Spin Monkeys

Spin Monkeys
From Rio Grande Games

About the game

You are a monkey in the jungle when one day a wayward carnival makes a stop. You and your fellow monkeys jump in the bumper cars and away you go. You have no idea why there is fruit all over the arena floor, but you aim to grab as much of it for yourself as possible.

Our Thoughts

During the afternoon of Family Day (back in February), we decided to try out a new game we had received.  Spin Monkeys is very different than the conventional games you will find in toy stores.  This game is available in specialty game stores through Canada and the US.  The difference with this game is that you have to be strategic with the angles you want to use.

The game come with 8 monkeys, a bunch of fruity tokens, and 139 movement cards.  So when you play this game you never know how it will finish.   The basic instructions of the game are fairly simply but the rules attached to the consequences of the travels across the board can be overwhelming at times.  Here’s what could happen when you play, you might slip on a banana peel which will rotate your monkey and sent him toward a different direction or you can bump into another monkey and create a ripple effect with that monkey send elsewhere on the board.   Same goes when you run into the edges of the arena.   And at times, a chain reaction will happened where multiple monkeys bump into each other…

Each player get five cards to begin with.  You have to play all these cards before getting more cards.   When collecting fruits on the way, you need to change the banana for a banana peel.   Before another player can play, you have to resolve any event happening like banana peels, collisions, and edges.   The movement cards will indicate the angle you need to adjust before travelling through the board.  What the close-ups of the game board and the movement cards

  

Here Dominic is reacting to one of his moves.  He was pleased with it.

A bird eye view of the game…

The game takes about 45 minutes to play and you can have up to 8 players.  In our case, we were four monkeys trying to pick up as much fruits as possible.  Turned out that we didn’t have much chain reactions during our game and I suspect that this happens more often when you have more players.

To my surprised, I won the game!

The game is geared for 13+ but even if my two oldest sons were not quite in age (almost 9 and 11) when we played, we had some fun and loved to discover this game.   It is a tricky at first but once you understand ALL the rules, you can have a blast with your family and friends.   I definitively won’t play this game with our younger kids because it takes a bit of logic to understand our to spin your monkey and all.    As interesting and out-of-the-ordinary this game can be, we were not as hooked as when we played Monster Factory from the same company.  However, this game will require concentration, strategy and quick thinking in order to help you win.   It’s perfect for your teens to practice their angles and to develop logic and rapidity.  This game is definitively not a game that you will play daily but for special days like Family Day in Ontario, it’s a great game to build new memories. 

Curious about Spin Monkeys and want to get one for your family?  You can purchase it at one of the providers of Rio Grand Games.  To find where you can get Spin Monkeys in your town, go to their search engine.  In Ottawa, you can probably find it at Toys On Fire, Wizard’s Tower, The Comic Book Shoppe, Fandom II, and Strategy Games. 

The game is also available on amazon.com.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Rio Grande Games for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Monster Factory

Monster Factory
From Rio Grande Games

About the game

The players take turns drawing and placing tiles, either adding to their own monsters or to those of their opponents. At the end, the player who has created the biggest monster wins the game!

Our Thoughts

Today is Family Day in Ontario and we have started it with playing not one, not two but three games of Monster Factory.  That’s how much we liked it.   It’s addictive, fun and will bring a tons of laughter from everyone around the table.

The rules are quite easy to follow.  Each player start with a tile that has 3 or 4 sides where they can expand their monster.    Then taking turns each of the players have to pick one tile from the pack and see if you can add it to your monster.   If you can’t you have to put it on someone else monster.  There is a bit of strategy involved when you want to stop a player as his monster is growing.    You also have to respect the thin part, large part and blank sides on each tiles.  But beware, once a monster is completed, the player can pick another tile to start a minion.   Points are also easy to count.  A complete monster will get one point for each tile used to build it.  Then if you have a minion, you get one point for each tile that possess eyes on it.      The player who has the highest score winds.  

As I am writing this review, my oldest son came to me and asked if they could play again (and we are after lunch!).  It’s so fun that they want to play again.   This family really enjoyed playing with Monster Factory today and I don’t think it will be the last time we are playing with it.  As my oldest son said:

I give it a three thumbs up!   Get it… Monster Factory – three thumbs…

I rate this game as a five stars since it is a great game to build memories with your family!  You will have reactions as you pick new tiles and laughter is guaranteed as well.  I don’t think we ever laugh as much before with another game.  Monster Factory reminds me of a domino game but with a different twist.  You never know what your monster will look like until you complete it!

Each game you will play will give you a different result.  See what we got at our first game!   My husband won that first time but the winner kept changing in the other games we played.

I asked the kids what they thought of the game.  They all agreed that it was fun and very cool!   As I said, they liked it so much that after lunch they asked if they could play again.   They are giving their thumbs up for Monster Factory!

Monster Factory is available for purchase at a specialty store where you will find games.  In Ottawa, you can find it at Toys on Fire (Barrhaven), Wizard’s Tower (Barrhaven), The Comic Book Shoppe (Clyde and Bank Street), Fandom II (Laurier West), and Strategy Games (Bank Street).  Elsewhere, you can go directly to the Rio Grande Games website to find a store near you!

The game is sold for the price of 29.95$ and it’s also available on amazon.com.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Rio Grande Games for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Spending Family Day playing Hasbro board games

Family Day is just around the corner and Hasbro Canada wants to encourage you to find fun activities for your family after spending a bit of time outside on February 18th.   Once the outdoors activities are done whether you opted for ski or skating, why not entertain your family with board games instead of spending time in front of the television?

Switch the electronic distractions (yes even the iPhone mom and dad) and gather your family in the living room for an evening of game play which will help you to reconnect and reenergize your relationship with your kids.   And the best part is that you will create memorable memories at the same time.

Hasbro Canada has more than sixty well-know games for families which gives you a wide range of choices to pick from – Monopoly, JENGA, Sorry!, Draw Something are only of few of the choices you can easily pick at any toy store near you!

This year I want to suggest some new interesting games for you family.

JENGA Boom Game!

About the Game

Stack it and "explode" it with this awesome JENGA Boom Game! Just like in the classic JENGA game, you’ll need a delicate touch to pull blocks out of the stack without knocking it down. But in JENGA Boom, you have to move fast, because you start the detonator before each turn – and you have to get your block out before your time runs out and the stack ""explodes!"" Can you be the last one to pull out a block before the whole thing comes crashing down?

Game includes 36 JENGA hardwood blocks, toy detonator, stacking sleeve and instructions.    For 1 or more players.  

My Thoughts

What an interesting twist to an already well-known game.   JENGA first appeared in the 80s which is one of the newest games according to me (compared to well known games like Monopoly for example).   Did you know that the name Jenga is derived from a Swahili word that means “to build”?   I sure didn’t…  Anyhow the goal of the game is to move the blocks from the tower and place them on top of it in order to continue to build upwards.  BUt for this particular version of the game, you need to add the speed skill in your thinking.  You will have to move really fast because you need to make your move before the timer of the detonator has reached the time limit and the whole tower comes crashing down on you.    

I think this is a fabulous twist in order to incorporate new skills to develop while playing this game.  An amazing way to entertain the kids and keep the challenge fun!

Draw Something

About the Game

There's no need to be an artist to win this fun-filled Draw Something game! While one player draws, everyone else shouts out their guesses at what they're drawing. Whoever guesses the word earns coins along with the drawer, and the harder the word, the more coins you earn! Collect 15 coins for the win!

Includes 4 draw stations, 180 cards, 4 crayons, 4 pads of paper, 4 coin tracker clips and game guide.

My Thoughts

I like to draw when I am in the mood.  My 2nd son has a propensity of drawing whenever he wants to.    My 3rd son is slowly showing talent as well in this area.  So I am excited to try out the new Draw Something game from Hasbro when it arrives.    The best part is that you don’t have to be a professional artist to be able to play this game.  You can do stickman if you want to.  The goal is to make the others guess what you are drawing.  

Since we are homeschooling, we bought a white board and installed it in our dining room.   Whenever I need to I use it to explain a concept to a child (or to more than one).   Anyhow, all this to say that our whiteboard can be used to play Draw Something.   Everyone can be on one side of the table and then we have to guess what the person is drawing.    Also, this game might help the other members of my family to explore new skills…  *grin*

Did you know that this game is based on the Zynga game Draw Something that can be dowloaded on your iPhone/iPod/iPad?   Here’s another great example of how a popular online game can be bring to reality in your living room.

CLUE The Classic Mystery Game

About the Game

Reclusive millionaire Samuel Black’s been murdered in his mansion! Now, it’s up to you to crack the case! Question everything to unravel the mystery. Who did it? Where? And with what weapon? Ransack the mansion for clues, ask cunning detective questions and leave no card unturned. Solve the murder first to win! Fun twist on the classic mystery game features new characters and a two-player version!

Includes Mansion Gameboard, 1 Yellow Murder Envelope, 1 Detective Notepad, 6 Character tokens, 21 Black CLUEDO cards, 13 Red Bonus cards, 6 Weapon tokens, 2 Dice and Game Guide.   For 2 to 6 players.

My Thoughts

When I grew up I always wanted to have the game of CLUE.  Unfortunately, it never happened.   So when I was in 90s I got myself a CLUE Master Detective game which contained more suspects, more rooms and more weapons.    Now we will have the opportunity to play a new edition of the original CLUE and I look forward to see who will be able to solve the murder.  

I find this game to be a great way to develop your deductive skills and use your brain to solve a mystery.  Not only you have to identify the murderer but you need to determine where the crime happened and which weapon was used.    New characters have been added and you can now play a two-player game!

Monopoly Zapped

About the Game

Take an app-enhanced trip through the whirlwind world of property trading with MONOPOLY ZappED! Get the app free from the APP STORE and play your IPAD and gameboard together. (IPAD required, not included.) Use the app to buy and auction property, and transfer MONOPOLY dollars to your iPad with touch-banking cards. Are you raking in the cash? Own the most assets when a player goes bankrupt, and you win! Experience MONOPOLY mayhem with this zAPPed edition!

For 2 to 4 players.    1  Game Board comes with Rubber Pads, 6 tokens, 28 Property cards, 32 green houses, 12 red hotels, 2 dice, 4 MONOPOLY Touch-banking cards and instructions.   Download the free app –Adult Assistance Required.   Requires iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, not included.

My Thoughts

I had the opportunity to review this particular version of Monopoly last year.   We love it as it is very portable with the iPad and we can bring it with us when we travel or go camping.   The kids love the animation included in the app and also get excited when something new shows up.  

The app will offer you challenges to complete in order to determine who will pay the penalty.  Interactive games will allow you to compete against another player in order to determine who will win.  This version of the Monopoly is very different than the regular game as you don’t have to manage the money with paper play money or the manage your properties.   Mr. Monopoly is always there to entertain you and to give you a good laugh.  If you have an iPad, I strongly suggest that you check out the Monopoly Zapped for Family Day

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So if you are still wondering what you could do on Family Day after some outings in the outdoors, why not go pick up a couple of new Hasbro Games over the week-end and have fun together.  Not only will there be joy around the table or in the living room but you will build up great memories as a family.   I challenge you to stop at a toy store and pick at least one new game for your family to play with this week-end.    So hurry up!  Family Day is coming rapidly!

These games are available at your favorite toy store, even on amazon.com.

        

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Grab some Hasbro Games to play on Family Day–February 20th in ONTARIO

As the world leader in family games, Hasbro continues to bring families together around kitchen tables and living rooms for entertaining and fun nights.   With updated classics and new ways to play favorite titles, games are sure to help families create meaningful moments and cultivate togetherness on Family Game Nights throughout the year.

This February in Ontario, we have a special day called Family Day.   Family Day is always on the third Monday of the month of February – every year… This year is will be on February 20^th.   Originally, the purpose of this special holiday was to reward Ontarians because of their hard work and let them spend some quality time with the people they love – their family!

Hasbro offers more than sixty games to help you spend some fun time in the evening after some fun time outdoors with your family on Family Day.

Here’s some titles that you might want to consider.

Guess Who?

Guess Who? doesn’t need an introduction.  This game is well known by many parents and children.    It is a great guessing game where players try to find the one-of-a-kind.  Now the game is even easier to set up and you can download hundreds of fun characters as well.   We used to have one with Marvels characters but unfortunately it was a second hand one and it broke last summer.    So I know the kids will be delighted to have a new Guess Who? game to bring at the trailer when we go camping.

For fun I went to check the download area for the numerous other characters I could get for the game.   I was happy to see that you can download many from various languages as well.   There are some in French for our bilingual family as well as other languages like Spanish, German and others.   I’m disappointed at the numbers of selection though but there are some for dinosaurs, G.I. Joe (my boys will be rejoicing with this one!), Kooky Creatures, Sports, Easter and Littlest Pet Shop (something my daughter will more than likely ask!).   I hope that they will include more choices in the future…  like a Star Wars one maybe?

So having the flexibility to include other characters to make the game more fun is very interesting for anyone.   Guess Who? is a perfect game for younger kids and will help them to develop their observation and deduction skills.

Operation

I never had an Operation game when I was younger until I had the opportunity to review the Cars 2 Edition.  It is definitively a classic in many families.   However, did you know that the new version of Operation also includes Sound FX?  Yes siree!    This skill game includes bells, burps, barks and more!    Grab your tweezers and keep your hand steady while operating on Cavity Sam.   What’s this?…   it sounds like a toilet flushing….   He definitively has problem of bad plumbing.  *grin*   With Cavity Sam you can discover if your operation was a success by pressing his nose.

This will definitively delight your kids –especially boys…    Fun time indeed!  Great memory to build while operating on Cavity Sam!

Twister

Ahhhh! Twister is a game that will allow your kids to stretch out and discover positions they didn’t know they could do.   Again this is another game that I never had the opportunity to play before.    Am I missing something real bad?    I am not sure…  I am definitively not as flexible as I used to be when I was younger.   But I know my kids are flexible – especially my third son who is amazing to be honest.

So discover how twisted you can get with your family this coming Family Day and have tons of laughter in your house (coming from the kids seeing mom and dad trying to keep up with them!).    Memories are guaranteed with this game.

Scrabble Flash

This is an absolute must for every families.  Granted not everyone like to play word games but this one is fun and addictive.   I had the opportunity to review it last year and we have played quite a bit with it.   Often I would play alone but you can play various ways with this game.

This game is more geared for older kids ages 8 and up and will give you the opportunity to develop your vocabulary against time.     Shuffle the cubes to create new words before the time is up.   It is a perfect game to bring on a trip or to visit family.

Cranium Brain Breaks

If I say the word Cranium to you chances are you will know that it is a popular game.  

Since the company released their first game many years ago, they have imagine new game that are a delight for the families everywhere.

This new edition is different and will allow you to have fun for mini games of one-minute each.   When I first encountered this game I immediately though that the packaging was fabulous!

The original Cranium game can take quite some time to complete.  So if you are in a rush and want to have fun with friends or family, Cranium Brain Breaks is a great option.    You will reunite with Creative Cat, Data Head, Star Performer, and Word Worm for a quick game of tickling your brain and getting the brain cells going.  

If you love the original Cranium, I’m pretty sure you will adore the Cranium Brain Break.   Thinking about it this game could also be perfect at the workplace to entertain workers during  lunch time.  

Battleship Live

Expect the unexpected!   Literally!   My husband and I were quite pleased and impressed with this particular game when we had it for review last fall.  We absolutely adore it and my sons are playing with it quite often.     Initially, our first reaction was – “What difference than this game has compared to the original one?”.   Well be prepare to be amazed if you like the original Battleship game because this one is totally different and quite original.    You will never know what will happen as the game is guided by the tower in the middle of it and will bring you challenges and events that can totally turn the results of the end of the game.    

We highly recommend this new edition of a tradition game as it is out of the ordinary and will keep you on the edge from one game to another!  

Monopoly  Electronic Banking

Everyone knows Monopoly.    Everyone has competed to win this tradition game for generations now.    But here’s a new twist to an already popular game.   Before you had a banker and money on the side of the table.   I recall my dad managing the money while my husband says his older brother did it in his family.   Now either my husband or my oldest son is managing the money from our Monopoly Star Wars or Monopoly Marvel games we have.    We don’t own an original game…     Monopoly games are so popular that you can find a version on almost anything out there – even a Canadian edition.   I even have a version on homeschooling believe it or not.

So what’s new with this edition of the Monopoly.   Well for starters you will have electronic banking.  Good bye money.   After all, in this time and age many of us are using bank cards to complete purchases while shopping aren’t we?   So it makes totally sense that Mr. Monopoly gets updated as well.   With the help of the Banking unit, you will be able to pay your rent on time, receive gifts on your birthday and complete transactions rapidly.   You can trade your cash electronically to buy properties, pay bills, collect gifts and debts from your opponents.   

If you are looking for a new way to play Monopoly the Electronic Banking Edition looks fantastic.   Who needs the Monopoly money when you have your own electronic card?
GREAT NEWS!

Hasbro has been very generous in sending me five of the above mentioned titles for a giveaway.   However, I will have to limit the contest for my city and surroundings.   Why?   Simply because the winner will have to either come and pick it up at my place or get it at one of the various places where I go throughout the week like Eagleson Road, Dovercourt, Sunnyside or our church to name the most frequent ones.

Here’s the titles that I have received to giveaway; Guess Who, Twister, Operation, Cranium Brain Breaks and Monopoly Electronic Banking.   A total value of 100$ for all these games.

How to enter?   It simple, leave a comment below and tell me what was your favorite game to play as a family when you were younger.     THIS ENTRY IS MANDATORY!

I personally remember Stratego and Stop Thief which was an electronic game of cops and robbers.  With the electronic device you will follow the thief and try to catch him.   Oh the memories I have with this game.   I wish I would still have it so I can play with the kids and my husband.    It was a fun game that helped me to find clues and try to determine where the thief was.   

Other Entries:

Yes I am offering you to grab more entries to win this marvelous package of games from Hasbro.

1) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! on Twitter.

2) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! on Facebook.

3) Post on twitter about this giveaway and leave me your link.

4) Post on facebook about this giveaway and leave me your link.

5) Blog about this giveaway and leave me you link.

6) Follow Canadianladybug Reviews! on Google Friends Connect.   You will find it on the right side of the page.  Let me know when you have done so.

7) Subscribe to my RSS (found on the right side as well) and let me know about it.

Each comments has to be accompany by your email address so I can contact you if you win.   No emails means no possibility of contacting you.   Also comments should be posted on my blog and not on facebook like it happened in the past.

Now having said that…. the only thing missing is the deadline.

Since this blog post is to promote Family Day in Ontario, I am choosing February 20^th to be the last date to enter this giveaway.

Open to residents in the Gatineau/Ottawa area only and pick up has to be done by the winner.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes and for the giveaway . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Are you willing to RISK?

It’s family day today and this morning we were planning to go visit a museum while hubby had two meetings with clients.

But our little girl is still coughing a lot so we judge that it would be better to stay home.   Hubby re-schedule his appointments for this afternoons instead and we decided to play a game of RISK.

It was my 2nd time playing the game.   I had found a game for 4$ at Value Village a while back.   A card was chewed up a bit… we laminated it.    But apart from that, the game was complete.

So we set up ourselves to teach the two oldest (and the young ones as well) the game of RISK.

Can you see the evil mastermind that is doing everything he can to CONQUER the world? 

All the while Jérémy and Jasmine were playing with EXTRAS that were in the box…

I was the red ones…   At one point I owned pretty much all of Canada, US and Greenland.   I was confident in myself.   It was fun too!

Everyone had a good time… the little ones got bored at one point and watched a Passe-Partout and a Dora.

The game is a bit hard for Dominic but he enjoyed playing in team with his big brother Alexandre…  

And then the wind turned….   I was kicked out of my territory and decided to invade Europe…

In the end it was my lone character against the evil green machine….

Can I survive this?

Nope.    My husband has once again conquered the WHOLE world…

I think we need to find a version that is more complicated for him….  

RISK is available at any toy store and his made by Hasbro.