I bought this after watching several positive YouTube reviews for the game. Our daughter turned five on Christmas Eve and I've been wanting some games that will challenge her mentally instead of giving her a win simply with dice or a spinner. (Seriously, spinner games are the worst!)
This game... it kinda tackles that... Kinda.
There are still dice, and there's a simple rule that states you have to declare your goal for the dice before you roll - you can't just go with what the dice gives you. This is the luck element, and it is the only thing that will dictate success or failure at the game. Success simply requires enough successful rolls to uncover and reveal the three clues which relate to your randomly-chosen "thief" at the beginning of the game, as well as revealing enough of the suspects until you find the one containing all three clues. You could get lucky and reveal the clues quickly, matching to a suspect revealed early in the game. Or you can have some nail-biters where the clues are revealed but the matching suspect is literally the last one left to flip over. Or you can botch enough rolls and lose. It helps that the game is cooperative, meaning that you don't feel as personally victimized by the luck. However, get a few older people around the table, and you might get someone blaming someone else for not getting enough successful rolls.
The skill is simply understanding how to determine which of the suspects is innocent or guilty based on the clues revealed and the results from the clue-finding device (which itself is fun to work with.) To an adult this is a no-brainer, but to a five-year-old it's a bit more complex. The plus side - and the reason I ultimately like the game - is the sheer thrill a child experiences when they connect the dots and nail the thief.
A few other notes: the game takes up a decent amount of real estate. The board is rather large, and you're required to lay 16 cards either around the board or otherwise nearby. This is in no way a complaint, but just a head's up - as far as kids games go, this one is rather large.
Also, the cards feel a tad thin, and my daughter already bent one just sliding it into the clue-finder piece. The theme and gameplay might work for a young kid, but the cards won't stand up to a lot of abuse. In addition, the game arrived with the cards rubber-banded instead of the usual plastic wrap, meaning many of our cards were "marked" on arrival. The detective hats and fox pieces are a soft plastic that allow a little bending (which is good), and the dice are nicely printed with vibrant colors.
All in all the game is a good, if not short-term addition to the collection; kids will find it much more replayable than adults (kids can even play solo if they wanted to), with a fun theme that lightly encourages teamwork, albeit with an inescapable element of luck.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Model Number | CSG-OUTF |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Remote Control Included? | No |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Release date | 19 August 2018 |
| Mfg Recommended age | 5 - 15 years |
| Item model number | CSG-OUTF |
| Product Dimensions | 24.13 x 24.13 x 5.72 cm; 499 Grams |
| ASIN | B00UB7P0XY |
