(Gifted) Playing The Good Life in the sunshine with my eldest was a lovely moment in lockdown! This game was very entertaining. It was also quite humorous. We both laughed at some of the cards. For example, our squid & snail sorbet and Squirrel ‘n’ Seaweed Jelly did well at the market! What zany combinations the game has. Including our coveted celery, banana, and turnip home brew which was featured on TV!

The ‘Natural Selection’ cards were very enlightening. We learnt so much! Lots of facts we can now reel off and impress people with. Like how many snails the French get through a year. You never know when that kind of information might come in handy! You also learn about sustainable living and our impact on the planet.

The game pieces are all really good quality. We enjoyed having a little wheelbarrow each to transport our pig and chickens from the animal market back home. It was a bit of a novelty. But you can put your crops and livestock straight in your garden and allotment when you buy them! We just made it an extra challenge! At one point I had a pig, two crops and a chicken squeezed in there.

I ended up winning The Good Life game, as I was first to fill my allotment and garden and be self-sufficient.  Even though it seemed to take me forever to get my allotment rented. In a way it was quite a blessing as a card I had previously said the council had closed my allotment! I was glad to get that before I was all set up.

Children learn about profitability playing this game. When you buy a crop or an animal you can sell it on at a profit. You start the game with seven hay bales and you also get another two every time you pass GO. My eldest spent too long trying to earn enough hay bales to complete his garden and allotment. It is a good idea to just buy to sell, so you can buy twice as much next time. Although that does not apply to the garden extras as there is no profit in those. So, make sure you stick to animals and crops!

I did not do too bad for hay bales, but I did have a run of luck with the Green Fingers cards. It was all my sought-after jelly and sorbet! However, the Green Fingers cards can make the game more challenging too! I did have to miss a go because of my soil was infertile.

Next time we play I think we need to utilize the swine and bird flu cards, just to make it harder for whoever is in the lead! Another challenging element of the game is the fox space on the game board. When you land on it you must send all your chickens to the coup to protect them. Although when you next throw a six you can have them back!

The game has been awarded the ‘Family and Education Awards Seal of Approval’ and ‘The Good Toy Guide ‘recommended’. So, you do not just have to take our word for how fabulous this game is!

The Good Life Competition

If you would like to win your own copy of the game, please fill out the form below by the 28^th of June.

Win the Good Life Game

Please also check out my other competitions.