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Blue Orange Gobblet Board Game - A Fun Game of Strategy

Mindprint Rating

Tags

^21st Century Skills All Ages Game

Skills

Flexible Thinking Working Memory Attention Abstract Reasoning Visual Memory

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • The game is easy to learn, quick to play and enjoyable for all ages.
  • The game forces students to visualize ahead and think strategically yet be able to react to their opponent's moves.
  • This game is a good alternative to memory for students who need to work on visual memory skills, as students must remember which pieces were covered on prior moves.

Considerations

  • Students with inhibition issues could move before thinking and then grow frustrated or angry easily.
  • The dull color of all the pieces may remind some children of chess/be off-putting.
  • Although this game is great for reinforcing some visual skills, it could be frustrating for students who have weak visual skills so parents should understand their child's needs and choose this game accordingly.

Mindprint Expert Review

Gobblet is a great, straight-forward game to develop a variety of visual memory and strategic thinking skills. In a twist on the classic game of tic-tac-toe, players must get four in a row before their opponent, but the players’ pieces come in four different sizes so a player can put a new piece on an empty space OR cover a piece already on the board with a larger piece. The pieces are sturdy and will be easy for most students to cover and uncover but could be challenging for students who have very weak fine and/or visual motor skills. Students who have visual distraction issues or might have difficulty judging the different piece sizes might also feel overwhelmed and should probably start with the “On the Go” and/or Junior version. Some students may find the birch and black pieces too formal, particularly if they do not like chess. The vast majority of students will find this game fun yet challenging and want to play even more as they improve.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Adults would enjoy playing with a child
  • For electronic games, gives positive or encouraging feedback
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Does not require excessive set-up time after first time use
  • Can be fun as a single player game
  • Multi-player game which fosters collaboration or cooperation
  • Well-made for the cost
  • For electronic games, can play without sound
  • For electronic games, allows user to save work
  • For electronic games, voice/sounds are appealing and pronounces words properly
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Fine Motor Skills
    • Has small parts that may be difficult to manipulate (e.g. battleship pegs)
  • Self-regulation
    • Multi-player activity with a clear 'winner' and 'loser'
  • Spatial Perception
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
  • Visual Discrimination
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
    • Requires recall of text information without audio or visual reinforcement
  • Visual Motor Speed
    • Has small parts that may be difficult to manipulate (e.g. battleship pegs)

Manufacturer Description

Based on the familiar concept of Tic-Tac-Toe, Gobblet takes strategy to the next level. This all wooden board game takes just seconds to learn but a lifetime to master. Gobble up, line up four pieces in a row, and win! Elegantly designed and sustainably made, Gobblet self-stores all the playing pieces and looks attractive on any coffee table. With irresistible, fast-moving play and astonishingly simple rules, Gobblet is a challenging treat for the whole family. Includes 24 Gobblets, a checkered board and storing box.