Making Monsters Without the Mess
It is so wonderful to be able to write about something we truly enjoy as a family. A little over a year ago I decided to unplug our daughters from their iPad, Nintendo 3DS and phones, and get them to sit down and play a box game with us like my parents used to do. I remember Boggle being our family’s game of choice, and while still available, it just doesn’t cut the mustard any longer. Fortunately there are companies like R&R Games that publish great topical games for all ages that the family can play together. Take our latest find, Igor, for example.
Themed after the hit animated movie of the same name, Igor is a card-and-dice game that challenges you to create your own monsters with a little bit of strategy and a lot of luck. You play as Igor, the lovable monster-builder who is trying to bring a new creation to life.
There are 18 monster cards in the box with each of them needing a unique set of parts to build. The harder the monster is to complete, the more parts are needed – and the value of the monster is higher. Three cards are put in the center to work on by everyone.
Rolling the five dice yields various symbols that match up to the parts on the cards. Much like Yahtzee you can roll again, but each time you must play at least one die or forfeit your turn. This is the catch – roll too many and fill up a card and you might leave it in perfect position for your opponent to finish it off and receive the monster. Voluntarily end your turn at the right time and you can collect any completed monsters and leave nothing for anyone else to work on.
Included tokens are used to mark the completed area of the monster and are returned to the pot when a card is filled. Fill a card but can’t play a die? That monster is forever lost and replaced with a new card – so don’t get too greedy by continuing to roll and forever stranding your creation in the junk pile.
You do have the potential to keep rolling if you manage to save at least two Igor dice and successfully play the other three dice onto monsters. This allows you to start again, rolling all five dice! This is another area where a bit of strategy lies – do you go for the part or do you roll for Igor to try to keep your turn?
Each time a card is filled and taken, it is replaced with a new monster card. The game continues until all monsters are created, then the sum total of each hand is determined, with the highest being the winner!
Igor was a hit in both our household and at our weekly board game gathering, especially with those that had seen the movie. Designed for 1-4 players (Yes! Another game with a solitaire option!) and runs about 20 minutes, it is an ideal game for when you need something suitable for all ages without worrying about one age group getting bored. You can find copies online for around $10 and directly from R&R Games in their online store.
You’ll be impressed by the game lineup offered by R&R Games, so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to see what they’re working on next! See something you want previewed on SahmReviews? Tell them!
Sounds like fun especially now around Halloween time!
OMG! My girls would LOVE this. Its Halloween 365 days a year in my house and this game would be a perfect addition. Plus, a board game (even though it doesn’t have an actual board) would be a welcome addition to them always playing on their electronic devices. Another great addition for Christmas. Thanks!
This one is a ton of fun Cia. There is some real strategy involved (when to roll, when to pass) and event the adults at our local board game group have asked for us to bring it back again!
What a fun game! Looks super cute!
I’m glad I’m not alone in appreciating the solitary player option. We love to play games together as a family, also. Igor sounds like a fun way to spend an evening together.
Looks like a fun game! Having single player option is a great idea when so many games require more players.
My 7 year old would love this! I’ll have to this to him.
Oh that looks like a fun game! My daughter has just started to play board games.
I remember watching the movie Igor, it’s loveable.
This sounds like a fun game for the kids. I think my daughter Hannah would enjoy playing this.
This looks like fun. I bet that my little boy would have fun playing this.
I’ll be honest, many people love these strategy games, but I get soooo confused! My 6 year old can beat me at Chess!
i wish I had this right now, it would be perfect for Halloween night! Such an adorable game!
cute – but for me – not a game i would get for my kid if i had one
This would go great with my Geistes Blitz game as a Halloween game. I need more Halloween games. I’ll have to see if this is available near me.
Any game that lets people play solo or as a group is nice for versatility. Looks awesome.
Okay you caught me with the solitaire version! Of course I am not that great at games but would like to give this one a try.
That looks like a lot of fun, which we would all love here with us and 4 kids! Send them off to figure it out for 5 min quiet! 😀
This looks like a cute game for kids to play. I love that you can tie it in with the movie.
This is such a cute game. I love the graphics and I’m sure that my boys would love to spend hours playing it.
How cute is this game, my son would absolutely love it! So much fun.
What a great review! I love that you went through the steps to show the strategies involved. We love playing games at the house and I’ll have to try and find this one. I think the grand sons especially would get a giggle out of making their own monsters.
That looks like a fun game – great for the middle-aged kids. 🙂
This looks like a really cute game! So awesome that it still works for one player, too – that’s kinda rare for most card games.
My kids would love this game, they are so big on there board games right now and prefer them over the electronic ones, which I so love that!