Hey Anne,
Last week, I picked up "the best worst ice cream" at Target on sale for $9.99. I figured if Vincent didn't like it I could use it for game day. He really likes it. When I asked him if we should bring it to game day, he said "let's play it at home a couple more times first." Thank you for recommending it.
Now for my question of the email, how much technology should be required to play a board game? One of the ads I get on facebook all the time is for a game called "Beasts of Balance". When I first saw this game a year and a half ago, I scoffed at it. Why should I need a screen to play a game? The whole point was to get away from the screens, right? Well, Vincent saw the ad recently and liked it. So after an hour of watching reviews, we purchased it and several expansions. I don't usually buy the expansions without playing the base game first; however, I felt like in this case we would use the expansions immediately. Boy was I right! So after over a dozen playthroughs and multiple sets of kids playing the game, I can say that I am glad I purchased it. It needs a phone, tablet, apple tv (?), or fire tv (?) to play the app on (not sure about the last two). So make sure your devices work with the app, one of our devices would have not worked with it as it was too old but we have several others the app works with. I will put some videos below when I further describe the game.
Here are some game recommendations:
Sushi dice: If you don't like desk bells, this is not the game for you. However, Vincent loves to ring those Kitchen/desk/get your attention bells; plus he likes to roll dice. This game is great in that it needs no reading skills. However, it is speed based so younger kids may be at a disadvantage here. Also, there is the "Yuck" to contend with. If you roll a black symbol (I don't know what it is supposed to be, maybe a squid), your opponent can say "Yuck". Yuck makes you roll all of your dice, even your locked ones that you needed to fill the order card. "Yuck" is the "gotcha" element here. You could take it out of the game altogether. In one of our playthroughs, yuck was the only word he said and he said it constantly. We had to make a rule not to say "yuck" constantly. Also, I feel like it is better for 2 players than 3 players. When my family played, Andrew and Vincent played the entire time. I couldn't say "Chop!", which would have allowed me to enter the game, pick one person to play against, and the other player watches hoping to say "chop". Considering these notes, it is fun to play just probably with 2 players and not saying "yuck" constantly. Here is a tutorial that should fill in the gaps of my thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uivKan5HxA4. You can find the game on Amazon.
reversi-kirby edition- Vincent loves Kirby Nintendo Switch games. So when we saw a board game with Kirby on it, we picked it up for his birthday. Reversi is similar to Othello and apparently like chess and other classic games they can be themed to modern icons/themes. We enjoy the two player game; it is good for travel. The only "gotcha" element here is not thinking through your strategy well enough. Here is a video on Reversi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XdyAZhzJW8. We picked the game up at Barnes and Noble but I am sure it (and other themes) could be found on other places/websites.
king of 12- Andrew found this game and when I tried to find it, I luckily found it at a local board game store. Andrew and I enjoyed this one, Vincent not so much although he won our game. This is a good one for travel in my opinion. In April, we will try it with my nephew during a camping trip to see how he likes it. I can't find a big "gotcha" element here. Some of the cards might make the other players do something but I can't be sure. We played with a few of the cards. So I haven't read of the different powers/abilities yet. The game play does have an element of luck for sure. Here is a review from dice tower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff2eQRDvt2k&t=321s.
patchwork the app- This is a very well done app. I believe several people have suggested this one to you.
Palm Island by Portal Dragon- I tend to play this solo. However, it can be played with 2 players. As a minor quip, I don't use the wallet it came with; the wallet is too stiff for my preferences. I prefer the button shy type wallet material and flexibility. I do love that you play the game in your hand. It is extremely travel friendly. Here is a review of the game from dice tower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqqWip7XQ2c.
Picnic twist by blue orange- I was randomly on Amazon and saw this game on sale. It looks so cute and could play from 1 player up to 6 players. After watching a solo playthrough and a two player play through, I added to my cart. The box it comes in is so cute; However I worried about storing it and crushing it. So I put it in a plastic bag until I can find a better solution. I like puzzley, tile placement games like this and wasn't sure if I needed another one. I have really enjoyed the solo mode and find the challenge is definitely there. I hope to play this one with my family soon. The theme is super cute, family and travel friendly. Here is a video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9DiaoKSb_Q
Beasts of balance by modern games- This game is mentioned above. It is a stacking game that comes to life in the app. It has been so much fun watching the kids' faces as they watch the whale appear on screen and they get so excited to make all the combinations possible. As mentioned above, the game needs a phone or tablet (and maybe two other types of devices, I'm not sure). I don't take this game to my board game events. However, if there is a small number of children under my direct supervision, I bring it out at home or at church. Vincent is very good about treating the game nicely and makes sure other kids are respecting the pieces. There are lots of reviews. The video I will link is of a son and dad playing the battle version. I think it is good to see both aspects of this game: the cooperative and the competitive. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4r6Xdn6jk8. I ordered from the company; you can find new and used copies of the game on Amazon and other sites.
Dungeon, dice, and danger- Not sure I have mentioned this one already. Here is a review that sums it up nicely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUlsnAKvfCk. This is one of my go to travel roll and writes. I haven't played it competitively yet.
The curse of the maldita diamond by game wright- I almost didn't buy this game until I saw it 63% in a flash sale on Amazon. We had so much fun playing this game last Friday. When I first watched this review, I thought "No way would Vincent like this. It will be too simple.". That is not the case; along with the different goals of the cards, the speed aspect of the game, and the curse challenge (if you were cursed in the last round), the similarities between the different shapes (we confused 5 and 6 sided shapes several times), all add up to a very fun and quick game. It deserves a try! The curse challenges might be considered a "gotcha" element; however, they really balance the game. It makes it so that one player doesn't take control of the game and ruin the fun. Here is a review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viJyzpWb90s
Grammar wise colourful language by chalk and chuckles- Nearly 2 years ago, I purchased this game from Amazon. It is like dominoes in the sense that you match "noun" with an example of a noun. However, there is the added complication of the dice; you have to use a tile with the color you roll. In addition, you have to say a sentence with the word you put down or matched with. Hopefully, you are the first person to lay out all your tiles to win the game. Vincent liked this okay. It was a different way to review nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives. Here is a link to the Amazon page. https://www.amazon.com/Chalk-Chuckles-Grammar-Wise-Educational/dp/B07QDRMDKC/ref=sr_1_5?crid=HM1OABGYXD5A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EsY6nmfeD9iWvKgNFaNBVEjSVuMOgUHD_z0y3WVwHUKQCNU4cS48rBobGWj-JYOzowUCMHUZDpL4-gHSO8KVkkVN3oOcbEC_GXHGsA8BFeV_yeS9HcaFpChSYjbQpZoSkwhb-HCZCGlJJchm2DmpwtCDdelkpn_ivzQqb-0x7SvdSnw9a5NE8NaIQpugHTSdoKnIp8p6tHTUXmPhSzdwV2egMHR5pVOK3truR6XjGF0.HSDdCdsq2NXs2PNE5nVmGk4aHGJo-IuQCEJUZOF7iC4&dib_tag=se&keywords=grammar%2Bwise&qid=1709788554&sprefix=grammer%2Bwise%2B%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-5&th=1.
Piggy Piggy by hasbro gaming - I love games under $10. Alas, sometimes despite the price they are not always worth it. Thankfully, this one is fantastic! It has a fun theme, cute pig meeples, crazy goat cards (the goats look great), and it is a quick game (at least with 2 players). The goats are the "take that" element, so you may want to remove a couple of them. They do pop up fairly often during game play. We played 3 to 4 times this evening and in the last round I had a goat (and used the goat) every single turn. Vincent was not pleased. He said I was "yucking" (refer to Sushi Dice above). Maybe there can be a house rule: you can use a goat every other turn. The packing/box is well designed. Unlike with Picnic twist and Avocado smash where it is hard to store or there is lots of wasted space in the box, this box uses all the space wisely and can easily be stored with no concerns. Here is how to play from the company: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2eSkZe1ZbQ. I found this at Walmart with the items you would put to fill Easter baskets.
I hope you and your family have a relaxing weekend.
-Stephanie
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