Tag: "games"

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE - The Game Of Things

hasbro the game of things contents

GIFT IDEA - THE GAME OF THINGS

About The Game Of Things

You won’t believe the hilarious, creative, outrageous and unforgettable THINGS your friends will say during this provocative party game! Draw a topic card and read it out loud. “THINGS a chimp thinks about when he sees you at the zoo.” Then the other players write down their own responses: “You think I’m weird looking?” “What are you looking at?” or perhaps “Are you my mommy?” Then try to figure out who said what! Remember, you can write anything that comes to mind… so be as fun as you want!

I received a sample of The Game Of Things. It’s an easy to play party game that’s a lot of fun. One person is the reader, the other players each receive a piece of paper and pencil. The reader gives a topic (question) and the players all write down their answer. Then the reader reads off the answers and everyone has to guess who wrote what answer. No worries, everyone has to take a turn as the reader. We tried this game with four people and it was a lot of fun. This is definitely one of those games that keeps you laughing! It’s a great party game and I think it’d be hysterical as a couples game. I can see possible expansion cards in the future if they came out with theme decks.

The game comes with 300 topic cards, 1 response pad, 1 score pad, 10 pencils and instructions.

The Game Of Things is for four or more adult players. It retails for $26.99 and is available for purchase in stores nationwide and online.

hasbro the game of things

The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Dec 22, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE - Monopoly City

monopoly city board

GIFT IDEA - MONOPOLY CITY

About Monopoly City

Monopoly City allows players to build their own 3-D city in this new twist on the classic game! For the first time ever players can build from the start, creating their own metropolis in the center of the board. The game includes 80 3-D buildings, including industrial blocks, skyscrapers, and even parks. But life as a real estate tycoon isn’t always easy - opponents can sabotage your plans. If they build a sewage plant on your land, your rent value will plummet!

We love Monopoly in our house. The reason we don’t play it more often is we don’t always want to sit around for an hour just moving around the board buying property. That’s what makes Monopoly City neat - you cut right to the action. Right from the start you can start negotiating and making deals. What I like best is that it’s easy to be a little sneaky and set your opponent up. Three of us played for almost two hours and had a blast. It was cool to play with the new 3D pieces.

Monopoly City is for two to six players and is recommended for age 8 and up. It retails for $34.99 and is available for purchase in stores nationwide and online.

monopoly city box

Dec 22, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

Zenses Ocean DS Game Review And Giveaway

zenses ocean cover

I used to think that the Nintendo DS was just for children until we got one in the house a couple of months ago. I was offered an opportunity to review Zenses Ocean, a game that targets one of the fastest growing segments of the videogames industry - 25+ females. In other words, me!

Zenses Ocean is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS. I love puzzle games and matching games! So far so good! Zenses contains a collection of six puzzle games. All of the games are controlled exclusively with the stylus. The sounds and music that play within the games are soft and soothing without being tediously boring. The images within the game are all related to the ocean and are colored in realistic soft colors. They’re quite relaxing really. The game is also very casual and relaxing, there isn’t any pressure or big hurry - you decide how hard you want the game to be and you play. Each of the games are played differently. In Zen-Stones the object is to match pairs of stones and clear the screen. In Pearl Diver the object is to connect pearls of one color to each other. In Turtle Turn the object is to flip all of the shells to a certain color. In Hot Spot the object is to form an image by manipulating pieces. In Wave Breaker the object is to remember where shells are located. In Shell Twirl the object is to match shapes. I enjoyed all of the games very much but Shell Twirl is probably my favorite. I recommend this game for anyone who enjoys puzzles and that will appreciate the ability to play a game at a slower pace.

Zenses Ocean is published by The Game Factory and is rated E for everyone. The game retails for approximately $29.99 and is available for purchase both online and at retailers nationwide. Visit the Zenses website for a free download of the soundtrack and to watch a trailer of the game.

WIN IT!

One winner will receive a copy of Zenses Ocean.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite kind of puzzle game is and if you have a favorite DS game.

BONUS ENTRIES - LOTS OF THEM!

1 - Subscribe to my RSS feed.
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1 - Visit HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post (except a giveaway post) there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Wednesday 08/05/09 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone! Members of my own family are not eligible to win but are still welcome to leave a comment.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Jul 30, 2009 | 46 comments | View Post

Fun Family Games For When The Lights Go Out

We’re supposed to have bad storms here tonight so I’m not going to be online long. It’s gotten dark and it’s looking like it’s going to be lightning and thundering soon. When that happens I shut the computer down.

So. What do you do for fun when the power goes out. No, not that kind of fun. I mean family fun. We play word games. Here’s some games you can play with your family when you’re all sitting waiting for the lights to come back on. They all have to do with letters in the alphabet.

I’m Going To A Party
One person starts by saying they’re going to a party and bringing an item, starting with the letter a (apples for this example). The second person then says I’m going to a party and I’m bringing apples and something starting with the letter b (bananas for example). The third person then says I’m going to a party and I’m bringing apples, bananas and cherries (or any other word starting with c). Each person adds an item on their turn. If you forget an item you’re out. The others keep going. If you get through the whole alphabet and are still going add a second item for each letter (example - apples, apricots..).

The End Is The Beginning
The first person names something - anything (example apple). The second person names something that begins with the letter that the last word ended with (example eggs). Each player says one new word. If you repeat a word or can’t think of one you’re out.

20 Questions
Someone chooses an item to think about. Other players then ask specific questions to try and figure out what the item is. Only yes and no answers are allowed.

The Car Game
Each person names a type of car. You are not allowed to repeat anything already said. When you can’t think of one you’re out. This game can be adapted to be about food or many other things.

We always have a good laugh when we play these games. I’d love to hear what your family does to pass the time when the power goes out.

Jun 26, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

Hidden Valley Ranch Veggie Adventures

I’ve never really had a problem with my children eating their vegetables but I know lots of people with children that do. Some don’t like certain colors, others don’t like tastes. I’m sure that to a child, a parent touting the benefits of eating vegetables is, at best, lip service. After all, most children are fairly sure that they know more than we adults at one point or another.

The folks over at Hidden Valley Ranch (they make that yummy ranch dressing!) wanted to help increase knowledge about and foster a love for vegetables so they created an online game called Veggie Adventures. Not a bad idea since, according to MomCentral, as much as 60 percent of parents play computer games with their kids. Hidden Valley Veggie Adventures is a game that is played in three stages.

“At the farm” is the first stage and it’s about growing vegetables and protecting them from bugs and small animals. The most vegetables CJ and I were able to grow was 73. We might have been able to grow more if I hadn’t have been shooting water at the cow.

“On the road” is the second stage and it’s about delivering the vegetables. You have to keep your vegetables in the truck while you steer to avoid potholes and small animals. We have played this stage twenty times now and while we’ve gotten close we have run out of time each time we played and haven’t finished it yet.

“In the kitchen” is the third stage and I can’t see what goes on there yet. We’ll keep trying. CJ yells out excitedly at just about everything so it’s a lots of fun playing with him and that’s what it’s all about.

Visit LoveYourVeggies.com to learn more about the game or to play.

Thanks to MomCentral for a heads up on this fun game!

Mar 27, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Valentine's Day Gift Idea - Top Chef The Game

Have you ever seen the television series Top Chef? It’s the number one food show on cable television. Now there’s a game based on the series, called Top Chef The Game. This game consists of challenges requiring thought. The game places the player in the role of contestant on the show Top Chef. You’ll be challenged to make dishes which will be judged by Padma Lakshmi and Head Judge Tom Colicchio.

When you start a round you’ll be given instructions on what ingredients will be focused on during that round and what type of dishes you’ll be expected to prepare. The game take place in a virtual kitchen which contains a pantry and a stove. Cues will appear on the screen telling you what type of items a food theme or a recipe calls for.

To make the recipe you have to do more than pick the best ingedients, you also have to prepare and cook. If you select a meat, for example, it will just sit there until you start cutting it. If you select something that needs to be cooked you’ll need to start the pan moving. As items are prepared or cooked you must replace them with new items the meal calls for. You have a certain amount of time in which you must complete the level.

When your dishes are finished cooking they’ll be judged. I found Padma to be a little less tough then Tom as far as judging goes. If you’ve just clicked on anything and not paid attention to the cues your score will show it.

I enjoyed trying the game. I hadn’t played anything like it game previously. The only problem I had is that it took a long time to load each time I played it, but it is possible that was a computer issue.

Top Chef The Game is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for anyone who likes to spend time in the kitchen, no matter if it’s cooking or eating. Top Chef The Game may be played on both Windows and Macintosh computers. It’s available to purchase from the Brighter Minds Media Store and retails for $19.95.

The folks at Brighter Minds Media have graciously offered a coupon code to use when checking out on their website, www.BrighterMindsMedia.com . The code is VDAY09 and it is good for $14 off any purchase of $30 or more. The shipping is free, and the coupon can’t be combined with any other offer.

Thanks to Brighter Minds Media for this fun review opportunity!

Feb 10, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

Valentine's Day Gift Idea - World Of Goo

Does your special someone enjoy computer games? If the answer is yes then I’ve got just the title for you. It’s called World Of Goo.

Winner of the “Design Innovation Award” and the “Technical Excellence Award” at the 2008 Independent Game Festival, World Of Goo is far more than just a puzzle game. This puzzle and construction game requires patience and thinking. I love puzzle games and this is a new one so I was thrilled to get a chance to review it.

In this game you are the player and your goal is to get the Goo balls into the pipe while saving enough to meet the goal of that level. The game is broken up into chapters, with each chapter having several levels.

So. What is goo? Think drops of ink or oil but cute and with color. And a little sound. There are different kind of Goo balls. Each of the different balls looks a little different and has different characteristics than the others.

To get the Goo to the pipe you have to build a structure make of Goo balls that will allow other Goo balls to travel to the pipe. That may sound easy but I’m not talking about building like Tetris. I’m talking about trying to build a stable shape in an unstable environment with unstable pieces. See, the Goo moves.And, if you choose the wrong ball of Goo the structure you’ve built may come down and you’ll have to start again. From time to time you’ll see a wooden sign in the middle of the level, giving you information you need to succeed. The signs can be pretty amusing. Wondering who puts them there? The sign painter, of course.

To proceed from level to level you’ll have to overcome the obstacles or challenges in each level. The challenges usually involve the environment. You might have to build your structure upside down, or between two towers like this.

The only tools you have to help you reach your goal is the Goo. In this level the Goo balls on the bottom had to get up to where the Goo balls on the top are. The Goo balls on the top are sleeping in this picture. It took me four attempts to get the bottom Goo balls up to the top. I kept building my structure too close to those blades and it kept breaking.

The extra goo balls you save in each level go to the World of Goo Corporation, an area where you can practice building towers as high as you can make them. If you get really good at the game or want to challenge yourself you can play the game in OCD mode, which sets tougher goals or limitations on what you can do to reach a goal.

I enjoyed playing World Of Good. If you’re like me you might find it addicting, because each time I got stuck I wanted to try again. I found it challenging without being overly frustrating. World Of Goo graphics are very simple, big and colorful. I’m not a big fan of game music but I can say this soundtrack isn’t awful like many, probably because it isn’t monotonous. The tempo and style of music match up with the different levels and what’s happening on them perfectly. What I like best about the game is that while it may seem simple it’s far from it. I also like that it makes you stop to think about the things that might effect your structure including the weather or even your own next move. The only thing I would suggest is to make selecting a Goo ball a little easier. Your pointer is basically a ball of Goo, and at times it was hard to pick up the ball I wanted amongst others.

World Of Goo may be played on both Windows and Macintosh computers. World Of Good would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for anyone who enjoys puzzle games, no matter what their age. World Of Goo is available for sale online from Brighter Minds Media Store and retails for $19.95.

Thanks to Brighter Minds Media for this fun review opportunity!

Feb 09, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea – Franklin’s Sudoku by Nikoli

I’m a big fan of Sudoku puzzles. They’re addicting and entertaining. If you look in my purse at any given time you’ll find a folded piece of paper with four Sudoku puzzles on it. I keep it there for when I have to wait a while for something, like at the doctor’s office. There’s another one like it inside my top left desk drawer at work. It’s for when I’m calling Horizon and I’m on hold for twenty minutes. Whenever a page is finished I print another and replace it. Did I mention there’s another inside the console of my truck in case I’m stuck in the car? I like to always have one with me because you never know when you’ll be stuck with nothing to do.

Valentine’s Day is approaching and if your sweetheart is a Sudoku fan then I’ve got the perfect gift for you! It’s a handheld Sudoku device made by Franklin called Sudoku by Nikolai.

The game has a built in touch-screen and comes with a stylus for play. There’s no buttons to press, everything is done with the stylus. There are millions of different puzzles available for play on three skill levels and another 400 puzzles created by Nikoli. The device runs on two G13 batteries which are included in the box.This is what the box looks like.

The small handheld white device is somewhat similar in size to a PDA. Here’s a picture of it in my hand.

I started playing with this device on Saturday and I haven’t put it down for long since then. I even made room in my purse for it. The rules are the same as if you’re playing on paper. You still have nine empty squares and you are still only permitted to use each digit once per row, column and square. Once you start a puzzle you just tap where you want to insert a number and then tap the number you want inserted. When you’ve finished touch “check” and you’ll know if your solution is correct. If you get stuck you can press “solve” to see the puzzle’s solution. There’s even a puzzle builder and solver that allows you to create your own puzzles. At first I was worried that I’d lose a stylus but that shouldn’t be a problem because the stylus slides into a storage space within the device. Here’s a picture of the stylus sticking about half way out.

I totally love this device! This is going to save a lot of trees because I won’t be printing puzzles anymore. I recommend it highly for anyone who likes Sudoku or similar puzzles. It’s really easy to use. It weighs next to nothing and the size is perfect for putting in a purse, briefcase, suitcase, backpack or just your pocket. My favorite thing about it is that there are different skill levels, so I can play a nice, easy game or I can really challenge myself.

Franklin’s Sudoku by Nikoli is available to purchase online at www.franklin.com and has a suggested retail price of $24.95.

Feb 03, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Wii Video Game review and giveway

We’re big on home entertainment and family fun in our house. It’s a lot cheaper than going out and we enjoy the time together. We enjoy tv, movies and video games. My son TJ absolutely LOVES video games and CJ is now reaching a point where he’s also getting interested in them, so I was thrilled to receive an opportunity from Mom Central to review a new video game.

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa is a new video game based on the movie of the same name. We saw the first Madagascar movie when it came out and enjoyed it tremendously. The characters in the game are the same as those in the movie including Melman the giraffe, Marty the zebra, Alex the lion and Gloria the hippo among others. In the game the characters go on a safari adventure in an effort to save the Savannah. Game play takes place across twelve levels as well as in mini games. The mini games include Mini Golf, Hot Durian, Jungle Chess, Monkey Match, Musical Chairs, Volcano Rave, Soccer and a Diving Event.

I really enjoyed playing this game with TJ. We had such a blast laughing together. The game is very bright and colorful and the graphics were decent. I liked that you can play different characters, and that the characters within the game have different skills. One thing that I really liked about the game is that there’s no way for your player to die like in some video games. The worst thing that can happen to your character is that he can run out of time and have to start a level again. One other thing I appreciated is that the game encourages conservation without seeming preachy.

The one thing I’d like to see is a free play option, which some people (like myself) could use as practice to improve their skills.

The one thing about the game that I didn’t like is that there seemed to be no way to get past the intro video. The video is cute and gives background but once you’ve seen it once it seems to take a long time to end. It’s not a big deal, I’m only talking about a minute or two. It’s just that if you were returning to play you might not want to sit through the video again.

I recommend Madagascar Escape 2 Africa. The game is rated E10+. It’s available for play on several popular game consoles including Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS, as well as games for Windows. The console versions of the game are priced between $29.99 and $49.99. The PC version of the site is approximately $19.99. You can learn more about the game on the website http://www.madagascarthegame.com.

I have four sets of four Madagascar Dog Tags to give to the winners of this giveaway. To enter visit the Madagascar site and then leave a comment on this post stating the name of one mini game that you think would be fun. I’ll give up to two additional entries to anyone who blogs this giveaway or twitters it, just leave a comment with your link or user name. The contest will end on Friday 12/19 at 11:59 pm est. US addresses only please. Comments must contain the requested information to be eligible.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Dec 12, 2008 | 4 comments | View Post

Review of Jishaku

We received a new game to review this week. It’s called Jishaku. Jishaku is the Japanese word for magnet. Not only is this game played with magnets, but it’s so much fun it’s attraction is almost magnetic.

Jishaku is a game for ages 8 and up that requires a bit of strategy. The box says it’s for 2 or more players. The game is played on a square board made of egg crate type foam with 18 small smooth and shiny magnetic stones. The strategy in the game is trying to figure out which stones pull which way and which way they’ll go when magnetized. You can’t tell what’s going to move where on the board and the board changes as more pieces are added to it. I played it first with RB and we had fun. TJ then joined us and it was even more fun, the three of us couldn’t stop laughing. We played the 1st of 3 variations that instructions are provided for, where each player starts with 6 magnets and the one to get rid of their magnets first wins. It’s not as easy as you’d think to get rid of 6 pieces when on any given turn the piece you’re setting down picks up 2-4 more pieces, which you now also have to get rid of. Poor RB, he didn’t win at all! TJ and I discovered in cleaning up that you can play on your own too, by trying to put all 18 pieces on the board yourself.

Our family really enjoyed Jishaku. I recommend the game highly. It’s not electronic, so you won’t constantly need to put batteries in it. It’s not violent, so parents won’t hesitate to let their children play it. It’s small and portable, so it doesn’t require a lot of room to play and would travel nicely. Jishaku is available for sale for $19.95 on the Jishaku website. It can also be purchased from Amazon or from select stores in the US (use the store locator).

Aug 17, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post

Noodleboro Learning To Listen Pizza Palace Game review

Kids all love to play games. Hasbro has created the Noodleboro game series for children ages 4 and up. Three games are part of this series - the Learning To Listen Pizza Palace game, the Learning To Share Fun Park game and the Learning About Manners Picnic Basket game. Each of these games comes with a cd and book containing songs, stories and tips that reinforce the lessons being taught in the game. As you might be able to tell from the titles, these games have a purpose - to encourage using the life skills of sharing, using good manners and active listening. As parents it is our job to teach our children these skills, but it is really nice to see a game that encourages the use of these skills and helps reinforce what children have learned. Thanks to MomCentral we were lucky enough to receive the Learning To Listen Pizza Palace game to try before its release.

The Learning to Listen Pizza Palace Game comes with 2 pizza boxes with pizzas, 2 sets of pizza toppings, 25 pizza topping cards, 2 pizza topping holders, a chef’s hat place keeper and a score board. To play children need to take the customer’s order and then make and serve the pizza to them. In order to make the pizza correctly children need to pay attention, actively listen and remember what they’ve been told. The player that makes the most pizzas correctly wins. The Learning To Listen Pizza Palace game is for 2-3 players age 4 and up and will retail for $19.99.

I recommend the Learning To Listen Pizza Palace game. I thought the game was a lot of fun and that it was actually most fun when played as a family game with two teams.

Would you like to one of these games? You can enter to win your own Noodleboro game from MomCentral by clicking here and taking the survey.

Aug 13, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Big Fish Game winner

One winner in the Big Fish Game giveaway receives a coupon code to use on the Big Fish game of their choice.

All qualified entries were placed onto a spreadsheet and assigned a number. The list was placed on random.org and the number that came out on top is the winner. A screenshot is attached.

The winner of the Big Fish Game giveaway is #10, Mechelle!

Mechelle’s comment was “I would choose Escape From Paradise if I win because that’s the one my Daughter has been bugging me about for weeks now. LOL. Love your blog! Thanks for letting me browse around. ((hugs)) Mechelle.”

Congratulations Mechelle! Please contact me within 72 hours to confirm that you wish to accept this prize, and please include your mailing address in your email.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway! Please consider subscribing to my feed so you don’t miss out on any future giveaways.

Aug 04, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post

Pork pork pork

Do you have anyone in your family that’s not the greatest sport? My hubby is a really sore loser, and my oldest TJ is just like his father. When I saw that Mom Most Traveled asked people to write a story about playing a game I remembered something funny and realized that my hubby and son’s poor sportsmanship may be hereditary. About fifteen years ago RB and I traveled up to New Hampshire to see his family. We stayed at his sister’s, where we always had a good time. One night the four of us started playing Pictionary. My sister in law drew a pig and someone said something that upset her and she said “pork, pork, pork. I’m taking my toys and leaving.” It was too funny, a grown woman having a tantrum like that! My sister in law is a great cook and she didn’t make dinner that night. Upside, we didn’t need any fat burners after eating one of her tasty, rich meals. Downside, we were really hungry. Anyway. Sometimes RB and I still say “pork, pork, pork” as a way of saying “be quiet and let me have my way”. You probably had to be there to appreciate it. So, do you have any funny stories about playing games?

Jul 18, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Bloggy Giveaways Big Fish Game winner

I’m really pleased with the results of my first participation in the Bloggy Giveaways. Especially this one, which received more than 100 comments. And, most people followed the rules too. Rather than take a screenshot of everyone’s names and email addresses, I pasted everyone into a spreadsheet and assigned everyone a number. Then I went to random.org and randomized the list of numbers. Then I took the winning number, in this case #36, and checked the spreadsheet to see who it was. I’ve added a screenshot of the randomized page showing the winning number.

The winner, #36, is Holly. Holly is receiving a coupon code for one Big Fish game of her choice! Holly, please email me within 72 hours to confirm you wish to accept the prize.

One more thing. Just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean you can’t get a new game without breaking the bank. If you go to the Big Fish Games Home Page and sign up for My Game Space you’ll be eligible for 2 free games. Or if you sign up for the Big Fish Game Club, game prices drop to as low as $6.99, which is a steal of a deal. Buying at that price means games pay for themselves after just a couple of purchases. Their selection is huge and always growing, as they add a new game every day.

Thanks to all for participating! Please subscribe to my rss feed. You’ll not only get to read the latest things I’ve written about but you’ll learn about future contests that way as well.

Apr 27, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

The winner of my Ultimate Blog Party door prize is

Angie, over at Many Little Blessings

Each contestant’s entries were placed into the list randomizer on random.org and Angie was drawn as the winner by random selection. I’m posting a picture of the screenshot that shows then entries, and of course the winner is on the top of the list.

UltBlogPartyDoorPrize

The prize is a credit good for purchase of one downloadable game of your choice sold by Big Fish Games. They have something for everyone. They add a new game to the site every day. They offer hundreds of games in the categories hidden object, puzzle, mahjong, action and arcade, card and board games, word games and kid games. They even carry games for Macs.

Congratulations! I’m emailing your coupon code for the free game now. Thanks to all who participated.