Cyrus Kirby
United States
Elgin
Minnesota
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The Basics:
o Ages 2 and up
o For 1 to 4 players
o About 5 to 10 minutes
Geek Skills:
o Visuospatial Skills
o Memorization & Pattern Matching
Learning Curve:
o Child – Easy
o Adult – Easy
Theme & Narrative:
o Time to get ready for bed, but before you do, clean your room and tell those pesky monsters to get out!
Endorsements:
o Gamer Geek rejected!
o Parent Geek approved!!
o Child Geek rejected!
Overview
Go Away Monster! is a very simply game where your little geek and you get to build a bedroom and banish the monsters that live under the bed, in the closet, and in the darkest, deepest corners. There are two versions of game play: cooperative and competitive. The game itself is comprised of a player’s game board (which represents their bedroom), a bag, and small cardboard cutouts of beds, pictures, lamps, teddy bears, and, of course, monsters.
The setup, regardless of which version of game you are going to play, is the same.
Each player gets a game board and places it in front of them. Pictured on the game board is the player’s room that shows what pieces of furniture are missing. The game board serves two purposes. First, it provides a place for the player to set their game pieces. Second, it visually shows what the missing pieces of furniture look like.
In the bag, you place 1 bed, 1 lamp, 1 teddy bear, and 1 picture piece for each player. For example, if you have 3 players, you’ll place 3 beds, 3 lamps, 3 teddy bears, and 3 pictures in the bag. Extra pieces are not included in the game; set them aside. Regardless of the number of players, all the monsters go in the bag.
That’s it for setup; let’s get to the game!
If you are playing the cooperative version of the game, each player takes a turn blindly pulling out one piece from the bag at a time. The goal is to “feel” for a piece that is shaped like the missing furniture in the room. If the selected piece is furniture, it is either placed in the player’s room or passed to another player if that piece of furniture has already been claimed. If it is a monster, the player is enthusiastically encouraged to yell, “GO AWAY, MONSTER!” and then either place the monster aside or throw it across the room. Each player only gets one pull from the bag regardless of what piece they grabbed. The game ends when all the rooms have been filled with the missing furniture.
If you are playing the competitive version of the game, which essentially makes the game a race, you select a single piece from the bag on your turn and place it in your room, but instead of giving an already claimed piece of furniture to another player, it is placed back in the bag. Monsters are treated the same as in the cooperative version of the game. Each player only gets one pull from the bag regardless of what piece they grabbed. The winner is the first player to fill their room with the missing furniture.
It should also be noted that this game can be played solo by your little geek with little to no difficulty. If your little geek chooses to do so, he or she will be using the cooperative rules of the game. The game rules do not specifically say this, but it is more or less implied.
Final Word
Go Away Monster! is the perfect game for your very young little geeks. It is simple to play, allows for fun interaction, and there are plenty of opportunities to teach and learn from each other while playing. But do not expect this game to be played long. If your little geeks really like playing games, you and they will soon grow bored with Go Away Monster!, as it doesn’t provide a lot of replay value or challenge.
I received this game as a gift, and a thoughtful one at that. The individual who gave it to me was part of a Secret Santa Gift Exchange through the Dice Tower guild on Board Game Geek. My Secret Santa knew very well that I had little geeks and gave me this game, I am assuming, because he thought my kids would enjoy it. And he was right, but the level of enjoyment lasted only 4 games.
In a word, the game is too “simple”. The mechanics are not overly challenging and the game lacks meaningful depth. Yes, I am asking a lot from a game specifically designed for an age group that has just recently graduated out of diapers, but I can’t help it. I am a bit spoiled as my sons enjoy more interesting and complex games.
I don’t want to paint Go Away Monster! as a “bad game”, because it certainly isn’t. It is just a very simple one. This game is great for early childhood development and is easy to learn and play. Regardless of age, your little geek will pick it up fairly quickly and fun times will be had by all.
I also recommend this game for parents who have children with early auditory, visual processing, language, and motor difficulties, as well as for teachers and educators who have students between the ages of 2 and 4. Bright colors, durable pieces, and easy game play will make this a hit in the classroom and a welcome alternative to the everyday-boring-building-blocks.
You are no doubt asking yourself by now why I stated that this game was neither endorsed by Father or Child Geek, despite the fact that I just said so many nice things about it. It comes down to game play. My two oldest sons (ages 6 and 3) learned how to play this game, played it, and then left it. This game gets no love from them whatsoever. It has been forgotten and tossed to the side like a broken toy. For the brief moment it was in their lives, they enjoyed it, but it was all too quickly forgotten. To me, that means the game wasn’t really all that big of a deal to my sons. Thus the rejection. Sorry, monsters.
But fear not, oh Horrid Ones! I have a 1 year old who is working his way up the geek ranks (already shows a surprising love and interest in Transformers and dragons!), which means Go Away Monster! will be brought back from exile at least once more in the near future. Until then, I will keep it on the shelf with the monsters safely tucked away in the box.
Sleep well, little monsters. Sleep well.
Respectfully submitted by Father Geek
fathergeek.com
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Gern Blanzden
Spain
Colorado
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I find the best age for this game is 18 months up to about three years.
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J. Jefferson
United States
Columbus
Ohio
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Gern_Blanzden wrote: I find the best age for this game is 18 months up to about three years.
Yeah, if your kids are 6 and 3 you have probably missed the sweet spot for this game. It's just right for my 19-month-old who demands this game daily. Any less simple, and she wouldn't be able to follow.
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Cyrus Kirby
United States
Elgin
Minnesota
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It's a shame the sweet spot is so limited. The game really did spark the interest of my two sons, but just couldn't hold it.
The recommended age on the box is 3+. I suggest 2+. Sounds like others are saying the game can be played as early as 18 months! That's great! Lucky parents...
Like I said in the review, this isn't a bad game! Just, sadly, not for my two oldest anymore. The fact that my middle child is the perfect age, as suggested by the box, and didn't care for it is not an indication that the game is bad. It just means the game isn't challenging for him anymore.
That's progress and something you actually want to see as a father geek. You want your kids to start playing more complex games. Can you imagine playing Candy Land in your 40s for fun? I'm sure there are those who do, but I'm pretty sure I'd go nuts.
Now, my youngest? Only 1 years old! I'll be playing this with him as soon as I can!
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Gern Blanzden
Spain
Colorado
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I'd agree that the sweet spot is limited, but it starts really, really early. I don't know of any game (OK, maybe peek-a-boo) that works so well for children so young. I bought it for my older daughter when she was about 18 months old and she enjoyed it for a couple of years. My second started playing at about 13 months or so and now (20 months) loves it. The elder will play now, but only to humor her little sister.
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Big Kat
United States
Tualatin
Oregon
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I bought this when my daughter was 2 and she loved it. I think we played it 10 times in the first couple of days after we opened it. It is a great first game for kids. My older boys enjoyed it because it was a game that they could play with their baby sister.
But I would say 2-3 (maybe 4) is probably the right age for this game. And I think it would be better as a first game. If they've played more complex things first, then it might not be so interesting. Play it until they're not interested anymore and then pass it on to a friend who has a baby.
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Cyrus Kirby
United States
Elgin
Minnesota
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bigkat wrote: Play it until they're not interested anymore and then pass it on to a friend who has a baby.
That is an excellent suggestion.
GOLD FOR YOU!
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Take joy from you wins; take lessons from your losses.
United States
38.978164N 76.486881W
Maryland
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First of all I'd like to say that this is a fine, well-considered, well-written review. It's good to see games that draw a wider audience to BGG being presented so well and so thoroughly.
Games geared to this age group have the same useful lifespan as your children's clothing. When you consider that a child moves from completely helpless and immobile to reading and running in a period of 60 months it's remarkable things last as long as they do. Donate them to the next kid when yours are done.
Four years ago I championed kids games on this site, writing reviews and starting threads specifically geared towards parents of young kids looking to find ways to entertain and teach. I strong-armed the powers-that-be to start a Gaming With Kids category in the forums. Just a few short years later I'm no longer qualified for the position -- my two youngest are eight and I've already started losing my edge when considering young kid games such as this. I'm happy to see others continuing to promote them.
Go Away Monster is a fun game that is more about teaching patience and turn order than anything else, and more about a bit of discovery fun. Don't expect it to reach beyond age three. Its lessons learned, four-year-olds are ready to move on to games with a bit more variability such as Sputnik (available for under $15 now) which provide a solid foundation in geometric gaming concepts through simple rulesets and an open nature to the gameplay.
Note that it is an exceptionally rare child's game that indicates it is appropriate under age three, because it has to clear significant safety hurdles in the U.S. to do so. If a game sets a bottom age at three, it essentially means its gameplay is age-appropriate as soon as they can sit up and see the pieces.
The go-to games for my kids at this age were Max and Froggy Boogie, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and the usual cadre of KMart titles. The first two are very much worth a look if your kids are in this age group. Sputnik came along later for my kids, but reached down to age five and is still getting time with my kids through age 14.
S.
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Posted Tue Feb 8, 2011 3:13 pm
