The Game of Life from Hasbro Review and Reader Giveaway

There are certain games that bring back strong memories of childhood.  For me, one of those games is THE GAME OF LIFE.  I do not know how many times we played that game, but I remember hours and hours of sitting on the floor, driving my little plastic car around the game board and picking up little plastic peg husband and kids as I went.  So, I was really excited to check out the latest version of THE GAME OF LIFE from Hasbro.

To be honest, the old game in the picture below isn't even my original game set!!  The one below is a 1985 version that I bought as an adult because my original game, which is from the 1970s, is still at my Mom's house.

First, I'll give you the “official” info about the game:

Where will your choices take you?

You made it through high school, so now what's next? Go to college or start a career -it's your choice. Think the family life is for you? Take that path and see how many kids you'll have! Will you venture down the risky road where fortunes can be won… and lost? Do whatever it takes to retire in style with the most wealth at the end of the game.

Spin the wheel of fate and take a drive along the twisting roads families have enjoyed for more than 50 years! Do good deeds as you go through the game to earn Life Tiles and more money down the road!

Includes: Game board, 6 Plastic Pawns, Pink and Blue “People” pegs, 1 bridge, Label Sheet, 3 Mountains, 25 LIFE tiles, Banker's tray, 7 Buildings, 24 Spin to Win Tokens, Spin to Win Strip, Deck of 54 Cards, Spinner Base, Ring and Dial, Stack of Play Money, Bank Loan and Pay Raises and Instructions.

For 2 to 4 players.

Adult assembly required.

Ages 9 to Adult.

To put the newest version of THE GAME OF LIFE to the test, we had a grown-up only game night with just me and my hubby, Mario.  He's often not the first one to want to play board games, so I was surprised at how totally ready to play he was. He has great memories of the game himself, so wanted to check it out. He even took charge of reading the directions.

The game itself is very similar to the original version in many ways.  You still choose whether you'll go the college route or straight to career route.  You get married, you get babies, you collect your salary, you travel through life.

One of the additions is that there are now Action Cards you draw every time you land on a space that isn't otherwise occupied by another instruction.  With each of these cards you have the chance to complete an activity and either gain or lose money.

As you can see below, someone thought he was realllllly hilarious when he landed on the Get Married space.  Actually, he is pretty funny because on one of the Action Cards it said, “Bonus Payday!  Choose another player to be your boss and tell them a joke.  If they laugh, collect a bonus payday from the bank.”  I tried my hardest to keep a straight face when he dew that card, but as hard as I tried I couldn't help myself and ended up laughing.

All-in-all, we had a lot of fun playing THE GAME OF LIFE.  It's always interesting to see what new twists and turns can be added to our favorite classic games to make them all new for the next generation.