Hasbro Monopoly, Scrabble and Sorry Review

In a family's busy schedule there is the desire to sit down and play family games, but very rarely the time.  Weekends are filled with errands, church and sports and catching up on doing all the things we didn't have time to do during the week.  Unfortunately, family favorite games such as Monopoly, Sorry, Scrabble and Yatzee now take too much time to play.  

A leader in the board game industry, Hasbro, (which includes Milton Bradley, Tonka, Parker Brothers and Tiger brands) has developed a way for families to have family game night and still enjoy the traditional favorite games.  At the 2007 American International Toy Fair, Hasbro introduced several new versions of their four of their most classic games, know named Express Games. 

Express games are meant to be played in 20 minutes, an amount of time that almost all busy households can set aside for some quality time together.  Hasbro and many other toy manufacturers have been moving in this direction for several years.  For example, our recently purchased Scene It Jr.   game has a long and short version. Trivial Pursuit has an option which shortens the game.  In the new version of   "Life," players shorten then game and new rules are available. 

One of the  "express games" available is Monopoly, which has sold more than 250 million copies worldwide and is considered the best selling commercial board game in the world.  Since there are approximately 100 variations of the original game, it stands to reason that this most popular family game would be among the first to have an express game place. The express version allows players to roll multiple dice to purchase properties. 

The Scrabble of the past could take hours to play. The express version of Scrabble uses a letter dice instead of tiles.  The smaller size board will accommodate two words at a time and scores are collected.   

I remember the game "Sorry" being a popular one when I was growing up.  I also remember my father being ruthless at this game and always winning. Now, he can win even quicker when we all get together for family events, which games usually play a part of.  The express version of Sorry allows you to capture the other player's pawns, thus eliminating that pawn from play, instead of "sending them back to start" and ending the game quicker.

Each of these games is made for 2-4 players and is completed in approximately 20 minutes.  Favorite classic games can be enjoyed by the whole family, with memories of the past relieved with the next generation of friends and family.   

My Viewpoint:

The shortened versions are a big hit with the whole family.  I can spend quality time playing the games with the rest of the family, usually before the young ones become too restless. The express games also allow us to include the preschooler in the easier games, and she can actually complete it before her attention span wonders to something else. There are also great for travel, since they are small enough to pack, but of better quality than the travel sizes.

Family game night may seem old fashioned, but it is so important that if you love games you take the time to play with your children every once in awhile.  And, it is something you can do to have fun even on a rainy day and without the TV on. 

Did you know that family games: strengthens family bonds, parents and children actually talk while playing games; it increases your child's strategic thinking skills; teaches life skills like patience, sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty and concentration.