-up nieces, aged 18 and 20, and their friends. The game was rated on how easy it was to set up and play, its replayability and whether it represented good value for money.

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What’s in the box?

• 120 cards

• Two squishy burritos

• Six burrito bruises

• 1 Fear Me badge

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Is Throw Throw Burrito easy to set up?

Throw Throw Burrito is easy to set up. Once the cards have been given a good shuffle, 15 (ish) cards are dealt face down to each player. This becomes the player’s personal draw pile and is placed to their right. The remaining cards are split into two even (ish) piles and placed in the middle of the game area to become the community piles. The burritos and Burrito Bruises are also placed in the middle. Once this has been done, each player can take the top five cards from their personal draw pile and look at them. Then it’s time for the chaos to erupt.

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How do you play Throw Throw Burrito?

The aim of Throw Throw Burrito is to get three matching cards as quickly as possible. This means players discard any cards in their hand to their left and draw new ones from their personal draw pile on their right. When a player collects a set of cards, they are placed face up in front of them and this becomes their score pile. Each normal card set, featuring quirky characters such as Barky Sharky and Goth Sloth, is worth one point, while a Battle Card set (more on this later) is worth two points.

Keeping up so far? Good. It’s at this point that things start to get a bit wild. Unlike traditional board or card games, there are no turns - yes, you read that correctly. All players go at the same time. One player’s personal draw pile becomes another player’s discard pile, so the game area gets very messy, very quickly. At first my kids, aged five and seven, struggled with the notion that no one was taking turns, and I can’t help but think a few rounds of Throw Throw Burrito may have undone all the good work we have done in promoting turn-taking over the last few years. But hey ho.

When a player plays a Battle Card set, this triggers a Burrito Brawl, Burrito War or Burrito Duel, which basically means lobbing a burrito at a rival player as quickly as possible. The loser receives a Burrito Bruise, which knocks a point off their overall score. Once the last Burrito Bruise has been given out, the game is over and the winner with the most points is awarded the coveted Fear Me Badge. The area is then reset for round two.

There are variations of the game rules for two players and if the game is being played in a small room. If you have two copies of Throw Throw Burrito, the sets can be combined for a mega 12-player game.

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Is Throw Throw Burrito a good family game?

Throw Throw Burrito is a good family game and lots of fun, but it is not for everyone. My kids found the fast-paced play alongside adults and competitive older cousins a bit daunting at first, and although they loved the idea of hurling a squidgy burrito at me, they were less keen to be on the receiving end. However, they did love the (slightly more organised) Burrito Duels, where two players stand back to back and take three paces away from each other before turning and chucking the burrito. 

The game definitely grew on them, but I feel it works best when played with slightly older kids, tweens and teens. Throw Throw Burrito went down very well with my nieces (18 and 20) and their similarly-aged friends, so Throw Throw Burrito is perfect if you are looking for a Christmas gift for a tricky-to-buy-for teen.

If you and your family are already aficionados of the game, then you may want to try Block Block Burrito, an expansion pack with new cards, new rules and tortilla shields, or Throw Throw Avocado which can be played on its own or combined with Throw Throw Burrito to unlock a new combo game. Alternatively, if you have the space, the Throw Throw Burrito Extreme Outdoor Edition looks hilarious and retailing for just £11 on Amazon at the time of writing (November 5th, 2024), it would make a great gift for fans of the original game.

Looking for a Christmas gift for a younger child? Check out our guides to the best toys for 2-year-olds and the best toys for 3-year-olds, featuring products tried, tested and recommended by Mumsnet parents.

About the author

Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on child’s play, outdoor play and toddler play content.

Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021, writing buyers' guides and product reviews to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.

Laura is also a freelance journalist and has written articles for publications including the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.

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