Beasts of Balance Game Review
It may be hard to classify the Beasts of Balance Game as it is on its own level of unique gameplay. It is an augmented reality game that you physically play like a type of stacking board game, that is completely connected with and affects the digital game’s virtual world. Using Bluetooth technology the plinth, or base is connected to your phone, tablet, or computer. You stack animals, energy blocks, and more to create endless possibilities within the digital game world.
Beasts of Balance is a Powered by Mom Holiday Gift Guide pick. Check out our Gift Guide HERE.
We were SO excited to get this and play it!
The Concept
This game is all about balance. Physically balancing the various animals, energy blocks, and migration and morph blocks on the plinth. You also have to balance the ecosystem you create within the digital world! Certain animals are stronger and take energy from smaller animals each turn. Once animals all have the same level of energy, balance is achieved. You can boost smaller animals with energy blocks, or conserve and redistribute energy with the miracle block.
The Game
The Beasts of Balance Game has physical game pieces and the app you download. You must have an Android device or an iOS device to get the app. The plinth the connects via Bluetooth to your device (make sure your Bluetooth is turned on!) The first time through you can follow the tutorial, but as it turns out the “rules” are simple. You pick what you want to place on the plinth and hold the icon on the pice to the icon on the plinth until it registers on the screen (this is very quick!) Stack you animals and block and build your digital world!
The Blocks
Animal blocks place animals within your world. Migration blocks will transform animals into new ones in a different environment. Morph blocks will also combine animals into new and strange creatures! The game keeps track of all your new discoveries as well in the Beastiary. The miracle block adds another element by allowing you to store and redistribute energy to animals, but you have to complete challenges on the app while placing your block on the plinth! Fail the miracle challenge and you lose the miracle. There is no right way or wrong way to play. This makes it simple for everyone, young and old, to figure out. You stack whatever piece you want on your turn!
Playing
My boys loved playing! Balancing the pieces helps with hand-eye coordination, and teaches them basic elements of physics. They loved seeing the new stuff pop up on the screen and would race the volcano to rebuild their stack if it fell. Admittedly they did not pay a whole lot of attention to the digital games portion of “balancing” the animals’ energy. So they learned that they would lose animals if they didn’t keep their energy up. What’s great is if your stack falls, you do not have to rebuild it the exact same way. As long as all the pieces get back on, you’re good to go. We managed to save a couple of topples and keep playing!
Winning and Losing
The Beasts of Balance Game is almost endless. It’s all about how many points you can rack up by keeping animals alive (if they lose all their energy, they die!) and adding new ones. However, if your stack falls, you have limited time to rebuild or the digital volcano explodes, your world is destroyed, and the game is over.
Overall
This game is crazy fun. Its simple concept makes it easy to learn and play, but the ever-changing digital worlds you create with it keep it interesting. My kids love playing this on their own, and I have just as much fun playing with them! I plan on bringing this with us during the holidays to play with the whole family. The Beasts of Balance Game will be a go-to for our family for quite a while!
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Philip Lawrence says
December 23, 2017 at 8:38 PMI like that it is a physical play item where the child interacts with the blocks.
Jessica Whitehouse says
December 23, 2017 at 8:30 PMThis would be fun for my boys to play and to help them practice fine motor skills.
Richard Hicks says
December 23, 2017 at 8:02 PMI love games like this. Challenging with balance aspect and learning about nature and ecosystem
DanV says
December 23, 2017 at 6:45 PMI like the idea of a balancing game
Linda Madden says
December 23, 2017 at 3:51 PMSounds like a fun game! I love the Bluetooth technology!
Juanita May says
December 23, 2017 at 3:18 PMI would love to play this with my granddaughters. We have a game night about twice a month.
Vikki Billings says
December 23, 2017 at 3:02 PMI love this game, I know that my grandson would also love it. We would have hours of fun playing it.
Julie Terry says
December 23, 2017 at 1:08 PMThis looks like so much fun. My daughters would enjoy playing this.
Hesper Fry says
December 23, 2017 at 5:10 AMMy girls like to balance blocks and so forth so I think they would really like this game.
April Monty says
December 22, 2017 at 11:05 AMLooks like a blast!
susan smoaks says
December 20, 2017 at 10:18 AMThis is a very creative game and it looks like it will be a lot of fun. we can’t wait to try it out.
Laura Schrillo says
December 20, 2017 at 8:18 AMThis game looks so fun
Austin Baroudi says
December 19, 2017 at 12:44 AMWhat a fun looking game! Would love to play this with my little one! Thanks for sharing.
Cindy Quisenberry says
December 18, 2017 at 2:41 PMMy Grandson would love to play this.
Leela says
December 17, 2017 at 8:05 PMThat looks like a lot of fun.
Kathy Davis says
December 14, 2017 at 5:54 PMLooks like a fun and educational game. I learned that balancing the pieces helps with hand-eye coordination, and teaches kids basic elements of physics
golden storm says
December 14, 2017 at 4:33 PMthis is kind of great,, i think it would keep kids interested and help them learn as they go
Mia says
December 14, 2017 at 2:00 PMWhat a fun and versatile game that would be fun for the entire family. I have not seen any game quite like this before.
Angela Patino says
December 14, 2017 at 8:54 AMThis game looks so much fun not only for children, i love that it involves technology and hand on
Anita Duvall says
December 13, 2017 at 10:21 PMThis sounds like it would be so much fun for our whole family. Thanks for the review!
Azeem says
December 13, 2017 at 9:06 PMThese would be perfect for my niece
Christa Bengtsson says
December 13, 2017 at 6:58 PMI really think my niece would love this. It sounds very different.
Amanda Alvarado says
December 13, 2017 at 6:43 PMThis sounds like fun and teaches kids cause and effect at the same time they are playing! I’d have as much fun playing it as my daughter! LOL
kathy Persons says
December 13, 2017 at 4:48 PMLooks like a fun and learning game also
nickie says
December 12, 2017 at 9:09 PMThis would make a great gift for my son. He would love how interactive it is.
KENNETH OHL says
December 12, 2017 at 12:51 PMthis would be great fun for my to play with my little niece
Robin Abrams says
December 12, 2017 at 11:37 AMThis game looks like it would be fun. My grand kids would love it
Darren Scrubb says
December 6, 2017 at 12:14 PMA game I know many children would like as a Christmas gift.
Mia says
December 6, 2017 at 11:04 AMThis would be a fun game to have for the holidays when all the family and kids are visiting.