Color Scheme: Great idea, bad execution?
Board Game News recently posted a review of the game Color Scheme published by Educational Insights. When I read this review I LOVED the idea of this game. It’s like Connect Four where you try to match several colors in a row. The unique twist of this game is that the color tiles are translucent and you can play multiple colors in one spot so that the COLOR CHANGES! What a great concept and a great way to teach kids about color basics.
I was sad then to read this review and learn that the game play and game construction were lacking. Most people don’t really realize or appreciate all the play testing that often goes on before a game is released to insure the rules work well and create an enjoyable gaming experience. It sounds like our friends at Educational Insights didn’t do enough game testing. Hopefully they’ll learn their lesson and republish this great idea down the road with the needed improvements.
Color Scheme retails for $34.99, but can be purchased new at Amazon for $23.45
Have any of our readers played this game? What did you think?
Board Games For Families = Fun For Everyone!
Whether you are married with no kids, have toddlers, tweens, teens or beyond … the key to a happy household is to get a closet full of board games for families. Family board games are not just Candyland and Monopoly anymore. There is a vast new world of intriguing, strategic, entertaining board games we have recently stumbled upon. Our hope is to spread the word about these great games that are mostly coming out of Europe and let everyone know how much fun it can be to enjoy the wonderful world of board games and how it can strengthen family relationships.
Couples Gaming
How much would you spend for a date night with your spouse? $20, $50, $100 for just ONE date? For a lot of people that is just not feasible any more and they are looking to cut costs. What if you bought just ONE board game every few months and used them for night after night of quality time with your spouse. It’s much more engaging to play games together than to just watch tv side by side or sit on your computers each doing your own thing.
Children’s Board Games
While playing the traditional games like Snakes and Ladders and Candyland can be fun, they are not very mentally stimulating for the kids, and frankly they are quite boring for adults. There are quite a few games out there that are getting kids prepared to play the more intense strategy games as they get a little older. These games are pretty fun for grownups as well. You can also take an adult game and “dummy-down” the rules a bit in order to make it playable for younger children. Kids always want to mimic their parents so they will be thrilled to get to play games just like mom and dad. Consider purchasing games that kids can play with “just kids” as well as games that will need more interaction. It’s always nice for them to have their own board game to play when mom and dad want to engage in a more serious board game.
Board Games for Families
If you have an older crew your gaming possibilities are endless. Most of the really fun new European-style board games are fairly playable for kids 8 and up. They may not get ALL the strategic nuances but they can get the general game play down and have fun. Teenagers that won’t normally sit and engage with adult family members are much more likely to sit down and spend an evening playing games. What a great way to interact!
Keep reading our blog as we will be discussing many great board games for families of all types and ages. We hope you will start to enjoy them as much as we all do!
