Sharks! Board Game Review

I have an elementary-aged homeschooler who is a HUGE fan of all things marine biology, so I jumped at the opportunity to review Sharks, published by The Dietz Foundation. My gameschooling Insta-friend, Kristen Mott, over at family.boardgaming on Instagram created this game!  

She previously released a fantastic roll and write game called Dinosaur Exhibit. I've shared about that game several times on my Instagram page because we really enjoy it, so I was excited to see what her next title would be like.  And I was NOT disappointed!

Sharks is a fun, competitive game for 2-4 players, who are playing as different types of sharks. During the game, your shark meeple is moving across the tiles, trying to eat sea creatures of various sizes.

Things we loved:

1.) The design! - The shark anatomy boards are AMAZING! Each board shows the digestive anatomy of the shark! As you hunt for food, your shark eats it, collecting tiny tiles of food in its stomach.

2.) The varied player powers! - Each shark has its own special movement ability.  I love games like this! adds a bit of variability to the game.  And even though the game plays 2 to 4 players, there are 6 sharks to choose from, each with their own movement. 

3.) The educational cards! - Each different shark species has its own set of player cards. And each card has a fact about that specific species!  During the game, as we turn over new cards, we each read the special facts.  We've learned so much already in just two plays!

4.) The environmental tie-in - Because trash in the ocean is a big detriment to the marine life that lives there, there's also a "pollution aspect" to the game. As the boat travels around the tile ocean, it drops trash.  Sometimes, you have to pick up that trash and place it in your shark's stomach.  But there's a special action that allows you to clean up trash, and this can even allow you to score extra points!

My kids have really enjoyed playing this game!  And I've really enjoyed all the educational value we get out of it!  If you have a little marine biologist or ichthyologist in your life, they definitely need this game! 

I received this game, free of charge from the creator, in exchange for my honest review.