CrowD Games Review

 The wonderful folks at CrowD Games  very kindly sent me a few of their games to review.  I'll be honest.  I'd not heard of these games before, so I had absolutely ZERO preconceived notions about how they would play or what they'd be like.  But I was impressed!  So I'd love to share them with you!

1.) Windmill: Cozy Stories (2-5 Players, Ages 8+)

This game reminded me of the popular game Dixit.  Except instead of just saying one word or a phrase to describe a card, you actually get to create a story! There are other differences, of course: like the fact that you're choosing from all the cards, not just the few that are picked each round, and the fact that scoring is handles differently.

How it works: All the large cards are laid out so that everyone can see them. The active player picks the top card in the smaller card deck (which has cards that match the larger cards). Then the player creates a story based on the card they drew and the other players have to attempt to correctly identify which card they drew.

What I like:

* Its small! - This makes it portable!  (Now, you do need to have room to lay all the picture cards out, so it wouldn't be an ideal game for playing in an airport or a restaurant.  But if you're looking for smaller sized games to take on a vacation, this is ideal!

* It inspires creativity and imagination! - This is a fantastic game for getting the creative juices flowing.  You have to be able to tell a story that will allow some - but not all - of the players will to correctly identify which card is yours.  So you have to tell a story that's descriptive, but not too obvious.

* The art is beautiful! - I absolutely love the beautiful, fairytale-type art in these pictures.  Its so lovely and appealing!

Takeaway:  If you like creative, storytelling games - or if you're a fan of games like Dixit - then this game is right up your alley!  And with Easter right around the corner, this game will fit perfectly in an Easter basket!

2.) #Artbox (3-8 Players, Ages 8+)

Art box is an art game!  But you DON'T have to be an artist in order to play it!  And, quite frankly, being artistic doesn't give you much of a leg up either. Hahaha!  

How its played: Everyone draws 2 word cards and chooses one of them to draw.  The active player rolls the "shape" dice and you are only allowed to use those shapes to draw your pictures. Once everyone has drawn their pictures, the word cards are shuffled and laid out (along with a few extra cards, so its not too easy).  Then everyone tries to figure out which picture is which card.  You get points for the cards you guess correctly and for the people who guess your drawn picture correctly.

What I like:

* You don't have to be an artist to play! - Because you have to draw using ONLY the basic shapes that are rolled, artistic talent isn't really that important in the game. This makes it great for all levels of artistic ability - and lots of age ranges!

* They've included TONS of scoring/drawing sheets! - A lot of companies don't include a lot.  But tis game includes a HUGE stack!  Plus, really you could use plain paper once you're done, so no biggie.

* It plays up to 8! - A love a game that plays a larger number of people so that you can play with friends or family!  This one is easy to learn, simple to play, and accommodates a crowd!

3.) Ganesha - (2-4 Players, Ages 8+)

Ganesha is a jewel collecting game.  The more you collect and place, the more points you score.  But be strategic!

What I Like:

* The theme isn't critical to the game! - if you aren't big on playing a game about a Hindu deity, the theme isn't really super critical to gameplay.  Honestly, the box cover is the most theme-heavy part of the game.  You can easily play the jewel collecting without any "offering gifts to Ganesha," etc.

* Its beautiful! - The colors in the game are gorgeous!  The animal meeples are ADORABLE!  And the jewels are super pretty!

*Its simple, yet strategic.  You're gathering jewels and then placing them on the mandala board.  So its simple enough for younger kids to play.  But you can be strategic in what colors you take - and when you take them - in order to score more points, so it can be fun for kids and adults!

I received these games, free of charge from CrowD Games, in exchange for my honest review.