David Welker

I have played this game at least 50 times since I originally bought it in 2007. It’s a good turned-based strategy game that never turns out the same, even with the same players. My 8 year old can play it, but she can not ever seem to win, so it takes more than luck to really finish on top. So this may not be a family game with young children, but it’s mostly a game that provides a lot of entertainment between friends. I often find myself switching strategies mid-game as well based off of what I see other players are trying to do. If you play with more than 3 players, you’ll notice that if you are on top, people gun for you to try and knock you back, usually succeeding.

I hav a 4 year old and an 8 year old. The 8 year old is pretty quick at picking things up so I didn’t worry about her getting this game. My 4 year old has trouble though, of course. This is a great game for him because we can help him make decisions, and he can contribute to the outcome. The actions aren’t too confusing for him either. It’s really not all that hard to win but you can start the ‘flood levels’ a little bit higher if you want to make it difficult. I also see it being harder with less players because you can only hod 5 treasure cards in your hand. You are able to trade your treasure cards with other players but you need 4 of the same kind in order to collect the treasure. This makes it impossible to try and save up for two different treasures at the same time. You HAVE to work together and if there are less players, you have to give up on a treasure type until you can collect on the one you’re targeting. We’ve played it only once so far but my 8 year old daughter is begging me to play it again. I can see playing it with friends but less likely too, but it’s a 10/10 for the family.