Category: Video Games

The Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds (2023)

Five is a complicated age for board games. Five-year-olds are just about old enough to play a game by themselves so long as it’s simple, and they’re often fascinated by the idea of structured play that a board game represents. But at the same time, they can still find losing difficult to deal with and have very short attention spans.

To make matters worse, a lot of games you’ll find on shelves have worthy educational themes to entice parents, but kids will spot them as tiresome teaching tricks a mile off and demand something more fun. Finding the best board games for kids is no easy task. So here’s a selection of competitive and cooperative games that are easy enough for 5-year-old children to play by themselves where the learning elements are well hidden. And often you’ll find them fun enough to join in yourself, too.

TL;DR: The Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds

Dragomino

A great way for kids to get into hobby games is to take a concept they’re familiar with – in this case, dominoes – and give it a fresh new twist. Here, the dominoes show different kinds of terrain. Players choose from four such face-up pieces and fit them into a growing landscape, trying to match the terrain on one or both ends with existing pieces. For each such match they get an egg, which is either worth a point or gives them the right to pick from the piece selection next turn. Fast playing with a cute them and very simple to teach and learn, it’s appealing for children while teaching them turn-taking and simple strategy.

Outfoxed!

At five, cooperative games where no one has to suffer the ignominy of defeat are still a great way of avoiding family arguments. And they don’t come much better than Outfoxed, a game of memory and deduction where players have to find out which of an array of foxy suspects stole the chicken pie. It’s got a neat gizmo which determines whether a given clue, such as a cane or top hat, is something that identifies with the suspect’s picture or not. So by building up visual clues about the culprit your group can slowly eliminate suspects and hone in on the criminal. But each clue risks edging them closer to the edge of the board where they escape, pushing the excitement levels higher at every turn.

My First Carcassonne / Carcassonne Junior

The original Carcassonne is a fairly simple strategy game that’s good for older children and families, but it’s still a bit too much at five. Instead, you can introduce kids to the same concept with this fun junior version. Like the grown-up iteration, it involves placing randomly-drawn tiles to make a network of roads crisscrossing a pastoral scene. But it flips player piece placement on its head, as when a road is complete, players put down matching colour pieces from their stock. The first player to put down all their pieces wins. Visually attractive and simple to play, it’s a great way to learn basic strategy concepts.

Monza

HABA are a German company that makes great children’s games with bright, chunky wooden pieces and simple strategies to engage little imaginations. Monza is no exception, using basic concepts to create a fast, fun racing game. The track is divided into coloured spaces and on their turn, each player rolls six colour-spot dice. They then try to plot a course around other drivers and no-go spaces matching the colours they’ve rolled to board spaces. It’s intuitive to play and a great mix of luck, excitement and a little skill.

Concept Kids: Animals

Concept is a clue-giving game for adults but it also comes in this cooperative kid-friendly version based on animals. The board is full of icons that depict things like colour, size, habitat and body shape. One player has a random animal card they can’t see but other players can, and those players have to use the board icons to help the guesser get their animal. It’s a nice level of difficulty for children, plus it has an educational element and is playable without text at a time when kids are still learning to read, making it a great all-around activity for the family or for kids to play on their own.

Magic Maze Kids

Yet another game based on a franchise for grown-ups (see the best board games for adults, btw), Magic Maze Kids ditches several aspects of the original that aren’t kid-friendly, such as silence and the thievery theme, in favour of animals collecting potion ingredients. It keeps the escalating tension of cooperating to try and move pieces around a board as a sand timer trickles down toward a group loss. All the players can move all the board pieces, but each player can only move them in certain directions: the goal is to get particular pieces to particular spots while navigating obstacles. With tutorials to teach them the game and lots of bright chunky pieces, Magic Maze Kids will provide them with an amazing time.

Animal Upon Animal

Another HABA game, this one leverages a popular kid-friendly mechanic, that they’re often better at than adults: dexterity. Faced with an array of cute but irregular animal pieces, the goal is to get rid of all your pieces by balancing them atop one another in the middle of the table. A dice roll dictates your options for the turn, and instead of stacking may see you extending the stack base or even giving an animal to another player, lending some extra excitement besides the risk of a toppling pile. Best of all, unlike many games on this list, Animal Upon Animal is just as much fun for grown ups.

Bugs in the Kitchen

Often, games with electronic gizmos prove to be gimmicky letdowns. But a well designed one, like Bugs in the Kitchen, can really engage kids with the fun toy factor. The widget here is a vibrating electronic bug that can move itself semi-randomly around the board. However, there’s a maze atop the board made of lots of pivoting gates that can trap it in various sections. Players roll a dice and move a gate of a matching shape, trying either to get the bug into their corner to score a point or into someone else’s, depending on which mode you’re playing.

Hoot Owl Hoot

As you might imagine from a publisher called Peaceable Kingdom, Hoot Owl Hoot is a cooperative game where the group win or lose together. Your aim is to get all the baby owls back to their nest before sunup by moving them along a track of coloured spaces. You can vary the difficulty level by changing the number of owls, which is a nice touch. Each player has a hand of cards which can move an owl to the next space of the matching colour, leapfrogging owls along the way by calling “hoot hoot”. But if you’re unlucky enough to draw a sun card, you have to play it and advance the timer toward the game end for some added excitement.

For more ideas, check out our roundup of all the best board games to play in 2022.

Nintendo Download: 8th June (North America)

Harmony! Dordogne! Katamari!

The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch eShop – Highlights

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (DON’T NOD, 8th Jun, $24.99) – In this captivating narrative experience, Polly returns home after a few years abroad to look for her missing mother when she quickly realizes that her hometown has drastically changed. A megacorporation named MK is using its power to control the population and her community is in danger. Soon after, she discovers that she has a gift of clairvoyance that connects her to Reverie, the realm of the Aspirations of Humanity: Glory, Bliss, Power, Chaos, Bond and Truth. In this world, Polly becomes Harmony, an Oracle who has the power to choose the Aspiration that will ultimately rule over Reverie and restore the delicate balance between the deities’ world and ours. The fate of humanity is at stake. To which destiny do you aspire? Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is available to play today.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Create, destroy, and rewind in Viewfinder, out July 18 – play the demo today

Hello wanderers, I’m Gwen, co-founder and director at SOS. We are very happy to welcome you to Viewfinder, our first game as a studio. In it you, the player, can reshape reality with photographs, found objects, and a camera. That may sound confusing, but I’ve always found that the best way to explain the gameplay of Viewfinder is to experience it. For this reason, we are proud to reveal that you can do so today, in the new Viewfinder demo at PlayStation Store for PlayStation 5!

When we were first developing the placing photos mechanic, we focused on what felt good and fun. Having a camera, taking photos, and placing things randomly in space to alter reality is very exciting and amusing. But we were very mindful that placing found objects in new spaces also meant destroying what was previously there. Things can get complicated and confusing, especially if you accidentally delete something, like a teleporter, as these mark the end point of each puzzle and take you to the next challenge or even to the end of the level. We wouldn’t want that. This would mean dead ends and as much as the core mechanic is interesting, it limits the things we wanted to do and would be an unpleasant experience for anybody.

Sometimes playing games can feel like work and resetting a whole level’s progress can be discouraging, especially when the solution is at the tip of your tongue. How could we give players the freedom to explore the world we’ve built without fear of consequences? So we thought of what else we can pair with this camera mechanic so that it doesn’t punish, but actually encourages trial and error for people figuring out ways to move forward.

The answer is Rewind.

We wanted to encourage experimentation and remove the fear of failure. Now when you stumble upon something that would have otherwise been game breaking, you can just turn back time and try again! It is very important that people play the game at their own pace and discover things in their own way. It doesn’t matter how you play the game, as long as you have fun along the way. After that, the game felt way fuller and concrete.

In the words of the Cheshire Cat, “Imagination is the only weapon in the war with reality.” Viewfinder gameplay became this unique experience that can only exist in the video game medium. Because it is so absurd, weird and far removed from reality, we wanted to ground it with things from the real world. The space you’re exploring should feel lived in and real. Instead of trying to make something wholly original, we did our best to figure out how we can bring who we are, and what makes us happy into the game. Like sitting, we really like sitting down.

Adding in elements that are so closely tied to who we are as people can be complicated and scary. It takes a lot of hard work and vulnerability to translate feelings into a video game and hope people resonate with them. But it turns out that this was the best part of making this game.

We’ve put in a robot vacuum cleaner and some of the places and paintings we love. There’s a bonsai mango. There’s a watermelon with a headset. Guitars. Electric guitars. Plants. Tea cups. The evil eye. Bread. A photocopier. What happens when you put the impossible triangle in 3D space? Does it go on forever? What will “The Scream” painting sound like? What’s inside a child-like house drawing? Do blocks fall when you place a picture of them in the sky? Is it a stair or is it just lines on the wall?

This is why we have a cat in-game. CAIT will be your companion as you learn more about the world we’ve built. And if you ever feel frustrated at a level, we encourage you to pet the cat. Now cats growl when they’re pleased, some people might call it purring, and some might call it growling. But yes, pet the cat.

So you get to rewind time and pet a cat.

Creating is freedom, but at what cost? You can learn more about this when you play Viewfinder. The demo will be permanently available on PlayStation 5. And we are very excited to release the full game on July 18. We hope you love the game just as much as we do.

The Day Before Devs Insist Steam Page Will Return Soon, Reveal New Gameplay Details

The Day Before developer Fntastic has insisted the game’s Steam page, which was removed in January over a trademark dispute, will be back online soon.

Speaking to Well Played, Fntastic claimed it was “the first to start using this name related to the video game” and said it’s “optimistic about regaining our name through legal proceedings as swiftly as possible”.

Though it didn’t give a timeline for this, despite The Day Before set to launch in just five months on November 10, Fntastic said the “Steam page will be reinstated soon”.

The Day Before was removed from Steam after the developers of a 2010 countdown app of the same name found out about the video game. Fntastic postponed The Day Before’s release date as a result of the dispute but later admitted to IGN it had planned a delay regardless.

New gameplay details were also shared during the interview, with Fntastic revealing players will be able to take on in-game jobs in The Day Before.

“These in-game jobs range across various professions — from manual labour as a loader to showcasing artistic talent as a musician,” it said. “These jobs will add another layer of realism and immersion to the game.”

A 30-second gameplay video released alongside the interview showed a player driving a Lamborghini-style car through the abandoned city.

The Day Before has had a long and complex development process with two delays so far, but Fntastic has promised November 10 will absolutely be its final release date. A beta is set to take place between now and launch.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Witcher Community Rallies Around Geralt Actor Doug Cockle In Wake of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Doug Cockle, the actor who portrayed Geralt of Rivera in The Witcher series of video games, has revealed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer in a move to raise awareness of the life-threatening disease.

The news prompted an outpouring of support from industry professionals and fans alike.

“I had no idea,” wrote Cockle in response to a tweet from charity Prostate Cancer UK. “Random check and Boom… I have full blown prostate cancer. Treatment ongoing but looking good so far. Men over 50… get a PSA test… just in case.”

Industry peers and friends were quick to wish the actor a speedy recovery, and express gratitude to him for sharing his diagnosis. ”Sending our best wishes! We know you can beat this, witcher,” commented the official Witcher game twitter account.

“Much love and best wishes from all at BAFTA,” said Luke Hebblethwaite, who heads the British awards ceremony. “You got this, Doug! Sending all the love, and we’re all in your corner <3,” wrote Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer.

Staff at CD Projekt were amongst those sending messages of support. “Sending you my best wishes!” commented narrative director Philip Weber, while global community director Marcin Momot joined others in wishing the veteran actor a speedy recovery.

“Thank you for sharing your story and raising awareness. Sending you all the love and strength through this,” wrote Twitter user @ClaraSinclair. “Wishing you a speedy and pleasant recovery Doug!” replied @TheAresPhoenix. “Thank you for sharing and thank you for being a heroic voice to some of us young Witchers.” Countless members of the Reddit Witcher community also turned out to support Cockle.

“He’s the nicest guy, i bought an autograph from him when he did it from home during covid, he went out and bought a red sharpie because i was the only one who asked for it to be in red,” wrote Reddit user TricksinMyHand in response to a post announcing the diagnosis. “Sending him all the positive energy and vibes! Our Geralt of Rivia.”

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer affecting men worldwide, and is responsible for the loss of tens of thousands of people each year in the US alone. The risk of developing the disease increases with a number of hereditary and environmental factors, including family history, diet, and age, with most cases occurring in men over the age of 45.

While the disease is linked with common symptoms including difficulties urinating, it can often be many years before a person shows symptoms. Thankfully, a range of treatment options are available, and the chances of survival are at their highest when when the disease is caught early. IGN strongly encourages anyone over the age of 45 to read up on the disease, and to have a conversation with their doctor with a view to getting tested.

For more information on prostate cancer symptoms and screening, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. UK readers can find out more by talking to their GP, visiting the National Health Service website, or by visiting Prostate Cancer UK, which also offers information on the risks to trans women and non-binary people.

Image credit: Jeff Spicer / Stringer

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

I’m not good Metroidvanias but you might like Islets because it’s a very cute one

This weekend I spent some time trying out a bunch of games that I meant to try earlier, but didn’t have the time to. I played through all of Superliminal, for example, and really enjoyed it until the very end when I got an inspirational lecture from an invisible scientist living in my ear – and I did not care for it. One game I played for literally half an hour and thought it was great, but I was not good enough to beat the first boss I came across. But I thought to myself, other people are better at Metroidvanias, and at least one of them might appreciate being nudged in the direction of a year old one I think is cute. Thus: Islets.

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Mask Of The Rose review: a lavish gothic dating sim that’s a little light on romance

I had one question for Mask Of The Rose: Can I smooch the Cthulhu monster? I mean, I assume you can, they’re one of ten characters you’re able to romantically pursue in the delicious depths of this Eldritch dating sim. But in actuality, I simply don’t know, because after ten-plus hours and multiple playthroughs, that all-important question remains unanswered. It’s not something unique to my dashing, tentacled suitor, either. Many of my romantic pursuits in the Neath totally fizzled out. It’s giving Berocca when I wanted Coke and Mentos.

Mask Of The Rose is Failbetter’s visual novel dating sim set in the Fallen London universe, an already established alt-history Victorian London that the studio has been building over a decade as a quite excellent browser game. In this alternative history, London has been dragged through the Earth’s crust by bats and now resides in a vast underground cavern called the Neath. With the economy literally in the pits and Queen Vicky refusing to leave her cushy palace, London has become somewhat unruly, turning into a lasciviously gothic underworld home to a whole parade of monsters, devils, living statues, cloaked beings with red eyes… basically the entire cast of the Goosebumps books.

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Random: Sakurai Explains The Basics Of Pixel Art In His Latest Video

Sprite skills.

Legendary games developer Masahiro Sakurai has been making more videos than we can keep track of over on his YouTube channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games. While we haven’t been able to cover each and every one of them on Nintendo Life, his latest upload caught our artistic eye.

In this recent video, ‘The Basics of Pixel Art’, Sakurai explains the, uhh, basics of pixel art — it’s an accurate title, we’ll give him that. At just under three minutes in length, this really is a whistle-stop tour of the art form, but it gives an interesting look into how something as simple as a circle can take on a multitude of different forms.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Magic the Gathering’s One-of-a-Kind Lord of the Rings Card Is Already Worth $1 Million

Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming Lord of the Rings expansion includes a one-of-a-kind One Ring card that collectors are already willing to pay $1 million for.

Trading card buying and collecting company Dave and Adam’s Card World has issued an unprecedented $1 million bounty for the special One Ring card, doubling the $500,000 offered by fellow collector and investor Cassius Marsh Sr.

Announcing their $1 million bounty on Twitter (below), if this amount is actually paid for the One Ring it will easily become the most expensive and sought after Magic: The Gathering card of all time. The record is currently held by a Beta set Black Lotus which sold for $540,000 in March.

There are caveats, however, that don’t guarantee the One Ring will become the most expensive card of all time. This may seem obvious, but the transaction has to actually happen first. Someone has to pull this card from the upcoming Lord of the Rings set and have enough knowledge of the game to reach out to Dave and Adam’s Card World to claim their prize.

Though turning down $1 million is probably a hard thing to do, the person who pulls the One Ring may also see the value themselves. If collectors are willing to may $1 million now, what will they pay in five, ten, or twenty years time?

This being a random card available in booster packs also means that it may never get opened at all. It could sit sealed in a warehouse somewhere if the set doesn’t prove popular for one local seller.

And finally, though card game (and money) fans will cringe at the thought, it could also be opened by a random child who likes The Lord of the Rings but has no concept of what Magic: The Gathering is. The One Ring could be opened with Cheeto-laden fingers, put unprotected into a backpack, and thrown around the playground. It might get sticky or ripped or boring and thrown away, lost forever.

Needless to say, a lot has to go right before someone pays $1 million for the One Ring card, though it will spur some excitement in the Magic: The Gathering community as players wait for it to be opened.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set was announced by Wizards of the Coast in August 2021 and will finally be released on June 23. IGN revealed the first handful of cards from the set in March alongside the announcement of the special One Ring card.

Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Yakuza Spin-Off Like a Dragon Gaiden Seemingly Arrives This November

Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name arrives November 9 this year according to a PlayStation Store leak.

As reported by Gematsu, new details for Like a Dragon Gaiden appeared on PlayStation Store price tracking website PSDeals, suggesting the game now exists in the store’s backend even if it’s not available to view publicly.

A synopsis of the game arrived alongside the release date leak. “Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family,” it said. “Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding.”

The description also highlights two distinct fighting styles available to players: the aggressive Yakuza style and the gadget-infused Agent style.

“With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair,” the post said. “Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying.”

Little has been said about Like a Dragon Gaiden, which will connect Yakuza 6 with the upcoming Like a Dragon 8, since it was announced in September 2022. The release date, alongside these other details, will likely be announced officially at the RGG Summit: Summer 2023 showcase taking place on June 15.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.