The Game of LIFE: zAPPed Edition Board Game or App?

Is it a Board Game or is it an iPad App? Or is it Both? (click to read the full version of the review by my husband)

Components and Play
This version of Life is pretty typical: a winding board where you travel through life either making money from your job and fortuitous events (selling your invention, getting a college scholarship) or losing money to not so fortuitous events (taxes, lawsuits, etc.).

The twist here is that instead of the traditional multicolored plastic spinner in the middle of the board, there is place to set your iPad. The app is free to download in the iTunes store (though it's a whopping 279MB, big for an iPad app). The iPad allows you to select your car and a "peg" person which you can decorate a bit (think a Nintendo Wii "Mii" or a really basic "Sim.") You then flick the virtual spinner and off you go.

The iPad in the center of the board showing the spinner and my cool Web Designer (I skipped college and went straight for the career).

The board has several different types of spaces which, when you land on them, you select the matching icon on the iPad and get to watch a clip from "America's Funniest Videos" or play a mini-game for some bonus payday cash. The videos show various life events (like weddings and graduations) and they are amusing to watch while guessing what your bonus or hit is going to be.

Since there are certain spaces upon which you *must* stop, the iPad app keeps track of your progress and knows roughly where you are on the track. You can also earn virtual "Life Tokens" for your animated peg which give you some bonus cash at the end of the game.

At the end of the game, screens pop up which allow you to enter the number of bills of each denomination you have. The iPad then adds up your total cash and adds in any Life Token bonuses and shows the winner. Finally, the app lets you save family portraits of each player to your iPad's Camera Roll, complete with the families on the couch and photos on the wall which show some of the life events.

A Fun Game?
Like probably any version of the Game of Life, there's not really any meaningful strategy or decisions. You can choose various paths (such as college or career, risky life or safe) which alter the events that you'll face. In the end, however, "The Game of Life: zAPPed edition" is at its heart just a roll and move game in which stuff happens and you hope you come out ahead of the other players when its all said and done.

But since it IS a family game I'm going to throw in my one major caveat...

One Major Caveat
When getting married in "The Game of Life: zAPPed edition", two choices come up for your spouse: an opposite (pink or blue) and a same colored peg. And yes, you can marry a same colored peg. And yes, the pegs will enjoy a wedding kiss regardless of color combination.

I won't risk getting this review RSPed other than to say that if such a thing would be a concern to you, realize it *is* a part of the app and a possibility in the game.

Is it an App or a Board Game?
Well, I guess the short answer is "yes." You need the app to play the board game. But there are already complete board game versions of "Life" and there are already complete iPad app versions of "Life." So is the hybrid worth it?

I'd play it again not because I wanted to do some gaming but because I could spend time with my daughters and that's always a good thing.

My beautiful virtual Life family, looking back from retirement on all of our adventures and accomplishments.


TO learn more about Family Game Night and The Game of LIFE, follow on Facebook or follow on Twitter @familygamenight.


Thanks to the sponsor for providing a copy of this game for our family to review. Our own opinions are expressed here and not influenced in anyway by the company.

Are you playing in the Million Minute Game Challenge?

Are you participating in the Million Minute Family Game Challenge? If so how are you doing with logging your minutes? If you aren't participating, click here to read more and enter the Word Shout game giveaway. If you are an adult, enter the What's a Dame to Do? giveaway.

Our group is called Crazy Gamers and we just logged 4,635 minutes. The top games played are Space Empires, Magic the Gathering, Pinochle, Combat Commander and Small World.  Ever heard of them? Some of our other games include Sponge Bob Game of Life, Ccandy Land, Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, Yinsh, Word Shout, Seven Wonders, Dungeon Quest, Carcasone, Rummikub, Heroclix, Heroscape, Cthulhu, Rory Story Cubes, Clue, Apples to Apples, aMAZEing Labyrinth, Pocket Battles, Ticket to Ride, Five Crowns, Seismic and Ablaze!

What are some of your favorite games? Check out one of our player's on Board Game Geek to find out about some of the listed games.

Did you know that board games have been around for 3000 years? Click here, History of Board Games, to learn more.

If you aren't registered to play I hope you do it soon. The Challenge last until the last day of December.

CONNECT 4 Launchers game review from HASBRO

Are you ready for the fast-flying, frantic action of Connect 4 Launchers? This revamped version of Connect 4 is sure to keep everyone in the family engaged and entertained for hours of out-of-your-seat fun.
Grab your launcher, aim for the two-tiered horizontal game unit and try to strategically land checkers in the top or bottom tray. Try to be the first player to get four-in-a-row horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Complete with three games in one – Basic Frantic Launch, Championship Frantic Launch and Advanced Power Launch – the fun is nonstop for players of all levels!

Crazy Gamers Review 

We play some really fun games with our Crazy Gamer group (Click our group to see other game reviews.) This review comes from a HASBRO game which is a play off the original Connect 4. I grew up playing Connect 4 and loved it as a kid so I was excited to get this game to review with our group.

 

This is a two player game for ages 5 and up. The game can be played with two on a team but it isn't easy to do. There is a launcher that is used to get your checker to the lower or upper level. If you are sharing it with a team mate, you must keep passing it back and forth. As for the age 5 and up that really has to do with being able to get the checker on the launcher and then coordinating it onto the two levels of the board. The age is right on.

 

This is a very fast paced game. Once you use up all your checkers the game is over or when someone gets "Connect 4". We were always able to get a Connect 4 before running out of checkers. This isn't a game to play if you want a quite, cool off game for the evening. This is a bouncing around, fast moving and giggling fit of a game. 

This would make a great gift for any family for the up and coming Holidays! Wednesday, September 28th is Family Game night! Check out the Hasbro links for more information. It is their 3rd year hosting this event. 

Facebook
Family Game Night: www.facebook.com/familygamenight
Scrabble: www.facebook.com/officialscrabble
Monopoly: www.facebook.com/monopoly
Trivial Pursuit: www.facebook.com/trivialpursuit
Cranium: www.facebook.com/cranium

Twitter
FamilyGameNight: www.twitter.com/familygamenight
Trivial Pursuit: www.twitter.com/trivialpursuit_
Cranium: www.twitter.com/playcranium

This is a sponsored post. A game was given to us to play and post a review. Our own tasty words and opinions are expressed here. 

Giveaway What's A DAME to do?!

Are you looking for a game to play with your female friends during your next "girls night out", family gatherings or even your book club? If so, you really need to check out the game, "What's a DAME to do?!" by Sisters 2 Inc.

I played this game several times with my grown up family members (SIL, MIL and girlfriends) and we had a blast. So much that they guys were playing a game in the other room and kept looking in at us to see why were were laughing so much. We were so into the game that I forgot to take pictures. Shame on me, I know. Don't worry though I do have one picture that one of the brothers took on the cell phone. Here is a shot of us having fun and ignoring the men in the other room.

This game is really easy to play with easy to follow instructions, thank goodness. There are actually several ways to play and we even made up another way to play that wasn't in the instruction book.

Are you familiar with the game, Apples to Apples? It is a really fun game for adults, teens and even tweens. Well this is played similar to that game. It is for 3-8 players and aged at 18 and up. I really felt awful that my 16 year olds couldn't join in but the dilemma cards are really for more grown up women.

Each round has a Dilemma Card that is played. Each player, depending on how many are playing the game, will toss out Reaction Cards to the Dilemma Card.

• For example, here are two of the Dilemma Cards, "While on public transportation my purse opens and my last few tampons roll down the aisle, what's a DAME to do?!" and "I see an Ex at the grocery store, 2 aisles away, and I am NOT looking my best, what's a DAME to do?!". You get it? 
• So a Dilemma is played and then players lay down their Reactions. For example you might have these cards so that is what you have to toss out, "Laugh hysterically," "Let loose," or even "Unleash your inner drama queen."
• From there the "Dame" of that round reads them, people respond, the "Dame" picks her favorite, people vote on the one that they think the "Dame" will choose and then it is revealed. Points are given, too.

It is a quick and easy game BUT you won't play it quickly. Everyone will be so into the game laughing and talking that you will need to take scheduled time-outs to refills your favorite beverage, get a snack and go to the bathroom!

My suggestions: Make sure you are playing this game with like-minded friends. You don't want to offend anyone in your group. So make sure you know your players. I say this because some of the questions are sexual and if you know that some in your group isn't or would be offended, skip the game and play something else fun like Apples to Apples.

• This goes along with the age of 18 and over for the game, too. I felt bad that I couldn't include those that were under 18 in the game. So just make sure you are playing it at a true girls night out event!
• We found that you could play this game quicker and have just as much fun without scoring points. We would have also liked blank "Dilemma" and "Reaction" cards to make up our own as we went along.

WOULD you like to win a copy to play at your NEXT girls night out event?? Remember to keep track of your playing minutes to add it to the "Million Minute Family Game Challenge."

TO enter to win 1 copy of "What's a DAME to do?!" click the below MORE to enter. Giveaway ends 9/24/11