While the extrovert in me is suffering from being cooped up inside for the last several weeks, I'm taking this time to indoctrinate introduce my children into the board game hobby. My girls are four (Winnie) and almost seven (Ardyn) and we actually have played lots of games together. Their favourites are Lemonade Shake Up, Raccoon Rumpus, and Richard Scarry's Busytown: Eye Found It! Game (who names these things???). With my eldest daughter being almost seven, I wanted to start turning the corner into older games, so for Christmas I picked up My First Castle Panic. This is a (very) scaled down version of the regular Panic Attack (which I've reviewed here and played through here). I have games in my collection that have surpassed Castle Panic as a solo or cooperative game, but it's still a mainstay on my shelf as my wife enjoys playing it and it's still a solid and quick to set up solo experience. I went for this simplified version for the girls' gift because it is (a) cooperative, (b) a fantasy setting, and (c) age appropriate for both of them.
So how does this one play? Basically, instead of different zones all moving towards your castle as in the original game, there is just one path. Along the path are different coloured shapes and the cards you play match those colors and shapes. As you draw new monster tokens and they move towards your castle (made up of one wall standee and one castle standee), you play the matching colour and shape card to capture them and put them into prison (the inside of the box bottom is decorated like a little dungeon).
Everyone starts with one card and draws a new card at the beginning of their turn. On your turn you can either (a) play a card or (b) ask for help - get someone else to play a card that they have. Once you've done that, all the monsters move one space towards the castle and you draw a new token. There are four types of monsters (these are my names - I can't remember what the rulebook calls them): regulars (just move one space), pushers (push everyone in front of them one space), push-drawers (push everyone in front of them one space AND draw a new token), and jumpers (jump to the front of the line). As a team, you try to survive through the stack of monsters. If your castle is standing, you win. If it lays in shambles, you lose. How does this game stack up as a kids' game? Lets find out.
TOTAL PLAYS: 15 cooperative, 1 solo
COMPONENTS
If you're making a game for kids, you've really got to nail the components and make them sturdy. You've also got to have art that appeals to kids. I think they're mostly there with this game. I really love the art for this game. It's bright and vibrant, cartoony and cute; an inviting fantasy theme without being too scary. In regards to the component quality and sturdiness, they're ok. This game isn't meant for kids under 4, so you don't need the super chunky cards and cardboard, but the cards bend a little too easily. I wish they were thicker. Winnie, my four year old, needs pretty constant reminders to not bend the cards. The board is just fine, but the castle and wall standees slide apart pretty easier. I wish they used plastic bases as in the original game instead, although they do look great. This are pretty nit-picky things, but my kids are pretty gentle and the cards are still getting bent. 4/5
RULES
Super simple. If you or your kids have played or watched Castle Panic, it's easy to pick up. Even if this is your first time being exposed to the panic of castles, the rules are no challenge. The rule "book" is one piece of paper, double sided, with lots of bright pictures and examples on it. No problems here. 5/5
GAMEPLAY
If you play games with your kids, you know this part can be tough. There are some games that I (almost) refuse to play with my kids. There's this cupcake-making game where you spin a spinner and then take the proper ingredients. That's it. No choice, no decision making, nothing. It's almost as bad as Snakes and Ladders. This game has a lot more meat to it and it works really well for both of my kids. I'll discuss the gameplay in terms of their ages.
Three Year Old - with Winnie, we're really trying to work on the shape and colour association. She knows her colours and shapes, but it takes some guidance to make sure she looks at all of the cards (including her teammates') as well as the spaces where monsters are on the board. I wouldn't label this game as an educational one, but there is definitely some educational reinforcement and practice going on here. Winnie loves using her cards to scoop up the bad guys and drop them into the dungeon. She's getting to the point where she can realize she has the right card on someone else's turn and can pipe up that she wants to "help out."
Six Year Old - with Ardyn, we're able to build some strategy together. She knows that it's most important to take out the monsters nearest the castle because they're more likely to damage us. She has also picked up that we want to use the single use cards first (e.g. the green square card) before we use the multi use cards (e.g. the green square/circle/triangle card). Those cards are more versatile and should be hung onto until needed. This is the kind of learning I was hoping for with this game - to develop some strategic thinking (and hopefully an enjoyment of it) in my older daughter. Mission accomplished!
On the other hand, there is a large element of luck involved. If you don't get any of the elusive red circle and green square cards, it can be hard to stop the enemies when they get really close to the castle. Also, in the game I've posted these pictures from, we played very smart but we still lost. We just drew the wrong cards and the wrong monster tokens and so the enemies got pushed quickly towards the castle. I wish there was a way to mitigate this bad luck a little bit more - maybe players start with two cards instead? One card is nice and simple for the little ones, but they could handle another card or two. 4/5
REPLAYABILITY
Once we play one game, we usually play another game or two, but there's not a lot of replayability here. There aren't that many different monster types and there's only one path for them to follow, so each game feels pretty similar. The replayability comes in as your child learns the strategy and becomes a better gamer. Once that happens, each game just boils down to luck. Then it's time to move onto something else. That being said, as a parent, I would much rather play this than the cupcake game (shudder) or Snakes and Ladders. 3/5
FUN
This is what it all boils down to right? Do you and your kids enjoy playing this game together? Did me and my kids? Yes, overall we enjoy this game. It's not the first game they grab for - they usually grab one of the "eye spy" kind of games (especially if there is a Disney theme), but they do like playing this one. I played it with a friend's kids and they really enjoyed it too, especially the fantasy theme and taking on goblins and orcs. I'm really happy with the way this game has improved Ardyn's strategic thinking and Winnie's colour and shape matching. This game has also introduced my kids to a fantasy setting which will (hopefully) lead to more in the future. It's not perfect, but I would recommend this game. 7/10
TOTAL SCORE 23/30
If you're looking for a game that can work on different levels for a 4 year old and a 6 year old, this one fits the bill. It will help build some strategic thinking while allowing them to interact with a cute, non-scary, fantasy world. There are replayability restrictions and some luck problems, but this game is much more enjoyable for kid and parent alike than a lot of other kids' games out there.
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