Race to the Treasure

I love this company and so many of their games - the concept of cooperative board games is so great for young learners! The game is so easy to set-up, and each time you play will be different. My students are happy to play this, sometimes multiple times because it's always different.

Race to the Treasure is a game where everyone cooperates to build a path that leads to the treasure -- but not only do you have to gather 3 keys on the way to the treasure, you have to try to get there before the Ogre does. I was looking for some games for my kids -- 8, 4, and 2.5 -- to start getting them (the 4 year old in particular) into playing board games. I liked the idea of a cooperative game, so thought I'd give this one a try. It has been such a hit with all of the kids! The instructions were easy to follow, and there is an envelope to hold all of the pieces (so cleanup is easy and everything stays organized in the box). My oldest acts as the "teacher" and helps her younger brother & sister play the game. They all are great about taking turns, and then encouraging each other about how to place the path pieces. The game is not overly long, so it holds everyone's attention from beginning to end. I really like how they have to strategize on how to place the pieces so that they can get to the keys, but also be moving towards the treasure. And I can't get over how excited they all become when they get to the treasure before the Ogre does... it is really sweet to see how much fun they have playing this game together. Even though this game is supposed to be for 5+ year olds, my 4 year old had no problems understanding what to do, and is able to play with his older sister. My youngest would NOT be able to play the game without the help from her two siblings, but she is able to wait her turn, and doesn't try to run off with the cards or move the path pieces around on the board. As for my oldest, I worried that the game would be too easy for her (and it is easy for her), but she loves puzzles and mazes, so this game is appealing in that sense -- plus, I think she likes being able to "instruct" the other kids on what to do. I think it works well for a group of younger & older kids playing together (because normally the older kids would win a game, but in this case, they'll help the younger kids so that everyone wins together). I also really appreciate how sturdy the board and pieces are, and how colorful and cute the illustrations are. Highly recommend this game.

I purchased this as a last minute gift for my 3-1/2-year-old niece. I warned that it might be just a bit too much for her, given her age and what others have said. But she absolutely LOVES IT! It's at my parents' house, and whenever she goes over there she plays it multiple times. She went five games in a row one day, only stopping because it was time for lunch. I'm a huge fan (and player/DM) of Dungeons & Dragons, and I can honestly say this game is like that at it's core element. That is, all the players work together to accomplish the goal. You either win as a team or lose as a team, but it's about the experience of working together. This game is great for any child and adult to play. But if you're a fan of D&D or other similar tabletop games, you'll definitely enjoy this. And hey, it's never too early to start prepping the little ones. Tip: There are eight Ogres in this box. They are represented as cards. But if you search other sites, you can probably find 8 Ogre miniatures that you can put on top of the cards. It makes it that much more enjoyable for the little ones! I suggest auction sites as buying a bulk of 8 might be cheaper there than specialized hobby websites. For example, I was able to purchase two sets of four Ogre miniatures from the Pathfinder Battles: Rise of the Runelord set on a popular auction website. I paid $50 for the 8 total pieces, which worked out to be $6.25 each. But according to the prices on the more popular websites for buying/selling miniatures, they were valued at $9-$10 a piece. So I saved some money there. Again, still rather expensive, especially or a $15 children's game. But if you can swing it then I feel it's worth it.

Excellent game for kids and parents. My 4yo plays it often. The game is well made, sturdy.

This is a fun one for the kiddos. Probably best for 7 and under. Nice collaboration. Well balanced where you sometimes lose to the ogre.

This is a good little game for children under 8. You play as a team in a race against the Ogre to get to the treasure 1st. Easy to play you roll 2 dice to place 4 keys & an Ogre snack on the game board and the rest is just turning over cards which will either be a path or an Ogre. If it is a path you have to work out between you which direction to take on the game board to collect 3 of the 4 keys you need and possibly the Ogre snack which can be used to slow the Ogre down. If you turn over an Ogre card you place it on the Ogre's route to the treasure which is a straight route. Your route is longer than the Ogres but there are more path cards than Ogre cards. Part of the excitement for kids is what card will be turned over next and can you collect the keys and get your path to the treasure before the Ogre. I have played this quite a few times with my just turned 7 year old granddaughter and she has enjoyed it. On average you probably beat the Ogre 4 out of 5 times. Game lasts about 5-10 minutes.

It’s used item!!

Its quite a simple game. Perhaps, I would chose something else. We played it once with kids and they found it very simple (my kids are 6 and 9)