Cat Spotting, By ToToTam - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Speed spotting game 

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:     10 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Cat lovers / anyone who enjoys Where's Wally books. 

Do you have a sharp memory and an eye for tiny (kitten) details? Love a challenge that’s fast, fun, and a little chaotic? 🐾 Then Cat Spotting by ToToTam might just steal your heart. It’s quick to learn, wildly addictive, and packed with playful feline energy that pulls everyone in from the very first round.

Why I love ❤️ it: 

(1) Fast-Paced & Competitive - Spot The Cat!

Think Where’s Wally, but make it cats. A LOT of cats. Setup and learning take literally one minute. It’s fast-paced, competitive, and instantly addictive. You’re given 3 crowd cards and a cat card - your mission? Spot that exact cat hidden among the chaos as fast as possible. Simple? Yes. Easy? Absolutely not 😼 The game is built around 4 sets of crowd cards (A–D), each with 3 cards, and over 100 hand-drawn cats. Even though the cats look similar, the one you’re searching for appears on only ONE of the three cards—so trust your eyes, your memory, and your reflexes!

(2) Over 100 Cats - Each With Name & Personality

Cats are EVERYTHING. Over 100 illustrated cats, each with its own name and personality - and none are repeated. Black-and-white cards are a genius choice: classy, clean, and sneakily challenging. We’ve got Shank (band-aid on head), Donut (yes, wearing a donut float), Meep Meep (fish in mouth), cats with bows, recovery cones, and even one with a noodle bowl toppled on its head. Some are based on real cats, and somehow they all blend in while still being totally distinct. Every cat matters. Every cat distracts you. I love it.

(3) Great Replay-ability 

This game is a replay-ability galore! With 4 crowd sets, 3 cards each that can be arranged in different layouts and sequence, and 100+ cats, no two games feel the same. Every round feels fresh, frantic, and hilarious.

(4) Basic To Advanced Modes - Many Ways To Play!

There are so many ways to play! From the Basic Cat Spotting race, to advanced modes, 3-player “Cats in the Hand”, timed “Cats on the Table”, cooperative “Cats Together”, memory-testing “Memory Cats”, and more - there’s a mode for every mood.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.goodgames.com.au/products/cat-spotting

https://www.gamesmen.com.au/cat-spotting-board-game

Enjoy the video! 

Big Fish Little Fish, By Format Games - REVIEW

Nature / Type:             Card game

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:     7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this:  Kids that love speed/ reaction-based spotting games 

We’ve played plenty of reaction-based spotting games before—they’re always a big hit in our family. But Big Fish Little Fish from Format Games takes the challenge (and the giggles) to a whole new level.

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Speedy Game - Sharp Reflexes + Quick Thinking

This is a speedy game of sharp reflexes and quick thinking. Each card shows 10 quirky items across 4 colours—but the twist comes from the symbol on the back of the next card, which sets one of 6 conditions: spot the biggest thing in the world (big Earth), the smallest thing (small Earth), the item that appears the most (four dots), the item that appears the least (one dot), the colour shown the most (multi-colour dots), or the colour shown the least (single-colour dot). Flip a card, reveal the condition, and race to shout the answer! It sounds easy, but the wacky illustrations love to confuse you—we kept calling out the biggest object drawn, instead of the biggest in the reality. Add in colour-count mix-ups and you’ve got chaos! Fast, fun, and packed with laughter, this game kept everyone alert and giggling.

(2) Big Fish & Little Fish - Game With A Twist!

So why the name Big Fish Little Fish? Here’s the twist! If a card shows a Big Fish or Little Fish, players must drop the usual rules and shout ‘BIG FISH!’ (with hands wide apart) or ‘LITTLE FISH!’ (hands close together). The fastest player wins the card—and gets to steal one from the slowest! It’s not just a speed game now—it’s quick thinking plus fast-moving hands, adding an extra layer of chaos. 

(3) Add Penalty Points To Spice Up The Game

Want to spice it up? Add penalty points (as long as no one’s a sore loser!). Shout a wrong answer and you’ll lose a card from your won pile to the centre. The fastest correct player then wins those extra cards. Miss a Big or Little Fish and answer normally? Oops—hand over a card to the player who got it right! These little punishments really crank up the pressure and the laughs.

(4) Compact Game For Road Trips

This is the perfect compact game for road trips—fun for adults but easy enough to play with younger family members too. The game comes in a sturdy, cheerful box with bright, playful graphics—I especially love the colourful puffer Big Fish and Little Fish in their rainbow colours.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.cowtrees.au/educational-toys/839-big-fish.html

Enjoy the video! 

Coco Candy, By Laboludic - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:             Board game/ card game         

Rating:                        ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️    

Recommended age:    5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that love speed games (plus candies!) 

We love bringing Coco Candy from Laboludic around with us - it’s a travel-friendly, compact game that’s sweetly irresistible and tastily fun!  Thank you Divisible by Zero for providing a copy! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) A Deliciously Enticing Observation + Speed Game 

The enticing game box contains 54 double-sided, richly illustrated cards. One side of the cards features 8 sweet treats on white background, and the reverse side presents a “challenge” with conditions to fulfil. Using a “traffic light” red and green system, you will see images of 1 to 2 treats in a green frame (the “must have”) and 1 treat in a red frame (the “must not have”). To set up, spread all the cards with the 8 sweet treat images face-up on the table. Now, turn over a random card to its challenge side and observe the conditions. For example, it might show a banana and pink candy in green zone, and a strawberry in red zone - players then race to locate a card that satisfies both conditions (i.e a card that has both banana and pink candy BUT without a strawberry). The first player who spotted the right card wins the Challenge Card. The next round starts immediately by a player flipping over another random card. The BEST thing about this game: its rules are almost self-explanatory and super easy to explain (within seconds, literally), and everyone “gets it” quickly and can join the play at any stage, regardless of age. 

(2) Adorable Candy Theme With Sweet Selections 

We LOVE the adorable candy theme! Apart from the healthy fruit selections, there is also a red candy dispenser, lollipop, two-tier cake with candles, ginger bread man, chocolate donut with rainbow sprinkles, ice cream and cone with a cherry on top, and many more heart-melting treats!

(3) A No-Dull-Time Game For All Ages & Skills 

I love that the challenges suit all ages and skills, with no dull time. Some of the challenge cards present one sweet treat on each green and red zone, and some are slightly tougher with two treats in one zone. We can also add on the intensity by imposing penalty (return a won card) when a player made a mistake (eg pointing to a wrong card)! This is a great game to improve reflexes, observation, and concentration - all in the midst of laughter and non-stop giggles! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://kinderplay.com.au/products/coco-candy-game (Australia) 

https://www.dragonflytoys.com.au/products/coco-candy-game-by-laboludic (Australia) 

Check out more reviews of card games from Laboludic 

• Spy Kid, By Laboludic 
• Kezao, By Laboludic 

Enjoy the video! 

Letter Links, By FlexiQ Games - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:            Board game 

Rating:                       ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️     

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents looking for a fun and educational (phonics learning) game 

“Letter Links” by FlexiQ Games is a nice little addition to our kids board game collection: it has succinct and quick-to-learn game rules; almost zero setting up time, short and sweet game play (perfect for little people with short attention span), compact and travel-easy, and can be played almost anywhere and anytime. Thank you VR Distribution for providing a copy! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) A Fantastic Game To Learn Sound Patterns 

This is a fantastic game for school-age kids who are exploring the wonderful world of phonology, and getting themselves familiar with frequently-occurring sound patterns. The set includes 60 double-sided card: one side of the cards features 3 letters (2 red and 1 blue) each, and the reverse side of the cards features images of 7 unrelated and random objects/ animals. The game rules is pretty straightforward: be the first player to find the magic “link” - match a letter (from one card) with an image (from another card placed beside it) that starts with the corresponding letter. For example, “D” matches with “duck”, “S” matches with “socks”, and “H” matches with “helicopter”. The winner is the little champion who won (collected) most of the cards by the end of the game. The mechanism is intuitive. The gameplay is fast, stimulating, and strangely addictive. Our two kids love it! 

(2) 2 Ways To Play, 2 Difficulty Levels 

I love that the game rules provide 2 different difficulty levels. In the starter level, players only look at the 2 red letters, and need only to spot 1 image that matches 1 of the 2 red letters to win. In the advanced level, players look at all the 3 letters and must call out 2 correct “links” to win a card. 

(3) Colourful & Appealing Images 

The images are colourful and appealing. I love the hexagonal cards design and image arrangement (that suits a multi-player game very well). With a wide variation combinations of 3 letters and 7 images in 60 cards, this game has an impressively high playability! 

(4) Stay Focus & Think Fast!

I love a kids game with educational value - not only does it allow the kids to learn about phonics sounds, it also trains the kids to stay focus, connect pieces of information, think fast and flexibly - and really, no one minds a little bit of competitive fun 😉. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/letter-links-card-game/p/9900034244 (Australia) 

https://www.gamesworld.com.au/product/letter-links/ (Australia) 

https://www.thecoffeeapple.com.au/products/letter-links (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Spy Kid, By Laboludic - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:           Observation game for kids 

Rating:                      ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:   6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that enjoy speed/ memory/ observation games

I am hopeless with observation games. This is the game genre where the kids can easily compete on equal footing with the grown-ups (or even, outperform us with ease and in style). We tested out “Spy Kid” by Laboludic recently, and sure enough, both our kids excel in this game and beat the two adults mercilessly on each round! Thank you Divisible by Zero for providing a copy for review! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Spot The Difference Game With 50 Double-Sided Cards 

The set comes with 50 double-sided cards. Each side of the card contains 5 random objects, with 4 out of the 5 images being the same on both sides of a card. To set up, place all 50 cards in a deck at the centre of the playing area. All players have 5 seconds to simultaneously observe the pictures on one side of the card. Now, turn the card over and spot the difference! The first player who shouts out the new image on the reverse side, wins the card. The game continues until a player wins their first 5 cards. This is a speed game that is head-spinning, not as easy it seems, and is awesome to train up visual memory and reaction. We had a fantastic time playing with this game - frantically pointing, screaming out words, and cracking out brains to identify the minor (and not very obvious) difference! This is a game that would guarantee loads of laughter and excitement. 

(2) Adorable Graphics With Hint Of Retro-Ness 

I am in love with the adorable and endearing graphics with a hint of retro-ness. According to the rules booklet, this game is inspired by the “Kim’s Game” as described by Rudyard Kipling in his novel Kim. In the story set in India, Kim is a sharp and crafty street orphan, training up to become a spy for the King of England. To practice his memory skills, Kim studies groups of precious gems and makes a list of the items based on memory. I love the European feel of the illustrations - from snowman with yellow scarf, blue police vehicle, trees from autumn season, iconic red telephone booth, spy kid with magnifying glass, portmanteau bag with travelling stickers, to yellow cab and more. 

(3) Compact Game With Elegant Design 

I love how compact this game is and the sturdy, elegant cardboard box. This is an an ideal travel game for family vacation! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.thetherapystore.com.au/spy-kid (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Explore The Forest, By Headu - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Puzzle with Magic Torch included 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that love puzzles + a little spot and find surprise 

I love puzzles that add a little extra and surprises. This “Explore The Forest” puzzle from Headu is exactly that sort of puzzle that makes my heart beats with joy - you assemble, discover, and get excited with the innovative design! 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) Magic Torch - Like I said, this is more than just an ordinary puzzle! The 70 jigsaw pieces make a scene of colourful forest, jam-packed with flora and fauna, adventurous activities and unexpected items. The most prominent and BEST feature? The magic torch that uncovers the hidden and secretive objects that you can’t see with pure naked eyes! The two kids couldn’t stop shining the torch all over the assembled puzzle, admiring the completed artwork, and watching interesting bugs and invertebrates, random things and objects, appearing under blue light of the included UV torch: We found invisible bats, strange transparent scorpions, colourless trifoliate with three leaflets, hidden magnifying glasses and torch lights scattering all over the stunning forest scene! We felt like a family of spies and serious scientists, uncovering the secrets, mysteries and unknowns! 

(2) Find & Spot - Apart from the “unseeable” / concealed plants and animals and non-living objects, there are plenty more visible things to observe and spot (just like a green jungle version of “Where’s Wally?”). We found vibrantly red tropical hibiscus, rainbow-coloured parrots, cheetahs, thickly furred howler monkeys (or are they gibbons?), treasure maps, gigantic carnivorous plants, dazzling blue morpho butterflies, snapping alligators, a comical-looking nature explorer, compasses, and so many more! 

(3) Observation Pads at 4 Corners - The best thing? You get to tick off your discoveries with an erasable felt pen and 4 observation pads placed on each corner of the puzzle! This is definitely one of our favourite features of this puzzle; the two kids get to work cooperatively to spot and count the listed objects (from frying pans, binoculars, camping lanterns, frogs, to hummingbirds!). 

(4) Carry Case - We love the sturdy carry case and chunky cardboard material. You gotta love it when things are organised, fun, and made with quality in mind! 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.headu.com/en/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Observation Puzzle - Tea by the Sea, By Londji - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Playfully-designed observation puzzle 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Jigsaw puzzle lovers! 

Puzzles with uniqueness and hidden surprises always make my heart dances in delight! This Londji “Observation Puzzle - Tea by the Sea” from Antipoda Co is our latest love; not only that it gives us a joyful satisfaction completing the puzzle, we also enjoys the playful moments admiring the adorable illustrations and finding so many tiny details that brings us smile! 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) Uniqueness with Hints of Humour - We are enchanted by the imaginative illustrations with hints of humour and sprinkles of magic. I love the unusual length and unique rectangular shape (32 x 85 cm), which aptly sets the scene of a “quiet tea time above ground” and “unexpected surprises underwater”. I also love the zigzag borders of the puzzle (in Londji signature style). The kids had great fun completing the 100 pieces puzzle. I love that the puzzle is not too difficult for the kids, yet sufficiently challenging to keep them engaged. There are so many snapshots of happy scenes from top to bottom of this dreamlike puzzle: a ukulele-playing tiger, a French baguette on a tree, a letter-delivering pigeon, an underwater reader, a diver-mouse heading towards a cheese-bait, a rabbit in submarine, a curious mermaid, animals tea-party, a plant-watering / hat-wearing octopus, and I can go on and on! 

(2) Observation Game - Once the puzzle is done, the kids played “spot and snap” using the 48 observation tiles: a Wellington boot in the bottom of sea, pearl in a shell, crocodile guest, a menu on fishing line, an upside-down chameleon and so many more! 

(3) Story-Telling & Other Games - The instructions gives a few inspiring ideas on games that we can play. We had such enjoyable hours playing story-telling (oh look, the puffer-fish has just turned into a balloon, the frog prince is still waiting for his kiss!), detective (guess what I’m holding by asking “yes” / “no” questions), and drama game (let’s act out the kite-flyer and a basket). 

(4) Material & Box - I love the gorgeous box, made-in-Spain quality, FSC paper and recycled cardboard materials. As usual, Londji toys meet European safety standards, and are beautiful in so many levels! 

This is an impressive puzzle! 

 # gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://antipoda.co/collections/londji/products/londji-observation-puzzle-tea-by-the-sea

Enjoy the video! 

Find The Dots, by Andy Mansfield - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Creative interactive book designed by a paper engineer  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Playful and interactive book lovers  

I have a list of favourite children writers, including the whimsical Harve Tullet (you gotta love his colours-bursting fun collection like “Press Here”, “Mix It Up”, and “Let’s Play”). BUT, have you ever heard of “Find The Dots” by paper engineer Andy Mansfield? This book is insanely fun, jam-packed with happy surprises, and non-stop activities! We were THRILLED exploring this book, and we are absolutely IN LOVE with it! Thank you Kids Develop Store for sending this over for a review! ❤️ 

Why I love ❤️ this toy (ehem, I mean, book): 

(1) 10 Fun Puzzles - This book doesn’t just think outside the box, it chucks away any shape resembles a box and creates a brand new experience of reading! 10 marvellous puzzles hidden within this unassuming hardcover book; each page brings us smile and delightful discovery! It started with a playful “Find 1 red dot” that requires the reader to fold in four flaps towards the middle to reveal a hidden red dot. We also get to challenge ourselves with a “two spinners game” to discover 3 pink dots, looked for 6 blue dots using the reflection of mirror, pulled multiple tabs horizontally and vertically to spot 7 red dots, and busily searched through an inventive pop-up 3D polka dots cube to find 10 elusive orange dots! This book is unique, clever, simply irresistible! 

(2) Engaging Games for Fine-Motor Skills Training - It’s fascinating to watch my three-year-old lifting, pulling, folding, spinning, and exploring the book in all-sorts of creative ways to solve the puzzles and locate the dots! This is a super smart concept book that makes training of fine-motor skill extremely entertaining and engaging! 

(3) Colours + Counting - This book is fantastic for colours recognition and counting exercise. We love the brilliant palette of colours, and I really like how the book arranges the challenges in progressive difficulty levels. 

(4) Good Quality - Lift and flap books are notorious for being easily destructible. But this book, despite all its simple to complex mechanisms, has survived the repeated testings and multiple handlings by my two kids so far. It is still intact like brand new. 👍 

This innovative book is available for purchase from Kids Develop Store. I highly recommend it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

Kids Develop Store 

Enjoy the video! 

Postman Observation, By Londji

 

Nature/ Type:          Artistically-designed observation game 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  3 - 103 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Art + board game lovers! 

My heart danced in JOY the first time I saw this “Postman Observation” game from Londji . This is one of the most artistically delightful games I have ever seen; it’s quirky and so aesthetically pleasing! Thank you Antipoda Co for sending this pocket version game to us! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Beautiful Observation Game - Our family loves observation game. Londji elevates the experience by incorporating fun elements in it such as a “mission-fulfilling” postman theme, whimsical houses, and even fables characters! The rules are pretty simple. First, assemble the interlocking game board pieces in random order; each player is allocated with equal number of “letters”. The aim is to spot the specific house indicated on the challenge card and be the first to deliver a mail to the right house. This is a frantically fun game that can be played competitively, or cooperatively in true postal service style (like what my kids ended up doing 🤣). I love that the game board pieces can be arranged in different configurations, and how everyone can join in the fun simultaneously! This is a pocket version so the components are smaller, but that sure doesn’t affect the awesomeness of the game! 

(2) Artwork- I love the unique and playful artworks in muted colours; they’re artistic, romantic, and full of childhood nostalgia. I love the classic European houses: large rectangular and arched windows, chimneys, interesting roof lines, mixed of sweet and boldly painted exterior. You can also find cheeky small cottages belonging to 3 little pigs and Hansel and Gretel’s candy house “hidden” within the town, and some community buildings such as a school, hospital and fire station. 

(3) Different Difficulty Levels- I love that the challenge cards have different levels of difficulty. Some are straightforward (spot the exact same house), some are challenging (eg find a white house with red door but without a chimney). This is a game for all ages! 

(4) Quality - The quality of this game is top-notch! The product is proudly created in Barcelona and made of sturdy recycled cardboard and paper. The components are stunning. I also love the drawstring bag and the beautifully-made box. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://antipoda.co/collections/londji

Enjoy the video!