Family Games: Two from Gigamic

Gigamic is a game company that was founded in 1991 by three brothers from France. That means they are currently celebrating their 25th anniversary as a company. That is an impressive feat no matter what industry you are in. To celebrate their anniversary, they are trying to re-introduce their brand to the United States. So what makes a game a Gigamic?

Short Explanation of Rules
Fast Playing Time
Quality Components

My wife jumped for joy when she heard that those were their three tenets, as those align with her beliefs on what a game should be as well. Plus, that triumvirate ultimately means the games will be family-friendly. This week I would like to introduce you to two games from their impressive catalog.

[Tweet "Fun, family-friendly #games from @GigamicWorld, reviewed by @StuartsStudy."]

colorpop1

Colorpop is a game for 1 to 5 players, ages 8+, but it can be played as young as 6. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes to play and retails for approximately $35.

Review

If you play any games on the computer, I'm sure you've seen a version of this game online. The most famous one I can think of is Poppit! from Pogo. What makes Colorpop different is the game is now multi-player, and instead of trying to eliminate all the colors, you are only trying to eliminate your color, which is kept secret from others. A few things to remember is that when it is your turn to pop, you don't have to pop your color. In fact, you'll have to pop other colors to 1. throw your opponent off the scent and 2. to try and connect your single pieces together.

My wife really likes this game, which is a huge selling point for me. The pieces themselves are of a high quality and almost resemble Spree candy. The way the board looks before the first piece is popped is very colorful! The only negative of this game is the setup time. It takes a while for one person to pop all 100 pieces back in the game board, but if you have a couple of people doing it, it's not so bad. Overall, I found this game to be a quick, fun game for the whole family.

marrakech1

In Marrakech, you and your opponents are rug salesmen trying to have the most rugs visible in the marketplace and the most coins in their pocket. The game is for 2-4 players, ages 8+. It takes 20 minutes to play and retails for about $35.

Review

At its core, Marrakech is a simple area control game. You want to be the one with the most visible rugs, so that your opponents land on them and have to pay you for them. However, there is a bit of luck involved with this game as well. Yes, you get to dictate which way to orient Assam before you move, but it's all luck of the roll how far he will move. There are two main things I like about this game. The first one is the simplicity of the game. The setup is quick and the way each turn plays out is three little things. The box says it is for ages 8+, but I can see younger kids being able to understand the basics of this game. With that said, there is still a bit of strategy to this game, so it's not all just dumb luck on who wins.

The other thing I love about this game are the components. Assam, the die, and the coins are all nice, chunky wooden pieces, which feel good in your hands and like they will be long-lasting. And the rugs are actual fabric bits! It would have been so easy (and probably cheaper too) to just have paper squares represent the rugs, but having actual fabric makes the game feel more thematic and it engages not just your sense of sight, but sense of touch as well. I can't wait for my son to get a little bit older, so I can play this game with him. Until then, my wife and I will keep enjoying this game and teaching the area control mechanic to our friends who are new to the gaming world.

These game were provided to me by Gigamic in exchange for honest reviews.

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See all the Favorite Games for Family Game Nights reviews here.