Recently we were sent the Ravensburger Bugs in the Kitchen game for review. The boys love to play board games, particularly Mr Z, and I find it’s a great way to spend some family quality time together.
Bugs in the Kitchen is a board game aimed at age 6+ which includes a Hex Bug Nano. It is pretty different to other games that we have and I had no idea what to expect from a Hex Bugs board game but it was a huge hit. Mr Z found it so exciting to play, and I enjoyed playing it with him too.
The first time you play the game you will need to set up the board, but once this is done you can keep it ready in the box and won’t need to repeat the process every time.
You first need to fit pegs into the bottom of the game box
Then lay the game board over the top
and add the knives, forks and spoons to make a maze on the board.
There are 4 different suggested starting layout for the maze to add variety to the game.
At each corner of the box is a “trap” where each player aims to lure the hex bug and trap him in order to win a bug token. The game is suitable for 2-4 players so when playing with 2 players then we each took two traps. Later we let Mr T and Mr R have a trap each, although they are too young to join in fully they enjoyed cheering on the Hex Bug if he came near to their trap and winning their tokens if it did end up in there.
The game is played by taking turns to role the dice and then move an item of cutlery however you wish (you might role knife, fork, spoon or free choice) to make a path to guide the hex bug nearer to your own trap so that you can win a token. The first player to 5 tokens is the winner!
One Hex Bug Nano is supplied with the game, with his batteries included and a spare battery in the box too. As soon as we turned on the Hex Bug Nano to start the game, the boys all felt so excited to see it moving around and it definitely added to the appeal of the game. It can move quite fast so it kept up the fast pace of the game and kept the kids gripped.
There is an element of strategy involved too so it was great to see that after a couple of rounds Mr Z was really thinking about the best moves to make to give him the best chance of winning. It’s a really fun way to work on problem solving skills and tactics.
Mr Z has been asking to play it again and again and I think this will remain a definite favourite in our house. I would expect that this would be very popular with other kids of his age too, especially boys. If you are looking for new board games, it would be a great choice.
I have to admit, I never really “got” Hex Bugs in the past. I’ve seen them but I wasn’t too sure what exactly you would do with them or what they were for but this game has shown me how fun they can be so I definitely see more of the appeal now.
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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
This game look so fun! My son is a big fan of nano! He would definitely love this!
Oh wow this looks like a super fun game – there is nothing better than a board game on a rainy day
Laura x
What a brilliant idea! My son is a big Hex Bug fan and I know he would love this!
Oh wow, how cool is that game? That’s amazing. Like you say, a fantastic use of a Hex Bug 🙂