The Kids Table series from Purple Phoenix Games seeks to lightly explore games that are focused toward children and families. We will do our best to give some good insight, but not bog your down with the millions of rules… If you remember, I was recently at the Dig & Find in town, perusing the random wares, when I came across some games! I already reviewed Cluckle, and the next game I found (Red Light Green Light) was also a perfect candidate for our Kids Table series!
| Red Light Green Light (2019) | Buffalo Games |
| 2-4 players | 15 minutes |
| Ages 4+ | BGG Weight – Not yet available |
Red Light Green Light is a light press-your-luck racing game in which players are attempting to navigate the course and cross the Finish Line first! To setup for a game, assemble the board and place your chosen Car at the start line in any unoccupied lane. Shuffle the deck of Traffic Light cards and spread them out in a face-down pile near the board/race track. Place the 4 Traffic Cones on the track, as described in the rulebook. The game is ready to begin with the youngest player going first!
Over the course of the game, players will be taking turns drawing Traffic Cards and moving their Cars down the track towards the Finish Line. On your turn, you will draw one Traffic Card and flip it face-up. The deck of Traffic Cards consists of Green Light cards and Red Light cards. Drawing a Green Light card allows you to move your Car forward on the track the listed number of spaces. Drawing a Red Light card ends your turn immediately, and your Car does not move forward this turn. Here’s where the press-your-luck comes into play! If you draw a Green Light card, you may choose to move your Car forward OR you may choose to draw another Traffic Card. If you draw another Green Light, you can move your Car forward the total number of spaces on all your Green Light cards, or continue pushing your luck to draw more Traffic Cards. If at any point during your turn you draw a Red Light, your turn ends and you lose any Green Light cards already drawn this turn!
The game continues in this manner, with players taking turns drawing Traffic Cards, pushing their luck and moving their Cars, until all players have crossed the Finish Line. The player who crossed first is the winner, and the remaining players keep racing to see what places they will earn – 2nd-4th place.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Red Light Green Light. The game is easy to learn, fast to play, and easily adaptable for younger gamers. I think this is a great, simple introduction to the press-your-luck mechanic for newer gamers, and it keeps the game exciting and engaging. That said, the game is fun without that element as well. The suggested age for this game is 4+, and I played it with Travis’ children without the press-your-luck rule and it was still fun. I just adapted it to be that on your turn you draw 1 Traffic Card and resolve the effect – either move your Car or stay in the same spot. It was easy to grasp, still fast to play, and we all had a fun time.
Red Light Green Light also comes with a few additional cards to elevate the gameplay and make it a little bit tougher – adding Construction cards to the deck and allowing players to place Traffic Cones throughout the game in attempts to block other players’ progress. So the way I see it, the game in the box basically can be played at 3 different ‘difficulty’ levels – simple draw and move, draw and move with press-your-luck, and the press-your-luck version with the Construction variant. I just think that’s a really neat way to advance the gameplay as the younger gamers grow themselves! To touch on components for a second, the production quality of this game is great. The board is nice and thick, and fits together well. The Car and Traffic Cone pawns are big and chunky wood that are really easy to manipulate, and the cards are sturdy and clear to read. The game also comes with some stickers that can be used to personalize the Cars, so that’s a cool way to let the littles customize their game pieces.
If you’re in the market for a game that can be adaptable for younger gamers, but can also add in some difficulty as they get a grasp on the gameplay, I would definitely recommend Red Light Green Light. It’s not the biggest brain-burner out there, but it’s a game that adults can enjoy as well as their children. I am glad that I stumbled upon this game, and that’s a testament to its quality if you ask me. Not all games aimed towards kids are amazing, but I hold Red Light Green Light in a high regard for a kids game. Give it a shot – I don’t think you’ll regret it!
