Years back our son J became rather obsessed with the Angry Birds game, which he played not only on a tablet but also in reality through practical play. J would spend time building all kinds of structures from wooden blocks which he would then destroy using soft, plastic ‘ball pool’ balls.
Eventually Angry Birds released a range of spherical, plush toys and building sets which J was delighted by as it made playing far more realistic, in that it mimicked the game which he so adored. Years down the line J is still batty about his birds although tends to spend his time either drawing or animating his own work rather than throwing balls at blocks.
We were recently sent the ‘Make ‘N’ Break‘ game from Ravensburger to rate and review as a family. J took an instant shine to this game as it reminded him of the game which he would once play, only without the balls or the birds!
Make ‘N’ Break
Suitable for 2-5 players (ideally aged 8 years and over), ‘Make N Break‘ is a building game which requires a certain amount of patience and dexterity, as players are challenged to a race against the clock to copy and complete given structures in order to win the most points and to effectively win the game.
What’s Included?
Included within the ‘Make ‘N’ Break’ game is:
- 10 x Colourful Building Blocks
- 80 x Blueprint Cards
- 1 x Timer
- 2 x Die
- 1 x Card Tray
Game Play
To begin playing, players must roll the dice, then set the timer to complete building as many of the structures set as possible (using the ten colourful, building blocks included) within the allocated time. Each card features a range of structures which vary in difficulty (and therefore points awarded). It can therefore be tricky and at times rather frustrating to complete the cards correctly, whilst being careful not to knock the structure down.
Should a player accidentally knock their structure down then they must the card again, this is all very well but our son J found this rather upsetting and we therefore took the timer away simply to reduce the pressure put upon him.
Game play is said to last for about thirty minutes, this is dependent upon however long players wish to play for. We however, allowed our children the time to practice completing their structures without the pressure of timers or point scoring prior to playing as a family. This time gave the kids the opportunity to play without becoming overwhelmed or upset, this may not be an issue for some families but it certainly seemed to be the case for ours.
Whilst we have played ‘Make ‘N’ Break’ with the children, I look forward to playing this game over the festive season with friends and family as it is the ideal party game for adults, especially those who may have had a few… I will certainly be saving this game for some Christmas day chaos!
This game is not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts which may act as a choking hazard.
Purchasing & Pricing Information
Make ‘N’ Break is available in a wide rang of high-street and online stores including Smyths Toys and Amazon. With a recommended retail price of £24.99, this fantastic family game is currently on sale for only £24.40 from Amazon.
Our Final Thoughts
Whilst my children don’t tend to work well under pressure, they really enjoyed the practical side of playing this game. We altered the rules ever so slightly to make things a little more achievable for the children, that and to reduce the arguments and angst whilst playing Make ‘N’ Break!
I would certainly recommend this game to family, friends and of course my readers. It is great fun to play if slightly frustrating at times, certainly a game to hang onto for the holidays when you may have company to compete with.
For further information upon the ‘Make ‘N’ Break’ game or other Ravensburger games visit https://www.ravensburger.org/uk
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Product Rating
Disclosure: We were sent the above product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.