KIDS’ BUY OF THE WEEK
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This is a fantastic, puzzly game for all the family which keeps everyone involved at every turn.
You play the part of adventurers, trying to match patterns on your key cards by building them on the floor of the temple.
Block and
Key hails itself as “a unique
3D polyomino placement game with great table presence”. A fun feature is that the game box itself is used to create a two-tier temple, from which players excavate and then place blocks to make patterns.
This has become a firm favourite in the Broome household, and my 10-year-old daughter is an absolute genius at finding the patterns amid the blocks. The thing we love most is that even when it isn’t your go, you can be looking at what patterns are emerging in the temple from other players’ placements, so there is none of that boring waiting for your turn!
TEN BONE BOWLING
(Age 6+, Big Potato Games, £19.99) It’s not often that you see a game offering something utterly different, but Big Potato Games has found a niche – a board game that you play with your dog! Ten Bone Bowling is equally parts party game and dog toy, so truly one that is great for the whole family.
You set up the pins like a normal
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tiles to adorn their board with intricate patterns. Strategic choices are key, as completing specific sets earns points. With its intuitive mechanics and depth, the game ensures an enjoyable and rewarding play experience.
EARTH
(Age 13+, Inside Up Games, £50)
One for the more serious gamers, Earth is a card-laying game where you build a ‘tableau’ of trees, herbs and bushes and then help them blossom and grow to get the most points. Nature-lovers will adore its encyclopaedic variety of flora, with more than 250 different ‘earth’ cards, each featuring a unique plant or tree.
This game reminded us of last year’s smash hit Wingspan, or other placement games such as Everdell, but with its own blend of education and entertainment.