We love Big Potato Games. Perfect for a household where the kids are getting older, all of their games have easy to learn rules, instant play and make you laugh. This bundle has 3 of our favourites - 20 Second Showdown, What Came First? and my personal favourite, the gloriously packaged Blockbuster Movie Game.


Big Potato have sent us a lot of games for review over the past couple of years, and these are 3 excellent choices which we've all really enjoyed, so I'm delighted that they have offered to send this bundle of 3 games (worth almost £65rrp) as a Christmas Present to one of my readers.

What Came First? is a light-hearted game where opponents wager tokens on their ability to correctly identify when things happened. If you are also someone who struggles to remember what you had for tea 2 days ago, believe me, it's trickier than you'd think..


As ever with Big Potato games, it is beautifully presented in a modern looking box which is useful for storage for the lifetime of the game, and you can play instantly. No tricky rules and everything is fairly obvious.

Inside the box are the Game Board, Question Cards and plastic Chips, and cardboard Playing Pieces, Time Tokens and a Starter Token.


You'll need 2 minutes before first play to press them out and then you're good to go.

Big Potato have got some brand new games this Autumn, and they've sent us a bunch to take a look at. The first is P for Pizza - and as usual there's no lengthy set-up time, it has easy instructions and anyone can play. 

P For Pizza is suitable for 2-4 players aged around 8+. It's a fast-paced game and you'll need to be pretty quick to be in with a chance of winning! It's far more funny than seriously competitive though... 

Big Potato have amazing modern design, and their packaging is always bold and really attractive. P For Pizza is no exception, and naturally it's shaped like a Pizza slice. EVERYTHING is plastic-free, the cards are even held together with paper during transit (nice one). 

Included is a sheet of cool little stickers, which we did fight over (so hide them before you show anyone else)....

Blockbuster is a brand new game from the very clever people at Big Potato. A party game for 4 or more, played in 2 teams, film knowledge is a bonus, but definitely not essential.

Frankly it's hilarious and even my 9 and 10 year old boys, who don't even know 2/3 of the films on the cards, think it's hilarious too.


Our parcel arrived with a big "Quik Drop" label, and I knew what it was instantly! I practically lived in Blockbuster for about 10 of my most influential years. The very thoughtful people at Big Potato had sent us everything we needed for a movie night...


The packaging is THE BEST PACKAGING IN THE WORLD EVER!! A real genuine imitation Blockbuster video box. Nostalgia is pouring into my soul.

Our latest game review for Big Potato Games is Colour Brain - Disney Edition. Suitable for 2-12 players aged 8+, this is a question and answer game where every answer is a colour.

Just like most Big Potato Games, there are no tricky rules to learn and virtually no set up or tidy away time needed, so it's really user-friendly and ideal for parties or family gatherings.


Inside the box is everything you need: The Rules, Pencil, Scorepad, 8 Card Steal Cards, 44 Colour Cards and 5 packs of 50 double-sided Question & Answer Cards. There's very little plastic waste and you can play instantly.

We really are huge fans of Big Potato Games and it's rare we find any of their games we don't like. I wasn't sure if 20 Second Showdown would be my thing, but they sent us a copy for review and it is brilliant! Active, but not too active. Silly, but not too silly. Fiercely competitive and frantic at times? Ohhh yes...


We were sent a whole box of treats and goodies to make an evening of it and 20 Second Showdown is suitable for 5 players or more, so we even invited a friend over for the first play through. As with all Big Potato Games, the rules are simple to understand, but it's once you start playing that you can really get into the swing of it.

My next review for Big Potato Games is Rainbow Rush, which is suitable for anyone 8+. This is a really fast-paced game for 2 or more players. The winner is the first to collect a rainbow of colours, but it's not as sweet and innocent as it sounds - this is fairly frantic!

No wasteful packaging and everything is stored in a neat little specially shaped box, ideal for storage and transportation, which you keep in sight during play to remind players of the rainbow order.

Inside the box are 2 packs of cards (hard and easy), 7 coloured stacks made up of 10 blocks and instructions. Set up takes no time at all and nor does learning the rules - Christmas morning-friendly.

Our latest big kid adult game review for Big Potato Games is brilliant. It's called Scrawl and it's a grown up game (recommended age 17+) because it can all turn out a little risque or NotSafeForWork, in fact it's pretty much guaranteed. The game suits 4-8 players, but you can have as many as you want if you play teams. It's hilarious and makes an excellent party game, ideal for young people or when friends are round and the kids are in bed.


Inside the box is everything you need, including 8 white board pens and 8 little felt board wipes, 8 bulldog clips and writing boards, loads of 'Scrawl cards' for writing/drawing on, scorecards and game cards with 240 different scenarios to play.

Big Potato Games are a relatively new discovery for me and I'm delighted to be working with them. Over the next few months we'll be reviewing a good few of their games for older children, teenagers and adults, and the first is one which I was given at BlogOn Conference - OK Play. A tile game for 2-4 players that anyone can play, anywhere...


OK Play is well packaged in plastic, which is discarded once opened. My kids trashed ours. This is a bad re-enactment of  'in the original packaging'.

The Chameleon is another game from Big Potato which is aimed at more grown up members of the family. Suitable for 3-8 players aged 14+ (although younger players can join in, see below), this is a family party game which we found hilarious. The answers can be brilliant.... and so random.


Packaging is great, with only a plastic wrapper to discard. The box is beautiful quality. Inside the box are 2 packs (green and blue) of Code Cards each with a Chameleon Card, larger green Topic Cards, a huge 'make your own' Blank Topic Card, 2 Dice and 1 dry-wipe marker, plus the rules.


There is no set up time and the rules are simple, so you can play straightaway once you've opened the box. The cards are all shiny coated, so they are okay to draw on with whiteboard/drywipe marker and they'll last you a lifetime.

Uni Students might also want sensible gifts for their studies, but Christmas is about being frivolous, and I like to treat my 4 grown up uni student offspring to things that'll make them smile and maybe also have a practical side. I have previously been sent some of the following items for review - but I wouldn't also include them in this post if I didn't like them! 

Miss You Loads. 

Is anyone ever too old for a soft toy? Uni students this year especially have to cope by themselves far more than in the past. They haven't been able to nip home, and physical contact might be a bit lacking. 

I recently did a review for Moonpig, and sent my 21 year old Uni student this Sloth which warms in the microwave for a very fair £10. Other creatures are available. It's the closest thing to a hug - and it really doesn't have to be pink or fluffy. 

Weird Things Humans Search For is our second review for Big Potato Games. Suitable for 3 or more players and recommended for around age 14+, you can play as individuals, but this really comes into its own as a team game for teenagers or older and makes an ideal party game.


A game about 'Weird Things Humans Search For' instantly has the potential to be hilarious, and we weren't disappointed. There are plenty of giggles and genuine belly laughs as players attempt to guess the most popular ending to an internet search phrase. A sort of modern day equivalent of  Blankety Blank meets Family Fortunes.


Everything you need is in the box, including pencils and paper, so you can play immediately. There's no set up, play centres on the Question Cards and the rules are simple. Each round choose 1 player to be 'The Search Master', who reads out the question and knows the true answers. We simply took it in turns.

My entire household love Big Potato Games. They make and distribute slightly more grown up games, with an element of adult humour and understanding that makes them ideal for teenagers and young people, or for playing together with your older children. We've been sent Dan and Phil's Truth Bombs to review. A 14+ rated game for 4-8 players which is incredibly easy to play straight out of the box and it's a massive hit here.


Inside the box you have everything you need to play: 70 double-sided Question Cards, 7 Coloured Card Mats, 160 'Target' (or Answer) Sheets, 8 Pencils, A Scorepad and the very short Rules.


The double-sided Question Cards have print repeated upside down at the opposite end - like a playing card, you can read from either side of the table. This stops everyone constantly picking them up to read them. Genius move.

Clickbait is the description for an outlandish headline or title designed to make anything seem exciting, although in the case of this game it's probably a fair description... Suitable for 3 or more players aged 14+, it's your job to think up the snappiest and most enticing clickbait. It's fast. fun and the answers can be hilarious - and sometimes genius! Sometimes not....


My game arrived in ridiculously exciting packaging, and I was even forced to open it immediately and play a test game with my 8 and 9 year old boys. Clearly they couldn't resist the clickbait... and possibly the very cool, unusually-shaped box.


Inside the box is everything you'll need, including pencils and paper for 8, game cards, instructions and special letter dice.

Here at The Brick Castle we have the 2 young boys, but we've also got 4 grown up children. They are all still studying and haven't got their own families yet, so Christmas gift buying for us is more about finding interesting gifts for big kids than it is visiting toy shops...


Here are a few of the things we've been sent to review over the past year or two which have really impressed us and make a great Christmas present, especially if you aren't quite ready to grow up just yet. Oh, and Amazon links are affiliate. It only earns me a few pence each time if you order through my link, but it helps keep the website running and doesn't cost you a penny....

The Board Game Family: Reclaim Your Children From The Screen is a fantastic 'how-to' for parents wanting to bring their kids back into the living room, away from their phones and back into family life together. Anyone who reads my blog will know that board games are a huge thing here, we play most weekends year round and usually everyone in the house joins in...


As soon as I opened The Board Game Family I knew we were on the same wavelength. The writing style is chatty and full of sarcasm and witty quips. It's friendly, accessible and perfect for parents of today's teenagers.


Ellie Dix starts by explaining why you need board games as part of your family life. The benefits of board gaming are massive. Playing games develops confidence, memory, co-ordination, logic skills, problem-solving and decision-making. It teaches you patience, tolerance and an understanding that everyone thinks differently. Ellie also explains how a healthy culture of competition and good gamesmanship can strengthen relationships.

Gaming helps us reconnect with our children. It is quality relaxation time where you aren't all doing the same thing separately or silently, you are working together as a unit, chatting, laughing and socialising. I personally see it as very important time spent, and I know my 10 year old likes absolutely nothing better than playing a game together with his family.


The examples of games included in the book really caught my excitement. Ellie rates a good few of the games which we really like to play. Carcasonne is my 9 year old's favourite game and a lot of the really good independent games we've reviewed for Asmodee are mentioned in this book. 


There is a great toolkit for getting started, even if you haven't been a game player yourself. Ellie suggests ways to bring games into your family's life, and which games will be a good starting point.

Last weekend was the 11th BlogOn Conference, at Hotel Football in Manchester. Despite a few major post-op panics hiccups over the past 3 weeks, I made it! It was a bit different for me this time because I couldn't be involved in bag-packing, but with a chair and a table I was still able to join Sim in our usual job checking everyone into the conference.

Bizarrely it didn't rain. This happens only when people visit, to make us look like liars when we say it always rains in Manchester.


The goody bags were all laid out ready, you can see the contents on social media by looking up #blogongoodybags . There's a big team who are there from really early on to help Laura on the day. I felt like a cheat just sitting down at the sign in table.


I spent almost the entire day sitting down, but I got a lift selfie in early. Cleverly I handed Sim my camera - I'm a bit too short to get everyone in unless they all bend down! This was as packed a lift as I was happy with really. My main aim for the whole day was not to be bumped in the belly.

The Green Board Game Company make inclusive games that you can play together, whatever your ability or age. They encourage brain power and build skills such as memory and vocabulary, but don't ask for hours of commitment and concentration. Most of all though, they're fun.

Green Board Games sent us 3 of their most popular games to review: Visual-memory game Shaperise, one of the original BrainBox games - BrainBox Roald Dahl and the very different and creative Re,Cycle,Me.


The first game we tried was Shaperise, rrp £15. This was the winning game in the Young Games Inventor Of The Year Competition 2016 and was designed by 11 year old Sebastian Fleming-Smith. Suitable for age 8+ and 2 players, younger children can join in non-competitively and it's great for hand-eye co-ordination, concentration and even learning colours.


Everything comes in a neat cardboard box which can be used for storage afterwards. There are 40 coloured blocks, a timer, instructions and 60 different Shaperise Cards. The cards are in 3 levels of difficulty and each show a design that you have to copy using the blocks.

Until Sunday 1st January 2017 Event City at Trafford park in Manchester has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland, offering children under 12 and their families the UK's largest indoor Christmas theme park, and a magical experience they'll remember forever...