Reviews (6)

The Bets Game Out There!
This is the best game ever. We bought this on a recent family trip and we were hooked. Every age range in our family played from grandkids to grandparents and everyone in between. It is fun, strategic and totally addicting. We played every night and could not put it down!

What a great game!
Our family loves to play games together so I am always looking for a new game. This game is our favorite currently. It goes pretty fast and everyone is on the same level. I have a 22, 13, and 11 year old so something that is equal to all of them is a must. They all love this one and usually head out the door with it to a friends house.

Awesome fun for all ages
Being a teen, I wasn't to psyched when my friends opened this game up to play. But, My mind was soon changed. This is a highly addictive strategy game. The cool thing is, theres no one strategy that will win it for you everytime. You constantly have to adjust your strategy to what your opponets are doing. Very fun, definite "Must Buy".

Blokus: fun for all ages
This game came out originally in Europe, so our friends discovered it a couple of years ago. It's the only strategy game I know where a 5-year-old can play against his father and (sometimes) win. Definitely fun, and different every time you play.

Blokus
The game of Blokus is highly addictive! We have had more fun with this game. Everyone we have played with just loves it.We are all so determined to win the next round that we play all night long!

For fun we have even tried to make a solid square or rectangle with the pieces, just laying them on the table.It can be done,with 1 space left over.Try it,you'll drive yourself crazy!

Blokus, get one today! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Honk! Honk! It's gridlock and the little red car can't move.The player is a traffic cop in the Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle wherethe objective is to get the red car off the road. To play, pick one of40 challenge cards; solutions are printed on the back of each card.Then set up the cars and buses in a specified pattern on the6-inch-square road grid. Move the vehicles one by one (obey those trafficlaws!) until the red car can escape the traffic jam. There are fourlevels of difficulty. Kids can alternate turns with another player orjust "play in traffic" alone. The game from Binary Arts received anational award from Mensa and is used in elementary school mathclasses. The design includes clear instructions printed on the sturdybox, which can be used both as a playing tray and for storage. The gamecards stow away in a drawer in the road grid. This is a 1999 Parents'Choice recommended toy. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Hours of Fun Fun Fun
This is a great puzzle. Since it is a game only one can play at a time, my nieces, ages 6 and 8 and my nephew age 11 took turns getting the red car out of the traffic jams. They even enjoyed watching each other find the solution to each "jam". Incidently the 6 year old is almost through solving the "Advanced" puzzles and I am about to buy both additional card packs. Kids and adults will love this game.

Great "toy"
Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

grate!!!
I love this game and so do my familly from ages 6 - 35. you will enjoy playing this game alone at home. the greate part is that even once youv memorized this toy and all the levels (wich you will.) you can buy more cards! it is a grate present for anyone not too lazy to think a bit. everyone has their own level. Also other games such as the one croosing the river from this manufacturer are fantastic! really worth the money!

GREAT GIFT IDEA
We just got this game today and we were all instantly addicted! My 7 year old loved the challenge of the game, didn't get frustrated at all, and wouldn't even think of giving up on trying to solve the puzzles! This is a great gift idea for birthday parties, as it's inexpensive and parents will appreciate the educational value of this puzzle game.

Greatest Game Ever!
I am in the Gifted program in school and it is a lot of fun! I play this everyday. It is very challenging but an awesome game! I would reccomend it to anyone! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Still the best
Years before "fantasy baseball" became a fad, Strat-O-Matic was giving youngsters the opportunity to manage their favorite major league baseball players. Only those who are baseball fans can appreciate how much fun it is to play a tabletop dice game that accurately re-creates major leaguers' performance so well on so many levels.

The original version of Strat-O-Matic Baseball, which is still around as the game's "basic" version, is pretty simplistic. But beginning in 1972, when the "advanced" version was born, the company has continually added rules and made improvements that make the game more challenging and realistic. The game today also has a "super advanced" version, which re-creates just about every variable that means anything in a baseball game.

You can still play the basic game if you want. But those who grew up with the game, or left it and returned, will find the super-advanced version a fun challenge. Alas, the "fantasy baseball" mentality has robbed the game of some of its innocence; many SOM draft leagues and their general managers take this game a wee bit too seriously.

All teams come with 27 players plus perhaps one to three optional "mixed players" who didn't finish the season with the team. (All 30 major league teams and the mixed players come with the game sold here.) In the bad old days, teams came with only 20 players each, or 24, if one bought the optional "additional players." And if a key player was traded from his original team to the other league, he may not have gotten a card at all. Fortunately, that's no longer the case; in the 2003-season set, for example, Ugueth Urbina has two cards, one each for the Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins.

Gripes about the game are minor. The perforated player cards come on giant sheets that you have to break apart yourself, and this is a real chore. The six-sided dice are small and cheap, and the super-advanced fielding charts are on flimsy, decidedly nondurable paper. (Cardboard charts are available from Strat-O-Matic.) The game rules are long overdue for a new printing; the separate list of rule clarifications, corrections and additions is two pages long, mostly single-spaced.

Despite these complaints, the game is well worth the money, especially through Amazon.com, where the price is surprisingly a bit less than what the game company itself would charge for exactly the same thing. This is all the more reason for baseball fans of virtually any age to give SOM a try.

great game
i loved this game. Especially being a very true baseball fan i was glad to see something other than a video game capture the real spirit of baseball.
in this game you get to call the shots like a major league manager. Cant wait for 2004 to come out.

Best Baseball Game Ever
I've been playing this game since 1970 and have every team that has been issued since. You can't call yourself a true baseball fan without playing it. You get to be a big league manager, make out your lineups, choose your strategies: sacrifice, squeeze, hit and run, steal, position your infielders, hit the cutoff man, its all in there and more. Every player rated and simulated. Play any fantasy lineup you choose. Set up any matchup in history. Its all in there.

The Ultimate Baseball Game
I've been playing Strat-o-matic baseball since 1964; I believe it was first advertised in the back of baseball magazines in 1963. Over the years the game has evolved into an internet game. The original board game has improved. For a baseball fan the world of statistics and probability is opened. It develops problem solving skills as the player acts as a baseball manager. Besides its educational value, the game is also a lot of inexpensive fun. Let's see, I was 12 when I first played Strat-o-matic, and now I'm an avid player at 50! Only now I don't have to "score" the games to compile statistics. The game is played by a computer, three games a night, and all I do is pick the players in a draft and adjust the lineups and strategy. If you love baseball, playing Strat-o-matic is like having your baseball cards come to life.

The Greatest Sports Simulation Game Ever Made
It may even be the best table-top game in history. No kidding. It's that good. You don't even have to like baseball to like it, though I suspect you'll come away with a much greater appreciation of the game. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great design, great fun
This preschooler variation of the old favorite Bingo is a real winner.

Zingo cards have a 3 by 3 grid that shows pictures and words. Cards have a yellow side (easier, for younger kids) and a red side for the odler ones. The plastic game piece dispenser is well-designed and fun to use. Players shout out to claim a piece, which is then placed over the appropriate square on the player's card. There are several play variations.

Excellent game for the younger set, and fun for older children and adults as well.

Wonderful toy - kids love it!
My son got this for his fourth birthday and still plays with it regularly (he's now over 5). He'd just started to read when he got it, and the game helped him add many new words to his vocabulary - but more importantly, it was fun! His friends loved it so much that several of them asked for their own sets as gifts. We play until everyone wins and gets to shout Zingo!, and the kids help each other get there. And my son even plays it sometimes by himself. It's really wonderful, very very fun, and would be great for kids from about 3 to at least 6.

game enthusiast
my 4 yr old daughter received this game as a gift. she hasn't stopped playing it! Everyone in the family has fun with Zingo! from my 8 yr old daughter to my mother in law! Great family fun!

Let's Zingo!
Our children love this game and it is by far their favorite. Though the recommended ages are 4 and up - my 4 year old and my 2 1/2 year old both enjoy playing this game and it is one that they never seem to tire of. The playing pieces are all very durable and well constructed. I highly recommend Zingo.

Excellent game that even parents enjoy!
This game is great. Since the day we got it, it has been played with all the time. The kids love being able to yell "Zingo" when the win. The design is great since you can keep all the pieces neatly tucked in the dispenser.

A great fun, educational game for game nights and rainy days! ... Read more

Editorial Review

"It is the spring of 1942. The world is at war. Five world powers are struggling for supremacy. You and your opponents control the military and economic destiny of one or more of these countries.... In this game, you'll discover that cooperation and negotiation are just as important as tactical maneuvering." So begins the 32-page instruction manual for Axis & Allies. To win this complex strategy game, you must learn to be a master economist and a brilliant military strategist and tactician. The game board is a map of the world divided into the spheres of influence that existed at the height of World War II. Both the Axis and Allied powers are allotted combat forces and income, measured in Industrial Production Certificates (IPCs). You must manage your nation's economy and lead its military forces--air, land, and sea--into well-chosen battles. The intricacies of the game are carefully spelled out, as are the criteria each side must meet to become the victors. Contents include 299 detailed combat force playing pieces, IPCs, dice, markers and chips to chart each country's progress, and everything you need to change the course of history in under a day. For two to five players. --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Great strategy game
Axis and Allies is best described as a "thinking person's Risk." While random dice rolls still determine the outcome of battles, the decisions players are forced to make, allow the game to be far more challenging than the better known Risk while not hampering its play-ability. Do you need infantry or armored units? Should you build an airforce or a navy? When do you attack and when do you assume a defensive posture? All are questions players need to consider. Axis and Allies is easy play the first time and challenging enough that it is still a game you will want to play the hundredth time you take it out of the box. The flexibility of the game which pits the Allies (US, USSR, GB) against the Axis (Germany, Japan) allows for two players to enjoy the game as much as when as many as five players each control the destiny of each country during WWII. The colorful gameboard and plastic infantry, tanks, ships, and planes all work together to make this one of my favorite games.

Recommend you all
In 1990 I had first played the game. As I am living so far from USA, in Turkey, It belonged to one of my friends who used to live in USA and came for a vacation. I have never forgot the fun that I felt. In 1999 (between these years I was looking someone who I could order the game)I looked for the game from Amazon's site but during those days It was not available. (It is not also available in Turkey)So I ordered the game to one of my friends who was living in Canada. I and my friends have been spending our weekends playing with the game from the day I got it. After a short time period we have decided that one was not enough so one of my friend in Turkey ordered another one to the guy who brought it to me. It deserves these demands.

Simple concepts, complex strategies
The great thing about this game is novices will reduce the game to germany vs. russia in karelia. Advanced players will learn that there are ways to defeat ANY strategy. Also, the plethera of optional rules and add-ons provide more diversity.

For example one of the popular options for club play goes something like this. The allies have a distinct advantage in a game of equally matched players, so players bid down how many extra "dollars" worth of units they would need to win with the axis. These units can be placed in any combination where the axis already have units.Favorites are manchuria, egypt, or eastern europe...or even spread the extra units between the 3. Good luck, and you might want to try the new Axis&Allies:Europe.

Spring 1942
This is a wonderful game with a historical premise. The scenario is accurate and each piece represents roughly a division, squadron or battle group. The pieces are so detailed that you can land the planes on the carriers! There is also room for creative rules interpretations...

Axis & Allies: Fun Until A Strategy Is Settled Upon
When I first started playing Axis & Allies I was very impressed. It was fun game that acurrately depicted the strategic conditions of the major powers in 1942. However, after repeated play, anyone can see that the game is Russia/Germany (not unlike the real war itself.) If the Russian player is wise he will throw everything he has into Karelia at the begining of the game. The German player will have no choice but to attack with the odds against them. Whoever wins this battle (almost always it's Russia) will win the game. Xeno games has made some very similar games to Axis & Allies. 'World at War' and 'Europe at War' are far superior to Axis & Allies both in fun and replay value. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Risk--the game of world conquest--features a tri-fold game board that is a map of six continents divided into 42 territories. It's a game of strategy as you battle to win by launching daring attacks, defending your territory, and moving across continents with your cunning plan! Includes five dice, 56 Risk cards, and six sets of armies that contain 360 miniatures. Play three variations: World Domination, Capital Risk, and Secret Mission Risk. This game will engage and challenge any player to join the ranks of world leaders! --Margaret Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (99)

Very Addictive, Very Fun!
I am 30 years old and I have been playing Risk for 9 years now. It is a blast playing with a group of your friends, but be prepared to bring a sleeping bag because this game can keep you up until the crack of dawn! It is very addicitive, involves strategy, but that is the best part. Object is to conquor the world with your armies by taking out your opponent's armies. Each player starts out with a few territories scattered throughout the map and the trick is to fortify and defend those territories you need to progress to eventually cover the whole map with your colour. It is tricky that you won't be able to fortify every area you own since you only get so many armies based on how many places you occupy at the start of your turn. Luck also plays a major role - for every attack and every defend you must roll the dice, highest roller is able to keep his army, lowest roller has to take an army off. The more taken off, the weaker his/her regiment becomes. Once she/he loses all his armies on a given space, the attacker then moves in to occupy that space. Once you get comfortable with the game and really good with it, you can make it go a little quicker. There is also a quicky version you can play, which is explained in the manual. Pieces are easy to lose, we usually wrapped our army boxes with elastics or plastic ziploc bags to help avoid this problem. The down part to this game is if a player loses all his armies and territories very early in the game, then he or she pretty much has to sit there for hours watching their friends play and waiting for the game to end. Risk can bring out the worst in people unfortunately, so you may want to rethink about wiping out your best friend, early in the game, even if you can do it.

epic fun
I feel sorry for people who say their favorite game is something like "Sorry," where a drawn card determines with blind luck the game's outcome. It is more of a diversion than an actual game. I am proud to say "RISK" is my favorite game -- luck is one element, but so is strategy and brainpower.

The goal is simple: Rule the world. Unfortunately, there are 2 to 5 opponents in your way. The game tends to last for hours as weaknesses are tested, strategies are played out and brave (or foolish) conquests are carried out. Though many games can last for hours, the tide can turn in a single round. For those fans of strategy games, this is a must-have.

I did take one star off durability because the pieces are rather small. Be prepared to pick a few out of the carpet days after the game has ended. Other than that, take care of your gameboard, cards and pieces and I have no doubt it will last many years.

risk
ok, first off im 16. When i first heard about risk i thought it would be pretty fun. well, risk is a fun game but there is to much luck involved. for example an army of 2 soliders can take out an army of 10 soliders with rolling the right numbers.it is a pretty easy strategy game to learnbut it gests very old easily and you can end up angry beacause you got terribel dice rolls and your friends got better rolls.its educational because it teaches some strategy. and the durability you can loose the pieces. if you want a real fun strategy game then get axis and allies which will sure give you a good time

ok
when i first heard about this game i expected a lot more than it gave.my friends told me this game was good and they werent lyin there.its fun even though its missing core strategy and is focused around luck.4 example my cousin usually rolls sixes on his dice while i roll 4s so im afraid of attacking him. i do like that there are many variations of the game so if u get bored of playin it 1 way try another and u might like it betta.if u like strategy games and wars theres no reason u shouldnt get this.but word of advice:only buy this game if u have spare time during the week and enjoy making diplomacies.(even though its hard to in this game.)hope i helped u in makin the right decision.if you like this game and have a big budget,i would highly reccomend buying risk 2210a.d.

A fun adivtive game
I love playing this game expecaly when theres teams cause i like the fact that you have your ouwn country and army and try to take over more until all your opponnts are dead and you are the victor. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fun for the entire family!
We bought this for my 6 year old daughter for Christmas and everyone enjoyed it! I was amazed how well she did moving through the easy to more advanced levels. Her enthusiasm was contagious and everyone began trying to do the puzzles. My daughter felt a strong sense of accomplishment when she actually did better than many of the adults! It is a durable, compact, challenging puzzle that is so enjoyable that you will get hooked! In fact, I am looking for additional cards to continue the fun!
This is definitely a 5 star game that has educational value and is also appealing to kids.

A game help children learn to use their minds!
I bought this game for my 5 yr old. She loves it and is challenged by the game. Even some of her older cousins enjoyed playing with it over the holidays.

great toy
We bought this toy for our 3.5 year old son, because he really loved it when he saw it in the store. He's been at it all the time after he got it and needed only minimal instructions to start playing. We really appreciated the fact that the difficulty levels were so appropriately designed. My son simply moved from one level to another with great enthusiasm and would never quit playing the game on his own.

Fun & Educational
I've never played Rush Hour, but the Junior version was a big hit with my 5 and 8 year old kids (and me!) this Christmas. It has 4 levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert, with 10 cards in each level. You pick a card and set up the grid with vehicles as depicted on the card. The object is to get your ice cream truck through the traffic and exit the grid.

The rules are: no moving cars sideways. You have to move them forward or backward based on the direction the vehicles are facing. The beginner cards typically require each vehicle be moved only once before you are able to get the ice cream truck through the traffic. With the advanced cards, you may have to move vehicles a few times as you strategically plan your escape.

This game is not only fun, but helps with organization (setting up the grid) and planning (figuring out how to get your ice cream truck out of a jam). It also gives the kids a sense of accomplishment as they move on to the more difficult cards.

I highly recommend it and we plan on buying the adult version soon!

Great whole family fun!
After reading about Rush Hour, Jr. on this website, I decided to get it for my sons, age 7 and 4. They are both a year older now, and still enjoy it. My oldest is now ready for the "adult" version but the more difficult puzzles of the Jr. game still provide some challenge. An unexpected benefit from this "game" is that my sons love to watch each other play and offer encouragement and sometimes advice, and neither gets discouraged when he gets stuck--how great is it to see that?

It also travels really well, we take it in the car for our frequent long trips and take it on the boat to play during snack time.

Parents--I definitely recommend both Rush Hour versions and the booster cards. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is a strategy game with a twist--if you lose, you'relunch. You've taken your trusty Safari Rover deep into the bush; nowmaneuver it through the maze of hungry animals and get back to camp inone piece. An 8-by-7.25-inch plastic game tray forms a kind of grid foryour vehicle and the 3-D plastic animal pieces (including elephants,rhinos, and a termite mound). Draw one of 50 cards (10 of which areextra-easy, for younger players) to determine the initial board setup.Then move pieces, according to strict rules, to make your escapethrough the only exit. A cloth bag for all the game pieces is included.--Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fun but bulky
Our family truly enjoys the Rush Hour game and tried this one as well - it is bigger and bulkly and convenient for travel. I alos find the puzzles to be a bit easier. The pieces don't slide as well as Rush Hour.

Good toy for everyone
I knew this game at a friend's house and love it even I was 30 already at that time. I bought several when I went back to visit my family and they all love it. When I told my mom that I would give my brother's 1st grad boy a set, she told me he won't like it since he doesn't like the brain games. But he loves it soon after my sister explain to him the rules and he enjoys to do it. My little one, almost 23 months old now, likes those animals and loves to put all of those animals to the board one by one and kind of learn the size and arrange the place. It's not only for 8 and up.

Great game; an attention grabber
I bought this for my 6 year old. She played with it for an hour the first time. It is a game she can play solo. After using the Junior cards, she went on to the beginner. She is still progressing. This is a great thinking game. I highly recommend it.

The best Rush Hour game ever!
This game is so much fun!Let me tell you a secret about this game.You can look on the back of the cards to get clues to beat the level that your playing if your stuck.So this game is so fun!

A Wonderful Way to Play Together or Challenge a Child
My 7-year-old daughter loves this activity. There are so many active toys available, but Binary Toys has the best strategic-play games around. We play together often with this toy; I find it as much fun as she does. But, she would just as soon sit at the kitchen counter playing it by herself. We take it on trips, and all the relatives enjoy it, too. Since the "solution" shown on the back of each card is straightforward to follow for an adult but not for a child, she is never tempted to turn the card over and "cheat." Instead, through trial and error, she eventually escapes the safari and moves to the next card. Having the wide range of skill level cards helps keep everyone interested. Having the handy cloth case for storage is appreciated as well. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

If you loved Settler¿s of Catan this a ¿must¿!
Most people come to this game after they have already been introduced to the European Designer Games by Settlers of Catan. This is a different kind of game than Settlers but in some senses it shares a lot of commonalities.

The game is easy to learn for a wide audience, it is reasonably quick to play (30 - 40 minutes) and is a very "immersive" game i.e. there aren't long periods of boredom. There are elements of strategy and luck, which makes for a "fun" game experience.

This game is fun for children and adults. For children the "farmers" are a little too complex, but the game works very well without that element.

The game consists of laying tiles to build cities, roads and monasteries in the South of France. Points are gained by creating long roads, building large cities or farming multiple farms. It draws elements of building jigsaw puzzles together with a strategy game of competing for territory.
I have played this game with family members who aren't really into board games and they enjoyed it just as much as gamers.

There are many expansions to this game which add a few more dimensions as you get more advanced. There is a very high replay-ability.

I would high recommend this game to people who are bored with standard Monopoly or Cranium type board games that are popular in the US.

If you loved Settler's of Catan this a "must"!

Summary:
General
o 2 - 5 Players
o 30 - 40 minutes Playing time
Audience -
o Children & Adults
o Serious and Casual Gamers
Format
o Tile Laying
o Combines Strategy & Luck
Longevity
o High Replay-ability
o Quality Components

Strategy, planning, and resource management!
This is a great game of kingdom building that is easy to learn and very fun to play. The games are relatively short (30 to 45 minutes)so it doesn't take an entire evening, either.

Players take turns drawing land tiles and placing them on the board. Tiles have various structures (e.g. roads, cities, fields) on them that need to be matched up for proper placement. You can't have a road end in an open field, it must be attached to another road.

Each player has a number of followers to dispatch throughout the kingdom. They can be placed on roads (to become thieves), cities (to become knights), monistaries (to become monks), or fields (to become farmers). Once a structure is completed (roads have two ending points or intersections, cities are completely walled in, etc.) the player scores points for his follower and may remove to follower from the board to place him on a subsequent round.

This game is a good way to learn resource management. If you place all of your followers you won't have any in reserve for a prime opportunity, should it arise later. Is it better to get quick points with roads or small cities, or try to keep extending the roads and cities for greater scores? There are many strategies to consider and options to contemplate. Yet, this game is easy to learn in a few minutes. And since the players place the board pieces there are no two game boards alike.

My friends and I have had hours of entertainment from this game. I highly recommend it!

Carcassonne - the best game in years
Carcassonne is the best strategy-based board game I've ever played. It's actually composed of about a hundred square tiles featuring roads, cities, farmland, and cloisters. Deploy your small number of settlers to take over each of these features, scoring points for their completion. Score points for your farmers and all your incomplete roads, cities, and cloisters in the end.

The game works great for two players as well as the maximum 5 players (six with the first expansion) or anywhere in between. The games are varied every time I've played (about 30-40 times so far).

This game is the most addicting game I've played since Magic: the Gathering was released 10 years ago. Try it and soon you will be scrambling to purchase the two available expansions - one with Big Settlers and new tiles and one with Builders & Traders.

The average rating for the durability is a result of the cardboard tiles. If you play a game enough times you'll likely wear out anything made of cardboard over time.

a really fun, easy game
i first played this game a few months ago. 10 minutes into the game, i was hooked! the concept is simple -- earn points by completing cities, roads, and cloisters, and deploying farmers. figuring out the best tile placement is tricky, but fun. the competition is fun, but not too intense. even my 10-year old daughter plays this, and likes it. if we want a "quick" game, we leave out the "farmer" aspect -- makes for a quicker, easier, but still very fun game. the tiles themselves are just beautiful -- the artwork is gorgeous. the player pieces are great -- wooden man figures that are a nice size -- substantial, and the fact that they are person-shaped and not just a block square, adds to the fun. i'd play this game several times a day if i could-- it really is that much fun. :) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superior craftsmanship, truly top-shelf.
If you really like chess and you would like to have a set that is both functional and beautiful, Drueke is the way to go. They are about the only manufacturer of high quality chess equipment left in America. The dark squares and trim are American Black Walnut, and the light squares are Aspen. The part that is really great is that it is made from solid blocks of wood. Most decent chess boards are veneered, which means that there is a very thin layer of nice wood glued on top of some very cheap wood. This is not such a bad idea, as chessboards do not get heavy duty use. These higher end Drueke models are solid though. Even though it's not necessary, it just exudes a feeling of quality. It is heavy and solid. If you turn it over, it is just as well finished on the B side as the top. If you don't like the sawed trim treatment on the top side, flip it over. The walnut is simply beautiful. I'm embarassed to admit it, but this chessboard is the most beautiful piece of furniture in my house. :) If you pair it up with a set of Drueke pieces of appropriate size you will truly have an heirloom piece. Please note that if you want something for tournament use or something super rugged, you would be better served by a set of solid plastic pieces and a roll-up tournament size mat board, and for about 1/10 the cost. It is kind of like this coffee table analogy: You could have a coffee table made from cinder blocks and a piece of plywood, but it doesn't really give you that pride of ownership that a fine piece would. Yes, it will serve you well for as long as you can stand to look at it. However, you just don't look at it and get a warm feeling inside. You won't go out of your way to show it to people. This is your oppurtunity to own something of very high quality for not too much money. Yes, I know that $100+ is a lot for a chess set, but it isn't a lot for fine furniture or something nice to display which also shows you have a good mind to go with your good taste. I can't really think of enough good things to say about this board. If you have a lasting interest in chess, buy this. You will not regret it. The only decision is what size to get. Mine is a 'Grandmaster' model, the one with 2.25" squares for tournament size chessmen. (I don't think Amazon.com carries that model, but their smaller ones are every bit as nice) A wise man once said: "Buy once, cry once. Buy cheap, buy twice." ... Read more

Editorial Review

Are you clicking yet? Play dominoes! It isn't just one game, asmany people think--there are many games and variations at many skilllevels. Domino sets vary in size and complexity, according to the numberof dots. This big Double Twelve set has 91 domino pieces, and each piecehas from one to 12 color-coded dots at each end, or no dots (blank). Thepieces can be used to play 16 different games; instructions for all thegames are included. Made of a heavy white, ivory-like plastic, thepieces are 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and .3 inch thick, and they storeneatly in their case. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (10)

More fun than you think...
Our friends brought this set of dominoes to our house for after dinner gaming, and although my husband and I were skeptical at first, we quickly became obsessed with this game! Playing dominoes is more complicated and competitive than simply matching numbers -- this set comes with instructions for several multi-player games as well as solitary games. The dominoes themselves are high quality -- they are made of heavy white plastic, but feel more like ivory, and the colors are bright and distictive. We have since bought these dominoes as gifts for almost everyone we have played with.

What a fun new twist to a classic game!
We took this set on vacation and aside from playing regular dominoes we also played one of the new games that was suggested in the box. What a blast!

My sister in law also mentioned that my 2 year old nephew also loves playing with these dominoes with her or on his own. He likes to match the colors and is learning to quickly count or identify the dot patterns and their numerical equivalent.

I recommend this game for families or for adults who enjoy getting together to play games.

Wonderful Way to spend an Evening
I played my first game of dominos with this set, and I had a blast! The "train" game is very easy to follow. It's a great way to spend some time with a few friends who aren't into trivia games.

Dominos are a blast
My roommate and I got hooked playing "train" dominoes, and this is the best set. The dominos are very glossy, colorful and very sturdy, and the set comes with a center piece to keep the starter domino from moving and the domino train in line. I definitely recommend this set.

Beware: This Game Is Addictive!
Our friends and family love playing The Train, one of many games that can be played, and the instructions are included. We take our box on vacation, camping, to holiday gatherings, and the evening hours are filled with endless rounds. We occasionally keep score, but not every time. It is a great way to spend face to face time with one another. I give it my highest stamp of approval. ... Read more

Editorial Review

More than 350,000 copies of The Farming Game ("The Game Inventedon the Seat of a Tractor") have been sold, and this 20th-anniversaryedition introduces a new generation to the joys of muck and milking.Every player starts the game with 20 inherited acres and moves throughthe months (i.e., around the board) trying to build the farm into anindependent, successful concern that will feed the whole family. A fungame, it also has a serious, educational side--having been invented byGeorge Rohrbacher, a farmer in Washington State's Yakima Valley, whothought it up while trying to figure out how to make enough cash to hangon to his family farm. Up to six players, ages 10 to adult. --RichardFarr ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A Surprisingly Fun Game
I honestly could not imagine how a game about farming could be fun. Real farming doesn't look the least bit fun to me. After 4 years of reading game reviewers applaud this game, I broke down and bought it for a reunion weekend with a longtime game-playing friend.

When we were well into the first game, my friend put off going to the bathroom for 45 minutes so she could take "just one more turn" and then another and then another. We finally pried ourselves away from the game to go eat at 9:00pm.

It does start out slowly, so give it 2 or 3 times around the board before you give up on it. You start out in debt at the beginning of a new year. One trip around the board is one calendar year. Your goal is to build a profitable farming operation by buying/renting equipment,planting and harvesting, buying and selling livestock. In the meantime, Real Life intervenes in the form of insects, drought, disease, bad weather,taxes,equipment breakdowns, etc. In spite of these frustrations, the fun part is in the harvest. It's sort of like Monopoly with an adrenaline rush! The more fields you own, the bigger the harvest. The more land you own, the more livestock you can support.

The Farming Game is a great educational model for any business, or Life for that matter. You can borrow too much and end up bankrupt. You can have too little cash on hand and not be able to plant. No planting, no harvest. No harvest, no money. No money, no planting.

This is a great game for competitive players. For it to be fun for everyone, players need to be able to count money and either read the cards or be able to follow directions if someone else reads them. If a child can play Monopoly, he or she can play the Farming Game.

Oh What Fun It Is To Farm!
We first played The Farming Game with some of our relatives and decided we just had to have it! It was so much fun to go around and see how each year would go.
Not only is it fun, it also teaches how to count money, how to handle your debt, and how to handle your household in order to make it a success.
I would highly recommend this game to everyone. We now have a large group of people that enjoy playing it also, so we sometimes have to have more than one board going at a time!!

The best game ever created!
I was at my friends house when i first played this game and i REALLY REALLY want this game! It is so mush fun how you get to buy crops and livestock and then you make a profit of them and there really is no ending to this game.We played this game for about 2 hours and we would of played longer but i had to leave (because her family does have a life). This game is even more fun if you dont have a time limit befcause its really never ending.It is the best game. It is sort of like monopoly because there is option to buy cards (AKA o.b.t) and farers fate which are like chance cards and i cant remember the other one in monopoly, but much better because i think the idea of a farm is more unique then things such as "baltic avenue" and "park place".You gain money more than you lose money and overall is is THE BEST GAME EVER! Buy this game, you wont be dissapointed!

Washington Apples, what more can I say?
This is one of the best games I have ever seen. I love playing it with just two people or even in large groups. My friends and I end up combining our fruit orchards and claiming to be Tree Top and Seneca. It is great fun. I would recommend this game to anyone. Plus, how can you go wrong with a game made by farmers in Washington?

Great family game!
My husband worked on a farm with his grandfather for a few summers. It was on that farm that he first played this game and then, when we met he introduced it to me. I could, in all honestly, play this game on a daily basis. It's the type of game where you want to see everyone do well so the game keeps going and people stay happy. The use of money is great for children, helping with basic addition and subtraction. I have never found a game that I enjoy as much as this. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With five levels of play, from junior to expert, Railroad RushHour offers a challenge for kids and grownups alike. The puzzle consists of a sturdy plastic grid, 40 puzzle cards (with solutions on the back) for ages 8 and older, 10 junior challenge cards for ages 6 to 8, 17 brightly colored blocking trains, two blocking baggage platforms, a blue-and-white striped travel pouch, and "you," the little red escape locomotive. Trains are placed on the grid as indicated on each puzzle card. The object is to steer your escape locomotive through the freight yard and out the exit gate indicated. You can warm up your problem-solving skills by getting the puzzle out of the box. All aboard for fun! --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Teriffic fun, great value
This game really is great. My autistic 11-year-old gets
a good mental challenge and feeling of accomplishment out of it,
and I have fun as well. My only negative comment is regarding
travel. We've taken it on many plane trips, and it's great
because it fits in a small area to play as well as store, but
it has a lot of small parts (duh! :-), and they are easy to lose
track of when travelling. So be vigilant, and find all those
train cars when putting it away! :-)

Railroad rush hour - a great game for all
This is a fabulous game for people of all ages. Even little kids can play the easy cards. The harder ones can be very engrossing for adults. My son started playing it when he was 4 years old. I have also given it to somebody as a present for their 40th birthday. I recommend it for anybody who wants a bit of a mental challenge.

More Cards Please
This is a great puzzle game. Kids learn problem solving and adults practice their own problem solving; all of this brain work is neatly disquised because they are having fun. I wish that Binary Arts would come out with more card sets for their Railroad game like they have for the Rush Hour game. I want extra puzzles! It would make it more rewarding to own.

Best Game of all Time
This game is like rush hour except a heck of a lot better. This game is so much fun. Me and my family sit around it and try to figure out the puzzles.

Trains! Trains ! and more trains!
From the creators of Rush Hour, Rush Hour2 and Rush Hour 3 comes Railroad Rush Hour, than train game. Binary has come up with yet another thinking game and another great time.

Given 40 cards, from beginner to expert, and 10 junior cards, for those under 8 years old, you'll spend hours trying to get you train out the maze and to the station.

The game includes a cloth holding sack for easy storage and travel, making this the perfect home, road or away game. Kids and parent will both enjoys the hours fun.

I like the idea of the platform blocking pieces moving in any direction, this adds the strategy. Also this gift is priced to fit any budget and makes a great gift for the hard to buy for. Congratulations Binary Arts on a job well done! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fast-Paced Fun For All Ages
This game was tons of fun...I purchased it for my 15-year old daughter for a birthday gift. I ordered Smart Mouth from Amazon.com after reading about it in an issue of Real Simple magazine. We opened it up at her party and everyone from my daughter to her 7- and 9-year old nieces to her aunt and myself just loved this game. It was fast-paced and the youngest girl had the quickest answers. Best of all, they had a blast while spelling words!!! A great game, both educational and fun.

adult party game
It's a shame this is lumped in with educational games. Although I can see it has great potential a as a vocabulary builder, it is one of the most fun adult party games I've ever played. It's similar in dynamic to Jenga, but requires a loose tongue instead of steady fingers, so it's a better choice after partaking of adult beverages. You can set the rules however you want--minumum 4 letters, only 3 letters, only place names, pick another language, anything!

Fun but there are better games out there
I had recieved this game for Christmas and I find it quite enjoyable. The concept of the game is very simple:

You slide the box forward and then back again revealing two tiles. You must think of a word that begins with the first letter and ends with the second. Example
Letters are:A L
Word Possible: Animal

Who ever yells out a word first that works gets the tiles. When the tiles dispencer is empty, you count up your tiles and whoever has the most wins.

If you are looking for a good travel game I do not suggest this one because the tiles can be lost easily. I do suggest this game for kids ages 7+ because you have to have a good vocabilary of words.

Good idea, poor design
Smart Mouth is the perfect name for this word game in which players must make words using the pairs of first and last letters. Though you really do not need the game pieces to play, having the tiles and dispenser helps ramdonize the letter choices and reloading the dispenser gives younger kids a kick. The instructions are clear and offer a variety of options for playing so that the game does not get stale too fast.

Thought the concept is pretty neat, the game itself it poorly designed. Once you dispense a pair of tiles, you have to remove them from the base, and then you loose them---all over the car, the floor, the table. It would have been simple and useful just to create a bigger base for the game.

The packaging is wasteful and ridiculous. The game comes in a large box, but it would easily fit in a box one third the size. There is no excuse for wasting this much cardboard or ink.

Great Fun and Educational!
My 9-year old and I love to play this game. Like Scrabble, it helps to stretch one's vocabulary and requires quick thinking. It would also be fun with a group of adults. Other than the letter tiles that get stored in the main compartment of the game unit, there are no other small parts. With bags for each player to keep "won" tiles, it would be a good travel game. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Stick to the basics! This old toy still captivates kids!
This toy is fantastic! I've seen both my kids play with it for hours. It is a great game for independent play, however my own 3 year-old greatly benefits from the help of his 5 year-old sister! I don't think many 3 year-olds are mature enough to enjoy playing it without help from a sibling/adult. After several sessions to help them train their brain how to think, a 3 year-old could happily play alone.

If done in order, the 30 puzzles in Mighty Mind progress in difficulty from using two semi-circles to make a circle, to using all 32 pieces to make a shape similar to a train with cow-catcher! The first 20 puzzles provide color clues in the picture to assist a child in selecting the needed shapes, but the last 10 are without clues and are the most challenging.

I'm at amazon checking the price vs. the manufacturer's website (1smartkid). The price here is a few cents more and is very likely for the PLASTIC shape pieces. The toy was originally made from very nice, colored WOODEN pieces and still is, but for about three dollars more. I'd recommend splurging for it - I don't know how well the plastic pieces would take being stepped on. The pieces do tend to fall to the floor - either by accident or in frustration! We are missing three shape pieces and I found the manufacturer's website while searching for replacement pieces, which can be had for about half the price of a new game. Instead of buying replacement pieces, I decided to upgrade to the wooden Super Mind set instead (exact same 32 shapes).

I just bought two dozen of these games at a fifteen percent case-discount from the manufacturer! I went to their site looking for replacement pieces for the wooden Mr. Mighty Mind (old name)and decided to buy birthday gifts for my two kids' friends in advance since my own children really enjoy this game. I bought a dozen of the Mighty Minds for the 3 year-olds for when they turn 4, and a dozen Super Minds for the 5 year-olds for when they turn 6. My daughter just turned 5 and is getting bored with Mr. Mighty Mind and I'm sure her age group will enjoy the more challenging Super Minds more. Mighty Mind is great for a 5 year old if they haven't done it before - but after hours and hours with it the more challenging Super Mind will be more fun.

TIP: I like to find an age-appropriate, gender-neutral gift for my kids to give as gifts, buy it in bulk (often at a discount!)and spend an hour wrapping them all in advance. I also had a roll of personalized stickers made for each of my kids that say "Happy Birthday from (Name)" and I put the stickers on after wrapping. SO MUCH CHEAPER than buying individual cards! Then, the day of a bday party, we grab a wrapped gift from the hall closet and go!

Mighty Mind and/or Super Mind are both great gifts for this purpose, because even if the child already has one, another set makes if more fun to play with a friend instead of all alone!

A great game
Unfortunately it's very difficult to get this game here in germany, but I played it with the kids in the "kindergarten" und if i ever saw it i'd buy it.

Great Puzzle/Game
This game moves kids at just the right pace so they can continue to feel challenged without feeling frustrated. My 3 1/2 year old has had loads of fun playing this with and without mom and dad. I rated it lower in durability mainly because it is so easy to lose the pieces or cards. Luckily you can buy extra sets of playing pieces easily directly from Leisure Learning.

Great Product
My son absolutely loves to build puzzles with Mr. Mighty Mind. He becomes more confident with each new puzzle and has a lot of fun at the same time. This is a great educational and fun product. A great gift for children ages 3+!

Great Product
My son absolutely enjoys learning with Mr. Mighty Mind. He becomes more confident with each puzzle and looks forward to building new pictures. I recommend this product for fun and educational value. A great gift for children ages 3+! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Brian Busting Toy
The object is to get your logger from one end og the board to the other while following pretty obvious rules. 40 different cards provide a challenge for all levels. Loads of fun. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This game was a real disappointment.
I bought this thinking it would be fun for my 4-year-old, but he quickly became discouraged. The pieces slide off so easily that he was almost immediately disqualified, according to game rules. His dad and I found it difficult as well. You have to pile all the game pieces in the middle very carefully to get anywhere with this one. Where was the quality control when they invented this?!

Very Difficult to Balance
We bought this for my 4 year old son and he became quickly frustrated with the game. The surface of the pizza is very slick thus not allowing any pieces to stay on top of it. It becomes quickly unbalanced if you do manage to keep any toppings on. Both my husband and I found it difficult as well. It looks and sounds wonderful but it wasn't a hit in our home.

Pizza for Everyone
I love this game. My four year old daughter picked this game out for herself ... Now it's hard to get her to play anything else and it is the toy her friends go to first when they come over to play. The "pizza" balances on top of "Poppa's" index finger and players try to add toppings without upsetting the pizza. The toppings have different weights and are different sizes so, while it is easy to add a piece of cheese, it is hard to balance it with a mushroom. Players roll the dice to see which topping thay are to add. Everyone in the family enjoys playing this game even though it is accesible to the very young. We had no trouble getting the toppings to stay on top (until we threw it out of balance of course.) I have fun putting it out of balance and watching my daughter carefully correct it. The best part is her older brother will play this game with her alone.

Isaac's Mom
The box says that this game is for 4-7 year olds. When my 4 yr old son got this last year we discovered that the box couldn't even read 30 years and up. Both my hubby and my brother tried to play this game unsuccessfully. The problem is that the pizza surface is too slick and the pieces will not stay balanced up there. The toppings though are really well made and Isaac had fun making pretend pizza with them but we were never able to play the game. it was a disappointment b/c it looked so cute. We bought Topple instead this year, which is the same concept. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

What fun! Glad I bought it!
I gave this to my 8-year-old for his Birthday. We played yesterday and had great fun. As our skills improve -- there are strategies with this game -- we'll have even more fun! Highly recommended.

Gobble it!
Well-conceived game that works for adults playing with kids too.
Involves strategy as one player blocks another's possible moves. This game has almost hidden layers. As one larger cylinder gobbles a smaller one, possibly of the opponent's colour, it is tough to remember later when moving the outer cylinder only in a blocking strategy.

What I really like about this toy
is that any age can play along. My 8 year old and I have a great time with Gobblet, but it's not so complicated that my 5 year old can't join in. And it's not a game that an adult would find boring ~ there *is* some strategy involved. :o)

The pieces are well made, and I like the self storing box too. It's the kind of game that travels well.

We looooove this game!!!
We purchased this game a month ago. First, we were thrilled by the quality, Gobblet comes in a sturdy wooden box and beautiful wooden pieces. We were able to play after a few seconds! It is the most fantastic game we ever purchased, highly recommended!

Wow, what a great game!
I recently got Gobblet from my wife as a birthday gift, and have been playing every night since. My family is now officially addicted to it! Very nice wooden box too.. a winner in my list! ... Read more