With the sun shining (most days) and the warm weather (some days), my kids are dying to be outside at all times. So I was thrilled to see that one of Gamewright’s new games, Boochie, is perfectly suited for outdoor family play.

If you’ve every played Bocce, you’re well on your way to knowing what Boochie is all about. And if you haven’t…don’t worry, you can be up and playing Boochie in just a few minutes.

Boochie arrives in a handy plastic storage bag and comes with everything you need for 2-4 players to play this “Whole New Ball Game.”

Before you get started, give each player a bean ball, a tossing ring, and a wrist score-tracker, all in the same color. Everyone should put their wrist score-trackers on, and set their score to zero. Now establish an invisible line in your yard as the “don’t step past this line when you throw” line, and pick a starting player (the rules say the player with the cleanest shoes starts, but in our house, that could be difficult to determine).

Here’s how the game works. The starting player takes the orange 12-sided Boochie Ball (shown in the picture above) and tosses it out into the yard. The rules suggest throwing it about 12 feet, but you can modify that based on who’s playing, or eliminate the restriction altogether and just toss it. Now, players take turns standing at the throwing line and tossing one of their items toward the Boochie Ball, trying to get as close to it as possible. After all players have tossed their first item (either ball or ring), they then take turns tossing their second item. You can throw either one first, but as you’ll see, it might be beneficial to save your ring for last.

After everyone has thrown both of their items, it’s time to take score.

• The player with the object closest to the Boochie Ball scores 2 points.
• The player with the second-closest object scores 1 point.

But wait, there’s more! Each side of the Boochie Ball has special instructions which can result in one or more player scoring additional points. For example, one of the sides says “+2 ball furthest away.” In this case, the player whose ball is furthest from the Boochie Ball scores 2 points. The key is, you are not allowed to read the Boochie Ball before you toss your items, so the bonus scoring is always a surprise.

A few more opportunities for scoring are:

• Score 1 bonus point if your ring lands around another player’s ball.
• Score 3 bonus points if your ring lands around the Boochie Ball.

[Note: In all the tossing and throwing we did, we never had a ring land around a ball, so I'm thinking these bonus points, while certainly possible, will be rare.]

Finally, all players advance their wrist trackers by the number of points they scored that round. And here’s where things get even more interesting.

Each score on the wrist tracker includes special instructions for how you must play as long as you are on that score. You might have to throw backward, toss your items under one leg, or even lie on your back while you throw. Though each wrist tracker has different challenges, one thing remains the same: the closer you get to winning, the more challenging your instructions become.

Continue the game, taking turns tossing the Boochie Ball to begin each round. The first person to 11 points wins!

We had a great time playing Boochie, and I’m sure it’ll get a fair amount of play-time this summer. Granted, it’s difficult to play with a one-year-old who wants to abscond with the Boochie Ball, but we just got creative (in other words, we took “his” color items and threw them as far as we could, then quick played a round while he chased them).

One other bonus of Boochie is that the items are soft, so it can be played indoors as well, as long as your kids can be trusted not to hurl the Boochie Ball into a window or TV. So rain or shine, you can break out Boochie and have some fun with your family.

In summary:

Boochie

Number of Players: 2-4
Time required: 15-30 minutes
Ages: recommended for 8 and up (though in my opinion, younger kids could definitely play along)
Where to buy: Boochie is brand new, and stores are still getting ready to stock it. It will eventually be available online at places such as FunAgain Games and AreYouGame

Callapidder recommends it: For families who want to get outside and do something together. Great to take to picnics and get-togethers, too!

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

It’s always good to have a couple “party games” on hand — you know, those games that can accommodate more than 4 people, are easy to learn, and tend to create a hefty amount of laughter and/or good-natured ribbing. Party games are the perfect thing to bring out after a holiday dinner, or when your extended family has come by for the evening.

And if you’ve ever played Scattergories, you’re well on your way to getting the hang of this week’s game: Hit or Miss.

Hit or Miss was put out by Gamewright last year, and has the tag line: The Game Where Great Minds Think Alike. And it’s true, Hit or Miss requires you to figure out what other people might be thinking, so it works best in a setting where you’re somewhat familiar with the other players (family gatherings have been perfect, in my experience). However, it could also serve as a good ice-breaker or “get to know you” type game, since each round will give you a little more insight into your fellow players.

When you open the Hit or Miss box, you’ll find a timer, pencils and paper for up to eight players, a scorepad, a special die, a hit/miss card for each player, and a box of “category cards.” Each player gets a pencil, paper and a hit/miss card, and the game begins.

To start a round, the Round Leader (determined however you’d like) draws a category card and reads it to the group. The timer is flipped over and all players immediately write down as many items in that category as they can. When the sand in the timer runs out, pencils are put down.

Some examples of categories in the game are:

• Things in a post office
• Emotions
• U.S. Presidents
• Things made out of glass
• and Grocery store aisles.

As in the game Scattergories, players furiously jot down item after item until the time runs out. Unlike Scattergories, however, players have to put a bit more thought and strategy into the items they choose. When you’re frantically coming up with answers that fit the categories, you’ll want to come with: 1) Several items that you think many other players will put, and 2) A few items you think no one else will put. Here’s why:

After everyone’s pencil is down, starting with the leader (and then moving clockwise around the table), each player will roll the die and take action. The die has 3 different possible results: Hit, Miss, or Wild. Here’s what happens with the various rolls:

1) If the player rolls a Hit, he chooses an item from his list that he thinks many other players will also have written. He reads it out loud. Each player then takes their hit/miss card (one side says “Hit” and one side says “Miss”) and puts the appropriate side up on the table. For example, if Joe says “Love” for the Emotions category card, anyone who also wrote “Love” on their paper will put their hit/miss card with the Hit side up on the table. Anyone who did not write Love will put their card with the Miss side up on the table.

Joe will score one point for each Hit card showing, and anyone who has a hit card showing will also score 1 point.

2) If the player rolls a Miss, he chooses an item from his list that he thinks no one else wrote, and reads it to the group. Once again, players put their hit/miss cards on the table — Hit side up if they also wrote that item, Miss side up if they didn’t. Let’s say Joe rolled a Miss and picked “Elation” as his emotion. Anyone who wrote Elation will put their Hit side up and anyone who didn’t will put their Miss side up.

In this case, Joe will score one point for each Miss card showing, but any player who had a Hit will score 3 points, for hitting on a Miss.

3) If the player rolls a wild (jester), he can choose to go for a Hit or a Miss. He just announces to the group what he’s going for, and reads his item.

Play continues around the table with each player rolling the die, choosing an item, and calculating their score. That’s one full round. The role of Round Leader now moves to the next person, and a new round is begun. One full game involves the same number of rounds as there are players, each player having one turn as Round Leader. Scores are totaled and the winner is the one with the most points.

There are a few tricky areas of the game where players will have to come to a consensus. For example, can a player use both “skillet” and “frying pan” in the “Things with handles” category? Should Greg be allowed to put “screaming baby” for “Things in a post office” or should it just be things that are always in a post office? Players may discuss and vote on these and other dilemmas when they arise.

I found Hit or Miss to be a lot of fun. I’ve always enjoyed Scattergories, but I really appreciated the challenge to get inside my competitors heads during this game. Would Mom put “Millie” for “Girls names that begin with M” since she has a good friend named “Millie”? What state capitals was my geography-nut husband least likely to include on his list? I was often surprised by what others included or didn’t, but that was all part of the fun.

My in-laws also played this game (without me, even though I was the one who brought the game…but that’s a story for another day) and they seemed to enjoy it as well. In fact, it’s my nephew Josh who keeps checking with me to see if I reviewed this game yet, since he had so much fun playing it.

Hit or Miss plays well with 3-8 people (though I think 5-8 is most fun) and is recommended for ages 10 and up. I’m sure you could play it with younger kids by modifying categories to make sure the kids are familiar with them, extending the time allowed for them, etc. I’ve found that many Gamewright games are flexible and can accommodate a variety of ages and situations.

In summary:

Hit or Miss

Number of Players: 3-8
Time required: about 30 minutes, but it depends on the number of players
Ages: 10 and up
Where to buy: Time Well Spent or Amazon.com

Callapidder recommends it: For gatherings of family or friends, when you want some light-hearted fun and a few good laughs.

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

Dice plus Shuffleboard = Tumblin’ Dice Jr.

And Tumblin’ Dice Jr. is the subject of this week’s game review. I say “this week’s” as if I do one every week, when the truth is I haven’t posted a game review since sometime in November. But I’ve continued to play games, so I thought it was only right that I sit myself down and tell you about one of them today.

Tumblin’ Dice Jr. is all about a little dexterity and a lot of fun. It’s a dice-flicking, dice-rolling, dice-pushing game for two players. The box says it’s for ages 8 and up, but younger kids can certainly play, or at least have fun playing with the parts.

Here’s what you get in the box:

One multi-level board, eight dice (4 white and 4 black) in a nice little bag, a dry erase marker, and the rules.

The idea in Tumblin’ Dice Jr. is to push, slide, flick, or roll your dice onto the scoring board in such a way as to score the most points. Each level of the board has a different multiplier on it (1 x dice, 2 x dice, 3 x dice, and 4 x dice). If one of your dice lands on the 4x level, that die will score its face value multiplied by 4; if one lands on the 2x level, it will score its face value multiplied by 2; and so on. BUT…only if those dice stay there for the remainder of the round.

Here’s how the gameplay works. First, players each roll one die to determine who will go first. That player will flick, roll, etc. his first die onto the board. The only rule is that the die must first touch the landing disk (shown in the picture below). For example, the player might put one of his dice on the landing disk, take careful aim, and flick it down the board. Or, he might roll it onto the board from above — making sure that the die hits the landing disk before moving on to another part of the board.

The other player then shoots one of his dice. Play alternates until the players have used all their dice (4 turns each). Round 1 is now done and the players take score. If, in the process of the round, a die rolls, falls, or gets shoved off the board by another die, it’s out of play for that round — you’re out of luck. Scores are recorded on the mini white-board score pads, and the players begin Round 2.

The rules suggest that you play four rounds, but C. and I like to play to 100.

Let’s look at a round that’s almost done, to see what the scoring process will look like.

1. The nifty little built-in score pads that work with the dry erase marker.
2. The landing disk. The black die on it will be the last die flicked for this round, since it’s obvious the other ones have already been played.
3. This die didn’t make it past that line onto the scoring portion of the board — it’s on the “0 x dice” section, and will be removed from play with no score.
4. Scoring dice. The die showing 4 on the 2x level will score 8 points for Black, while the two dice on the 3x level (a 6 and a 1) will score 18 and 3 points, respectively, for White. The die showing a 2 that’s down on the 4x level will score 8 points for White.
5. This black die on the table looks like it was knocked off the 4x scoring level due to an aggressive move by White. It scores nothing.
6. This black die is hanging over the edge of the board, but still scores 12 points (3 x 4) for Black.

I’ve learned that C. enjoys fun little dexterity games more than the heavier strategy games sometimes, so I pulled Tumblin’ Dice Jr. out this morning. We played two games, and each won one. Kids can easily do as well as adults at this game, once they learn to reign in their enthusiasm (we’ve had more than a couple dice go flying across the room). And adults can play ruthlessly against each other, while playing a bit more gently against kids.

There’s also a full-size version of Tumblin’ Dice, which plays up to four people or teams, but it is considerably more expensive and seems to be less widely available. The Jr. version is perfect for us; we can play in teams or just go 1-on-1, and it fits nicely on our dining room table, with room left over for when the dice go sliding off the board.

In summary:

Tumblin’ Dice Jr.

Number of Players: 2 (or 2 teams)
Time required: 15 minutes
Ages: 8 and up, though I think younger kids can easily join in
Where to buy: Highlights was the best price I could find.

Callapidder recommends it: For any time you’re in the mood for a game that has a little more action and fun, and a little less pondering and strategy. Or if flicking some dice around your living room would relieve a little stress.

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

Since I practically grew up on Yahtzee, and have always had a thing for games with lots of dice, I liked this week’s game, To Court the King, from the moment I saw it. In essence, it feels like “Yahtzee: Advanced…and with More Dice.” And in my book, plenty of dice plus a little extra strategy adds up to a great game. Read on to learn more.

The theoretical “story behind the game” of To Court the King centers around a medieval theme: each player is attempting to gain the favor of the king by winning the support of various court officials and using their support to ultimately get the king on their side.

But when you get right down to it, it’s all about rolling dice. On your turn, you can roll the available dice three times in an attempt to get certain combinations (thus, the similarity to Yahtzee). Your ultimate goal — and the way to win the game — is to eventually roll seven of a kind in order to “win the king’s favor” and then defend your position during one final round.

When you begin the game, you’ll set out 12 dice and an array of character cards. Each card has a picture of a courtier-type person (for example, the Hunter, the Nobleman, the General, etc.). Each card also has two very important sections:

• One section shows the combination of dice you need to roll in order to obtain that character card;
• The other section shows what special privilege that card grants you once you’ve earned it.

Let me show you an example. Here’s The Noblewoman:

As you can see, if you can roll a full house (3 of one number, and 2 of another number), you can take this card and set it in front of you on the table. You can now use this card’s special privilege — adding ‘one’ to as many rolled dice as you’d like — once per turn on every one of your future turns. In other words, after your first, second, or third roll for all future turns, you’ll be able to use the Noblewoman’s privilege to pick up dice and change them to a number one-higher than you rolled. You can change a 2 to a 3, a 5 to a 6, etc. Why would you want to do that? To manipulate dice into combinations that will help you win more character cards.

When the game begins, you’ll only be allowed to roll three dice. So at first, you can only go after the character cards that can be won with three or fewer dice. For example, if you roll a pair, you can get The Farmer. On future turns, owning The Farmer will allow you to roll an additional die; therefore, you’ll be able to start your turns with four dice and shoot for combinations that can win you more advanced cards.

As the game progresses, you’ll work your way through the various cards, accumulating higher-level cards and additional privileges, always keeping in mind that your ultimate goal will be to roll seven of a kind.

There are two basic kinds of privileges: those that let you add and/or roll more dice, and those that allow you to physically change dice that have already been rolled. You’ll want to collect a mixture of these two types in order to give yourself the best advantage.

As soon as one player rolls seven (or more) of a kind, he or she may claim the King Card. One final round is now played, where the other players have a last chance to beat the person holding the King Card. If someone does, they steal the victory; if not, the original claimer of the King Card wins the game.

Lots of dice-rolling, a smattering of press-your-luck tension, enough think-ahead strategy to keep your mind engaged — that’s To Court the King.

Chad and I have really enjoyed To Court the King as a 2-player game. We played it so often that we finally had to take a break, but I’ll be glad when it hits the game table again. Up to five people can play To Court the King, and it’s recommended for ages 10 and up. One game lasts 30-60 minutes, depending on how many people are playing.

In summary:

To Court the King

Number of Players: 2-5
Time required: 30-60 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Where to buy: Time Well Spent or Amazon.com

Callapidder recommends it: For anyone who likes dice games such as Yahtzee, but is looking for something with a little more strategy to it.

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

A simple, easy-to-learn game that offers kids an opportunity to practice strategy and bluffing, Ribbit is a great game for kids age 4 and up. I’ve played Ribbit with C. several times, and even left it out on the table for him to play with babysitters — which they gladly took him up on. Cute wooden frogs contribute to the enjoyment of the game.

Ribbit (cornily sub-titled “The Toad-ly Fun Game”) is so easy to learn that you and your family can be up and running in less than 10 minutes. One game lasts about 15 minutes, and the game accommodates 2-5 players.

Ribbit’s components consist of a gameboard with only 9 spaces, five wooden frogs in different colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple), five square frog tiles (each corresponding to a colored frog), and 52 frog-movement cards.

Before the game begins, the square frog tiles are shuffled face-down and each player picks one randomly and looks at it, but keeps it hidden from all other players. Whatever frog tile you pick tells you the color frog that you must try to make win the race to the finish line. For example, if you pick the blue frog tile, you’ll do everything you can to make the blue frog beat all the other frogs across the board.

All five wooden frogs are lined up at the start line, and the movement cards are now shuffled. Five cards are dealt to each player and the rest of the cards are placed face-down as a draw pile. The youngest player goes first and play will continue clockwise around the table.

On your turn, choose one card from your hand, play it to the discard pile, and move the frog indicated by that card. Then draw a card from the draw pile to bring your hand back to five cards.

Each card has two parts to it: 1) A colored frog, that tells you which frog to move (or a rainbow-colored frog, which lets you move the frog of your choice); and 2) A symbol in the corner which tells you how to move that frog. The symbol might tell you to move the frog forward one space, forward two spaces, or backward one space. There are also special cards that have you move the frog that’s currently in last place forward by one or two spaces.

Here’s where things get interesting. If a frog moves onto a space that’s already occupied by another frog, it is put on top of that frog. For example, if you move the red frog forward two spaces, and the yellow frog is already sitting on that space, just put the red frog on top of the yellow frog. Now, if someone moves the yellow frog, the red frog moves right along with it. It’s possible to end up with all the frogs in one big pile on a space, and any time someone moves a frog, all frogs that are sitting on top of it go along for the ride.

Now remember, the cards in your hand will allow you to move various frogs, but you’re trying to get one particular frog to the other side of the board first. (Remember that tile you picked before the game began? You want that frog to win.) However, if you make it too obvious which frog you’re trying to get to the finish line, other players will start using their “move backward cards” to send that frog in the opposite direction. You have to be tricky and subtle, working to get “your” frog to the finish line without letting on which one that is, until the very end. You can take advantage of stacked frogs to move yours forward without making it obvious. You can bluff by moving your frog backwards once or twice. But in the end, whichever player gets the frog of his or her color (from the tile) across the board to the finish line wins the game.

C. enjoys the sneaky aspect of this game, and I think it has enough strategy to be enjoyable by people of all ages. Because it plays quickly, you can play one quick round just about any time. There’s also a variation for younger children that eliminates the bluffing aspect: players pick the colored frog of their choice, and it’s a straight-out race for the finish line.

[Safety note: The original wooden frogs from this game were recalled for unacceptable lead levels -- just like everything else we've been hearing about! -- but the Simply Fun company got right on it, so if you were to order it now, you can be assured that all has been remedied.]

In summary:

Ribbit

Number of Players: 2-5
Time required: 15 minutes
Ages: 4 and up
Where to buy: Ribbit is only available from SimplyFun. However, this game is a remake of the German game, Schildkroetenrennen (and don’t ask me to pronounce that), which uses cute turtles instead of frogs and is currently available at Fair Play Games.

Callapidder recommends it: For any family with kids where a bit of trickery is appreciated.

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

NOTE: I’ll be participating in Shannon’s Fall Y’all Bloggy Giveaway carnival on Monday, October 29th… AND, I have a game- and toy- related prize. So be sure to stop by here Monday for a chance to win!