Operation
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list price: $14.99 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Surely countless medical careers have been launched because of this humorous game. The Operation game board features Sam the patient, lying atop a red plastic "operating table" with 12 body cavities exposed. Players perform highly skilled procedures with a pair of tweezers such as removing a broken heart or butterflies in the stomach. This kind of surgery requires a steady hand! Doctors must remove the offending body part without touching the metal lining of the cavity. Touch the metal edge, and you'll set off the buzzer and make Sam's nose light up. Then the designated Specialist steps in--for double the fee! If you're playing solo, try performing all 12 operations without getting zapped. Two AA batteries are required. Operation is for one or more players. --Elizabeth Ward ... Read more

Reviews (70)

JUNK
I played this game as a kid and loved it. But now this thing is made so cheap, the top paper isn't even glued down and we've had some parts get stuck under it, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to pick up these pieces, even if you are steady and all that, you can't get the pieces out because they are real slippery and so are the tweezers. There is nothing to grip the pieces, they are both totally smooth. This game sucks!!!!

Operation - made by Milton Bradley
Another game that I find it amazing that is made available in this hi-tech age we live in.As a kid,I thought this game was okay.Purpose is to remove these tiny plastic parts from the operating board.Comes with twelve parts that's to be 'professionally' removed with a pair of tweezers.Don't lose the parts and this game should last awhile.Anyone else remember the TV ad for this game way back when as the girl in pigtails reads off the instuctions on the card,"Take out wrenched ankle..."?That commercial may've done more damage than Milton Bradley knows.Requires two size AA batteries.

Not like it used to be
I remember playing this game when I was a kid. I perchased it for my daughter thinking that she would have fun. Didn't happen!
She hated the noise it made.(A truely disterbing and loud sound) So we Cut the wire to the sound but it didn't help. She tried to play but the pieces were lost within a week and the game hit the trash. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DMFM
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Electronic   

Scrabble - Deluxe Turntable Edition
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list price: $31.99 -- our price: $30.99
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Editorial Review

It's still hard to get a triple word score, the tiles are still made of wood, there's only one "X" in the whole box, and family feuds are increasing exponentially. But after 50 years, Scrabble has had a face-lift: a swivel base allows the board to turn so players don't have to work upside down, a plastic grid helps keep tiles in line, and a handy bag stores the letters when they're not in use. The premise hasn't changed at all--two to four players battle it out to make high-scoring words from seven little letters--so choose a dictionary before play begins to avoid ugly confrontations. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Deluxe not like the old Deluxe
I purchased the new deluxe Scrabble game for my sister in January and was terribly disappointed in how it was made.We both love to challenge each other in Scrabble matches when we are together and her game really needed to be replaced.I was embarrassed at how cheaply the new game is.For the wonderful game that it is, I do believe they could have made a much better version of the turntable model for the price I had to pay for it.Hope they will improve it soon.

Fantastic fun for those who love words and word play...
This along with the official scrabble dictionary is the perfect gift for those who love scrabble. It has a TURNTABLE, that is all I need to say.The turntable makes this so much more enjoyable as it is so easy to manuever it to view it straight on in front of you. I wish the game were a bit more substantial but it is a vast improvement over a traditional set because of the turntable as you just store everything in the base.

Before you buy this...
Check eBay for a complete older version.This one is poorly made,I remember the old deluxe was deluxe.For the new one the best price is here, that I found.And you can't live without this game ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWH9
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Classic Games    5. Word Games    6. Learning   

Throw N Go Jenga
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Editorial Review

Block-building with an attitude, this great game challenges any number of players to keep a stack of yellow, red, and blue narrow blocks from tumbling down--while removing pieces from its middle or bottom and then re-stacking on top. Sounds simple enough--just roll a die and follow directions: the objective is to keep the tower of blocks standing, even as parts are shifting. The tense construction-deconstruction cycle makes for a lot of laughs and anticipation. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Very fun game!"
This is a very fun game!Just like the original jenga but even more fun.This is fun because you don't know what you will move next until you roll the dice.Will you move blue or yellow or red?!It is a very fun rainy day game or when you are at a party because tons of people can play and all ages love it.If you like the regular way of playing better than don't use the dice!This game is pretty educational because you have to think where you're going to move the next piece and what will the reaction be.The only problem with this game is that it can get dusty or break or the pieces could get lost.Other than that this game is very fun.It's a great gift for the holidays or someone's birthday.

You'll Never Get Bored!
This game is a ton of fun!I just got it yesterday, and I can truthfully say that I've played it about 30 times already.The only problem with this game is the blocks-they start to chip after a while.

Original Jenga is much better
I was very excited to play Throw N' Go Jenga. But, now that I have it I wish that I would have bought the orignal Jenga. It would be lots of fun but since the blocks are painted they stick together and some of the piecesare warped.My advice is to stick with the orignal.This one is a blast.I have spent hours with my friends playing this one. Good Luck! ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWI7
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Party Games    3. Grownup   

Monopoly
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list price: $11.99 -- our price: $11.99
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Editorial Review

In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, an unemployed heating engineer from Pennsylvania created the game of Monopoly. Realizing that his get-rich theme might appeal to other Americans, he had the game printed and distributed in a Philadelphia department store. When he couldn't keep up with the overwhelming requests for more sets, he arranged for Parker Brothers to take over the game. And the rest, as they say, is history. But Monopoly is far from a quaint historical relic. To this day, it remains a riveting game of luck, chance, and savvy wheeling and dealing--all of which can make some lucky dog rich, rich, rich! Based on the purchase of Atlantic City real estate (a city currently renowned for its get-rich gambling opportunities), Monopoly is now printed in 26 languages with more than 200 million sets sold worldwide. Players still scoot the same beloved board pieces: the old shoe, the terrier, and the hot rod. This set also includes rules for a shortened version of the game and a new token, winner of Monopoly's recent "design a token" contest. This is capitalism at its most fun and ruthless, a must-have edition in the family game closet. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (102)

Monopoly
Many of you may have played Monopoly, but for those who have not you are missingout on a great board game.I have played it many times.When ever my family says lets play a borad game I say "MONOPOLY".Here are a few things good and bad about Monopoly.
Some great things about Monopoly is that you can do math so when your having fun you can also be learning.It is a fun family game, but the down side is that it is time consuming.When I play Monopoly I can never finish it.It may get frustrating, but it can teach patience.Monoploy may have hard math skills for younger players.On a rainy day Monopoly would be the best game to pull out and play.
So remember Monoploy is not the perfect game but I do recommend it.

A Classic!
No house can be without Monopoly. It's a simple game, no ridiculously elaborate rules and is so much fun to play.I've found that Monopoly is more fun to play with 3 or more players as opposed to only 2 since half of the fun is in the negotiations!

A classic - but how good is it?
NOTE: I've often wondered how Monopoly would be viewed if it were released in 2005. Would it garner the same popularity/negativity that it does today? Therefore I'm writing this review, trying to depict how I would play Monopoly if I had played it for the first time, current year.

Negotiation games certainly depend on the group. I've played negotiation games with hard-headed, fun-loving groups and have had a blast the entire time. However, I've also played negotiation games with folks who were having problems outside the game, didn't want to trade with a particular person, didn't want to trade at all, etc. With these people, any kind of trading and bartering can fall flat, destroying the fun in a game. Monopoly (Parker Brothers - designer debated) seems to add a twist on negotiation games - adding luck and "rent" to the equation.

At first, the board appears to be that of the "roll-and-move" variety, where one simply follows the roll of the dice. And this is indeed true, but the crux of the game is in the fact that players attempt to minimize their chances of landing on a poor space, and maximize their opponents. Dice are not the only randomness in the game, as some cards are also drawn during game play, contributing to the luck. But players cannot make any real headway in the game unless they dicker with the other players - so the luck only holds so far. I enjoy a good game of Monopoly, but only every once in a while. Even though negotiation is a mechanic I enjoy, the randomness that comes along with it doesn't elevate Monopoly over other, better trading games.

A board consisting of forty spaces in a square track is placed on the table, with two stacks of cards - "Chance", and "Community Chest" - shuffled and placed down on it. Each player chooses a playing piece and places it on the space marked "Go", and receives $1500 from the bank. The remainder of the money is placed in the "bank", as well as a pile of green house pieces and red hotel pieces. Twenty-eight property cards, each associating with a specific space on the board, are also placed in the bank area. One player is chosen to go first, with play proceeding clockwise around the table.

On a turn, each player must roll two six-sided dice and move their piece clockwise around the track that many spaces. Depending on what space they land on, they then take an action:
- Chance: The player draws a card from the Chance deck and follows the instructions on it (gaining money, losing money, going to a specific space, etc.)
- Community Chest: Same as above, but with the Community Chest Deck
- Free Parking: The only space on the board where nothing ever happens - a breather.
- Luxury Tax: The player must pay the bank $75
- Income Tax: The player must pay $200 or 10% of all their monetary value (must be decided before the player counts up their money)
- Unowned property space: There are twenty-eight spaces on the board that are property spaces. Twenty-two of these properties are divided up into "color-groups", two or three properties of the same color. Four other spots are "railroad" spaces, and the final two properties (the Electric company and Waterworks) are utility properties. A player landing on an unowned property space may immediately buy it for the asking price (from $60 to $400, depending on the property). If they decide not to (or can't), an auction occurs, and the highest bidder gets the property.
- Owned property space. If a player lands on a property space they own, nothing happens. If they land on a property another player owns, they must pay that player "rent". Each property has a small amount that is charged to the player landing on that space. If a player owns all the properties in one color group, the rent on those spaces is doubled. Players may also increase their rent on their properties by building houses and hotels on them.
- Go to Jail: A player landing here must immediately head to the jail space.
- Jail: A player landing here is put in the part of the space marked "just visiting", and ends their turn. A player who is stuck here must either roll doubles to get out, or pay $50 to the bank. (Some cards also allow a player to escape). If a player does not roll doubles in three turns, they MUST pay the $50 to escape.
When a player rolls the same number on both dice ("doubles"), they must immediately roll again. If the player rolls three doubles in a row, however, they immediately go to jail. When a player passes "Go" normally, they receive $200 from the bank.

On their turn, or in the short downtime between other players' turns, each player may trade/sell their properties to one another for whatever deal they can get. Players also have the option of buying houses for their color-properties, if they have all of one set. Players can buy up to four houses for each property, for the price specified on the card, and then build a "fifth" house - which is actually a hotel piece that replaces the four houses on the property. Houses/hotels must be built evenly on both/all three of the color properties.

If a player needs to pay more money than they have - they can sell their houses/hotels back to the bank for a loss, and sell properties to other players or "mortgage" them to get the funds they need. If this still is not enough to cover their debt, the player is out of the game. The last player still in the game is the winner!

Some comments on the game...

1.) Components: Probably the most distinctive part of Monopoly is the playing pieces, which are different tokens (iron, dog, ship, etc.) rather than colored pawns. For some reason this is easier to identify (Why don't more games do this?) and the pawns do usually elicit a positive reaction. The money included with the game is fairly thin and forgettable, as I much prefer poker chips or better quality money; but it works. The green houses are made of plastic, as are the red hotels; and they offer a good, quick visual of the dangers of landing on a particular property. The properties on the board themselves are arranged in order of value, starting with the cheapest property (Mediterranean Avenue - cost $60, highest rent - $250), and going to the most expensive property (Boardwalk - cost $400, highest rent - $2000). The board itself is a little bland, with a lot of wasted space in the middle; but when the houses and hotels are added, everything looks pretty neat. The property cards have a lot of info on them, and since almost every property is different, quite necessary. I'm not sure how the property cards and money will hold up to repeated plays - they look a little beat up after only a few.

2.) Rules: The rules are fairly simplistic to learn and only take a few pages. There are tournament rules that can be found online - and clarify some of the gaping holes in the original rules. For example, the original rules don't clarify timing issues - as there are only a limited amount of houses and hotels to go around, who gets to buy them first? Also, is rent something that MUST be paid, or can a player who is not paying attention miss the money due to them? These seem like innocuous questions, but I've seen all of them greatly debated at games I've played.

3.) Money and theme: The game revolves around money - if you lose it, your out! Money changes hands frequently during the game, so I'm sure that the game could help children learn how to handle money. Oddly enough, while the game seems to promote monopolies, all I've ever seen was how it showed the negative sides of them. In the beginning of the game, the money amounts being handled are fairly small; but near the end, they can get rather enormous. If players aren't staying on the same level as other players, they can be eliminated quickly. And this does add some interesting decisions to the game - how many houses/hotels should one buy? If you buy a lot of them quickly, your chance to make a lot of money is increased, but your available cash is low. Also, should players buy every property they land on? At first, it seems like the answer is generally yes, but occasionally it doesn't help a player to buy everything - besides, you just might get it cheaper in auction?

4.) Elimination: Monopoly's biggest problem, in my opinion, is the fact that the game has player elimination in it - something that usually doesn't go over well, especially in a game of this length (usually around two and a half hours). The rules include a variant that ends the game after the second player is eliminated - and I've found that this works much better - even though it still causes one player to be eliminated.

5.) House Rules: I've played the game with many people, and several people have invented their own house rules, such as awarding money to people who land on Free Parking, auctioning off all properties, etc. Some of these rules really bog the game down, and a few (minute, actually) improve the game. So far it seems that most variants don't do much to help the game - and some of them actually make it quite dreadful - so I personally tend to ignore them.

6.) Variations: I've already seen several variations on Monopoly - Star Wars, Loony Tunes, etc. A few of them add minor rule changes, but it is interesting how the theme of the game can be cut and pasted at will. Since most of these themes change little to, or nothing, I would tend to look for one with the highest quality bits when buying the game (Star Wars Episode I version so far has the best I've seen.)

7.) Problems: The game has two problems other than elimination. For one, there is a high luck factor. A player who lands on all of one group of properties (all the railroads, all the reds, etc.) can have a huge advantage at the beginning of the game. A player who lands on very few can also be in a bit of a jam. The Chance and Community Chest cards range wildly from being slightly annoying (pay $50) to extremely hurtful (go to a property that just happens to ha ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWCT
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Classic Games   

The Game of Life
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list price: $15.99 -- our price: $15.99
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Editorial Review

Practice makes perfect in the game of Life. Try marriage, kids, and more. Will you go to college and take out student loans? Or join the working force and collect on payday? Will you go bankrupt, or earn millions in stock and real estate? Anything's possible with a spin of the Life wheel! A classic family game that can be a reality check--or just a fun time. --Margaret Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (121)

Life
This toy is fun if you play it with my dad it is also very durable.I think that starting at age six will love playing this
board game.

Truly Life's Greatest Reward
I must admit, I really like to see classic board games come back to every family possible. It is unfortunate a lot of families don't have really the time to share the simple things like board games anymore. There are some of them that are just plain classics. The game Of Life Is no acception. The game is one those simple delights that every family should really play. The game plays quite well, with the object of going through life, and trying to retire with the most money possible. I really loved this game when I was much younger, and for family fun for all, this should be well worth the purchase.

Fun & Enjoyment: B ( C if you're playing alone )

Overall: B

Not your father's game of life!
I played this game countless times as a teenager in the 70's.My two sons (8 & 5) wanted it and I thought it would be a blast from the past.While some of the changes in the game play itself are fine, I couldn't get over the poor quality of the game board itself.The spinner I grew up with was so durable.The new one sucks.It's virtually impossible to spin it without the whole wheel falling off.That in itself was very disappointing - and really caused a lot of frustration!Why cut cornes?Especially when many of the people buying this game, probably played it as a kid!? ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWD7
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites   

UpWords
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list price: $15.99 -- our price: $15.99
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Editorial Review

Upwords takes the likes of Scrabble to new heights. Players get more power out of every word and create more play possibilities. Players can build from words crossword puzzle-style or by stacking letters on top of tiles already on the board. The challenge is to make new words each time. For example, "stack" becomes "snack," then "snapshot." If it sounds like 3-D Scrabble, there's more to know. Scoring is simpler: each tile earns two points, and each stacked tile earns one. The usual Nos apply: no capitalized, hyphenated, or abbreviated words, etc. The set comes with 100 letter tiles, tile racks for two to four players, and a plastic game board. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Features

• The three-dimensional crossword game takes word play to new heights literally! Create new words by building on tiles already on the board how many different words can you get out of one?
• For 2 to 4 players. Ages 10 and up. Upwords is the 3-dimensional word game that's stacks of fun.
• Build words across and down crossword style on the 10 x 10 grid. Or stack letters on top of tiles already on the board.
• The challenge is to make new words each time. With 100 tiles, you can stack lots of letters to score high!
• So rack 'em up, then stack 'em up to experience 3-D word play at its very best.

Reviews (26)

Great Game for All Ages in the Family
I bought this game because I remembered how much fun it was as a child. What I didn't realized is that it is a great game for adults to play with children of different levels. My husband and I play like Scrabble, looking for long words. My stepdaughter (13yo) looks for tricky ways to create 2 words at once (she once made 3 new words by putting a new word between two other words - talk about points!). My stepson (12) has a limited spelling skills (underachiever) but by changing the words he can really rack up the points and keep up with the rest of us. It's helping us teach him more too. Great game!

A Creative and Strategic Game
This is my favorite game.Scrabble is an excellent game that I have played for years.Scrabble relies on the point value of letters and expanding on words placed on the board.UpWords allows you to change words, again and again.For instance star can become starve, starving, starting, flashing, crashing. And when you add to two or three words simultaneously, the points go soaring!I like it better because you need to be creative and strategic.After a few games, we learned that placing small words (3, 4 or 5 letters max) provides the most opportunity for an interesting game that goes upwards effectively and uses up the majority of the board.You cannot think Scrabble minded when playing this game as with Scrabble you think of long, high point words.Toward the end when you start stacking on multiple words, the point values for words increase significantly with minor word changes.Great Game!

just make it stop
This games scoring is too confusing. My friends fought over it for 25 minutes. and then they just put the game away. I'm not so sure what was worse the rampent testosterone or the confusion of the actual scoring. As I write this i am being told to email the company and ask how to score it. Ridiculous. there is something wrong with this game and my friend mike. ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWHS
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Word Games   

Deluxe Parcheesi
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Editorial Review

Parcheesi, a family classic since the 1860s, is the ultimate race-and-chase board game. The object is take four pawns from start to home, using rolls of the dice to dictate your moves. It sounds easy, but to accomplish your mission you have to first roll a five to even move off of start, and then you must avoid running into blockades and dodge your opponents, who threaten at every turn to send you back to the beginning. If you plot your moves strategically and use the safety zones scattered around the board, you might just make it. Parcheesi comes with a game board, 16 wooden pawns in four colors, two dice, and a dice cup that's a little too small to be truly useful. Parcheesi is for two to four players. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Deluxe Parcheesi
Deluxe Parcheesi is the original game and I think this is the one that should be available in stores, not the new one.

My fav. game!
I love this game and its even better then the one I had when I was younger cause you can actually pick up these pieces,the older ones were just little round peices.This game is awesome..=)

Very Very Good
Parcheesi is one of the most exciting games you can find now. We went by the name of Ludo. I played it couple years ago and from since then I always one. Now me and my sisters play everyday. What makes it more interesting is we each man pays a quarter for each of his man that is sent back to the beginning (we call it "eat"). I really think you guys should try it one time, you'll see how much more fun it is. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DMBH
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Classic Games   

Clue 50th Anniversary
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Editorial Review

Call the police! (Again!) The unfortunate Mr. Boddy has beenshowing up dead in his mansion ever since Anthony Pratt invented thegame of Clue in England in 1944. Here's another chance for intrepidcountry-house weekenders like you to do him in (or have fun trying tofigure out who did). In this 50th Anniversary edition, the 19-inch,square green board represents nine rooms in the Boddy mansion. Thesuspects are 1.75-inch metal figurines of Colonel Mustard, ProfessorPlum, Mrs. Peacock, and the late Mr. Boddy's other so-called friends.Other game elements include a die, a Clue card pack, and a pad forkeeping track of suspects, locations, and weapons. The weapons are1.5-inch-long metal models of a dagger, a pipe wrench, etc. Read the storyof a weekend gone tragically wrong, and then set up the board and seekthe awful truth. Just be sure to watch your back--unless, of course,YOUdunit. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Educational and Fun for All Ages!
My memories of Clue go back to when I was a young child, playing with my friends. When we first began playing, it was a challenge to figure out the connections. How could knowing one thing about one person help determine if others were guilty? When those connections worked out, a lightbulb went on. This was fun!

Over the years, the game has never lost its appeal. You are in the middle of a murder mystery, figuring out who did what based on what you hear and see. You can make guesses about why people are asking certain questions based on their personality, and use the straightfoward knowledge of your own evidence to guide you. It builds up amazing skills in logic and deduction that are used in just about every test you can take. And it's SO much fun!

This is definitely a game you can play with young adults and grandparents at the same time and have everybody enjoying themself. And the 50th anniversary addition is so much better than the regular one! I gave my regular copy away to charity when I bought this new one, so that others could enjoy the game while I played my new one. The case is EXCELLENT and stores the pieces nicely. The pieces are great, it's like a treasure trove for Clue fans.

Definitely a gift to get for anybody that doesn't yet have a copy!!

Fantastic edition of the great game
I was thrilled to open this and very surprised by the quality of the pieces and the forethought put into this edition.
This is not simply the same game in a metal tin, they made fancier looking cards and game pieces.
I haven't used it too many times yet, and the only drawback is that it looks like the board may wear out after a while.Please note that if wearing out this game is the worst that can happen, I will be extremely pleased.My oldest of three kids is four now, and I am looking forward to the years ahead playing this and other games with them.

Great Collection!
Clue has always been my family's favorite board game. My sister loves it the most, and whenever we visit my mother, we always play a few games before we head off to bed. Recently, my sister had recieved this great 50th Anniversary Clue Collection game. We carefully ripped off the plastic and stared at the pieces. The collection includes a more detailed board, diecast metal figures and weapons, Clue pencils, notebooks, the cards, and a cool 50th Anniversary collection book! We were so suprised at how many goodies they supplied in this awesome collection. So then we played a few rounds, and of course my sister won. Well, I am glad she recieved this board game, and I think you will too! ... Read more

Asin: B00000IWFG
Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Party Games    5. Grownup