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Siva Afi: The Fireknife Dance of Samoa logo
Siva Afi: The Fireknife Dance of Samoa logo

Siva Afi: The Fireknife Dance of Samoa

Spin a flaming knife in the Samoan tradition to impress the audience!

Requirements

30-60
2-6
12+

Description

For centuries, Samoan warriors have spun and tossed their weapons in dazzling demonstrations of courage and skill. The traditional wooden war clubs were later replaced with hooked steel machetes. In 1946, a young knife dancer, “Freddie” Letuli, was performing in San Francisco at an event that also featured a Hindu fire eater and a girl who twirled a baton with light bulbs on the ends. Letuli wrapped some towels around the ends of his knife, dipped them in fuel, set them alight, and invented fireknife dancing.

The fireknife dance (siva afi) is now a major feature of Samoan culture and the pinnacle of any luau.

In this game, 2-6 players are fireknife dancers. The game alternates between a practicing phase (where players improve their hands) and a performing phase (where players dance by playing cards). In each dance, the best performer earns points. The first player to score a certain number of points wins the game.

This game was developed and tested with the help of professional fireknife dancers. All card text is bilingual (Samoan and English). The cards feature gorgeous art by Samoan artist Troy Safotu.


“Exhilarating! Competitive! Thought-provoking! This is a great tool to learn the art of siva afi (fireknife dancing). Fun for beginners & professionals alike.”

-- Viavia “VJ” Tiumalu Jr, three-time World Fireknife Champion


Components

Component Quantity Photo
Poker Tuck Box (108 cards) 1 Poker Tuck Box (108 cards) component icon
Poker Deck 1 deck of 108 cards Poker Deck component icon
Small Booklet 1 Small Booklet component icon

Vitals

Average Rating 4 reviews
Publish Date March 16, 2021
Edition First
Department Games

Why buy this?

Siva Afi is a wonderful card game, easy enough to learn for all levels of gamers.

  • Collect and perform dozens of authentic fireknife moves.
  • Tested by professional fireknife dancers.
  • All card text in Samoan *and* English. Rules in English.

Peter Drake's Games

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Notes

  • This game contains a premium upgrade called UV Coating that makes the printed components more durable.

Accolades

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See It In Action

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Ratings and Reviews

Posted 3 years ago
Own It Played It Fun High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

This is a fun game and easy to teach. Friends enjoy the theme and how it relates to the game play (for example, "if you play a Throw, your next card has to be a Catch--unless you walk off stage ending...

Posted 4 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

Took Siva Afi on a group vacation and played with 6 non-fire dancer adults. Game logic was easy to grasp and share, and gameplay sucked us all in almost immediately. How engrossing was it? Siva Afi k...

Posted 4 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

Such a fun game!I have played it with other fire dancers and it is always a hit. It is easy to learn and great even if you aren't a fire dancer, although it is more impressive when you can say you've ...

Posted 4 years ago
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

This is a fun and engaging game, great for a group with a competitive streak! The new artwork, which is by a prominent Samoan artist, is absolutely gorgeous. It's easy to learn but is always differe...

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