by sa266
This review is part of my series of reviews of how various games have appealed (or not) to my children - for the full list see My children's game reviews - children aged between 2 and 7.Fun Components
The first thing you have to do when you open the box is choose your monster - this engages a young child instantly! Then the game itself involves throwing some colourful chunky dice (into a dice tower in our house), which are very tactile. The cards are colourful too, and quite thematic - my son loves getting things he can relate to, like an extra head!
Simplicity of rules
The basic rules are very simple, and even my 3 year old gets the general idea. A 5 year old might need reminding for the first few plays about the heart rule for Tokyo, and some of the less common rules, as well as the "extra rules" that the cards bring in. But the game itself isn't a game where it takes time to get started - you can open the box and getting them throwing dice almost straight away, which is important with kids.
Randomness/Strategy
The strategy decisions are relatively simple - whether to fight, go for points, heal or not etc - but there are enough of them that an adult has a slight advantage. This doesn't mean a child can't win in their own right, and even if they don't they can have a lot of fun beating up other players. The main advantage an adult has is in reading and understanding the cards - a 5 year old who is a good reader can read most of the cards, but not necessarily understand the impact of them, to assess whether or not they are good to buy. This means they tend to prioritise the simpler ones, which aren't necessarily the better ones.
Did the child enjoy it?
We probably have more tears from this game than any other (my son is normally a very good loser!), due to the elimination nature of the game, and things going wrong just at the last minute. However, if we get it out with adults my son loves to join in, and it's usually one of the first ones he'll suggest when he's invited to play a game with a primarily adult group. We bought it for my 8 year old nephew this Christmas, as a result of its success with my son.
How is it from the adult's point of view?
Is it as good with a child as with a group of just adults? No, because you do play differently to cater for the child, as well as the potential for an upset child if he's knocked out first. However, that doesn't mean it's a lot of fun to play with him - it's definitely one of the best of the games that I play regularly with adults to play with a child. It's a game that definitely lends itself to being played with young boys, with their love of dice and monsters.