Knights

Subject: General
Category: Set creation
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 2 to 6
Time to play: 30 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: dice roll, card collection

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 3
Gaming value: 3
Aesthetic value: 4
Price value: 3 (box could be better)
Ease of play: 3 (easy once you figure it out)
Younger adaptability: 5

My comments: This game is often compared to Yahtzee. Players roll the 6 dice 3 times, like in Yahtzee, and try to collect as many of the same number on each die, but the similarity to Yahtzee ends there. First, 6's get removed when rolled, and second, there's a deck of 56 cards.

The object of the game is to collect a winning combination of cards, or to defeat the king by rolling the dice (there's a card displaying the 3 ways to win on it.) You collect cards, or capture them from you opponent, by rolling the dice. There are 3 types of cards: castles, tournaments, and specials (cards that enhance your options and dice rolls.) You collect or capture castles and specials cards by beating the dice combination shown on each card; opponents can "defend" castles to prevent you from taking them. A tournament card involves all players trying to get the best overall dice combination.

The game is fun, though not always quick depending how the dice are rolling and the cards come up, especially with more people. It is easy enough for younger kids to play with a little urging regarding which cards to try for since the dice rolling is really where the action is.

The specials cards are a bit bland--it's hard to tell front from back by color scheme, and you have to have the instruction booklet by you to look up what the symbol on them mean. Castle and tournament cards are quite colorful. The deck includes some blank cards for you to design your own special; if you have Coloretto (an up-coming review) you may have gotten one or more expansion cards in that deck.

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/1263