tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post4161316978971609911..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: Candyland RocksAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-45667219282582128532010-04-07T09:50:58.979-04:002010-04-07T09:50:58.979-04:00My daughter is turning 3 in a month and I've b...My daughter is turning 3 in a month and I've been perusing the available board & card games for us to start playing. The attention span is finally there for a short 20-30 minute span of sitting. The early classics are classics for a reason. Although I enjoy the wave of board games available, let's face the fact that a very young child isn't ready to play Settlers or Smallworld or Carcassone. There are some non-mainstream games available, such as Rat-a-Tat-Cat, but they're more difficult to find for the very young gamer! I'm all about introducing new games when the time is right. There's no point in adult and child having a miserable time trying to play a game that's just too advanced.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213416033063998297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-48928601097294156262010-04-02T11:06:31.037-04:002010-04-02T11:06:31.037-04:00I adored Candyland as a kid. The thing I loved abo...I adored Candyland as a kid. The thing I loved about it is it had a transportation quality to it -- it whisked me away and spoke of another world, of myths and ideas geared toward the child's notion of a fantasy land (holy crap! everything is candy!).<br /><br />-- c.Chuckhttp://www.terribleminds.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-74106947387826729822010-04-02T08:35:55.145-04:002010-04-02T08:35:55.145-04:00My friends and I joke that we can tell how "h...My friends and I joke that we can tell how "hard core" a board gamer someone is with Settlers - it is usually most people's gateway drug into different sorts of board games (versus what Hasbro produces), but frequently the people who start looking at how a game function see the flaws - primarily around several turns of not doing anything.<br /><br />Settlers did introduce a 36 card deck to mitigate this flaw that'll go through every number.Arashihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536961829640913987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-81672467680450949402010-04-01T20:49:50.186-04:002010-04-01T20:49:50.186-04:00I think the pure chance games are valuable for kid...I think the pure chance games are valuable for kids. Particularly because it levels the playing field with the adults and offers them the opportunity to win. At the age of four, a pure random game is almost a most.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02115747965590035734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-68167198114338704092010-04-01T15:31:33.390-04:002010-04-01T15:31:33.390-04:00I was always curious about Candyland, a game which...I was always curious about <i>Candyland</i>, a game which has seemed to have entered the American zeitgeist, at least according to popular media, but had never encountered a copy.<br /><br />Then again, you've probably never encountered <i>Squatter</i>, either. <i><grin></i>Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-77337926459442226012010-04-01T15:21:30.541-04:002010-04-01T15:21:30.541-04:00Even worse than Catan is the dice version of the g...Even worse than Catan is the dice version of the game. It's an awesome solo game, however if you play with more than one person it's basically a bunch of people all playing solitaire at the same time. Zero player interaction.Cam_Bankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162534181760938499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-8106197772605535012010-04-01T13:08:09.805-04:002010-04-01T13:08:09.805-04:00Anytime someone brings up Candyland I think of thi...Anytime someone brings up Candyland I think of this comic. It lacks a bit of the characterization but still it's funny.<br /><br />http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0341.htmlHelmsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05248835491973291242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-78958947649294494092010-04-01T10:34:08.611-04:002010-04-01T10:34:08.611-04:00I'll add another dead-horse to the list: Hi-Ho...I'll add another dead-horse to the list: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-44703-Hi-Ho-Cherry-O/dp/B00000IWGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1270132070&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">Hi-Ho Cherry-o</a>. There isn't a person alive who didn't get an introduction to simple arithmetic from that game.<br /><br />My 4yo's current favorite is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zobmondo-Entertainment-The-Ladybug-Game/dp/B0008ELWYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1270132153&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">Ladybug Game</a>, which is basically a glorified version of Candyland with a few more hack-style additions, e.g., if you don't have 10 aphids by the time you get to the ants, you have to go on the side loop. Really spiffy art and a cute theme. Recommended.<br /><br />And ditto what Brad said: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose is a great lesson to teach in a consequence-free environment.Justin D. Jacobsonhttp://www.johnraingame.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-82334639265319557322010-04-01T10:31:01.963-04:002010-04-01T10:31:01.963-04:00I agree - if you want a game based on complete ran...I agree - if you want a game based on complete randomness and bullying, it's Settlers - Candyland is a much more civilized game.Tim Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15636548887356044925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-5049640920200183392010-04-01T10:26:52.976-04:002010-04-01T10:26:52.976-04:00I'm glad to hear from someone else who doesn&#...I'm glad to hear from someone else who doesn't like Settlers. It fails on two really big issues for me: initial placement and random rolling. Poor or unlucky choices at the beginning of the game can make for hours of miserable play experience, and 2d6 curve for material distribution can further enhance that misery. Blah!<br /><br />Oh, and Candyland also has some subversive sexual interpretations in its characters and locations. O.OMatthew D. Gandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10385705569087231697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-24460577468901286912010-04-01T10:26:05.920-04:002010-04-01T10:26:05.920-04:00@eric Weirdly, I still have fun playing Cataan aga...@eric Weirdly, I still have fun playing Cataan against computers because it is easier to speed past dead turns.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-28551689972483704152010-04-01T10:18:05.208-04:002010-04-01T10:18:05.208-04:00Two Words. Nightmare Chess.
I remember when you b...Two Words. Nightmare Chess.<br /><br />I remember when you bought me my first Nightmare chess deck and how that so fundamentally altered the play of chess that it blew my mind.<br /><br />Great post as always.Johnoghuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092967490495879598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-28574376683031848472010-04-01T10:17:51.301-04:002010-04-01T10:17:51.301-04:00@Brad Yeah, those definitely should be on the list...@Brad Yeah, those definitely should be on the list.<br /><br />@Sam The Candlyand sucks sentiment is one I've sen on some parenting forums when they talk about games for kids, and more recently it also came up in Seth Godin's otherwise pretty good book, Linchpin.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-29912894987967917942010-04-01T10:17:16.014-04:002010-04-01T10:17:16.014-04:00I have a version of Settlers for my iPod, and it i...I have a version of Settlers for my iPod, and it includes as a default a rule that gives you a free resource if you've gone N rounds (3, I think) without gaining a single resource. Doesn't totally mitigate being in the shaft corner, but it helps more than you might think.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169295793441264376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-40461899170883682582010-04-01T10:13:18.027-04:002010-04-01T10:13:18.027-04:00See, I think the flaw with Settlers is that it'...See, I think the flaw with Settlers is that it's entirely possible to play the game with other people entirely by yourself. No need to trade, you can isolate yourself on a corner of the board, whatever. But it's still fun for me.<br /><br />Anyways... Who says Candyland sucks? It's a game boiled down to an extremely simple form. I don't think I ever "realized it sucked" but just found other games with more elements and strategies held my attention more.<br /><br />As for checkers - one of my fondest early gaming memories is losing to my great uncle at checkers. He once told me that the reason he wouldn't just let me win is that he wanted to teach me how to play. He would point out strategies and "are you sure you want to go there?" and that made it fun.<br /><br />And you just blew my mind... I did not know there were other ways to play checkers!Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082606754774274572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-89983057082269676202010-04-01T10:10:27.958-04:002010-04-01T10:10:27.958-04:00Just to add to your list of skills that can be tau...Just to add to your list of skills that can be taught early and well with Candyland:<br /><br />* How to lose gracefully.<br />* How to win gracefully.<br /><br />These may even be sufficient to encapsulate "grace" nicely.Brad Murrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11327477677392602412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-48095365205739945942010-04-01T10:10:14.949-04:002010-04-01T10:10:14.949-04:00I love your suggested hacks, particularly the 5 ca...I love your suggested hacks, particularly the 5 card hand and the special square card hacks. I don't think Candyland has survived in our house yet, but if there is a copy around, I may have to institute them tonite.<br /><br />If you want to see Candyland as a combat game, see Run For Your Life Candyman. We don't play it with the kids yet, but it is largely Candyland with a combat mechanic bolted on. It has yet failed to please.David 'Blue' Wendthttp://docblue.posterous.comnoreply@blogger.com