Sunday, March 3, 2024

Ravensburger Wear Your Party Hat Game Night #RavensburgerMoment #RavensburgerParty #ThatsNotAHat #tryazon

A complimentary copy of That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8 were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could share them with friends and through my blog. All opinions expressed are my own

When I learned that there was a chance to host another game night and play some new games from Ravensburger, I jumped on the invite from Tryazon.

I was excited to learn that I was selected to be a host. I love getting the notice that I have a shipment coming. When the game pack arrived, it was fun to check out the contents. We got the three games, some flyers with info about the games and a link on where to buy them, several That's Not a Hat crowns and even a couple of mini versions of the That's Not a Hat game.

That's Not a Hat
Wrap and regift objects in this deceptively simple card game of having the world’s best memory... or convincing everyone you do! Was that gift a hat, a bucket, or a traffic cone?! Play this “unforgettable” bluffing game with friends and family for fun, laughter, and a dash of madcap mayhem. As cards or gifts are flipped facedown and passed around the table, players must memorize the object on each card or bluff their confidence as they pass the unwanted gift to someone else. Avoid getting caught declaring the wrong object or gain penalty points. The player with the least points at the end wins!

Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 8
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: A rulebook and 110 cards with simple illustrations for maximum memorization chaos.
 Available: Now available at TARGET!, Barnes & Noble, Ravensburger Site and Amazon

Piñata Blast
A game of throwing dice and grabbing candy! Experience the joy of racing for piñata candy in this fast and fun family-friendly party game. Drop the dice, snag the dice that match your cards before your opponents, but watch out for rotten candy. Earn the most points to win!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 7+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 6
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: 72 cards, 7 dice, 1 Piñata Stick token, and instructions
 Available: Ravensburger Site and Amazon

Level 8
Be the first to collect the crazy combinations of colors and numbers to reach Level 8! A simple quick game perfect for families and card game lovers of all ages!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 2 - 6
 45 minutes playtime
 Includes: 110 cards, 6 level indicators, and instructions
 Available: Ravensburger Site and Amazon

We have played these games a few times over the past few weeks and the consensus is that the games were fun to play and are ones that we will go back to often.

That's Not a Hat is a card game. We had checked this game out previously and still find it very enjoyable. On the surface, That's Not a Hat seems like it should be easy, afterall you start with all the cards face up and yet we quickly discovered how hard it really could be. With cards going both left and right, it really mixes things up and makes it really hard to remember the object on the cards. There was lots of laughter as people passed the gifts left and right and struggled to remember which gifts were moving which direction and what exactly was on the card that you were passing or receiving. We all agreed that the more people playing the more challenging the game became. This was an instant crowd favorite and one we will pull out during future game nights and family evenings.

Piñata Blast is a dice game. It was enjoyable with everyone reaching for the same die and trying to get matches for all of their candy. It was fun but we all agreed that it would probably be more fun for the younger group. The game has a recommended age of 7+ but there are rules included 'for younger players' that I think could work for kids below 7 allowing the whole family to play. This is a game that we will likely share with some friends that have younger kids.

Level 8 is another card game. One of the things that I like about card games is how easy they can be to learn and how quickly they can be played. With Level 8, you are trying to get different combinations based on the goals for the level. There is a nice reference card to help remind you what the different combinations on the level card mean - Runs, Pairs/Triples/Four of a Kind, Color set. This game reminded us of Rummy or Phase 10. We enjoyed the game and are likely to pull it out for future game nights and family evenings.

What we like about all of these games is their size - they are very portable. We like to take games with us when we travel. There is always down time and a game is a great way to spend that time. We usually have a deck or two of cards with us but these games will travel well too.

Game night is always a fun evening spent with family and friends. Finding new games and getting to play classic favorites, makes each game night a unique and fun experience. If you are looking for some games to enjoy on your next game night, be sure to check out That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family and friends. A complimentary copy of That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8 were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could play the games and inivte my friends to check it out too.

Monday, December 4, 2023

Strike and That's Not a Hat! Game Night : #RavensburgerMoment #RavensburgerParty #ThatsNotAHat #tryazon

A complimentary copy of Strike and That's Not a Hat were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could share them with friends and through my blog. All opinions expressed are my own

I have shared many times before that we are a game playing family. We sit down and play as a family or when we have friends over but also plan and host game nights with several couples or families on a regular basis. In fact, our friends shared that their one daughter always looks forward to coming over to our house when we host because we always play games, usually a mix of familiar and new games.
We have been having so much fun checking out several new games these past couple of months. This most recent set of games we tried through Tryazon, Strike and That's Not A Hat, were fun, easy to learn and quick to play. They are enjoyable by players of many ages. The recommended ages are 8+ but a family could easily play them with a younger player.

Strike
Throw your dice into an arena, striking other dice to change their faces, and collect matching sets. Watch out, though – if you roll an X, your die is removed from the game! Play it safe by rolling one die, or push your luck and keep rolling for a chance to make matches. The last player with dice wins!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 2 - 5
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: 26 Dice, 1 Arena, 1 Foam Arena Mat, Rulebook

That's Not a Hat
Wrap and regift objects in this deceptively simple card game of having the world’s best memory... or convincing everyone you do! Was that gift a hat, a bucket, or a traffic cone?! Play this “unforgettable” bluffing game with friends and family for fun, laughter, and a dash of madcap mayhem. As cards or gifts are flipped facedown and passed around the table, players must memorize the object on each card or bluff their confidence as they pass the unwanted gift to someone else. Avoid getting caught declaring the wrong object or gain penalty points. The player with the least points at the end wins!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 8
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: A rulebook and 110 cards with simple illustrations for maximum memorization chaos.

We have played these games a few times over the past few weeks and the consensus is that the games were fun to play and are ones that we will go back to often.

Strike is a dice game that comes with it's own arena. The game is easy to play with a goal of making matches to keep yourself in the game. There is an element of strategy with how many dice you roll on your turn and how you roll them but there is also a lot of luck. We had people get out on their first turn and other games where it seemed to be that the final pair played for several rounds. The game was enjoyable and easy to learn, making it an easy game to play with a small group.

That's Not a Hat is a card game. On the surface, That's Not a Hat seemed like it should be easy, afterall you start with all the cards face up and yet we quickly discovered how hard it really could be. With cards going both left and right, it really mixed things up and made it really hard to remember the object on the cards. There was lots of laughter as people passed the gifts left and right and struggled to remember which gifts were moving which direction and what exactly was on the card that you were passing or receiving. We all agreed that the more people playing the more challenging the game became. This was an instant crowd favorite and one we will pull out during future game nights and family evenings.

Game night is always a fun evening spent with family and friends. Finding new games and getting to play classic favorites, makes each game night a unique and fun experience. If you are looking for some games to enjoy on your next game night, be sure to check out Strike and That's Not a Hat.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family and friends. A complimentary copy of Strike and That's Not a Hat were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could play the games and inivte my friends to check it out too.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Adagio Tea's 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar

A complimentary Tea Advent Calendar was provided to enable this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. 

Winter is my favorite hot tea season and it is my go to beverage when I am looking for something warm in the afternoon or evening. I used to reserve tea for the evening but now that I work from home, I find that I have been preparing myself a mug of tea as a late afternoon treat. Being at home, I have found that putting up my feet and sipping on tea is such a great way to relax and unwind and reenergize myself for the rest of the day. Of course, I also like a cup of tea as a soothing pre-bed time relaxation too. I think that with all that is going on, the ability to take a few minutes of down time and relax is an important thing for my mental health.

Looking for a unique Advent calendar? This Tea Advent Calendar from Adagio makes an 8 oz serving of tea each day, as you count down to the holidays. They offer three versions of their advent calendar and also have a variety of other gifting options.

Once you remove the decorative sleeve (perfect for gift giving with the printed bow), inside you find the calendar.
The numbers are not sequential, requiring a little search to find the right door each day.
I was thinking that buying one for your friends and family, could be a fun way for everyone to connect through a common experience. Enjoying a cup of the same tea while video chatting with your friends or family could help bring your together in a year where there is real potential that more families are apart during this time of year than normal. With 24 unique teas, you will have the chance to try many flavors. If you are enjoying it as a group, perhaps you could make a chart and rate the groups' favorites. The added bonus is that you would then have insite and could order more of their favorite tea as a gift in the future.

Do you have a favorite variety or flavor of tea? Who in your family would enjoy these gifts?

A complimentary Tea Advent Calendar and 12 Days of Tea Gift Set was provided to enable this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.