Over Christmas, the kids got a few new games that we’ve been playing nonstop as a family. If you’re a fan of Sleeping Queens, then these games are the next level up, with more strategy and a higher level of intrigue for the parents. While they’re recommended for ages 7+ or 8+ by the makers, my 6-year-old can play all these games without any problem. (I should add, however, that he’s definitely a game geek, descended from a long line of game geeks.)
Sushi Go!
The premise of this card game is that you’re eating at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant and trying to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they go by. Each card shows a food item with an adorable face (tempura, maki, pudding, etc.), and you make decisions on what to pick up based on their points and what’s already in your collection. I love that we all have different strategies for this game, and it’s interesting to see what the kids decide to do each round.
Exploding Kittens
With a name like “Exploding Kittens,” I was a bit wary that this game might be inappropriate for kids. But it turns out that it’s just fine, with a level of humor that appeals to them without being morbid. You take turns drawing from a deck of cards, trying to avoid the exploding kitten card, and playing cards that prevent you from exploding. My kids like this game best because they think it’s funny and exciting. (I personally like Sushi Go! more.)
Quixx
This is a dice game that’s more straightforward than the other two (no cute graphics), but still very addictive. Players take turns rolling the dice to gather all the number and color combinations they need to win the most points. Everyone participates each round, so there’s no down time; instead, there’s a lot of strategy and twists and turns involved, depending on what’s rolled by each person. I love that this game has trained the kids to add up the numbers on the dice almost instantly.
By the way, it’s much easier to learn how to play any of these games by watching a tutorial on YouTube rather than by reading the provided instructions. After watching each video a couple of times with the kids, we were all ready to play.
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