Bohnanza Game Review
A fatherly geek perspective on Bohnanza, a set collection card game about bean farming. Long touted as a "gateway game", will this game plant the seed of gaming in your little geeks? Read on!
Meng
Board Game Fanatic, and Father of Two, Meng is an Australian who became hooked on board games at high school, with such classics as Talisman and Diplomacy. Years later, he rekindled his interest while living in the United States, both immersing himself in the local gaming scene and also taking advantage of mail-order to expand his collection to some 300 items. After returning to Australia in 2008, and with little time left after work, study and travel, the majority of his gaming nowadays is with his two young children. Hoping one day in the distant future to teach them to play a rollicking game of Die Macher, in the meantime he provides more age-appropriate fare and tries to discuss some life lessons along the way.
Meng goes by the handle meng on Board Game Geek.
Magician’s Kitchen Game Review
Our final review of 2011 Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children's Game of the Year) nominees examines this game of bubble, bubble, toil and (above all) trouble! Magician's Kitchen is a dexterity game with magnets - enough said? Sure, it sounds cool, but you know what would have been even cooler? Lasers! Magnetic lasers, even! Still, there is enough meat here for children, but not quite enough to keep adults engaged.
Monster-Falle Game Review
The second of three reviews of Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children's Game of the Year) nominees looks at Monster-Falle (“Monster-Trap”). This riotously fun cooperative dexterity game requires players to work in pairs to trap monsters, and there is no question that this will be a strong contender for the award. The additional dimension of cooperating with your neighbor makes this game a rare gem, indeed.
Da ist Der Wurm Drin Game Review
In the first of our reviews of the 2011 Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children's Game of the Year) nominees, we look at this game about racing worms, with some betting thrown in for good measure. It is a simple game, with vibrant components and quick play, and is suitable for pre-schoolers.
Castle Keep Game Review
Castle Keep is a simple tile-laying game that plays like a multiplayer jigsaw puzzle. Although no Carcassonne, it has a short playing time and is suitable for pre-schoolers. Bet you can't play just once!
Piece o’ Cake Game Review
Piece o' Cake is a set collection game based on the concept of "you cut, I choose". Great theme, simple rules and engrossing play ensure that this will satisfy the appetite of child and adult gamer alike.
TZAAR Game Review
With so many imaginatively themed board games to choose from these days, not to mention the endless variety of movies and video games out there, does a purely abstract game stand any chance of attracting a child's interest? If you thought not, think again. TZAAR is a quick-playing abstract game for two players and is great entertainment for children and adults alike.
Terra Game Review
Terra is a semi-cooperative card game about saving the world, not from aliens or mutants, but from ourselves. Well, that sounds very touchy-feely and not very exciting, you might say, and you would be right. But, as long as you are not expecting a deep game, it is a good choice for playing with early school age children.
Frank’s Zoo Game Review
Cards with animal cartoons, surely this is nothing more than a re-themed Snap or Happy Families. Or ... could there be more to this game than meets the eye? In fact, Frank's Zoo (a Rio Grande Games title from the last century ... er, 1999) is a ladder-climbing game that deserves to be recognized as Tichu for Kids.
When A Beautiful Game Turns Ugly
Sport is a decidedly non-geeky activity, and my own little geeks' passion is for football. It is an activity that I am delighted to support ... mostly. But I would welcome readers' advice on what to do when those passions run too high!
Sweet, Sweet Music
Where does music rank on the geekiness scale? I believe every child should be give the chance to find out.
Wobble Game Review
Wobble is a simple game in which players place weights around the rim of a tilting platform to shift the balance and make the ball "roll to the hole!"