Skyjo Details

Product: Skyjo
Company: Magilano
Website: https://magilano.com/en
Recommended Age Range: Box says 8 and up, but younger kids can enjoy it as well. Being able to recognize numbers and count to 12 is helpful.
Price Range: ~$17
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Review

We got this game back during the 2020 lockdowns and we used to play it ALL. THE. TIME. I was actually shocked when I checked the website and saw that I had never added it. It was definitely a family favorite for an extended period of time. However, it’s probably been over a year since the last time we played, so I was surprised when my 15 year old suggested it. As soon as I started setting it up, my 10 year old walked into the room and exclaimed, “I LOVE this game!”

There is a LOT to recommend about this game. One of the aspects I love most is that literally anyone who can count to 12 can play. My 10 year old was 5 or 6 back when we used to play this all the time, and was just as into it as the rest of us. It appeals to a wide age range. Grandparents seem to enjoy it too.

Second, up to 8 people can play. It’s hard to find a game like that for under $20 that is ACTUALLY fun. With a family of 6, it’s disappointing that so many of the most fun games are limited to 4 or 5 people. We usually make up house rules so everyone can play, or buy expansion packs or a second box so we have extra pieces, but the fact that this one works flawlessly, as is, for up to 8 people is a huge plus in my book.

Third, it is actually a math game and no one seems to mind. Kids have to add numbers between -2 and 12 at the end of the game to get their scores. You can help kids who are too young to do this, obviously, but I find that my own kids are impatient and don’t want to wait for me to get around to helping them to find out if they won. It provides a lot of adding practice. Also, the fact that it includes cards for negative numbers is a huge benefit. I know many high schoolers who struggle with negatives, but this game helps even the youngest kids gain an intuitive understanding of what they mean.

Fourth, the game does not actually take that long, so it’s an easy one to just squeeze into an afternoon with making a huge commitment. The box says 30 minutes, but I would say 20 minutes tops, even with 6 people. Or maybe we’re just having so much fun, that I don’t notice how much time is passing.

Lastly, I don’t know if this is an advantage or not to most people, but I would say this game is based more on luck than skill. There is SOME strategy involved, unlike the similar card game, Trash, which my family also likes to play, but I would say that luck is the bigger factor. Especially if you are playing with many different ages of kids, I think this is an advantage. No one gets discouraged by always losing, because honestly, if you play long enough, everyone will win at some point.

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One Night Ultimate Werewolf Details

Product: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Company: Bézier Games
Website: beziergames.com/products/one-night-ultimate-werewolf
Recommended Age Range: Box says 14 and up. In terms of difficulty, our 6-year-old understands all the rules and can play independently. Some may find the dark, werewolf-hunting theme inappropriate.
Price Range: ~$20
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Review

The primary reason why I personally love this game is that it rarely lasts long enough to devolve into tears. You can set the length of the round, but I set it for either 2 or 3 minutes. There is a timer going, so it can’t last longer than what you set. Even with setup and the part of the game that happens before the time, it takes no more than 5 minutes. Games are so great for family bonding. Being able to squeeze in a round or two into a little pocket of time makes this game golden in my opinion.

On the downside, I’m not sure the game itself can be said to have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. It does not teach math or reading skills. Reading isn’t even required, which means non-readers can play too. I think this game is marketed as being for ages 14+ solely because of the content and not because of the difficulty. My 6-year-old can play just fine. The issue is that the primary skill promoted in this game is lying and deception. Each player draws a card showing them what character they are and it is the job of the group to locate and kill (by pointing at) the werewolf (or possibly werewolves). The werewolves, of course, need to lie convincingly to avoid being discovered.

Rather than teaching a skill, this game is really just fun. This makes kids want to play over and over and over again. The two other skills that this game encourages, besides deception, are cooperation and deductive reasoning skills. The non-werewolves have to cooperate with each other to figure out who is lying and actually the werewolf.

Some other points that you should know about this game is that it is best played using an app on your phone. In the first part of the game, everyone closes their eyes and takes turns opening their eyes and performing an action. You don’t NEED to use the app. The first several times we played, I wasn’t part of the game and read the script instead, so that we could figure out how to play and also so that I could make sure no one was opening their eyes and peeking. However, after a few rounds, I downloaded the app so I could play too and it is so much more fun that way.

The second thing you should know is that there are some cards that you may or may not want to use. For example, one character is a drunk and changes his card at random on his turn. Another character is a tanner that hates his life and wants to die. His job is to try and convince everyone that he is the werewolf. However, you only need all the cards if you have 10 people playing, which we never have. If you are not playing with the maximum number of people, then you can choose which cards to leave out.

If you are not turned off by the idea of werewolf-hunting and have 4 or more people to play, I say give this game a go. It is perfect for Halloween, but honestly, I know my kids are going to want to keep playing it year-round!

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Not Parent Approved Details

Product: Not Parent Approved
Company: Not Parent Approved
Website: https://notparentapproved.com/
Recommended Age Range: Box says 8 and up. Really, anyone who can read independently can play independently. In our family, an adult just helps the ones that are too young to read. That way everyone can play. My youngest loved this game even when he was four.
Price Range: ~$25
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Review

This game is so childish and immature and my kids Eat. It. Up! If you have ever played Apples to Apples, you will be familiar with the concept. One person reads a card to provide a prompt. Then, all the players choose the card from their hand that they think best fills in the blank. The person who read the prompt gets to pick which card is the winner and that person goes next. However, while Apples to Apples is fun and funny, Not Parent Approved is more fun and funnier, especially if you like potty humor and being a little naughty.

It seems like Grounded for Life and Kids Against Maturity are two similar games with the appealing element of naughtiness, but we have not played those games yet. While there is some mentioning of farts and diarheea in Not Parent Approved, there are no sexual references or bad language. We did not remove any cards to play, though I could see why some parents would choose to. This is a game that my kids love to play when people come to visit. Sometimes I am mildly embarrassed depending on who the guest is. However, this game gets my kids laughing so hard that everyone always has a good time.

The one downside of this game is that when you have played it as much as we have, probably over 30 times, it does lose some of its vibrance, since we have seen all the cards several times before. I thought I could solve this problem by getting the expansion packs. However, that turned out to be a waste of money as my kids did not find the expansion cards to be as funny as the originals. I think next we wil try Grounded for Life, then move on to Kids Against Maturity, but it is definitely worth having one of these games in your game closet for when you want to improve everyone’s mood and get the kids laughing!

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Forbidden Island Game Details

Product: Forbidden Island
Company: Gamewright
Website: https://gamewright.com/product/Forbidden-Island
Recommended Age Range: 8 and up, kids as young as 4 can play, but they will benefit from guidance
Price Range: ~$20
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Review

This game says it is intended for kids aged 10 and up, so I have waited a long time to purchase it despite recommendations. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. This game makes kids feel like they are in the middle of an adventure. The backstory is enchanting and exciting. The game play is both tense and fun.

However, what I love most about this game is that it is cooperative. My kids are attempting to capture four ancient and mysterious treasures before the island sinks. They need to work together to retrieve these magical objects, because if any one of them dies, they all lose. What this means is that even the 4 and 6 year olds who maybe wouldn’t make the wisest choices on their own are helped and advised by the 8 and 10 year olds. Instead of having one of my kids running away from the table crying, they are all working together.

The other wonderful aspect of this game is that it is very pre-reader friendly. The locations have awesome names such as Dunes of Deception and Phantom Rock. However, when determine locations are flooded and sinking, even the youngest children can do this step simply by matching the images. The majority of the treasure cards do not have any words at all. The cards with words each have an image that easily describes its meaning. For example, the helicopter card lets you fly to another location and the sandbags lets you shore up a flooded area. While it is helpful if one player can read, it is not necessary for game play.

Another aspect of this game that makes it appropriate for young children is that all the cards are laid out for other players to see. My younger kids are often at a disadvantage in games in which they need to hold their cards in their hand. Thankfully, that is not a concern for this game.

While we have been playing at the Novice level and find that our odds of winning are about 50/50, this game can grow with your family. It is easy to make the game more challenging by starting the water level at the Normal, Elite, or Legendary levels.

The one downside to this game for our large family is that it is only meant for up to four players. Since I have four kids, my husband and I can’t play. However, I find that it’s best if at least one of us stays to supervise. This allows us to calm disputes before they arise. Thankfully, since it is a cooperative game, it still feels as if we are playing.

Another downside is that there is no clear educational benefit to this game. It does not require reading. There is not any math or history. If you are optimizing your game closet space by only choosing games that have clear educational value, this game is probably not for you. However, if you are looking to build your kids’ cooperative skills and have fun as a family, this game fits the bill perfectly.

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Dixit Info

Product: Dixit
Company: Libellud
Website:  https://www.libellud.com/dixit-2/
Recommended Age Range: 7 to adult, younger kids can play since no reading is involved, but they will not be as able to play strategically
Price Range: ~$30
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Review

This game is gorgeous. The illustrations that come on the set of 84 cards used in Dixit are completely enchanting. They are perfect for sparking a child’s curiosity. The open-ended images could be used on their own as story prompts.

Since there is no reading involved in this game, it is one of those rare strategy games that is appropriate for pre-readers. If younger kids are playing, however, I would recommend these playing card holders. To win, it is important that other players can’t see your cards. Winning isn’t as important with the toddler. He just has fun playing with the family and we all let him score some points.

I also love that this game can be played with up to 6 players. With our family of 6, it’s sometimes frustrating to get 4 player games. I end up having to buy 2 copies of the same game so that everyone can play at the same time. If your family happens to have 7 or 8 people, it would be easy to adapt this game to more players without needing to purchase anything additional.

The way this game is played is that everyone is dealt a hand of images. Whoever’s turn it is will pick one of their cards and give a clue. For example, the clue could be something like “falling” or “light.” My 7 year old once said, “low and high.” Everyone will look in their hands and pick the card that best matches the clue.

All of the cards will then be mixed up and everyone will try to guess the original card that the player chose. The trick is that the player who chose the card will be penalized if either no one or everyone guesses their card. That means their clue needs to be vague, but not completely unrelated to their card.

Extra points are awarded if you guess the right card or if someone guesses your card. This makes the game fun for everyone. My toddler and kindergartner might not be the best at coming up with clues, but grown-ups can remedy this. I usually pick a card I know is wrong when it is their turn so they don’t lose points for everyone guessing their card. Cheating? Maybe a little, but it keeps it fun for everyone.

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Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Info

Product: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Company: Dolphin Hat Games
Website:  www.dolphinhat.com
Recommended Age Range: 4 and up, kids under 5 or 6 might get discouraged due to slower reflexes, fun for teenagers and adults
Price Range: ~$10
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Review

This game is reminiscent of Slap Jack. However, it is much more entertaining for people of all ages and can by played be a large group. The stack is divided evenly among the number of players. As they take turns laying down cards, the players say “taco,” “cat,” “goat,” “cheese,” “pizza.” If the word matches the picture, everyone slaps the pile. The last person to slap has to take the whole stack. Unlike Slap Jack, the object is to get rid of your cards.

There are also a few cards with special instructions that my kids think are hilarious. For example, if a Narwhal card is flipped, everyone claps above their head to make a horn, then slaps the deck.

Everyone in my family thinks this game is fun. Even the three year old, who frequently is last to slap and has to take the deck, loves it. Initially, my husband and I were giving him a chance to slap before us. However, despite explaining to him that he DIDN’T want to be last, he insisted he did. He really wanted all those cards.

Even though my husband and I were sort of cheating, by letting our youngest kids slap the deck before us, we could still make it challenging for our oldest kids to win. To win, you need to be out of cards AND the first person to slap the deck at the appropriate time. Even though I never got close to running out of cards, as long as I slapped before my older kids, they were still in the game.

Some other things I love about this game are that many people can play (or just 2) and it doesn’t take very long. When you have a big family with lots of different ages, being able to squeeze in 10 minutes of quality family time into a hectic day is priceless. I also appreciate that the deck of cards doesn’t take up very much space. I’m sure our Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza games will get more competitive as the kids get older, but I see this one being replayed a lot in the years to come.

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