Looking for a new family game to add to your game night?

Knock Your Blocks Off is one of the latest game releases from one of my favorite companies, Gamewright, which is a great family game to add to your game night! I have used this educational game over the last few weeks with several different boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 13 as part of school based occupational therapy services.  Though it can be a little tricky initially learning the directions, once the children have taken a few rounds to understand the game, they LOVE IT and have been requesting it from week to week, not even realizing how many academic skills they are learning in the process!

In this game, each player takes a stack of the same colored patterned blocks. The player is also provided with a structure guide card. The player picks a structure on their card (wall, tower, steps, etc.) to recreate using the blocks. However, the key is to build the structure in the right pattern, because the colors on the blocks need to match each other. If you look in the picture to the left with the blue tower of blocks, notice how the blue spot on the bottom block, must be alligned with the blue space on the next block placed? Looks easy, but harder than you might think, especially when you are trying to be the first to build your structure correctly! Be the first to complete the structure in the correct pattern and win a victory point.

Building the structure is only the first part. The second round involves rolling the “demolition dice.” Roll a boulder, flick the dice at your opponents structure. Roll a dragon, drop the dice over the top of the structure. Roll an ogre, perform an underhand throw.  If you are successful in knocking the crown off the structure with the dice, you win a victory point. If you are not successful in the demolition round, the builder can win extra victory points for defending.  The first player to accumulate 7 victory points wins. The game is a little more complicated with the directions than I am describing here, because there are additional ways to win victory points based on the degree of difficulty in the structure you built, but those are the basic steps.

When we play, I often act as the facilitator to monitor that the block patterns match in the structure, and to assist with keeping track whose turn it is to destruct or defend. The boys have really enjoyed destroying the structures, but what I like is that it’s organized destruction with clear rules!  One thing I have found is that the more you play, the more you remember what patterns will let you build each structure the fastest, which can add to your strategy. This game has been excellent for children who tend to have difficulty noticing small details to improve their approach and organization. Some children can still be impulsive with the building portion, potentially not being the first one to capture the demolition dice, but there are so many other opportunities to win points, it has been fun for a variety of children with academic levels and abilities to play together.  We have even seen kids 4 points behind the leader catch up and win, so the outcome can change quickly with each round.

This is a fast moving game, where we have  inished it entirely with 2-3 players in about 15-20 minutes. So it’s a great family game to play as well even when you don’t have a lot of time.  We’ve also incorporated writing assignments such as, “Why or why not would you recommend this game to a friend?” Some children who are working on their organizational skills have chosen to write down the steps of the game to serve as directions to the next group of players.

Gamewright provided this game free to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.