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The Best New Board Games for Kids – PAX Unplugged 2018

Over the past few years, board games have seen a resurgence in popularity. Although games for kids never went away — Hungry Hungry Hippos is still everywhere — the variety of games is much better. In fact, with so many great ones out there, now is the perfect time to start playing board games. Perfect for all ages, board games are challenging, engaging and great for socializing in groups. Of course, this makes them especially beneficial to kids.

With this in mind, Best of NJ went to Philadelphia to attend PAX Unplugged 2018; PAX Unplugged is a board game expo which focuses on showcasing the most popular games, both new and coming soon. While walking the show floor, we found a handful of games that are perfect for kids of all ages. After demoing many games for ourselves, here are the best new board games for kids from PAX Unplugged 2018.


Ice Cool 2

Designer: Brian Gomez
Publisher: Brain Games
Price: $29.99 (Typically on sale for around $21.99)
Release Date: November 16, 2018
Website: https://www.publishing.brain-games.com/icecool2
Why Buy it? Ice Cool 2 is both an expansion and standalone to the original Ice Cool. (The first game actually won the 2017 Children’s Game of the Year award.) A dexterity game that is perfect for all ages, the rules of Ice Cool are simple: One player is a “Catcher” while the rest are “Runners” who must keep away from the Catcher. You perform an action by flicking your penguin over obstacles and through doors. Going through a door that has a fish hanging above it which matches the color of your penguin is good; doing so lets you take a fish card, which grants both victory points and sometimes an extra flick. Once everyone has had a turn, the round ends. However, the number of rounds equals the number of players per game, keeping Ice Cool‘s pace white hot. It’s fast, fun and easy to play. In addition, if you buy both games, you can expand the play area and create new level designs.


Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid

Designer: Jonathan Ying
Publisher: Renegade Game Studios
Price: TBD
Release Date: Spring 2019
Website: https://www.renegadegamestudios.com/power-rangers
Why Buy it? As you might expect, Heroes of the Grid is a cooperative game for up to 5 players. Each participant selects one of the five original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers at the start of play. (Sorry, Tommy Oliver fans, the Green Ranger isn’t available… yet.) Each Ranger has a unique deck of ability cards consistent with their personality and power traits from the show. For example, Kimberly has bow attacks while Zack can use his famous “Hip-Hop Kido” ability. Every round, new enemies are added to the play area, while Rangers play cards to battle and hopefully defeat them. Dice rolls determine the success of battles, and as players defeat Putties (low level threats), bigger enemies emerge. These include famous baddies such as Madame Woe, Pudgy Pig and, of course, Rita Repulsa. The game requires light reading to play, but the rules are simple enough for all ages.


Transformers TCG

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Price: $14.99 (Autobots Starter Set)
Release Date: September 28, 2018
Website: https://wpn.wizards.com/en/products/transformers-tcg
Why Buy it? I could explain the rules of Transformers TCG, but honestly, wouldn’t you rather learn them from Optimus Prime himself? The video above is the first in a series of short tutorials. After playing the game myself, I can vouch for the quality of the tutorial series. Instead, I just want to point out that Transformers TCG is a 1-versus-1 card battling game. In other words, the game requires strategy, reading comprehension and an understanding of intermediate-level game mechanics. So this one is most suitable for the teenage Transformers fan in the family.


Wacky Racers

Designer(s): Andrea Chiarvesio, Fabio Tola
Publisher: CMON Limited
Price: $44.99 (Deluxe Edition)
Release Date: TBD 2019
Website: https://cmon.com/product/wacky-races/wacky-races
Why Buy it? If I’m being honest, Wacky Races is probably my favorite game on this list. To be clear, I’m not even a big fan of the show. But the game is easy to learn, quick to play, and basically non-stop action the whole way through. At the start, 2-6 players select from a collection of classic characters from the show. For example, favorites such as Penelope Pitstop, The Slag Brothers and Peter Perfect are all present. Unfortunately, Dick Dastardly and Muttley are also part of the race, hoping to thwart the players and create chaos. Each character has unique special abilities that can protect them from traps or give them a boost during the race. The race itself moves along when players lay down cards that match the terrain tiles on the board. Specifically, if the space ahead of you is a desert tile, you must play a desert tile to progress forward. The game ends as soon as someone crosses the finish line. (Dick Dastardly can’t actually win, but just like the cartoon he causes problems for all the other racers.)


Sumer

Developer: Studio Wumpus
Price: $14.99
Release Date: April 5, 2018
Website: http://www.sumergame.com/
Why Buy it? Before you accuse me of cheating for putting a video game on a list of board games, hear me out: Sumer is a digital board game for up to 4 players. It’s a mix of action and strategy, with rules and scoring similar to traditional board games. Plus, it’s on the Nintendo Switch, which means you can play it either on the TV or on the go. The game incorporates elements of resource management and territory capture, but also requires quick reflexes. Basically, you assign workers to different resource markers on the board, then trade those resources for points. But players cannot occupy the same resource marker, so it’s a race to get there first. There is also an auction mechanic that allows players to purchase items which provide passive benefits. Overall, the rules can be a bit overwhelming at first, but is ultimately accessible for ages 10 & up.

Looking for a place to play these new games? Then check out our list of The Best Places to Play Board Games in NJ.


Hero (Top) Feature Image: © Kiko (via PAX Unplugged website)
Additional Images (in Order) Courtesy:
Trailer: Brain Games Publishing / YouTube
Trailer: Renegade Game Studios / YouTube
Trailer: Hasbro / YouTube
Trailer: Sumer Game / YouTube

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