Zooreka from Cranium games won the Toy Industry Association’s 2007 Game of the Year. I can see why it won. It’s unique and imaginative, a good simple math equivalency lesson and a good first lesson or at least an awareness of probability. It’s also a good game for different ages to play together. My children love animals and were excited to get the chance to build their own zoo.
Zooreka can be purchased for under $20. The game is for kids eight years old and up and for two to four players. It takes around half an hour to forty minutes to play. The board is nicely illustrated with zoo animals and jungle plants. The object of the game is to be the first to earn four habitats. You earn habitats by earning resource cards.
On each turn a player rolls a number dice and a resource dice. All the players stay involved and interested because everyone gets to play on every turn by trying to guess what resource the player will roll on the dice. The dice has 3 food symbols, but only two animal symbols, and just one shelter symbol. See the probability lesson? If they guess right they earn Resource cards. Resources are food, animals, and shelter. When you have enough cards you can trade them for a habitat. Players get to pick from habitats like Penguin Peninsula, Otter Rock, and Coral Reef Touch Tank.
As the players move around the board, they also land on “Blue Skies” or “Stormy Weather” spaces. The “Blue Skies” cards may send a player to the Trading Post, or award the player animal cards for taking good care of his/her animals. The “Stormy Weather” cards may take food cards for forgetting your money, or may take an animal card because your giraffe has a sore neck. The random good and bad luck of the cards keeps things interesting.
At the Trading Post, players can exchange three food cards for one animal card, or two animal cards for one shelter. To earn a habitat you need four food cards, two animal cards, and one shelter card. See the math equivalency lesson?
You don’t need to tell the kids they are learning; just let them enjoy building their own zoos! My boys say it’s “Cool” and “Awesome”.
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