It’s just 5 days until the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The excitement is building and my girls are getting Princess-ready with this gorgeous Disney Princess puzzle by Ravensburger.
We love Ravensburger and have a few of their puzzles aimed at young children. The girls (and their friends) were so excited to see a new puzzle on the games-shelf and to work as a team to complete the picture. For over 100 years children have loved Ravensburger puzzles. They are of excellent quality and made from sustainable materials.
This bright and colourful XXL 100 piece puzzle is suitable for children aged 6+, but our younger girls also loved making the puzzle picture with a little help from mum. I think mum had just as much fun too… 😉 100 pieces may seem like a daunting number of pieces, but the puzzle wasn’t overly challenging. My 6 year old made the complete puzzle in around 15 minutes, but the smaller kids took around 30 minutes. Just enough time for me to sit back with a cuppa and enjoy some quiet!
This Disney Princess puzzle features Belle, Jasmin, Aurora, Tiana, Cinderella, Ariel, Rapunzel, Mulan, Merida and Snow White, all together in one large beautiful picture, that measures 49 x 36 cm when complete. Despite being 100 pieces and an XXL puzzle, this size is a lot smaller than I originally expected. Great for playing in smaller spaces on the floor!
You can read more about the Disney Princess puzzle on the Ravensburger website here. Check out their range of exceptional quality puzzles for the whole family too. Ravensburger puzzles are available on the high street and online, so do shop around for the best price.
This Ravensburger puzzle was gifted to us in exchange for this post. All words and opinions are my own.
This month’s board game review is of Pandemic, for the Asmodee Blogger Board Game Club. I have been super excited to play Pandemic for a long time, as I had heard such great things about the game.
What is Pandemic?
As humanity is gripped by 4 deadly viruses spreading rapidly, it’s a race against time for players to find a cure, by traveling around the world, sharing knowledge and preventing more outbreaks. Players play together, instead of against each other so you all either win or lose. The fate of humanity is in your hands!
If one or more diseases spread beyond recovery, humanity is doomed and all players are defeated. To win, players simply must find the cure for all 4 diseases and save the human race from elimination.
How To Play
You and your fellow team are members of a disease control force. You must work together to cure 4 diseased before a huge outbreak occurs and humanity is doomed. Pandemic is a cooperative game so all players win or lose together.
Players lose if:
8 Outbreaks occur (a world panic happens)
Not enough disease cubes are left when needed (a disease has spread too much)
Not enough player cards are left when needed (Your team has run out of time)
Each player takes on a specific role. A card is drawn at random for each player to determine the role of each player. These 7 roles have special abilities to improve your team’s chances of winning.
Contingency Planner
Dispatcher
Medic
Operations Expert
Quarantine Specialist
Researcher
Scientist
The Role cards have stunning artwork!
Play is kept simple. On each go your turn is divided into 3 parts. First, you do 4 actions (these actions are listed on an action card that is easy to hand for reference), then draw 2 player cards (these become your hand) and then finally, you infect cities.
Players should freely give each their advice- you are working together remember! Players should let everyone give their opinions and advice. Sometimes this can take a while, while you plan what you want to do to maximise the future of humanity! The player whose turn it is does have the final say.
Good points and Bad Points
I LOVE nearly everything about this game!
It’s easy to play
The board itself feels thick and sturdy
It doesn’t take up much room- No big bulky box
The artwork is stunning
Quick to learn
Instructions are clear and detailed
Makes a change to play a cooperative game rather than competitive
Fast paced- Keeps you on your toes and tensions high
Never gets boring
varying starting difficulty levels to keep the game challenging
There are not many bad things to say about this game, at all. But, if I were to nitpick…
It can seem daunting at first, but after 1 round, everything is easy
Lots of small pieces that a fiddly to handle
cooperative games aren’t for everyone
Extra Info
Pandemic was designed by Matt Leacock and is published by Z-Man Games. It was won various awards including the Golden Geek Award in 2009 by BoardGameGeek, which lists a further 34 awards and nominations… a truly astounding game!
The game is suitable for players aged 8+ but I do think my 6 year old would be able to play with a little help. It is suitable for 2-4 players, but I don’t see how more couldn’t join in if teams are made.
The idea of saving humanity from some grotesque disease may not be for everybody but the designer has also created Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert, which are totally different themes- but still cooperative. Keep your eyes peeled for reviews of these games on my blog soon!
Where To Buy
Pandemic is available for £36.99 RRP and is available from all good board game shops and Amazon.
