Matthew BaileyHaving had a few days of respite following all of our Halloween coverage, we’re now going to start looking at possible things to get the kids for Christmas.
Starting this weekend, we’re going to be doing a series of guides, looking at past suggestions as well as, obviously, a slew of new reviews in the lead-up to Christmas.
Today we’re looking at Disney’s It’s a Small World from Funko Games. Based on the famous ride from Disneyland, it’s a relatively simple hidden object game that really stands out thanks to its amazing components and fantastic table presence.
The concept of the game is straightforward. You set up the big chunky board, which features a canal of water winding around the ride, and you place these really cool, large, chunky cardboard arches. Each of the four rooms displays different things, and what’s really clever is that these arches are rotatable, clicking round so that they can face any position. As the game progresses, these move about.
You start the game by setting up two decks of cards, which can be used for two players or in teams, and you also set up the clock. This clock tracks the night cycles and shows how long the game lasts. It’s made from lovely thick cardboard with a well-made plastic clock face that rotates as you play. It looks really attractive and appealing, as does the rest of the game.
The gameplay is simple. Each turn, you move to the next space on the board, pick up a number of new tiles, and then see if you can spot any of the matching items from your cards in the pictures within the room you’re in. If you do, you can place that card into your score pile, which adds up at the end of the game.
There are also cards that let you rotate the scenery, allowing you to change what’s visible in the room and increase your chances of finding the items on your cards.
It’s a really pleasant experience and feels a bit more relaxed than something like Where’s Wally? or I Spy, where the challenge is finding really tiny hidden details. Here, it’s more about checking whether what you need is in the room you’re in, and if not, whether you can manipulate the scenery to bring it into view.
Now, is it a good game? That really depends on your child. I love the concept, and if your child enjoys I Spy, exploring, and spotting things, this will likely be a big hit, especially since it’s presented in such a high-quality package. However, if your child is more impatient or prefers faster-paced games, this might feel a bit slow.
Henry, for example, got frustrated when he knew that something he needed was two rooms away and there was no quick way to reach it. He had to wait with that card in his hand even though he knew exactly where it was. I understand that’s part of the game, but I can see some children with shorter attention spans finding that tricky.
A full playthrough can take around half an hour, which isn’t necessarily a problem for the right player, but if your kids prefer something a bit more high-octane, this probably won’t be the one.
