Ravensburger 26563 Indigo Family Game

Indigo Family Game (Toy) Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program (What's this?) We own a lot of Ravensburger games and almost universally like the brand. The downside to some of these games, though, is that they can have a fairly steep learning curve. Once you know how to play them, you can easily go back to them and play them with just a quick glance at the rules, but the first few plays require some time to learn the game.

Not so with Indigo. The concept is straightforward: each player picks a color and then tries to route gemstones to their respective exits. The color of the gemstone indicates its worth, and the player who has the most points--but not necessarily the most gems--at the end of the game wins.

At the start of the game, the hex tiles are shuffled, and then players take turns flipping a hex over and placing it on the main board. The hexes contain "roads" that twist and turn in various directions, and these "roads" determine where the gems exit the game board. The game is pretty fast paced and it's also unpredictable; just as you think you've set a gem up to head into your exit, another player can place a hex that completely changes the direction the gem is traveling. Because of this, it's important to think strategically and to decide when to allow your opponents to earn gems in the interest of snagging the higher-value gems for yourself.

We play this game with our nine-year-old daughter, and she took to it quickly. The game not only encourages strategizing, it requires some skills at visualizing as you have to look at where the hexes can be placed and picture what outcome will result. Because your opponents can change the direction the gems travel, you also have to stay on your toes and try to anticipate what their moves might be--all while dealing with the variables that result from not knowing what the next hex will look like.

Like other Ravensburger products, the construction of this game is superb. The game board and hexes are made of heavy-duty cardboard, and the gems have a more solid, stone-like feel--no cheap, flimsy plastic here. The only parts that aren't all that sturdy are the little screens that are used to conceal each player's stash of gems, but if these are ruined, it's easy enough to replace them, so I don't consider this much of a flaw.

This is a fun game, and one that can be played fairly quickly, unlike some other Ravensburger games, which require more of a time commitment. It fits in nicely with the overall product line, which consists of well-made, innovative board games that rise above the common fare you usually find in the toy store. Of all the games we own (and we own a LOT), the Ravensburger games are the ones we play the most.


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