The concept is simple: Help the animals break out of the zoo. Zoo Break is compact and easy to grasp for kids as young as five, who are still learning their numbers, but it involves strategy and level variations that make it intriguing for the sharpest of gamers. (We challenge advanced gamers to try getting through Levels 1-10 in one play session!) Zoo Break can be played alone, or collaboratively by multiple people. It's a great family game. To play, simply shuffle the cards and lay them out in an 8x8 grid. Place the four colorful wooden animals in the center. Roll the green dice to guide the animals to freedom, using strategy to choose the best path for each animal. But watch out for the zookeeper! For every roll of the animal dice, you'll also roll the zookeeper dice. The zookeeper locks down cards and closes off escape routes with every roll. Win the game by breaking out all four animals before their escape routes close. Strategy abounds around which paths to take, and this makes for great interaction with kid co-players. Four free spaces help you on your way. But if the zookeeper locks down a card that is currently occupied by an animal, it's back to the central cage! —description from the publisher

We may earn a small commission when you buy through these links.