Rolit

I was a huge fan of the game called Othello when I was a lad. We have all sorts of family stories that involve the game, including one that involved a challenge (admittedly in jest) that if any man could beat my aunt, he could have her as his bride. Rolit is a twenty-first century adaptation of Othello. Instead of being a two-player game, it is meant for four players. This, of course, adds all sorts of unknowns to the serious strategist, and results in a little bit of chaos in the game! Thus, it's a bit more fun for families with younger kids.

Rolit includes a nifty playing board and 64 ingenious pieces that remind one of "everlasting gobstoppers" from 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. These pieces are four-colored "balls." Each of the four colors is accented by a sort of knob, which gives the piece the unique ability to "roll" to the proper position and highlight the proper color while the other knobs create a sort of tripod for steady placement. This is opposed to flipping the disks in 2-player Othello. The pieces aren't too small, but could still present a choking hazard for young children, so please keep them out of reach of little hands and mouths!

• 2-4 Players
• 30 Minutes
• Ages 7+