Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quoridor Kid - not just for kids, believe you me, July 20, 2009
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
Whatever you can say about Mirko Marchesi's Quoridor, you can also say about Mirko Marchesi's Quoridor Kid.
Except that Quoridor Kid is cuter. And takes less time to play. And the board is 7x7 instead of 9x9. And there are 16 instead of 20 fences.
They play the same. They offer the same exercise in strategic maze-making. One is cute and short. The other is larger, darker, more brooding, more adult. But no matter which you are playing, Quoridor or the Kid, as child or adult, it's the same fun and fascination.
Which is rather remarkable, come to think of it, that a kid's version of an adult game should prove as maturely playworthy as the adult version. Which makes this version a special gift to parents. Because here's a game in a version that will appeal to your child as it will to to you. Your child will be especially sensitive to the fun of it - to the fantasy, the remarkably skillful humor of the mouse-in-maze metaphor - and consequently, they might laugh more often than you will.
It is a challenging game. You begin on the edges of a 7x7 grid. You, as a mouse whose nose is the same color as a piece of wooden cheese placed on the opposite side of the board. You take turns moving your mouse, horizontally or vertically, one space at a time. Your goal and purpose, as in much of life, is to get to your cheese first. You do that by moving forward, or by placing fences between your opponent and her cheese. Moving and fencing, the board begins to look like a maze, and the strategic depth is equally amazing.
All that metaphorically-appropriate mouse-and-cheese cuteness aside, getting to your cheese first is something you can take seriously, beyond metaphor. And as a parent, it is a special thrill when, as you inevitably will, you lose a game to your own child - fair and square. You won't have to say things like "well, then, you're the second winner," or make just the mistake that will "accidentally" give your child the victory. Because playing Quoridor, Kid or not, can get as challenging to the grown-up as it can to the child - and still look fun!
Which is what makes the Fun of Quoridor Kid so Major. What else would you call kind of fun can you get from a game that requires deep, logical thinking, that looks and plays as inviting to adults as it is to kids, as it is to kids without adults?
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Neat game of strategy, but too quick to be over...even for a kid, January 4, 2010
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
I love the idea of this game...the strategy, the cute mice playing pieces, and the maze concept are all intriguing. I love that this game is made of solid wood as well. The game is easy to learn and fun, except that the fun is too short-lived. The game is over in just a few minutes. After playing several quick games in a row, it becomes repetitive. I did find that the game lasts just a little longer and is slightly more challenging with 3 or more players, but barely. There is an adult version with the same exact concept and method of play, which I imagine has more walls and spaces to roam; but I have not tried this version to see if play is lengthened enough to make it more enjoyable. I am aware that this one is for children, but I would recommend it for children under 10. Even better ages 5-8 would best suit this game only because of the strategy being more difficult for this age group...at first. My 11 year old after the first time playing stated that "this game is really quick". She also liked the idea, but wasn't impressed either. I love everything about this game except the length of play.
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