Cauldron Quest, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

 

Nature / Type:             Board game 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids that love cooperative games, especially one with cool magic theme! 

Cauldron Quest from Peaceable Kingdom is a remarkable cooperative game. I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of thwarting an evil plot with spell-breaking potion, and saving a kingdom as a team? Thank you VR Distribution for the fabulous recommendation! 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Cooperative Game With Great Mix Of Skill & Chance 

I love a game with a great mix of skill and chance! In Cauldron Quest, players work together to discover hidden ingredients and move them to the cauldron at the center of the board, before all your 6 paths are obstructed. To set up, pick 3 “must-have” ingredient tokens and place them on the cauldron, and randomly arrange the 6 potion bottles at the starting spaces with the ingredient image face-down. On each turn, players roll the Action Dice to determine the next action - moving potion bottles closer to the cauldron, move evil Wizard Hat along its track (which may have the adverse effect of blocking your path or sending your potion back to the start), place path blocker on a path, or roll the Magic Dice. The Magic Dice give you special advantages which are pivotal to complete the mission. 

(2) Magic Dice - Apply Your Mathematics Skills To Gain Advantage

Our favourite’s part of the game is Magic Dice rolling (3 rolling chances each time) - this is where we make the most meaningful decisions, whilst applying our mathematics skills. Players must decide which “spell” would confer the greatest advantage at that point. If you want to reveal the hidden ingredient of a bottle, you need even numbers on 3 dice. 3 odd numbers give us the power to swap locations of 2 potion bottles, and you get to move a bottle 6 spaces with a dice combination adding up to 12. We love the interesting choices! Players also get to decide collectively when to use a spell breaker to remove one path blocker during the game. 

(3) Refreshing & Magical Artwork With COOL Theme! 

We love the COOL theme of evil Wizard and potion-brewing. The artwork is very fun with a touch of mysterious and magical feel. The board is in a unique circular shape, and the ingredient selections are the “wizard’s classics” (rotten egg, eye of newt, poison mushroom - anyone?). The components are solid, the board is foldable, and everything looks well-constructed and wonderfully done. We LOVE it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gamesworldsa.com.au/products/cauldron-quest (Australia) 

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/cauldron-quest-board-game (Australia) 

Check out more Peaceable Kingdom games here: 

• Acorn Soup - The Tasty Counting Game, By Peaceable Kingdom
• Stone Soup, By Peaceable Kingdom
• Jump Jump Joey, By Peaceable Kingdom
• The Happy Marshmallow Game, By Peaceable Kingdom

Enjoy the video: 

Acorn Soup - The Tasty Counting Game, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Counting / matching game for toddlers 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    2 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Parents looking for good quality counting/ matching/ cooking game for their little ones. 

“Acorn Soup - The Tasty Counting Game” from Peaceable Kingdom is a delicious game that makes my heart sings! It’s an engaging game and pretend play-set - designed for toddlers, loved by all ages (including the grown-ups!). Thank you VR Distribution - I’m loving this beautiful toy! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Match / Count The Ingredients & Create Your Tasty Soup! 

Included within the round “soup-pot” container are 8 recipe cards, a wooden spoon, 24 wooden ingredients, instructions, and a parent guide. The rules are simple and pretty straightforward - perfect as a “first game” for 2 year-old: simply grab a recipe card, match the ingredients, pour them into the pot, and create a delightful soup for all to share! Just like the “Happy Marshmallow Game” that I previously reviewed, there are a few other suggested ways to play with the included components: sort the ingredients according to types (eg “fruits”, or “things that are green”), create a new soup recipe, sing-it out etc.

(2) Amazing Soup Selections (Including Good Luck Soup!)

I LOVE the soup selections; from refreshing “Summer Soup” with burst of blueberries flavour, “Fall Soup” with a peppery hint of red radishes, “Garden Soup” with white puffball of dandelions, and many more scrumptious choices! My personal favourite is the “Good Luck Soup” - an interesting delicacy made of three-leaf clovers, sweet purple flowers, and a stem of herb. Each recipe is different and brightly illustrated with an adorable name. 

(3) Early Childhood Skills

There are numerous early childhood skills that can be taught with these charming components: counting (from 1 to 3 ingredients), matching (identify the right ingredients), language, fine-motor skills (put “ingredient” on spoon and drop it into the “pot”), following directions, imaginative play, creativity (create a soup and give it a lovely name!). 

(4) Great Quality Components & Storage Container Doubles As Soup Pot 

The components and quality of the game is stunning! I love the storage container that doubles as a soup pot, the vibrant wooden ingredients with pictures on both sides, a realistic-looking and sturdy wooden spoon for mixing and stirring (in perfect size for little hands). The handy parent guide about kid development stage with useful play ideas is a great addition to the set. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.gameology.com.au/products/acorn-soup (Australia) 

https://www.gamesworldsa.com.au/products/acorn-soup (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Stone Soup, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Board Game 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids who love memory/ matching / cooperative games 

Remember the heartwarming story that teaches us the value of sharing - how a little scrap and garnish can make a huge difference and create a pot of nourishing soup for all to share? We’re so glad that we now have a board game inspired by this beautiful story - check out Stone Soup from Peaceable Kingdom (thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy!). 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Match Ingredients To Cook-Up Pot Of Delicious Soup 

In this game, players work as a team to cook up a pot of delicious soup with matching ingredients. To set up, place all ingredient/ magic stone/ fire-out cards face-down on the game board. Like a usual matching game, each player flips 2 cards over. When 2 ingredient cards match, place them into the “pot”. If they don’t match, flip them both over. However, there’s a twist: if a fire-out card is flipped, it will be placed on the fire area of the board. If all 10 fire-out cards are placed on fire spaces, then the game is over (BUT - there is a special “magic stone” card we can use once to flip a fire-out card face down). If the players can match up all 12 ingredients before the fire goes out, we win together! 

(2) Cooperative Game For 2-6 Players 

I LOVE the cooperative nature of this game (which goes into the very heart of the Stone Soup story!). The kids discussed, spoke-up, yelled-out, pointed frantically, and worked collaboratively as a TEAM throughout the play. The game can be played by 2 to 6 players. This is a great game to develop memory and social skills! 

(3) A Game With A Meaningful Theme 

Each ingredient card has clear, easily distinguishable illustrations on it, together with the printed name of the ingredient. I love the great variety of ingredients included (Tomato, Carrot, Onion, Potato, Peas, Pasta, Celery, Mushrooms, Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Salt & Pepper). There is also a double-sided sheet with “A Tale Of Stone Soup” - the classic folk story that brought so much joy to people around the globe for generations. This is an excellent game to improve reading skill for our little people! 

(4) Environmental-Friendly Game Components 

 The game components are made with ecologically responsible FSC-certified paper and printed with soy-based ink. The rules are printed on the inside cover of the box lid. 

Love it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Enjoy the video! 

Jump Jump Joey, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:             Games for toddlers          

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️     

Recommended age:    2 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that love ACTIONS / parents looking for cute games that focus on gross-motor skills 

What a CUTE game this is! This game is specially-designed for toddlers of around 2 year-old and above. I’m super stoked to be sent a copy of “Jump Jump Joey” by Peaceable Kingdom for review (thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy!) 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Cute Kangaroo Apron + A Lots Of Hopping!  

In this set, you get a cute, wearable kangaroo apron (with a pouch), 12 kangaroo pads, a parent guide, and instructions. To set up, spread the kangaroo pads face-down around a room. Each player jumps to 3 different pads whilst saying “Jump Jump Joey”. Next, turn over the last (third) pad that a player is standing near to. If you see a “Joey” (baby kangaroo), place it in Mama Kangaroo’s pouch (there are 3 Joey cards for you to spot). If you do not land near a Joey, then imitate the action as labeled on the pad. The rest of the 9 pads are essentially “action” cards - each has an action stated with an illustration of a kangaroo performing it (“Wiggle”, “Spin”, and more). Keep hopping and jumping around the room until the players located all 3 Joeys - and then, everyone wins together, as a team! Seriously, how CUTE is this game! 

(2) March, Dance, Wiggle, Spin, & More

I have not seen (or reviewed) many games that focus entirely on gross motor skills. I absolutely LOVE the great selection of “action” cards - the kids are asked to “March”, “Shake A Leg”, “Dance”, “Touch Toes”, “Look Surprised”, “Say ‘Where’s My Joey”, and more. I love that the actions cover a whole range of defined and “free-style” movements - including physical, expression, and verbal movements! I think this will be an excellent first game for our little buddies who enjoy moving, laughing, and having fun. 

(3) More Than One Way To Play 

There is more than one way to play with this set! There are other variations suggested, and feel free to come up with creative ideas to use the amazing contents! What about inventing more kangaroo pads with challenging movements for the older kids? Or play a hide-and-seek game, or treasure hunt where the found objects can be stored in the pouch? The game can be played in a group or solo with a kid. It has great potentials for developing essential skills like listening, following directions, building vocabulary, and more! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Big W (Australia) 

https://www.gamesworld.com.au/product/jump-jump-joey/ (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

The Happy Marshmallow Game, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Game for toddlers 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    2 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Parents looking for creative, developmental / learning games for toddlers 

This “The Happy Marshmallow Game” from Peaceable Kingdom is designed for “2-year-old” - or so I thought, until I tested it out with my 5 year-old. We laughed so much playing with these pretend sweet treats, incorporating the components into our invented games. We’re loving it, thank you VR Distribution for providing this. 

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) A Marshmallow Game To Boost Fine Motor & Social Skills

This is a wonderful toy to boost fine motor skills, learn color matching and counting, practise social skills such as following instructions and taking turns. Using the 2 marshmallow roasting sticks and 12 marshmallows (in pairs for 6 colours) - our little player draws one of the 12 marshmallow cards, finds the right marshmallow that matches the illustration, and threads it on the roasting stick. Each roasting stick can hold up to 4 (to 5) marshmallows on it. Kids can play it solo or cooperatively with a friend to get their 2 campfire sticks ready for a delicious snack! All the components are chunky and designed for little hands. We love the engaging and eye-catching marshmallow theme for a fantastic playtime! 

(2) One Toy - Multiple Ways To Play

The instructions include other ways to play: The 12 Marshmallow cards are perfect for a travel-friendly classic matching / memory game (flip 2 cards face-up one at a time to match a pair); we can build a marshmallow tower with the lightweight pieces, or play “magic wand” with the sticks. We also invented a few more games for my older kids including “Guess The Colours”, and “Order Your Marshmallow” game using the cards as “menu” - which we thoroughly enjoyed! 

(3) Marshmallows With Faces & Cute Expressions

The marshmallow are soft to touch but solid enough to slot into the sticks easily. I really love that each of the marshmallow has a “face” on it with a slightly different expression for each of the 6 designs. I love the sweet, mellow tone of the colours that gives a calm and soothing feel. 

(4) Pretend Campfire & Helpful Parent Guide 

The set also includes 2 pretend flame pieces that can be connected as a “campfire” to enhance the play experience! The included parent guide sets out some useful tips on how to play with a 2 year-old and helpful information about developmental skills from multiple aspects for kids of 24-36 months. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.thecoffeeapple.com.au/products/the-happy-marshmallow-game (Australia) 

https://www.boardgamemaster.com.au/products/the-happy-marshmallow-game (Australia) 

Enjoy the video!

Race to the Treasure, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Cooperative board game for young kids 

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids around 5 year-old - this is a great first game for young kids to train up cooperation /teamwork 

There is something satisfying about creating paths and watching multiple roads extending longer and branching out to different directions. Peaceable Kingdom has a fun little game called “Race to the Treasure” that combines the magic of path-building with the theme of ogre and treasure. Thank you Leisure Learning for providing this for a review. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Cute Game For Kids With Adorable Themes (Treasure & Ogres)

This is a simple game with easy rules. First, throw the dice and determine the position of the 4 keys and Ogre Snack. Next, players take turn to flip a tile over from the draw pile. The tile would either reveal an ogre, or a section of road (which may comes in the form of a straight road, L-turn or T-intersection). The aim is to form a continuous path (each tile connecting to a road of another tile) to collect 3 keys, and then rush to the treasure before the ogre does (ie before 8 or 9 ogre tiles are being flipped over)! An Ogre Snack gives us the power to remove an ogre tile from the red ogre track (and reduces the speed of the ogre to reach its destination). 

(2) Cooperative Game - Win Or Lose Together 

This is a cooperative game - everyone win or lose together. Players work collaboratively to come up with the best plan to defeat the ogre. This is a great game to learn cooperation - an awesome skill for young kids (as well as for the grown-ups!). 

(3) Set Up The Board Using Grid System 

I also like that the game board uses grid system to mark the locations of the tiles. To set up the game, we throw the two dice (one with letters A-F and one with numbers 1-6) to decide the starting “squares” that the keys and snack would be placed. I get to show the kids how to identify the intersected spots by looking at the horizontal and vertical axes. It was a great way to teach and talk about map-reading using grid. 

(4) Environmental-Friendly Components - A 100% GREEN Game 

This game is also 100% green, made using soy-based inks and FSC paper. I also love the cute artwork, relatively sturdy components, and good quality wooden dice. The durable paper envelope (as opposed to the usual plastic packaging) for storing of components is a nice eco-friendly touch.

This is an awesome game to introduce to young kids, but probably not so much for older kids or seasoned gamers. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/race-to-the-treasure (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

My Fairy Game, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Board game for young kids 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Young kids who enjoy cooperative games, especially one with a cute fairy theme! 

Beautiful fairies, golden unicorn, glittery jewels - I knew without a doubt that “My Fairy Game” would appeal to my four-year-old girl. But what I didn’t expect is even my six-year-old boy has the greatest FUN playing with it too! Thank you Leisure Learning for providing this amazing game from Peaceable Kingdom for a review. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Adorable Theme With Fun Rules - I LOVE the adorable Fairy theme, and the age-appropriate, easy-to-follow rules that make this game a breeze to learn. Yes, there are quite a few different tokens and special powers that would require a few reads from the adults before we can explain the rules properly to the kids; but once the kids started playing, the process is a natural. The object of the game is to accumulate sufficient “fairy powers” to install 4 hexagonal gems onto the wand to defeat the freezing effects caused by Mr Winter (a snowflakes-blowing, “villainous” cloud with a cute beard). Players shuffle the cards, takes one card at a time (which could be a “good” or “bad” card), match the colours, and takes an action to slow down the “chill”. Players work as a team to compete against Mr Winter to collect all 4 gems before a flower is frozen by 4 snowflakes of corresponding colour. 

(2) Luck + Strategy + Teamwork - There is a huge element of luck in this game (largely depends on the types and order of the cards being drawn), but there is also cooperative element that requires our young players to make “small decisions” collectively. For example, the “unicorn” card allows the players to hand over a card to another player to quicken the collection of jewel. I love that this is a game of team effort - everyone wins or loses together. There were plenty of “oh no!”, “yay”, “we did it”, “we won!”, and “high-five!” during the game, which was really amazing to see! 

(3) "Green" Components - This is a Peaceable Kingdom “green game” - all the paper and boards (jewel and snowflake tokens, playing cards, foldable board) are made with FSC papers and printed with soy-based inks. I would love if this set could include a cotton tote bag so we can keep the components organised, but overall, I love the environmental-friendly concept of the game! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/the-fairy-game

Enjoy the video! 

Mermaid Island, By Peaceable Kingdom - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Cooperative game for young kids  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Young kids that enjoy teamwork + mermaid theme 

Peaceable Kingdom has a range of cooperative games that bring smile to kids - easy to learn, eye-catching, and with no fast-paced competitive pressure. One of our favourite is “Mermaid Island” (kindly gifted by Leisure Learning ) that I would LOVE to share with you today. 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Cooperative Game + Teamwork - Who can resist the enchanting world of dazzling Mermaids, power of magical wands, potential invasion of Sea Witch, and sparkly Mermaid Island? We love the relatable and familiar fairy-tale theme that captivates the kids immensely! They love the clear objective of avoiding evil villain and racing to their destination before the “bad guy” outpaces them. They love that this is a “cooperative game”, ie everyone wins and loses together as a team. I love watching the two little kids having intense discussion, laughing and getting nervous together, making sure “no friend is being left behind”, and making “strategies” to outsmart the bad witch! 

(2) Easy to Learn - I love the easy rules with fun twists for added excitement. On each turn, player spins the spinner, and depending on where the pointer lands, either a Mermaid or the Sea Witch moves forward to get nearer to the mysterious Mermaid Island. If a Mermaid lands on the same space as the monstrous Sea Witch, the unlucky Mermaid would have to restart her journey from the beginning (although together, the players can counter this “evil” effect if the team possesses a magic wand). The game lasts around 10 to 15 minutes, and requires consistent teamwork and meaningful cooperation to win. Both my six and three-year-old love this game, but my guess is the elder kid will quickly outgrow the game in a year or so. 

(3) Green Game - According to the information sheet, this is a “Peaceable Kingdom green game” - all the paper and boards are made with FSC papers and printed with soy-based inks; all of the plastic parts (such as the “pointer” on the spinner) are made using a corn-based plastic (which is phthalate- and BPA-free and will biodegrade over time). The components are colourful, adorable, and all the game parts can be recycled. I love that this game is sustainable and friendly to the planet! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/mermaid-island-cooperative-game (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Dinosaur Escape, by Peaceable Kingdom

Nature/ Type:         Board Game 

Rating:                   ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age: 4-year-old and above

Who would love this: Mini dinosaurs lovers (especially those with a secret fascination with erupting volcanoes!) 

That’s Dinosaur Escape from Peaceable Kingdom ! 

Why do I love ❤️ it? 

(1) Cooperative Game: Well, the game encourages cooperation between players to reach a same goal. The 3D volcano standing puzzle is super cool, and we love memory game! 

(2) Easy Instructions: The rules are reasonably simple and easy to be followed even by a 4-year-old: Throw the dice, move any dinosaur to left or right, turn a “fern token” around to reveal the image: the dinosaur that matches the picture would be “rescued”, run when you see a T-Rex, and stay-still if you see a stone, shell or other random objects. 

(3) Dinosaurs Theme: This is one great games for prehistoric Jurassic Park lovers who love dinosaurs, volcanoes, and all things explosive and exciting! The 3D dinosaur pieces are a great little touch. 

The aim is to work with each other to get all three dinasours rescued to the isolated island before we complete the volcano puzzle (each piece would be added whenever we roll a “volcano” with the dice). It’s one game that we don’t need to compete with each other, and learn the value of collaborating with strategies!