Editorial Review

In the game War, players compare cards, and the highest number wins and takes the other cards. Alien Hotshots picks up where War leaves off. In the year 4560, an interstellar war breaks out between the Evens and the Odds. Each side, strategizing, ups the ante, creating exotic secret weapons such as the Odd Eater and the Space Germ. Plustoids and Minusaurs orbit the planets, ready to help their favorite side. The 55 standard-size cards are illustrated with such space creatures as Cephaloid Surfers, Zygodactylous Terrain Walkers, and the disgustingly slimy, inedible Plasmoid Pods, each with an odd or even number value or a power-card symbol. This space-age complexity adds fresh interest to the classic game while teaching strategy, exploring the concepts of odd and even, and inspiring young players to ponder what's really out there beyond Earth. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fun for the whole family
I can't say enough good things about this game.The rules are easy to understand and the game teaches math in a fun way.Another good thing about Alien Hotshots is that if you lose a card, the game will still function.Even the cards are attractive with neat artwork.We play this often and enjoy it a lot.

Fun twist on the game of War
It took us (me and my 7 and 5 year olds) a while to figure out the rules of the game, but it was a fun game when we worked out most of the details. This is a variation on the familiar War game (with a standard deck of cards without the jokers) with a space/alien twist. In the deck, besides the numbered cards, one gets space Germ cards and one Blackholeb card, which have unique functions. There are also Even Eaters and Odd Eaters, which "gobble up" respective cards (though we had to guess what "gobble up" entailed in a game). There are also Plus-es and Minus-es cards which can change values of numbered cards thereby changing the outcome of a hand.

The box says the game is for 8 and up, but we had no problem playing this game. If my 5 year old had any confusion about even and odd numbers, much of the confusion got cleared up after one round. And the Plus-es and Minus-es also help teach some very basic math concept.

At the beginning I got a bit frustrated with the rules of the game. But we went ahead with the playing anyway and as we went along, my kids figured out most of the stuff on their own. All in all, an interesting game.

Excellent but not as durable
Children loved it right out of the box. The graphics, the story and the rules were simple and fun. Game ends quite quickly and keeps children involved. I wish the cards were a little durable... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Cards    3. Strategy Games    4. Aliens