3, 2, 1, drone home!

Can you help fly the aliens back to their home planet? In Drone Home, a new game from PlayMonster designed for kids ages 8 and up, that is your primary goal. 

The gameplay is fairly straightforward, as each player gets three small alien figures and one arm of the gameboard. At the end of the arm, there is a launching lever, which players use to shoot their aliens toward the center launchpad, which holds a (real!) drone. Land an alien in the center, and the drone will take off, flying that alien to safety. The first player to send all three aliens flying wins the game. There’s a catch, though: The drone will pause for a few seconds before taking off. In that time, other players can try to knock the alien out of the center or get their own alien figure on board, too, so that both fly away. Once the drone comes back down, put it back in the center and repeat the process until a player has successfully launched all of their aliens. 

There’s no taking turns in this game, as everyone starts launching their pieces at the same time for a fun kind of chaos. The drone adds another level of visual fun and surprise to the game, especially the first time, as players watch it take off and soar.

The drone is very durable, so it can withstand crash landings back to the floor. However, the alien inside may skitter away. If an adult or older kid can safely catch the drone, that is another option. The instructions note this, too, but be sure there aren’t light fixtures or breakable objects above the drone. It follows a fairly straight up and down flight pattern, but definitely air on the side of caution, just to be safe!

Related: Kids Can Build to Battle with Snap Ships

Overall, this is a fun and fairly challenging game that kids and adults alike will enjoy playing together. Up to four players can join in on the Drone Home fun and, while more players will certainly make the game even more hectic and silly, I had a great time with just two players. 

One thing to note about this game is that playing does require a bit of forethought because you have to charge the drone before you play. The instructions recommend charging 10 minutes for the best results. You can take up most of that time getting the game set up and explaining the rules to new players, though!

Oh, and one final piece of advice from personal experience: Maybe keep your pets in another room if they scare easily and/or if they will want to chase the falling drone!

The drone component in this game certainly makes it stand out in the game aisle, and it’s sure to bring plenty of memorable moments to family game night.

About the author

Madeleine Buckley

Madeleine Buckley

Madeleine Buckley was a Senior Editor at The Pop Insider, The Toy Insider, and The Toy Book. She covered all things toys and fandom, and has appeared on Cheddar and a variety of regional news networks to talk about the latest trends in both. She is a movie score enthusiast, mediocre knitter, proud Syracuse alumna, and Marvel lover. You can usually find her at the movies or hanging out at home with her super-pup, Parker.

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