Pass The Party Food, By Joey Games - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Cute board game with Australian party food theme

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   7 year-old ++ (or younger) 

Who would love this: Kids who enjoy cooperative game with hint of strategy + party food! 

 I’m a fan of Joey Games . They are fun and easy to learn, and I love the Australian-theme connection. “Pass The Party Food” is one of the few board games at our house that our two kids (4 and 7 year-old) get to play together, and I’m really pleased to see another engaging game that fits into this age-range. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Cute Cooperative Game With Easy-To-Learn Rules 

“Pass The Party Food” is a cooperative game with straightforward strategy. The objective is to collect complete sets of foods (5 of each, or 4 of a same type) to advance forward on the score board. To set up, each player gets a “play board” with images of party foods arranged in horizontal and vertical rows. On each turn, a player draws 3 random food tiles from a drawstring bag, distributes the tiles (keep 1, pass 1 to the player on the left, and the last 1 to the player on the right/ to be discarded - depending on number of players). Players work collaboratively to race against Ziggy to prevent the mischievous dog from catching up with any player on the score board. There are also Swap Tokens, Take Tokens, and “Lucky Dip” (for a special bonus draw) that give a little twist to the game. I love that the game really maximises the “teamwork” aspect - not only do the players need to think about how to gather their own complete sets, they must also take tactical moves to help other players to score during each turn! 

(2) Delicious Australian Party Food Theme 

I adore the cute and nostalgic Australian party foods theme! Fairy Breads and chewy snakes are big favourites in our parties, and we love spongy chocolate lamingtons. The kids are very curious about pikelets and the Hundreds and thousands biscuits. We love how “delicious” this game is and that hint of retro look! 

(3) Delightful Artwork + Environmental-Friendly Components 

The artwork is delightful, and the components are well-made. The player boards, food tiles, score board and other thick cardboard components were made using sustainably managed materials (FSC certified paper and cardboard), and the pawns are made of quality wooden material. 

Whilst this game might not excite a grown-up too much (given how straightforward the gameplay is), it’s definitely a hit with the kids in the right age bracket. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://joeygames.com.au/passthepartyfood

Check out my reviews on other Joey Games: 

• Busy Beaks, by Joey Games 
• Scribbly Gum, by Joey Games 

Enjoy the video! 

Busy Beaks, By Joey Games - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Board game with Australian-theme 

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:   8 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids and adults that enjoy creative and strategy games, especially one that focuses on educational and rare Australian wildlife theme. 

Joey Games is unassuming yet beautiful, nothing too “showy”, but always full of substance. Busy Beaks is my latest favourite - I’m loving how it seamlessly incorporates Australian’s birdlife into an engaging card game. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Strategy Game To Collect 5 Matching Cards With Special Power For Each Bird 

The aim of the game is straightforward: get sets of 5 matching bird cards, score points and win. The game includes 182 bird cards in 14 types, 1 tree board, 23 egg tokens, 14 card storage envelopes, and 1 rules of play booklet. First, select 7 types of bird cards, and arrange the tree board (3 birds on each of the 3 branches). Each player takes turn to perform actions (play a card, score a flock, draw a card, fill the tree). The objective is to collect as many “flocks” of 5 identical birds to score points (by earning the highest available egg tiles and additional egg of a new bird type). Each bird has special powers that allow players to gain an advantage; for example, a “Budgerigar” allows us to draw 3 cards from the draw pile and put them in our hand; An “Eastern Spinebill” allows us to choose a card in the tree and also pick up a card directly next to it (left or right). I love the strategy and tactical elements of the game: from choosing the types of cards to collect, which power to use, which cards to pick, to how best to collect a flock in the fastest way. This game has great replayability, never a dull moment! 

(2) Reference Cards With Informative Fun Facts Of Each Bird 

There are 14 reference cards, each belongs to a bird type. The reference cards tell us about the “special abilities” of the bird with illustrated icons for easy understanding. They also include informative fun facts about the Australian birds (for example, a “Superb Fairy Wren” has iridescent blue plumage and a small size of just 14cm; a “Laughing Kookaburra” has loud raucous laughter and is around 40-45 cm in size”). 

(3) Stunning Artwork And Good Quality Components 

The artwork is lovely and artistically pleasing. I love the durable and good quality components, made using sustainably managed materials (FSC certified paper and cardboard). I’m not a quite a fan of the individual packaging of the 14 types of cards, but it’s indeed a very effective way of keeping the cards organised. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://joeygames.com.au/busybeaks

Enjoy the video! 

Scribbly Gum, By Joey Games - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Family board game  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  6 year-old ++   

Who would love this: This is an all ages game with fun strategy element, for one player OR a big group of players. 

I have been reading so much great things about Joey Games. I was super excited to test out “Scribbly Gum”, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it! Thank you Joey Games for providing a copy for review! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) A Strategy Game With Awesome "Flip & Write" Mechanism 

We find the “flip and write” mechanism to be really refreshing! The game reminds me of Pac-Man (racing around a maze and eating up dots) and my childhood’s paper-and-pencil games. Scribbly Gum incorporates the beauty of the classic, and elevates it with amazing components. To play this game, each player gets a sheet off the tree diagram pad. Shuffle the 8 movement tiles, set out 7 face-down in a row. On each turn, a tile is flipped over, and player draws a line starting from a filled-in circle leading to another circle to “capture” an icon, by following the direction given on the tile (Up, Down, Left, Right, Dotted Line etc). The aim is to “capture” as many full sets of meal as you can (each meal is made up of 3 icons (nut, leaf, blossom). There are also “water droplets” which are “wild”, icon on meal tracker that gives an extra move, double or triple icons to be captured in one go, Achievement Tiles with extra points to be earned when certain conditions are achieved (eg when all circles at bottom row is filled-in etc). The game is played over 3 rounds, and the player with the highest cumulative score wins. I love the strategy element in this game! 

(2) A Uniquely-Designed Game With Aussie-Theme  

The design is based on the iconic squiggly trails created by moth larvae burrowing below the outer bark of eucalyptus trees. I love the way Joey Games uses tabletop games to celebrate the people, plants and wildlife of Australia. 

(3) 1-Player Game / OR Play In A Big Group 

This game can be played by 1 person, or an entire classroom of players! The game comes with a thick pad of sheets (over 100 pages), and the website also provides a printable digital version for us to entertain a large crowd of players! 

(4) Made Of Sustainably Managed Materials 

Joey Games are manufactured using 100% renewable energy, sustainably managed materials, with no plastic shrink wrap. Additionally, 1% of the profit will be donated to a nonprofit organisation that supports local indigenous communities. I’m loving it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://joeygames.com.au/scribblygum

Enjoy the video!