Home Edition: Pinoy Henyo Fun with My Nieces

Pinoy Henyo is an iconic game popular in the Philippines, and it also appears on national TV shows like Eat Bulaga. It is a guessing game requiring two players — one who will guess the word, and one who will answer “yes,” “no,” and “could be” to lead the guesser to the right word. In TV shows, prizes are always present, and I always love watching this kind of game show as it always makes me nervous and tense for the players. As a Filipino, I have seen many versions of this game, ranging from makeshift placards to formal game shows. Yesterday, I was very happy when my brother arrived. Because you know why? He bought a box of a guessing game for my nieces, but I was the one who was happier than them. Hello, dearest readers, Talay here again narrating her real-life experiences and stories.

When my brother got home yesterday from the supermarket, I heard some commotion outside from my nieces, only to find out he bought a toy for the kids. It was this guessing game he stumbled upon in the kid's section, and he too was interested in playing it, so he made a decision. He paid for it at the counter with bliss in his heart even if he knew his wallet would be empty.

The kids were very happy to find out about their new toy, but they didn’t understand yet what it was for or how it was played. You know, you can make kids happy even if they don’t understand you. The inclusions of this game box are headbands, 100 image cards, and a timer. I was not able to take photos of the headbands because my niece, who happened to be a girl, hoarded them immediately. The headbands are for the image cards — they hold the cards on the guesser’s head while the game is ongoing. There are instructions on the box, but we played the game with our own rules, such as how to use the timer and how to pick cards, to make our game more authentic and easier.

This is how the headbands with a card inserted look. They hold the card still, with an image and text on it, enough for the other partner to see and identify clues for the guesser. We would sit facing each other, set the timer, and guess each other's cards before the timer ran out. We took photos with the cards and headbands because they were so cute. We were very happy to try it finally, although we were not on national TV, but our house felt bigger and more fun than any other stage.

My youngest niece was also included. She was looking at the cards earlier, so I put the headband on her — not tight — so she could also experience it. She was looking at us curiously, and I knew her hands wanted to touch the cards and headbands. This kid is very cute and smart. She was happy to try the toy, but she still could not participate because the only thing she can still do at this age is to pout and make faces at everything she sees.

We were very happy playing the guessing game, but I was not able to take photos of it because I was busy guessing the cards. The fun made me forget that I had to take photos for my memory bin. I did not regret doing it anyway because the best memories are the ones that remain uncaptured. This little niece of mine got hungry from playing the guessing game even if she did not participate completely because all she wanted to do was scan and flip all the cards containing animal images. She ate banana cue her mother cooked for us.

In the end, the day was filled with laughter and joy. Our small living room turned into our own little game show stage where smiles were brighter than any studio lights. It was simple fun, yet it brought us closer together. A reminder that happiness truly starts in moments like these, right inside our home.