Dice, Decks, and Boards: Gobblet Gobblers

I received a FREE copy of this game from Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Games are a fantastic way to take a break from the homeschooling day while still keeping the kids' brains active. We have found quite a few fun and educational games from Timberdoodle to add to our game closet. The curriculum kits at Timberdoodle often include a number of games to help children practice their critical thinking skills. One such game is Gobblet Gobblers which is part of the 2020 Kindergarten Grade Curriculum Kit.  

What is Gobblet Gobblers? 

Gobbler Gobblers is a game produced by Blue Orange Games for ages 5 and up. As it is a spin on the popular Tic-Tac-Toe game, it is meant for only two players. The box contains everything you need to play the game including: 

• 1 grid (four plastic pieces that you snap together) 
• 12 Gobblers of three different sizes and two colors 
• Illustrated game rules 

The Gobblers have a felt tip sticking off their head and fun, silly faces. You and your opponent can start playing your first game using typical Tic-Tac-Toe strategies but you will quickly incorporate new strategies. In order to win the game, you will want to be the first to line up three Gobblers in a row but your opponent can stop you in a number of ways.

When you are trying to block your opponent from getting three in a row, you can simply place your Gobbler in a space OR you can put your Gobbler over a smaller one. You can even move your Gobbler that is already on the board to cover up a smaller Gobbler or into a new, empty space. 

Why Is Gobblet Gobblers a Good Game? 

When playing Tic-Tac-Toe, children will quickly learn how to beat the game or at least force a tie very early on. When playing Gobblet Gobblers, children will need to think about their moves more carefully as there are many more choices available to help them win. The illustrated game rules provide some very useful tips: 

• Don't hesitate to gobble up your own pieces. 
• Before you move a piece, try to remember what is under it. (Once you touch a piece you need to move it and you may be revealing your opponent's winning move.) 
• Think ahead 

As Gobblet Gobblers is a fast game, it is the perfect one to bring out in the middle of your homeschooling day to help build critical thinking skills with your children. It is also a great game to introduce strategy to your children in gaming.

How Did We Use Gobblet Gobblers? 

When the game first arrived to review, our younger children and I took turns playing it one afternoon before dinner. Our younger son and I played quite a few games (usually with me winning). It didn't take him long before he started to incorporate some new strategies into his game play. He was more likely to cover up game pieces with his Gobblers than I was when we were playing – leading to some close calls. My husband also played the game with our younger son. He enjoyed drawing out strategies from our son and encouraging him to counter my husband's moves (which paid off when our two boys played). Finally, our two sons played many games after dinner one evening. Both our younger son (aged 7) and our teen had a great time and enjoyed Gobblet Gobblers. Our teen agreed that it is a fun game and does require a lot forethought and planning in order to win a game. He enjoyed it when his few mistakes were quickly exploited by his younger brother, leading to the younger's victory.

I found Gobblet Gobblers the perfect game to take out for a quick break from homeschooling with books and online resources. We could play one or two games and easily pack it away or we could play a tournament and play a great number of rounds.

You can keep the game in the original packaging – putting back the pieces into the green plastic tray or you can put everything into a plastic bag so you can take the game on-the-go. As it requires very little set-up, you could easily bring it with you to a restaurant, grandma's house, or the doctor's office.

I think Gobblet Gobblers would be a great addition to your gameschooling shelves! It will help your kindergartener work on memory, visual perception, problem-solving, and help them focus on the task at hand. While it is included in the kindergarten kit, you can very easily play it with children who are older, too. And with each game only taking a few minutes, everyone in your family can enjoy Gobblet Gobblers on game night.

Interested in other Timberdoodle reviews? We've reviewed Tenzi Dice, Bugzzle, and more!