Renegade Game Studios Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, Fast Paced Card Game Set, 2-4 Players, 30 Min Playing Time, Place Tiles to Adorn The Palace Lake with Floating Lanterns, Earn The Most Honor Before The Festival Begins

While I love complex games, I'm always looking out for games that I can play with my parents who are older and don't have a lot of patience for games with lots of rules. We play to help keep their minds sharp so they still need to think but they don't need something like Android. This game is a simple tile game that lets you strategize to win but doesn't get you mired in rules that can get a player stuck (e.g., Catan). Games take maybe 30-45 minutes. The tiles and cards are pretty and give you a nice tangible experience while points are earned through a simple economy (earn cards from tile placement--including opponent placements--and buy VP that you just tally up at the end). The earned VP have diminishing value so you're rewarded for earning and buying them early but it's still possible to win without owning the highest value VP cards just through volume. Definitely a nice game for players who want simple rules but enough complexity so that it isn't just a cake walk (and boring).

Growing up (70's and early 80's), we are always given a game from another family for Christmas. I have great memories of building a fire in the fireplace and playing a game, and since I started my own family a game has often been on the shopping list. This year, my almost 9 year old is really starting to get into games. He has been playing monopoly, risk, and other classics, but was looking for something new. Lanterns had good reviews and decided to give it a try. It is a bit confusing when you get it out. You have tiles, cards, point cards and tokens. The idea is get points, but collecting colored cards (7 colors), into a set of 4 of one color, three pairs or a full set of one of each 7 colors. Each time you place a tile, you get at least 2 cards, and every other player gets 1, so with 4 players, in one round you are going to get 5 cards (perhaps 6 or if are really lucky could probably get 7). What tile it is, and where it is placed also can get you the tokens, which can be used to exchange one card, from one you have into one you need. As you turn in "sets" you get a piece with a number of points earned. These descend in value, so have to determine if you turn it in quickly and get more points, or try to make a different set to get higher points. And there are a limited number of colored cards, so you may not get all your cards and harder to make sets if someone is holding cards you need. Game play is pretty fast, took about 45 minutes to play once we read the instructions and figured it out. There is a bit of strategy, but you are only looking at your cards and tiles, by the time it gets back around to you, the board will be different, and you will have a lot of cards you might, or might not need. It is a game that you need to watch, if you go to put on dinner when it is your turn it is not rolling a dice and moving, you may have to trade a card, turn in a set, and then have to place 1 of 3 tiles in a way that will help you and not help the other players. This game was easy enough for an almost 9 year old to figure out, but still a lot of fun for the 46 year old parents and will certainly be one of the games we pull out when we have an extra 45 minutes and want to play a game.

My husband and I enjoyed playing this game together many times the day we received it. It's different than the other games we own and requires a fair amount of strategy. We taught it to our 9 and 7 year old and they both ask to play it often. I like the element of each person receiving a lantern each turn when a tile is placed. It allows everyone to stay somewhat involved in the game even when it's not their turn. It's also taught my kids to pay more attention even when it's not their turn because if they don't, then they miss out on getting their lantern. I'm trying to teach them to be respectful during other people's turns by not goofing off, as well as how to watch others to see what they are doing so you can plan accordingly. I also don't want them to grow up to be "that guy" who pulls out their phone every time it's no longer their turn and then doesn't realize what's going on in the game's progress anymore! The game is pretty easy and quick to learn. Doesn't require a lot of "rulebook consulting" when you first start out. The recommended age says 12-15 here on Amazon. The game box says 8+ which I think is a lot more accurate. We don't have adult friends that play games with us, so I tend to focus more on the family game night aspect of games. I think the game would be fun for an all "grown-up" group too though. I can definetly recommend this game for families with kids.

Lanterns is a really fun little game that doesn't take long to play. It's easy to learn and to teach to others. You do compete against others but it's not an overly competitive game. The more relaxed aesthetics really help with that. Speaking of the game also looks marvelous. All of the tiles you play with have great art with vibrant colors. So not only is it an enjoyable and easy game to play, it also looks great too. It's also not much in terms of price either. This is one you can also easily play with your family or kids.

We like it, and we play it intermittently. There are games we like better, but this is probably the most commonly played game in our 'second choice' games. The quality is excellent and the art attractive. The game is not terribly difficult and plays out fairly quickly, so it can be played with younger members of the family or developmentally handicapped family members. There is a bit to learn, but it's not complicated. The richly colored tiles are mesmerizing. It's certainly one of the prettier games out there. The game has four parts: tiles, wooden coins, honor tokens, and lantern cards. You lay tiles. Where you make a match, you get to draw that color of card. Where you connect a tile that has a 'platform' (art object), you get a wooden coin. You collect sets of cards to exchange for honor tokens. Money enables you to exchange cards you don't want to get cards you do want. Whoever ends the game with the greatest amount of honor wins. I can also see a variant in which you use it to teach colors, either to a young child, or to someone learning a second language. Eg, you could require the player to name the color accurately before being able to claim cards for it.

This is a great game. Its rules are simple enough that the rules can be taught in just a few minutes. The gameplay can have a few levels of strategy. The fact that placing a tile nets your opponents cards can play into your thinking. Since you could be handing them enough cards to get a dedication. You also want to keep an eye out for opportunities to match as many colors as possible, or get as many tokens as possible with platforms. On the surface it is a simple game, but it has a few layers that a discerning player can utilize for victory. When you are done, you will have a unique piece of art to enjoy. I like taking a picture of it before putting the game away. Pretty much everyone that has played it has enjoyed it. Personally, I think it is well worth the money. Buy it, and enjoy it with your friends and family.

Wonderful game! This is something everyone in the family can enjoy. It's one of the first few games we introduce new gamers to, and was one of the ones my parents played and immediately had to have. It's easy to teach, turns are simple, but there's a strong element of planning and strategy involved. It is similar to Dominoes with the added elements of cards, "Favor Tokens", and victory points in the form of dedication rewards. The main premise is to match the color on the tile you're laying to the color on a tile already on the table, but you'll sometimes want to try to match a certain color because you need that card. For example, if you match a white to a white on the side that is facing you, you'd get 2 white cards. If you already have 2 red and 2 blue, you'd now have enough to turn in a dedication of 3 pair. On the other hand, if you match a white on the opposite side and have a purple facing you, you'd get 1 white and 1 purple, which might finish out your 7 unique.

Lanterns: The Harvest Festival is a fun and surprisingly complex game. The goal of the game is fairly straight forward, collect the most points. You lay square tiles with different colored lanterns shown, whichever color is facing the players of the game gives them a card of that color. The trick comes in deciding which colors you allow your opponents to have, depending on how you turn the tiles. You can then use the cards you collect to buy point tokens. Similar to Gin Rummy, you have to have either sets of like cards or runs of all the colors of lanterns to buy the points. This is where deciding what color lanterns you let opponents obtain comes into play. I learned of this game listen to Will Wheaton talk about board games. I ended up buying it to take to my monthly game night and it was a big hit. The game itself doesn't last very long, maybe 15-20 minutes. I didn't mind this though since it allows plenty of matches through the night. If you are looking for shorter game that will keep you thinking, this is a great option. I highly recommend it.