Animals are a popular theme for children’s games, but they also show up in many games intended for an older audience as well.
In the game Koi by Bill Lasek, you’ll compete with other koi fish to stay well-fed. As the pond changes with new features, whoever can eat the most over seven days will win – and maybe have a chance to become a dragon one day!
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Gather pollen to make the most valuable honey in this set-collection game. We’re pleased to review a game that looks so “grown-up” while remaining accessible to pre-reading kids.
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Gain the most influence in the Animal Kingdoms by placing Noble Beast cards that match each kingdom’s (randomly-chosen) Decree. Animal Kingdoms feels very “adult” but is definitely approachable for kids.
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Rescue all the animals on Yum Yum Island by feeding them food tokens. But don’t let the giant steal it! We’ll tell you all about this cooperative dexterity game… that involves blindfolds.
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Build your “bag” of overlapping cards and manage inventory to get the most points. An 18-card game for 1-2 players.
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Animal Upon Animal Crest Climbers is so much more than just a stacking game. It’s a great option for young gamers, because there’s so much to learn!
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We introduce a new format on this show: Play This, Not That. We examine a few popular children’s games and suggest games that use the same concepts in a better way. We also try Wendy’s breakfast sandwiches… FOR SCIENCE!
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Fluttering Souls is a unique two-player game where players will compete to catch a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Score the most points each round to collect a White Butterfly.
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It’s the Year of the Rat, and we offer up our top 5 games featuring mice and rats – and 5 more where rodents play a “supporting role”.
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I love dragons. The new game Incubation promises that I can hatch their eggs and see the cute little dragonets pop out, making this game seem like a must-have for dragon lovers.
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I’m not a fan of water games (especially inside) but Narwhal Free for All won me over. Five-year-old Elliot will tell you about this frantic ring flipping game.
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Brainwaves games challenge you to remember details about previously-revealed cards. But each stretches your working memory in a different way.
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Board games bring families together around the table. So why not give games to your loved ones this holiday season? Here are our suggestions for every age and ability level.
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Dragon’s Breath from HABA is fun, easy to learn, and beautiful. You and your fellow players are little dragons, hoarding sparkling stones. But the stones are all stuck in a column of ice! Dragon Dad can melt the ice with his fiery breath, but who can grab the most stones as they fall?
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Furry Foodies is a short, simple game of pushing food off the table. We’ll tell you about it in just 5 minutes.
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Welcome to the world of Evolution, where every turn is a fight for survival—quite literally. In this colorful and competitive strategy game, each player takes control of one or more animal species. Every turn means survival or extinction as players compete to collect limited food resources.
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In Fantasy Ranch, players take on the role of horse ranchers competing in a horse show season. Score the most points by building up a large stable and expanding your ranch to be the best around.
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The ice caps are melting. It’s up to you to find enough data to understand and halt the warming, while saving stranded polar bears from drowning as the ice melts underneath them. Are you up to the challenge: Rescue Polar Bears?
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Gather food, barter, attract mammoths, and protect your tribe – but don’t forget to pet Honga, the friendly neighborhood saber-tooth tiger! Read more about this excellent introduction to action selection games.
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Compete with tribes of Cave People to shove mammoths off cliffs… or trick each other into careening off the edge! Survive prehistoric pitfalls and collect Mammoth Meat to feed your tribe.
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