Customer Reviews

Gobblet Gobblers

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw this game recommended in a parenting magazine and ordered it as a birthday gift for my four-year-old. Although the age recommendation is five-and-up, any child who has a basic understanding of tic-tac-toe should be able to play and enjoy. I should note that it is far more fun than tic-tac-toe.

I won't go into the rules, but basically it's a game of strategy, but it also hits on spacial reasoning, ascending and descending order, and cause-and-effect -- but mostly it just feels like fun. Your children don't realize their brains are working to figure out where to move next or which guy to move.

My son also loves the fun shapes of the smooth, brightly colored game pieces with the plume of felt "hair" and assembling the game grid. The game feels very sturdy and almost craftsman-like, rather than the usual molded plastic.

One of the best things about this game is that it is very fast. It's easy to say "yes" to three quick games of Gobblet Gobblers before bed, because you could play this many games in about five-to-ten minutes.

Another great thing is that it is simply fun. After playing against the children several times, my husband and I could not resist playing each other, because he has a theory that you could never lose if you went first. Nice theory, but he was wrong! Enjoy!

Do not be misled by cuteness or the obvious similarity to tic tac toe, Gobblet Gobblers is an abstract game worthy of serious strategic contemplation.

No, it's not chess. It's not even checkers. But it's not like any tic tac toe game you've ever played, unless you've already played the Major FUN Award-winning Gobblet Jr.

Repackaged and revisioned, Gobblet Gobblers plays the same as Gobblet Jr., but introduces a new level of whimsy and fantasy that invites children to view the often serious challenge of abstract reasoning with a light and playful heart.

Players build the board out of four, brightly colored wood pieces. Using these pieces, instead of a solid board, gives the game a friendlier feeling - integrating the game a bit more with its environment (kitchen table, play table, carpet, floor). The pieces all have little felt feather-like things sticking out of their "heads," adding to the whimsy and offering a practical and compelling way to lift and move the pieces from place to place. There are two different color pieces - blue and orange (oddly, but probably not coincidentally reprising the name of the publisher). Both players get six pieces - two sets of three nesting cylinders.

The game plays like tic tac toe (the object being to get three of your color pieces in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row), but, unlike the traditional game, in Gobblet Gobblers you can move your pieces once they are placed, and, if your piece is larger than another, you can temporarily "gobble" it by placing your piece on top. Being able to move pieces is departure enough to make Gobblet Gobblers something more than your paper-and-pencil version of tic tac toe. But being able to cover a smaller piece takes the game to a new level of strategic complexity - new enough for it to become a unique invitation to abstract thinking - unique enough to invite serious attention from adults as well as children. And there's that added component of having to remember what gets covered. And the subsequent, sometimes delightfully agonizing experience of losing the game because of what lies beneath.

Designed by Thierry Denoual, who designed all of the current Gobblet variations, Gobblet Gobbler, with its humorous design (and lower price), is Major FUN, at least - especially for kids who have already mastered the traditional versions of tic tac toe, and even more especially for their parents.

We love absolutely everything about this toy, there's nothing not to like! The pieces and frames are made from top quality wood and I'm sure it will last a long time. The game throws in an interesting twist to the old knots and crosses game. Requires a lot more strategy and thought in the game. The wooden frame pieces fit in well in each other. the only one recommendation I would have is to provide a board on which the game can be assembled, this would make it a lot more stable while still keeping the portability factor intact. In the current design, teh frame pieces can move around rather easily.

My class absolutely loved it! They have to really think and plan when they make a move in order to win the game. It promotes critical thinking and problem solving, which my math students always need! GREAT GAME!!!!!

I completely agree the the other reviews of this game. It truly is for children ages 4 and up. It can be played and enjoyed by a five year old preschooler or a thirty year old graduate student! Rarely do you find a game that is so easy to learn and so enjoyable to play. Our family has had the game for months and we are still learning more about the strategies to be used to win. In addition, the game is well made and replacement parts are available. It should be on the shopping list of anyone with young children.

This is a WONDERFUL game. Purchased it for my 6 year old, and we all enjoy playing it! Even the three year old got the hang of it, although she needs a few reminders about the rules at times. This is the one game that Dad will say yes to no matter what! And it's one that the kids can beat the parents on! My husband's tried-and-true method of winning at tic tac toe doesn't work on this game, and that makes for thrills on my kids' part when they WIN! Since you can gobble up your opponents' pieces, the board is always changing and it's hard to stay a step ahead. Plus, you don't have to add a new piece to the board- sometimes you might choose to move one of your played pieces, which changes things up considerably, as well. A great atrategy game that I will be giving for brithday presents from now on. We decided when you win, you have to shout, "Gobblet!" It's a blast.

We grabbed this game for our 5 year-old based on the high quality description. Pieces are made of wood! We have been so sad to purchase our childhood favorites that are all made of cheap plastic and cardboard. This game is fast moving and keeps interest of adults and kids a like. It's truly a thumbs up!

This new twist on tic-tac-toe teachs young kids (3+) strategy while providing a lot of fun. The games go quick so this is an excellent toy to pull out if you have a few minutes.

My daughter became an efficient tic tac toe player so we graduated to this fun introductory strategy game. Its nice that "cat" never wins the game.

What a great game to teach strategy and problem solving. My 5 year old LOVES this game. It really makes him think about his next move and plan a strategy. Each game is completely different from the last so we can play it for hours.