| User | Rating | Min. Age | Adults Too | Comment |
| aalleman | 10 | 2 | Some | My kids love this game and better yet my 5 year old and 2 year old will play it together on their own. |
| Munin | 10 | 2 | No | This is the first game my son, when he was 4, was able to play with entirely on his own, with no set up, clean up, or other aid from an adult. The greatness of that quality of the game will resonate with parents. Two 4 year old boys can play this game by themselves in another room, without any assistance. And they're learning numbers, colors, shapes, taking turns, and sharing (the key)! This is a fantastic game for young children. Our 2 year old enjoys it as well, but needs help from parents to play. |
| Sprydle | 10 | 3 | Some | My daughter still LOVES this 6 months after she first played it (that's like me loving a game for 6 years straight--that's a 10 to me). She plays the advanced version now, as the basic is really suited to someone a little younger. She plays by herself as well as with adults--and loves picking up the game and taking it to show off when she unlocks the treasure. This is a simple treasure hunt style game--meaning not much in the way of game mechanics, but it is a HIGHLY successful entertainment device! |
| efreeman | 9 | 0 | | My son started playing this at 2 1/4 as a cooperative game. He really enjoys finding the balls. He has the shapes and colors down well. It has improved recognition of the early letters. Still needs help at 2 1/2 with the numbers. Regardless, he really enjoys playing it. Not anything there for me, but it is fun to see him light up when he finds a ball. 7/12/07 update...just after 2.5 he moved onto the Advanced game...that went over pretty well...it really helped his recognition of lower case letters. However at 3 yr old now, he isn't enthusiastic for it. Update 1/1/09. My youngest (just under 2) likes playing with it as a toy to open the doors to find balls. |
| GelatinousGoo | 9 | 2 | Some | My daugher adores this game. It has a nice advanced option for when they grow out of the simpler beginner deck. |
| pmboos | 9 | | | This game is essentially a guessing game based against learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. But kids will love it - it has a great amount of play interaction and nice kid like bits - the balls, the color choices, the key, the treasure chest. It is tender on them at this early age as there is no winer or loser per se. You could start playing this at 2-2 1/2 years |
| queequeg | 9 | 3 | Yes | ANY game that I can play with my kids is a great game as far as I am concerned. The game offers a basic and an advanced variant. That way, you can make the game a bit more challenging after your kids have mastered the easier variant. |
| XaaK | 9 | 2 | Some | My daughter (2.5 years old) loves the treasure chest and hunting for the balls. While not the most taxing of games - she really has a lot of fun playing it and is one of the most asked for games (even over many of the HABA games we have). |
| agenteasy | 8 | | | The idea: kids are searching for hidden balls in order to unlock a treasure chest
Components: The bottom of the box is actually the game. Once the cover is removed, a grid of doors is revealed. Each door shows one or more combinations of colours/shapes and numbers. A treasure chest (off to the side) is shut and waiting to be opened. A number of rubber balls are placed inside the box, which roll down and settle under one of the doors at random. The box itself is of very high quality, but the cards used in the game are extremely flimsy and will bend and wear from the very first game.
The way it works: A card is drawn every turn and each card shows one or more symbols. The child must match these symbols with the symbols on one of the "secret doors" in the game. They open the door with a key, and if a coloured ball is revealed behind it, they can add it to the treasure chest holder. When all the balls are found and added to the holder, the treasure chest opens and everyone wins.
Comments: This is a cooperative game can be played by very young children (by cooperative, I mean that once the game ends, everybody wins). My son played it at 2.5 and continues to enjoy it at 3.5, though he is no longer challenged by it. Kids will quickly figure out that they can peek through the door they have opened and see if there are balls under the nearby doors. I like that the game teaches counting, colour and shape recognition, but I am a little dissapointed that finding a ball is not related to successfully making a match. I also wish the card quality was better, as they are a sorry mess now (bent, tattered, etc). Despite this, I recommend the game since it has brought much enjoyment to my child.
Note: A new edition has come out recently which offers a second set of cards to increase the challenge for older children. |
| ccmonter | 8 | 2 | Some | The learning concepts (counting, colour, letters) are basic but good. The gimmick is great for young kids, who love finding the balls and opening the treasure chest. The game itself, as a game is ho-hum. This becomes more of a toy than a game. |
| fluffdaddy | 8 | | | This is more puzzle than game... but my son loved it. We had to play it over & over. It was a great way to teach taking turns - while I could let him put the balls in the treasure track so he could enjoy opening the chest. |
| heinzy57 | 8 | 3 | | At first, my two year old son just liked to open the doors and remove the treasure balls. The last few times we've played, I've started stressing taking turns and finding what's on the card you drew instead of opening any door you wish. He's starting to get it, but he doesn't have counting down yet. I think he's still a little young, but he does the colors and letters great! He has fun with it and requests it daily. |
| jgriffit40 | 8 | 2 | No | A great game for introducing to younger children (2 or 3) which is hard enough to find. However, even with the advanced rules, most 4+ or older children will find nothing challenging in the game. Its a little too easy. |
| jim.brooks10 | 8 | | | My 4yr old son loves this. I am not sure there is much of a game here, but he finds it entertaining. |
| Mark | 8 | | Some | My 3 year old daughter played this once and liked it a lot. However, I think older kids would figure out you can look around the edges to see what is hidden below the doors. |
| r0xjo0 | 8 | 2 | No | Honestly, I thought this game looked rather dull. I didn't think my daughter would enjoy it, but we just can't tear her away from it. She is only two, but will play it for nearly an hour. Great game for color and shape recognition. I was amazed that she was able to handle the concepts so well. She really likes playing this. |
| skrebs | 8 | 0 | | My three year old daughter likes this as a toy and is beginning to like it as a game. She can identify everything from the basic version of the game, she can take turns, but she would rather methodically open all doors, get the balls, and open the treasure. |
| wmshub | 8 | 3 | Some | Was my daughter's favorite game for several months when she just turned 3. She would play this 4 or 5 times a day. She has finally gotten tired of it now though, we only play once in a while.
The suspense and quickness make this OK for the adult involved also. |
| buthrukaur | 7 | | | This was my Daughters Favorite game for several months. The advanced version is not worth the effort as it is somewhat confusing that the cards do not match with the first letter used in the word on the board. |
| helenoftroy | 7 | 1 | No | This is a great learning game for children if the children use the cards to play the game because they are learning to match objects based on shape, color, and number. There is even advanced version.
If they don't use the card, it is a good search with a nifty little key and find the ball game, which can be just as fun for my 2 and 4 year old boys. The only down side to the game is that my boys like to take out the cards infront of the doors. |
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