Hike succeeds at what it is trying to be: a light, family-based game that can be played quickly and keep the attention of little geeks. There are some simple strategies in the game, like at the level of Crazy Eights, but works well for the opportunity of flexibility. This is a good family game to pull out with young kids and help teach the basics of game play, like taking turns, and handling 7 cards.
I thoroughly enjoy playing this family-oriented game. It is easy to explain, fun to play, and yet rewards those that concentrate on what is going on. Another huge bonus to the game is that it passed the mother-in-law test over the 4th of July holiday weekend and my 4 year old has fun playing the game with me.
While the production quality for these action figures cannot be argued, I am hard-pressed to call it a "kids toy". These figures are destined to a place in my office where I worked out a pose with the Ultimate Warrior military pressing Randy as he begins his signature move, "The Ultimate Smash" -- cuz you know, that's just awesome.
This game is not a total loss. It does incorporate colors and very simple pattern matching. These are skills that very young little geeks require and can build on. It's difficult to make this game a good deal entertaining by doing so, but it's there.
Despite its simplicity, the kinetic nature of the bed in this game, coupled with the ability to act out chores as a fun activity, makes this game a vast improvement over what would be a typical spin-and-move affair.
There is a reason why Memory is a classic game. The core mechanic has been mixed into hundreds of games throughout the years. True, it isn't a "flashy" game, but there is a subtle strategy to it that makes it appealing. Plus, memorization is a skill that we could all benefit from strengthening, regardless of age or gender.
There is absolutely zero decision making to be made and not even anything fun to look at short of some little purple wooden mice. The game publisher's suggested age range for this game is 4 years old and up. I think the age range is more likely ages 2 to 4.
The game is the worst example of cashing in on a property name that I have ever seen. It does not teach anything meaningful and is a complete and total waste of family game time.
As the name suggests, Zingo! is an derivation of Bingo. Each player is given a card with a 3x3 grid of picture symbols with the word describing the symbol. But is it fun?
Lucky Ducks is a simple game for your younger little geeks that does a good job of incorporating pattern matching in the form of shapes and colors. Plus, it quacks!
Before launching into this season of Christmas parties, white elephant gifts, and too many sweets, let us not forget that Thanksgiving is an opportunity for us to step back from the breakneck pace of life, take a breather, and reflect on what is of real importance.
We all walk this edge between wanting to enjoy our games and wanting to keep them pristine. This edge, which is a very fine line, is different for each of us and I submit that this edge is set based on our personality.