With all the technology my kids have access to, I still love the fact that they enjoy sitting down to play a good old-fashioned board game.
There's something special about getting everyone around the table together. Board games are such a simple way to spend time as a family, usually accompanied by plenty of laughter, a little competitiveness and, in our house at least, the occasional disagreement over who's actually winning!
Bugs in the Kitchen by Ravensburger puts a slightly different spin on the traditional family board game.
Instead of simply moving a playing piece around a board, there's a little HEXBUG Nano scurrying around the kitchen – and you have to try to guide it into your trap!
What's Inside Bugs in the Kitchen?
Our Bugs in the Kitchen game came with everything needed to create the kitchen maze, including:
Game board
HEXBUG Nano
24 kitchen utensils, including knives, forks and spoons
24 pegs
Four bug traps
18 cockroach tokens
Dice
Two trap doors
One feature I particularly liked was that the game is set up inside the box itself.
Once you've completed the initial setup, everything has its place and the box becomes the game board. It makes playing much easier and also helps when it's time to pack everything away again.
Anything that makes tidying up a children's game quicker gets my approval!
How Do You Play Bugs in the Kitchen?
Each player has a trap positioned in one corner of the board.
If you're playing with fewer than four people, the unused traps can be closed off using the supplied trap doors.
The knives, forks and spoons are then arranged on the board to create a maze. The instruction booklet provides different layouts you can use, so you don't have to start with exactly the same maze every time.
Once everything is ready, it's time to release the bug.
Switch on the HEXBUG Nano, place it in the middle of the kitchen and watch it start scurrying around the maze.
Then the chaos begins!
Roll the Dice and Change the Maze
Players take turns rolling the dice.
Depending on what you roll, you can rotate the corresponding knife, fork or spoon on the board.
Moving just one utensil changes the route through the maze and can send the HEXBUG in a completely different direction.
The aim is to position the utensils so that the bug eventually makes its way towards your trap – while everyone else is trying to do exactly the same thing.
Roll the question mark and you can choose which type of utensil you want to move, giving you an opportunity to try to steer the bug in your favour.
Of course, the HEXBUG doesn't necessarily cooperate.
That's what makes it so funny.
Just when you think it's heading straight towards your trap, it can suddenly change direction and scurry off towards somebody else's.
Who Wins?
Whenever the HEXBUG falls into a player's trap, that player receives a cockroach token.
The bug is then placed back into play and another round begins.
The first player to collect five cockroach tokens wins the game.
It's a very simple concept, which means you can get started quickly without spending ages explaining complicated rules to everyone.
Fast-Paced Family Fun
What makes Bugs in the Kitchen particularly entertaining is the unpredictability.
You're not completely controlling the HEXBUG. You're simply changing the maze around it and hoping you've created the right route.
Everyone ends up watching this tiny bug scurrying around the board, willing it towards their own corner while desperately trying to stop it from disappearing into someone else's trap.
Because the maze can constantly change, everyone stays involved in what's happening.
What We Thought
Ravensburger Bugs in the Kitchen was a really fun family game and something a little different from the more traditional board games we'd played.
It's easy to set up, straightforward to understand and suitable for 2–4 players, making it a good choice for family game time.
I particularly liked the fact that the game board stays inside the box and that the moving HEXBUG adds an unpredictable element to every round.
Despite all the screens, consoles and technology available to children, sometimes there's still nothing better than sitting around a table together and playing a board game.
Especially when there's a tiny robotic bug causing complete chaos in the kitchen!
If you're looking for a simple game that gets the whole family talking, laughing, and occasionally debating some very silly questions, then the Would You Rather Family Edition Game is definitely worth considering.
As a family, we are always on the lookout for games that don't take ages to set up and that everyone can join in with, regardless of age. Between busy family life, health challenges, and trying to find activities that don't involve another screen, this game has become one of those easy go-to options that we can pull out whenever we fancy spending some time together.