Lady Rachel

Sudoku, Crosswords, and Set. Some of the reasons I don’t expect to get Alzheimer’s. This game is simple in concept, though it seems a little tricky to explain at first. Most people have an “ah ha!” moment when they actually catch on, and then they know just what to look for. Very few people either never get it, or just don’t care, but for those of us who do, this game is terrifically addictive. I like to throw down the gauntlet with anyone who is game, or just play solitaire to give my brain a little workout. It’s nice that you can enjoy it playing just a few seconds, or go through the whole desk and play a full-out game. This is one of my all-time favorite card games!

Something about this card game feeds my drive to put things in order. I’m not particularly OCD, but when it comes to this game, I love getting all my little numbers in a row. I kept begging my kids to play it with me over Christmas, and thankfully they obliged. This is a nice, simple family game, easy for kids to learn. It’ll round out your collection of popular card games like Uno and Rook. It can even be used to teach counting skills, if you want to use it with younger kids.

Who knew you could make a game out of an unending list of bizarre and ridiculous ways to kill off bunnies? But here it is.

The object (simplified): collect bunnies, and keep them alive against the myriad cards your opponents will play against you to kill them off (things as unusual as feral meatballs and meteor showers), because you must have at least one to win. At the same time, collect carrots and try to amass as many as possible because in the end, only one is the winning carrot. It’s completely chance that determines which one, but the more you have, the better your chances.

My kids took to this game and for some reason they keep going back to it, even though it sometimes causes tears and arguments. I think the biggest appeal is the slap-stick gruesomeness of the various bunny deaths. It’s a crazy kind of humor, which takes a certain taste to appreciate. There are so many cards (and expansion packs to make it even more so) that the game doesn’t get boring too quickly. My kids are always finding cards they hadn’t seen before that throw new twists into the game play. My issue with it is the feeling that no matter what happens, the winner is pretty random. But this game seems to be more about the journey than the destination.

The cards are a little stiff, which makes them hard to shuffle. That’s especially frustrating with such a huge deck, but at least they seem durable.

For my kids who throw a fit when they lose at Monopoly, this is a brilliant solution. Players work together as a team to escape the sinking island before it’s too late. Searching for the right tiles, collective problem solving to rescue stranded players, and lovely artwork and game pieces combine for an enjoyable and satisfying family game experience. I also love the tin the game comes in. Another great game from Gamewright!

The concept behind this game is simple and intelligent. You choose words based on a category and spell it out using the letters on the board. Each letter used in the word allows you to move that letter one space closer to your side. Once they are off the board, the letter is yours, and the one with the most letters wins. It’s great for building vocabulary and spelling skills. The only problem: my kids never choose to play it voluntarily. It doesn’t really grab their interest. The board is not particularly attractive, but it’s functional. The letter tiles are nice and sturdy, the cards are average. Our board is permanently bowed ever since we opened it, which doesn’t interfere with game play but is still disappointing.

If you’re into word games like Scrabble and Boggle, you’ll probably really enjoy this game.

Who knew you could make a game out of an unending list of bizarre and ridiculous ways to kill off bunnies? But here it is.

The object (simplified): collect bunnies, and keep them alive against the myriad cards your opponents will play against you to kill them off (things as unusual as feral meatballs and meteor showers), because you must have at least one to win. At the same time, collect carrots and try to amass as many as possible because in the end, only one is the winning carrot. It’s completely chance that determines which one, but the more you have, the better your chances.

My kids took to this game and for some reason they keep going back to it, even though it sometimes causes tears and arguments. I think the biggest appeal is the slap-stick gruesomeness of the various bunny deaths. It’s a crazy kind of humor, which takes a certain taste to appreciate. There are so many cards (and expansion packs to make it even more so) that the game doesn’t get boring too quickly. My kids are always finding cards they hadn’t seen before that throw new twists into the game play. My issue with it is the feeling that no matter what happens, the winner is pretty random. But this game seems to be more about the journey than the destination.

This game is simple to learn for young kids, and it teaches math skills in a very creative way! The whole game isn’t about math, so kids who may be leery of “educational math games” will have plenty of other fun aspects of this game to enjoy. There are cards numbered 1-10, and in order to accomplish other things in the game, sometimes it helps to be able to discard and redraw as many cards as possible on a turn. One of the ways to do that is to make math sentences out of your numbered cards. You can discard 3 or 4 or even 5 cards that add up and include the answer (such as discarding 1,2,5 & 8 because 1+2+5=8). This skill is a simple & brilliant way to help kids learn to be aware of number patterns and combinations.

The artwork is also charming and funny, and it is delightful to know the game was invented by a 6 year old! My only complaint is, the cards were a little stiff and hard to shuffle in my poker-style way, but I guess that makes them more durable.

My son received this game as a gift when he was 3, but at age 5 he still enjoys a good round, and my older kids often pitch in, too. I love the simplicity of this game. Very young children can pick up the game play right away. The cards are also wonderfully sturdy, which seems to be a little too rare these days. On top of it all, the illustrations are terrifically charming and friendly. The only drawback is that it does not hold attention more than a round or two. Still, a very fun problem solving game for young kids.

This is one of my favorite games to play with friends. It’s not time consuming, so you can pull it out just for a couple rounds, or you can play until the whole party is rolling with laughter. My kids even love to play it. Some of our funniest results came from our youngest who can’t even read yet, and was playing cards at random. He still won frequently! This is a great social interaction game that is just plain fun, non-competitive, and easy to learn. It still hasn’t gotten old because there are so many possible combinations of cards, and so many great friends to share it with.