Poison

Subject: Math
Category: Arithmetic
Ages: 8 and up
# of players: 3 to 6
Time to play: 30 minutes
Mechanics/Game Type: Card management

Ratings (1 to 5)

Educational Value: 3
Gaming value: 4
Aesthetic value: 4 (though some may find graphics objectionable)
Price value: 5
Ease of play: 5
Younger adaptability: 5 (so long as kids can hold a lot of cards)

My comments: This game is easy and fast to play. It comes with 50 cards and 3 thick cardboard cauldrons. The colorful cards have flasks filled with red, blue, or purple liquid and a number from 0 to 7, as well as lime green poison bottles. You place cards into cauldrons (only one color is allowed in each cauldron except poison, which can go in any.) If you place a card in the cauldron that puts the sum over 13, then you take all the cards in that cauldron. At the end, whoever has the most of any color card does not have to count that color towards his/her total; otherwise, cards are 1 point and poison cards are 2 points (poison cards are never eliminated from the count!) Whoever has the most points loses.

This is a good game to practice simple addition. Younger kids can certainly play, though holding a lot of cards may be difficult, and they may not fully grasp the strategy (that never stops us from playing.) The box states 10 and up, but I list it as 8 and up and it can be played by younger kids, too.

The box depicts an evil alchemist mixing potions in a cauldron (see boardgamegeek link for pictures.) Check the images to see if you find it appropriate for your home.

BoardGameGeek.com link to this game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17025