Review: Games for Kids - Niya and Wink

I wanted to share a couple of games we tried recently. We're big fan of Blue Orange Games, as we play Spot It and Gobblet frequently. You can read our reviews Spot It and Gobblet here, as well as some other kid-friendly games). Here are two more games from Blue Orange that our family has now adopted.


Niya by Blue Orange Games  $13.99 (or less)
Ages 7-adult
This is a strategy game where you have 8 qualities (maple leaf, rising sun, birds etc.) and you put your clan token in the space where a garden tile is, calling out the two qualities that square has. Your goal is kind of like tic-tac-toe, only need 4 in a row, or a square of 4. Your opponent then has to put their marker down on another square that has one of the qualities you just mentioned. Then it's your turn - again, using one of the qualities called out. You try to get 4 in a row and block them from getting it. My 11 year old loved it, and it's challenging, though very quick to learn and the games are short. And it's good for adults too.

Wink by Blue Orange Games - $14-16
Ages 8-adult
I'll admit that my husband was not eager to play this game, though the kids couldn't wait. Here's the concept. You set up the cards like you see below, in a big grid. You have your own set of cards, and you pick a number on the board that is not in your hand. Before it gets to your turn again, the person at the table who has that number card in their hand has to wink at you without getting caught. When it's your turn again, if you successfully identify the person, you each get a point. If someone catches them winking at you, they accuse the person. If right, the accuser gets two points. "This was surprisingly fun" my husband said, which is a huge endorsement. The game was pretty silly and resulted in a lot of laughing. We played with people, though it would be even more fun with a bigger crowd. And you should play at a square table, not a rectangular one, to make it more fair. I can see this one getting taken out of the cabinet many more times in our future.