Code Monkey Island (2014)

About this game

Code Monkey Island is a family-friendly board game that introduces kids ages 8 and up to programming concepts used by real programmers. Code Monkey Island is a board game designed for families. It takes about a minute to learn the rules and 45 minutes to play, and exposes kids to fundamental programming concepts like control structures, data structures, Boolean logic and operators, and assignment and mathematical operations. Step 1: Each player chooses their favorite tribe of monkeys, and sets them down in the corresponding Start Circle. Step 2: Everyone is dealt 3 Rule cards. Step 3: On their turn, a player draws 1 Rule card, and plays another card from their hand to move their monkeys forward. Step 4: The first player to get all 3 of their monkeys around the island and into the banana grove wins!

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.3/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 6 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.