VolleyShot from Fat Brain Toys is giving nostalgic vibes. This easy-to-learn but hard-to-master game offers entertainment coupled with a classic wooden design for tweens, teens, and adults to enjoy. Upon opening the box, this toy gave this reviewer a flashback!
There is a place called Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. It purports to be the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast and depicts a rural New England town of the 1830s. In addition to homes and a schoolhouse, there is also a country store that sells toys kids used in the 1800s — such as wooden ring and pin games or the wooden hoop rolling game. These simple wooden toys kept kids entertained and challenged for hours in “the good old days.” Parents often buy those replicas from the country store when visiting the old village — when they may not typically succumb to buying souvenirs!
Volleyshot offers similar retro-inspired gameplay, which has fascinated kids for centuries. Volleyshot is made from high-quality wood and packaged in a brown cardboard box with packaging graphics reminiscent of yesteryear. If you can’t fathom having one more piece of plastic in your house, this game might be for you.
Each player operates one of the two paddles (similar to Foosball) and tries to flip the paddle to knock the pendulum ball back toward the other player. The goal is to keep the volley going as long as possible, but if you miss, your opponent gets the point, which can be tracked with the built-in score slider. The first person to score 10 points wins the game.
With the small size and everything built-in, there are no pieces to lose, making it a great game to take to a party or a picnic, bring on a bus, or in the backyard. It is excellent for a rainy day, boredom buster activity, but one fun idea is to use it in place of a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors when needing to decide if it is Taco Night or Pizza Night, who takes out the trash, or who has to empty the dishwasher. It is also an excellent way for kids to work on hand-eye coordination, concentration, and more.
All in all, dive right into this simple game with lots of ways to serve up some fun!
VOLLEYSHOT
Each player operates a paddle, knocking the ball back and forth until somebody misses. All it takes is a single hiccup to miss, and every miss is a point for the opponent. Stay focused, stay steady. The first to 10 points wins.
