Fish Stix

I read the reviews for this product, so I had high hopes going in. And I think the game mostly lived up to those hopes.I liken the gameplay to a mix between dominoes and the fan tan (aka sevens) card game, but with a much greater ability for big comeback swings. It often feels like luck plays a big role, but strategy definitely makes an impact. The mechanics are definitely simple enough for most 5 year olds (assuming an adult can help them the first couple times playing), but don't expect a 5 year old to win often against anyone making balanced decisions.My biggest complaint is the color coordination of the game. The artist they hired was not a game designer/player, clearly. This game would be so much less tedious to play if they had been more careful about the colors used for the fish vs. the background color of the stick itself. Why would you put a blue fish on an orange background if there's another stick with a blue background that counts as "blue" for the purposes of scoring? I understand the intention of contrast, but maybe they should have just made sure none of the fish were the same color as the background colors used? Or maybe just make all the fish black/white? Not enough of a complaint to knock a star off my review (it's a kids' game; cute over functional is preferred, I suppose), but just an unfortunate aspect for an otherwise fun game!

Surprisingly fun game. I got it based on the reviews of other board games for kids. It is a little advanced for my then 4 (now 5) year old, but it is something that certainly has a lot of re-playability (even without the kids). Just make sure you have plenty of space when you start - I recommend floor over table top - as game play can take up a large area. Good game for developing pattern recognition, counting/score-keeping, and strategy.

We absolutely love peaceable kingdom games!!! My kids are 5 and 7 and we own 7 different PK games. They are very well made, have sturdy boards and pieces and the cooperative aspect of most of their games is a welcome change to standard board games.Fish Styx is definitely best suited for older kids. My 5 year old is still a bit young for it. I also had a little trouble with the instructions and we ended up playing it wrong the first couple times. This game, however is excellent for a group of kids because you can just keep building and building.

My 4 year old got this game for Christmas, but it really was better geared to my 6 year old (now 7). The 4 year old needed help, but the 6 year old got it just fine. It takes a good 45 minutes to play the game so attention span is a factor and the more the merrier in playing. The rules are simple and it does wonders for counting and patterns. My only recommendation would be to magnet back the individual game pieces especially if you have wiggly kids.

This is a great game to teach strategy, patterns and counting. I had hoped to purchase one of the Peaceable Kingdom games that promote team work instead of competition. I probably neglected to read the game information before purchasing. This is still a fun game that both my 4 and 9-yr-old can play. My youngest child needs assistance and gets a bit bored when it isn't her turn. It does not keep her attention well yet. I'm looking forward to trying another Peaceable Kingdom game in the future, as I had high hopes for this one. Overall, I do recommend this game for strategic planning, recognizing patterns and practicing patience. This may not be beneficial for children who need practice in teamwork.

I bought this game for a Christmas gift for an 8 year old boy with a 5 year old brother. This game was a big hit. The grown ups, especially me, enjoy playing it too. The game is a bit advanced for a 5 year old but he can play with some assistance. Think of this game as a large version of dominoes with colorful fish. Some strategy is helpful but not completely necessary. Make sure you clean off the dining room table or the living room floor before you get started because you will need a good bit of space. A great game to bridge the gap between pre K games and elementary school level.

This is a fun game to play once we got a hang of the directions. The first time we played it wrong and it wasn’t that much fun. But after re-reading the instructions we tried it again and the game was a hit. Perfect for families. Keeps kids and parents engaged but it’s not so challenging a kid can’t win the game.

I love this little game. I took it out to play with my niece who was 9 and her 7 year old brother. They loved playing it with me. She even told her parents she would like it for her 10 birthday. So she got it for her birthday from me. My nephew 9 and 8 also loved playing it with me when they came. It is a big hit.