The Game of Life Twists & Turns
by Hasbro Games
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Our Price: $133.67 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $34.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of The Game of Life Twists & Turns
Customer Review: Great Twist (and Turn) on the original version of Life
Summary: 4 Stars
While the basic concept is similar to the original game, this is a completely different game in many ways. Central to the game is the LIFEPod. The LIFEPod electronically takes care of the scoring for you, making sure you get paid every turn, keeping track of the dollars and/or lifepoints you gain or lose from the life cards and game squares (you do have to manually enter these gains and losses, but the LIFEPod keeps track of the total). It also replaces dice. But the LIFEPod does much more than that - it adds in some of the twists and turns. For example, getting married, having children, or buying a house or a car adds life points, not only when the event takes place, but every turn from then on. Cars, houses, and kids all cost money each turn(to maintain the cars, feed and clothe the kids, etc), but also gain lifepoints. And properties gain and/or lose value over several turns, which is explained in the rules. Also, when you get married or have an anniversary, the LIFEPod takes care of you getting monetary gifts from all the other players, subtracting the money from their accounts and adding it to yours. All the gains and loses that happen every turn are automatically applied by the LIFEPod.
At the end of the game the LIFEPod sells any property you have, converts the dollars in your account to lifepoints, and adds them to your earned lifepoints. It then displays which player won. You select how many "years," or turns, you wish to play, and the LIFEPod knows from that when the game is over - and you can even change how many years are left if you need to lengthen or shorten the game.
More twists and turns are on the gameboard itself. There are four paths to take, and even optional side paths within each of the main paths, each with it's own costs and advantages. But the fun thing is you don't have to take the main paths in any paraticular order, and in fact don't even have to go through all four paths. You can go through love-it, then earn-it, then love-it again, and in fact can choose to go to the start of any path on any roll, which, depending on a lot of factors, might be a great or a terrible decision.
One note - there is a "VISA" card that you insert into the lifepod each time it's your turn. While it looks like a debit or credit card, it really is more of an ID card for your account manager. While you can go into debt during your turn (to buy a house or a car, for example), it is usually not wise to do so. The real purpose of the card is to identify yourself to the LIFEPod, either for a turn, or for entering gains or losses due to game play (other players life cards can hurt or benefit you, for example)
Over all, it is a really fun family game, because while you can learn strategies to help you win, there is also enough randomness that the youngest or least experienced player has a real chance of winning.
PROS - Control over the length of game play, even after play has started; random events (Twists and Turns)that can significantly change the game status; the LIFEPod handling all the scoring; the ability to make decisions on what path to play; ease of play even for young players.
CONS - Cost. We bought it at a Black Friday sale for a tiny fraction of it's current price, but haven't seen it on sale anywhere since (not even other Black Friday sales).
Customer Review: Great GAME, I REAPEAT GAME
Summary: 4 Stars
I had the previous life game and loved it, so once I figured out that they had a new one I just had to have it.
It was very easy to figure out. All you have to do is READ THE DIRECTIONS!!!!!!! At first when I saw the reviews about it being almost impossible to figure out, I was scared. But it was very easy to figure out. The game even includes induvidual life pod reference cards, which are great for new-comers. So, if you read all those reviews about how hard it is please don't believe them, you'll be missing out on a great game.
The next factor that many pople have critized about is the fact that Hasbro has teamed up with Visa, but is JUST A GAME, and the credit cards are fun for little kids, who feel a sense of responsiblility. So, do you really care about a little logo that does not make any difference?
Another thing I like about this game is the fact that you get promoted. This allows for a race to get to the best salary the quickest. It is fun to get to the 2,000,000 dollar sallary and then have 8 kids, just for the fun of it.
The ability to move around freely is also fun. Many people I play with never get promoted and have as many kids as they can. This puts them into debt, and it is hilarous for them to try to get out of it on the last ten turns. Although that does have problems too. If you are actually tring to win here is what you basically do;
1. Choose a job with no degree required
2. Go to earn it until you are at the final promotion
3. Go into live it/love it and get cars, houses, kids or go on trips until the game is over After a while this gets very boring if you play it too much.
So basically
1. Directions are easy to follow
2. Hasbro and Visa teaming up does not matter
3. Gets boring if you play it too much
4. Fun if you do not try to win
I hope this review was helpful. Good Bye hopfully the next owner of this game.
Customer Review: Education has no value ?
Summary: 1 Stars
At first glance this is a nicely laid out game. Entertaining for kids no doubt about it! Luckily, my husband and I tried it out alone one night before we played it with the kids. By the last 3/4th of the game the object became clear---he who has the most money and life points wins.
In and of itself, that would not be so bad...except...Careers that do not require degrees such as modeling and sports pay the most and careers that require degrees(which take longer to obtain and which you must continue to advance your education to get promos in) dont top out as much. Furthermore, degreed careers detrack from earning life points. You earn the most life points living it up on the adventure paths and having as many kids as you can.
I felt sure that at the end of the game the fact that I had earned 4 different degrees would matter. However, when the computer totalled up the "points" to determine the winner it simply caculated how many houses we had, the type of car we had, how many kids we had, and then took that dollar figure and translated it into life points value. The End.
This game is great if you dont care if your kids appreciate how hard work and devoting time to their education pays off in the long run...because in this game it truly doesnt.
Boooooo Milton Bradley.
Customer Review: Breathes new life into this classic board game
Summary: 4 Stars
The latest iteration of the classic board game Life breathes new life into this classic and fixes some of the frustrating features of the older version. By reconfiguring the board into four cloverleafs that focus on particular areas of life, the game makers have opened up more possible strategies and options than were feasible on the linear, classic path around the playing board. The career and life cards are easier to read, updated, and varied, allowing for different players to embark on widely diverse schemes to make their mark.
Because the thick stack of life cards offers myriad options, and a player picks one depending on what section of the board he or she is currently located on, its unlikely the game will go stale for some time.
Having all the information maintained and controlled by the scoring module speeds up play, simplifies scorekeeping, and helps players monitor their earnings and life points. Plus younger players will not be asking the older ones to help add up their scores at the end of the game.
Eliminating the little people and tinier babies that one had to stick into cars is especially helpful for those of us with large hands and big fingers, though are still some rather small skateboards and car bodies to manipulate and lose in the carpet.
Customer Review: Really love this game!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this game yesterday. I had always enjoyed playing the older version when I was a kid. This one is much more fun because the computer does all the score keeping and there is no paper money and itty bitty "People" pegs that get lost etc. You just put your card in the machine and it does all the calculations and when the game is over it tallies the score and lets you know who won!
Also you can determine how many "years" or turns everyone gets when you start. SO, if you want a quick game you just put in a couple of years and off you go. If you want to play all day you can put in 99 years and be sure the schedule some restroom breaks. LOL... as long as you don't turn off the computer it picks up where you leave off if you need to take a break.
There are very few things you need to keep track of so it doesn't take as long as the old version did. It teaches credit and smart buying habits if you take the time to discuss the implications of the choices that come along the route.
Well worth the money and I think that anyone who enjoys board games would love to play this one. Best part for me is the lack of so many parts and the need for a banker and shuffeling all that goofey paper money around.
Try it you'll like it!!!