Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
Now and then I like to play board games: mostly Blokus, Drakborgen (a.k.a. Dungeonquest), Scrabble and Roborally. The latter is an award-winning 1994 game where each player programs a robot to move through a treacherous obstacle course and tag a series of numbered flags. More often than not, your robot ends up a smoking laser-riddled wreck or disappears down a bottomless hole.
On the box, Roborally is recommended from age 12 up. I am proud to be able to tell you that the game works just fine with (bright, geeky) 9-year-olds as well. Yesterday after lunch I took Junior and his pal geocaching, and then we played Roborally. It was a breeze for them to understand and enjoy it. And I, of course, was very happy to beat them most mercilessly. While I still can, you know.
(Junior asks me to point out that as I tagged the last flag, his robot was nearly at the penultimate one.)
[More blog entries about games, gaming, roborally, children, parenting; spel, roborally, barn.]
Comments
Hey, that's pretty lagom, dude!
Don't listen to me. I don't know what I am saying. I am home now watching the Travel Channel and there is a show about Sweden that I am quite enjoying.
I say, I am much intrigued. I like the sense of style I see in the various shops and homes they are featuring in the show. I bet the meatballs there are notably better than at any place I can find in Fort Lauderdale, too.
One day we'll get to Sweden. One day.
Posted by: PsyberDave | May 2, 2008 1:40 PM
Welcome to Sweden! April through September is very nice. The other half of the year sucks most royally.
Posted by: Martin R | May 2, 2008 4:24 PM
Yep, Roborally is a Blast! I agree, it is good for younger kids. A friend of mine has a son who plays an on-line version as well. We would play a very long version with the expansions, lots of boards, and little mercy.
Posted by: Ted H. | May 2, 2008 8:05 PM
I played Robo Rally this weekend as well, both the new and the old version. (The old one is better.)
Posted by: Hans Persson | May 5, 2008 7:35 AM
As usual you have nothing original to offer... stop lifting stuff from Wired!
Posted by: Caroline | May 5, 2008 1:37 PM
yay, I never heard of this game before but it sounds like fun, I wanna try it!
Posted by: christina | May 5, 2008 3:48 PM