Happy Bunny
Overall Rating: 9/10
Age: 3+
GLAM Age Range: 2-6
Number of Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 15 min
Publisher: Blue Orange Games
Complexity: Low
Available At: Amazon.com
Quick Take: This is a quick cooperative game with a cute theme. It is currently my number one recommended alternative to Candyland. It has the same color coded play and it's just as simple. I like that there is a color coded die instead of all the cards Candyland comes with, it makes life a little simpler. We got this and all three of my kids enjoyed playing it immediately, although the 3 and 5 year old are the biggest fans. My daughter does not like "scary" games at all (time pressure or cards with negative consequences fall into this category) and Happy Bunny passes the not scary test with flying colors. I was a little worried about the carrot pieces being durable enough but they have withstood a reasonable amount of rough handling with no problems. And getting them in and out of the board is good practice for fine motor skills. Great little game, good replay value, and the kids can play it independently with minimal fighting! Win win win!
How to Play: You win by collecting more carrots than the farmer. Carrots with a bite in them go in the bunny pile, carrots without a bite go in the farmer's pile. Carrots are inserted randomly in little slots all over the board to start play. You roll the color coded die and take turns moving the bunny to whatever color you roll, collecting the number of carrots designated by the space you land on. Once you get to the end you line up the carrots and see who ended up with the most, the bunny or the farmer. If the bunny has the most, you win! I checked and there is an equal amount of bitten and whole carrots so your odds of winning are exactly 50/50.
Variations: You can up your odds of victory considerably by paying attention as you place the carrots in the board and seeing where the bitten or whole ones are going. Especially when your child is helping place the carrots, I don't think there's anything wrong if they pay attention as they place the carrots. It basically just adds a memory element to the game. And the official rules have information on how you can make the game competitive by having players keep the carrots they collect on each turn as the bunny moves along the board.
Similar Games To Check Out: Candyland, Dinosaur Escape, Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party, Hoot Owl Hoot, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game