AMIGO Reviews

September, 2020 | Toy Insider

Bear Down awarded TOP HOLIDAY TOY in Toy Insider’s Holiday Gift Guide 2020.


June, 2020 | Toy Insider

AMIGO Games featured in the Toy Book.

ToyInsider_page68


May 1, 2020 |  USA Today

Take 5 Card game recognized as a great family game.

Puzzles, outdoor toy sales soar: Games people are buying up during coronavirus quarantine


March 23, 2020 | SAHM Reviews

Cafe International Game Overview

Earlier this year, I shared an article on teaching teens to tip. It’s such an important life lesson, and also an opportunity to talk about how jobs aren’t as easy as they may seem. Now that the girls are old enough to have jobs along with many friends who work, they hear the hardships that come with dealing with customers in a variety of settings. I think it’s really opened their eyes to being compassionate consumers. I was reminded of this idea when playing Cafe International from AMIGO.

In this game, you’re attempting to seat international diners at tables throughout the restaurant. But people will want to dine with those whom they can communicate so you can’t just sit patrons anywhere. The first thing you need to do is get the dining area prepared. Begin by placing the board in the center of the game table. The guest tokens are stored in the token pouch so all you need to do is make sure they’re mixed well. Draw five pieces from the bag and place them face-up on the table in front of you then have every other player do the same. Scoring tokens go alongside the board to form a general supply. You’re ready to start working as a host at Cafe International!  –click to read more–

February 16, 2020 | Westman Reviews

These games would be a great alternative to candy this Easter!

I received these products from AMIGO Games for review.  Children look forward to waking up on Easter morning to find that the Easter Bunny has left them a basket full of candy while they slept.  But in our house, the Easter Bunny also leaves additional surprises that are not candy.  These games are exactly the types of surprises he likes to leave for us.  They will provide your family with hours of fun, night after night.  They are available at most major retailers and on Amazon.  You can use the STORE FINDER on the AMIGO Games website to find a store near you that carries them.

January 6, 2020 |  Game Trade Media 

January 15, 2020 | theproverbs31mama.blogspot.com

More Great Games from AMIGO Games!

A few months ago, the wonderful folks at AMIGO Games sent me several games to review.  (You can find that review here: Great Board and Card Games from AMIGO Games Inc.) My family and I really enjoyed those games! And I felt that they were made of quality components as well! So I was THRILLED when AMIGO Games sent another box of games!

Playing Games | Clack | AMIGO Games | Pretend Play


BENSPARK’S HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE – CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS & X-CODE

Carnival of MonstersAMIGO Games sent us two of their games for free to include in our Holiday Gift Guide. Opinions of the games are my own. The two games are Carnival of Monsters which was created by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic the Gathering. This is a longer form game for ages 12+ that concentrates on card drafting and deck building. It takes skill and strategy to win the game. The other game, X-Code, is a more cooperative game where you play as a team, and you level up through 10 missions giving it a sort of video game-esque element.

A few weeks back we had a day off of school. We had nothing special going on so we went and decided to make it a game day. We played both X-Code and Carnival of Monsters. Both were fun. X-Code was fairly easy (We only did the first levels) and fairly quick (About 1/2 total). It was fast paced and fun to play. Everyone had to help everyone else out as we played and there was a lot of interaction. We enjoy games of that nature.

We played Carnival of Monsters for about three hours total and that included going through the rulebook. The rulebook was quite long and complex but we made our way through and played all four rounds of the game. By the second round we were all old pros at it, too. The game is for ages 12+ but both of the kids had no problem playing and they are 7 & 12. You can hear more about the game in the video below.

If you are interested in picking up either game for the holidays for your family then please consider using our Amazon.com affiliate link, it costs you nothing extra but helps out out big time.


7 Educational Games From AMIGO Games

Are you looking for new games to add to your classroom or homeschool? Then, you’ll want to try these 7 Educational Games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius.  From word work to addition, these games are a fun way for your kids to learn different concepts. Through game play, your children will also work on important skills such as critical thinking, visual discrimination, problem solving, and much more. Included are a variety of different types too from logic to strategy games so you’ll be sure to find something for everyone to love!

* Disclosure: I received these games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius at no cost. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share resources that I would use with my own children and those that I believe other families will enjoy.

CLACK!

Overview:

To play, spread the discs on the playing surface and then roll 2 dice. One of the dice has a color and other one has a shape. Next, race to spot and stack the discs with that colored shape.

Pros:

  • Helps improve visual discrimination
  • Quick, easy game
  • Multi-player or single player game

This magnetic disc stacking game is easy for young children to set-up and play independently. It would be a fun center activity in a classroom or choice tub in your homeschool.

Code Stack!

Overview:

For this game, players will think of a word and stack the colored discs to spell the word using the code. They will then race to guess each other’s words.

Pros:

  • Develops critical thinking
  • Improves spelling
  • Helps with problem solving

Code Stack is one of my favorite games, because it helps children work on so many different skills at one time. It’s great for beginning readers but can be played with children of ranging in age. This would be fun way for kids to work on sight words too.

Connect The Thoughts

Overview:

To play, flip over cards and match the pictures on the cards. When you match 5 pictures in a row, ring the bell to win the round.

Pros:

  • Helps improve visual discrimination
  • Develops critical thinking
  • Easy to differentiate

One great thing about this game is that you can match the pictures or make connections between the pictures. It’s fun to see the creative connections that children can make.

Eye Sea (I See)

Overview:

To begin playing this word game, flip over 9 cards. Then, make a connection between 2 of the cards to create a word or phrase.

Pros:

  • Promotes creativity
  • Builds vocabulary: compound words, parts of speech, figure language, and more
  • Easy to differentiate

This game is such a fun way to work on vocabulary. It would be a great addition to a word work center in a classroom or homeschool.

Fruit Punch Game

Overview:

To play, flip over cards until a player spots five of the same fruit. Everyone then races to squeak the banana and collect the cards.

Pros:

  • Practice adding
  • Easy to differentiate
  • Easy, quick game

This is such a fun game for kids to play. The chance to hit a squeaky banana is a blast! My kids like to do a “banana dance” after winning each round too.

Double Down

Overview:

To play this strategy game, lay a card from your hand onto the pile, add the numbers together, and say the new total. If the total is over 99 or a double number, you lose a chip. The last player with a chip wins the game.

Pros:

  • Practice adding to 100
  • Improves memory
  • Involves strategy play

This is a fun math game for all ages. For young children, it’s helpful to have a piece of paper and pencil for them to add the numbers together and keep track of the total.

If you are gameschoolers or play a lot of games as a family then you probably wear out games like we do. These are durable, high-quailty games that will last a long time. The cards are have a linen-finish, the discs are light-weight with strong magnets, and the logic game is made from wood. Your kids are sure to love these 7 Educational Games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius as much as mine do!

Related Post: Gameschooling: Homeschooling With Game-Based Learning

These 7 Educational Games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius are a fun way to work on = critical thinking, visual discrimination, problem solving and more!


Eye Sea

I picked up a copy of Eye Sea / I See by AMIGO Games because it literally caught my eye. I was walking through the mall, ironically on Tabletop Day (June 1st), when I did a double take at a window display that was looking back at me. The ocean blue colours and bold graphics were enough to get me inside the store. And once inside, it didn’t take long for me to find a copy of the game. It was the back of the box, with its simple description of the game and brightly coloured sample cards that convinced me to buy. And based on the enthusiasm of my play testers, it might be one of my best purchases of the year.

Another bit of trivia about me is that I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. It’s not something I have the opportunity to use very often, but in this case I can scientifically explain why everyone wants to play this game. Whether on purpose or by accident, the way the game is designed appeals to two things that the human brain does automatically: recognise patterns and interpret symbols. This means that if you look at the cards for more than a few seconds, your brain is probably already playing the game, even if you aren’t. It’s a good thing Eye Sea / I See is set up for up to ten people to play at once.

So what is this game that is so simple that even your subconscious mind can play it? The goal is to combine the symbolic drawings on the cards to form, well, anything: a movie title, a song lyric, or just a common phrase.  For example, can you look at a cloud and a chemistry set and see “acid rain”? How about balloons and a clock for “party time”? The images are so open to interpretation that the possibilities are endless. The more creativity you have, the better you play, and the more fun you will have. The game rewards those kinds of people who think just a little bit differently.

The best thing about this game is that there are no turns, once the grid of 9 cards is revealed, whoever sees a pairing first picks up the cards and gets a point. The game is also very democratic. There is no one judge to decide if an answer is “right”. Instead, if even one person in the group “doesn’t get it”, then the player doesn’t get a point and cards go back to the grid. Finally, there is no set number of points that wins the game; you just keep playing until the full 120 card deck runs out.

When I introduce a new game to my gaming group, there’s always at least one person who asks to just watch. But not this time; for this game, everyone wanted to play. In fact, the winner of the first game was the one person who is usually the least likely to participate. It’s that good. There is only one complaint that I can think of for the whole game. Because there are no turns, and everyone is shouting out what they see, someone has to replace the cards. And whoever is putting out the new cards (me!) loses the opportunity to guess.

You can find AMIGO Games online at www.AMIGO.games or on Facebook at facebook.com/amigoGamesUS.

CLACK! Kids Magnetic Stacking Game


CLACK! Kids Magnetic Stacking Game

On the coldest days of winter, it is easy for boys to grow restless with the extra indoor time. This year gift them an assortment of games from AMIGO Games to give an invitation for family game night and a break from cabin fever.  Ring a Ding Ding, No Thanks and Clack are great for multi-player games and are sure to have everyone ready to play another game. Buy them online from Amazon or from retailers like Michael’s.

https://www.sweetsillysara.com/


Great Board and Card Games from AMIGO Games Inc.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!!!  Have I said that before?  Yes.  I believe I said that on my last review!  Haha!  Can you tell that I’m excited?  I love this time of year!  I love giving gifts!  But as my kids get older, I’m constantly battling the accumulation of worthless junk.  And it happens fast, people! I mean, LIGHTENING FAST!  So this year I’ve tried to focus more on gifts that make my kids think – books, crafts, and GAMES!!!  With that in mind, I’ll be doing some game-related blog reviews this month!  And I’m super excited about this one!  The amazing folks at AMIGO Games were kind enough to send us several games to review!  And I have to say, I was really impressed!
—-Read More below—

https://theproverbs31mama.blogspot.com/2019/11/great-board-and-card-games-from-AMIGO.html


Tim Norris, of GreyElephant Gaming plays through Richard Garfield’s Carnival of Monsters


Christina, of BluePegPinkPeg reviews CLACK! (@43:30):

https://bluepegpinkpeg.com/show-notes-episode-131-detective/


AMIGO Press Release – February 2018

NYTF News Release 021318


Board Game Geek

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/73792/amigo-heads-us-gamewright-yells-zoinx-trash-pandas


Gamers Alliance

2018 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR