Thames & Kosmos is a staple in family game nights. High Score, one of the company’s latest games, continues the tradition by upping the competition.
Designed for kids ages 8 and up, High Score is a game of numbers and strategy in which players have to compete to get the highest score using seven dice. Each game consists of seven rounds. In each round, the players pull a challenge card, which decides which numbers on the dice get added to your score, which numbers get subtracted, how many times you can roll the dice, and more. Each die has a standard 1-5 on it, but the sixth face features a vortex. Each challenge card determines what the vortex means. If it’s green, the vortex is good, but if it’s red, you don’t want to get a vortex. The numbers on the vortex range from -5-10.
Kids can play High Score with 2-5 players. When each player is done with their turn, they take their wooden block and place it on the game board in the place that is numbered the same as their score. For example, if a kid had a score of 21, they’d put their piece on the 21st spot. If a player has more than 30 points, they can flip over their personal chip that matches their game piece to reveal a 30 and place their game piece on the number they would need to total their final score. For example, if a player scored 50 points, they would flip their chip over and put their game piece on the 20 spot.
At the end of the round, the player with the highest score gets a gold 3-point chip, the second-highest score earns a 2-point silver chip, and the third place gets a 1-point bronze chip. If a player has zero or negative points, they don’t get a chip, even if they are in the top three. If only two players are playing, only gold and bronze chips are given out.
One thing about this game is that the rules can be confusing at first, with so many different variations from challenge to challenge. However, the game comes with a rule book that is super clear and easy to follow, so kids should be able to pick it up quickly. Once the kids get comfortable with the rules of the game, the average game lasts around 30 minutes.
Parents will like that the game has a math element, so while kids are having fun, they’re also being tricked into doing math. The game is very compact, too, which is perfect to take on a family vacation to play in a hotel room or a camper.
High Score is a great game for intense family game nights, but it also helps kids do quick math in their heads, think two steps ahead, and challenge themselves mentally! Not to mention, the dice also look super cool, featuring a swirled blue pattern.
When kids pick up the High Score dice, the game is on! May the highest score win!
