Balin the Dwarf contemplating his next move, while Sophia the Sorceress considers her Spell cards.
One of the pleasures of children is sharing something that you enjoy with them and watching them enjoy it too. I came into a copy of Heroquest last year and have been biding my time at introducing the Kinchlets to it. I've always had a soft spot for the game and I'm aware that it's recently been re-released, but the new edition has left me cold.
I really enjoyed the setting of the Old World in Warhammer of the original and I didn't care much for the World of Warcraft stylings of the new figures, so it made sense to stick to the edition of the game that I played as a youngster.
The adventurers quickly split up
We've played the first few quests and this is our third game. The kids have gotten into the rhythm of the game well and are enjoying it. Though I like to think that my extremely hammy reading of the introductory text of each quest doesn't hurt.
My Orks, of course, talk like a ultra-violent Dick Van Dyke. The trick is to stick your lower jaw out and yell things like "Oi you gits!" with appropriate amounts of gusto.
Orks
I have a bit of an allergy to playing with unpainted figures. I've been slowly painting my set using the tutorials from Miguel at Rush the Wash.
But by the same token, it would a poor father who refused to play just because the figures weren't finished. It's amusing how little children care about such things.
Sophia the Sorceress has bitten off rather more than she can chew
This was an interesting game. It was quest number three - Lair of the Ork Warlord. This is a follow on from the previous game we played The Rescue of Sir Ragnar. Sir Ragnar had been kidnapped by the Ulag the Ork Warlord and the heroes have been sent to put a stop to his evil schemes.
It was also the first game we played where the Kinchlets lost.
Slinging spells like Billy-oh - Sophia fights for her life.
Sophia the Sorceress got rather cocky and was running around the board attracting the attention of many monsters, but didn't take the time to take care of the ones she activated. The kids also got separated which meant that they were surrounded. Sophia the Sorceress who had started the game being very cautious with her spells was slinging them with gay abandon by the end, but it wasn't enough to get her out of trouble.
The Ork Warlord Ulag is struck down
She did manage to use a spell to take out the Ork Warlord Ulag, but got greedy and went to check his treasure room rather than immediately running for her life. Meanwhile Balin the Dwarf who was valiantly trying to hold off a horde of nasties took a big hit from a Chaos Warrior. Reduced to one Body Point he made a run for the stairs.
The result was the first game that the kids lost and there was a certain amount of tears and disbelief. I really enjoy sharing games with them, but I think it's important that they realise that the contest is in fact a real contest. After some big hugs and a chocolate digestive, we agreed to try again another day.
It looks and sounds like a grand day out (or in as the case may be), if you'll excuse the Wallace and Gromit reference. Made even better by the chocolate treats afterward!
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
Stokes
Thank you very much. It's been a really wonderful thing to share with the kids. They definitely enjoy it.
DeleteGlad you are all having fun with the game. I hated as a child if I thought anyone was allowing me to win and I agree with you re making sure they know it was a contest. It is the best way to go.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
You have to shade it a little bit because they are only seven and I want to keep them interested. But at the same time, there's no point in playing a game that you can't lose.
DeleteHeroquest - that takes me back to the distant past ! - glad a new generation is enjoying it's charms .
ReplyDeleteThe simplicity that I thought was silly as a teenager is an absolute boon when playing with younger children. When you think about the target audience, it really hits a sweet spot.
Delete"Sophia the Sorceress slinging spells" - please tell me the poor child doesn't have a lisp! Ah, the Chocolate Digestive. A panacea for sp many ills.
ReplyDeleteThankfully her diction is perfect. Though she's an appalling tendency to pick up Americanisms off the telly. I find a little light beating with rubber hammer is an admirable corrective.
DeleteConrad,
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to see the Kinchlets having so much fun … and it’s games like this that will live long in their memories and will help them to develop their imaginations. It’s people with imagination that have the capability to take disparate ideas and meld them into something new.
All the best,
Bob
We've been having tremendous fun with it. Though I keep adding little bits to the game. I had some plastic pirate doubloons from a LARP ages ago and we've been using those to represent treasure (one coin equals ten gold crowns) which has been a great success.
DeleteWatching them learning to work together has been wonderful.
It is a tough lesson to learn, and arguably there will be plenty of time later to learn it, but I honestly think that learning how to handle defeat/failure early is very important for development.
ReplyDeletePlaying boardgames is a brilliant way to teach kids not only how to lose, but also how to recover from failure and try again.
As for HeroQuest, it has a lot going for it. That said, I don't think that I have ever played a dungeoncrawl boardgame that really gave me what I wanted. The search continues.
There will, but learning to pick yourself back up again is a key skill.
DeleteI can see that finding the right Dungeon crawler would be hard - but HQ works really well by being simple enough that the kids can grasp the rules themselves without my having to explain things. This pushes a lot more decision making onto them, which can only be a good thing.
HQ indeed is a great game to introduce kids into the "adventure games" and miniature gaming alike. I still have my own original copy, picked up some additional copies at thrift stores over the years, and have used them with my younger nephews, with great success.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very fine game for playing with youngsters. Varied enough to be interesting, but simple enough that they can grasp it. I've also been delighted to discover that there are people making extra figures in the same style for 3d printing - so we can now have a Sir Ragnar figure or a proper looking Ork Warlord.
DeleteThat's absolutely fantastic, pretty cool! I've also played some games with the kids and they really seem to enjoy it. It's awesome to share the same hobbies you liked as a child with the next generation :)
ReplyDeleteThe kids are always enthused about the things I try to share with them. But this at least seems to be a hit.
DeleteExcellent. I hope you continue to enjoy it very much.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from a Spaniard living in France.
A great read - you ‘feel their pain’, but at the same time just know it’s all in a good cause. They’ll remember that game, and hopefully steel themselves to find ways around the problems they encounter. As you say, learning to deal with a few setbacks is an essential life-lesson 🙂
ReplyDelete