Chutes and Ladders
Overall Rating: 6/10
Age: 3+
GLAM Age Range: 3-7
Number of Players: 2-3
Playing Time: 15 min
Publisher: Hasbro
Complexity: Low
Available At: Amazon.com
Quick Take: A lot of my judgment of games is currently based on angst vs joy while my children play the game and unfortunately for Chutes and Ladders there is a lot more angst than joy. And the board has one of the worst setups I've ever seen, the grid with alternate directions for your token to move as you progress up the board is highly confusing for 3 year olds and it says something that older kids even forget which way they are supposed to move sometimes. That said, it is a classic and it's simple and it's a game that kids can set up and play on their own so it has all of that going for it.
How to Play: Your goal is to get to the 100 spot (or beyond) first. Spin the spinner and move your token the number of spaces indicated. If you land on the base of a ladder at the end of your turn, you go up. If you land at the top of a slide at the end of your turn, you go down. No strategy required.
Variations: You can play as two different tokens and choose which one you want to move based on the number you spin. Or you can make it so you have to land exactly on 100 in order for the game to end.
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