Victory has a lot going for it. It is fast, nail-biting, and requires skill. It is not just a game that you can expect to play well by only partially paying attention. The players must constantly reevaluate their opponent's and their own position as meeples are removed and replaced, or even reinforced on the battlefield. But the game has some serious set backs, too.
You've got the land, built the cages and pens, and are ready to open your zoo! One problem, though, you have no animals! No worries, you can go out and capture the animals you need to fill your zoo. Oh, but there's the type of animals to think about. You can't just go putting lions next to kangaroos or fill an entire section of your zoo with moose, after all! Jeepers, owning a zoo is work! No time to think about your career choices now! Go grab your net and start bagging critters!
Despite being forewarned, I was surprised how quickly my little geeks grasped the concept of this game. It is easy to understand, rather more difficult to explain. The first time we played, I won quite comfortably, not by any means a walkover though. Subsequently, I have struggled to keep up with my 7-year-old son and my 5-year-old daughter is not far behind.
The world was at war in 1915. Young men left their homes to fight in foreign lands with names they could not pronounce, but knew all too well once the fighting began. Massive armies clashed with victories and losses on both sides. There were also heroes and leaders who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles at every turn. One such obstacle was the deadlock between miles of trenches where soldiers on both sides hunkered down.
Bop-It! Smash, from Hasbro, is the "little brother" version of Bop-It! XT, offering easier controls, simpler game play, and a new way to train your brain. While Bop-It! XT challenged a player to listen and react, Bop-It! Smash changes it up and challenges the player to observe and react. This makes the game a very different experience and can be played by a younger crowd as well as individuals who are hard of hearing or even deaf.
A fellow geek and reader asks us how she can unglue her child from video games. Hmm... If is very tough to pull children away from the TV and computer screens. In our house, we managed to do it through tabletop games that compared to the video games our children were playing. Instead of trying to drag them away from the screen, entice them with something that is familiar to what they are already doing.