In a space station far from Earth, a team of mole rats are busy at work when a band of snakes infiltrates their station. Players must work together to help the mole rats gather their equipment and make it to their escape pod before time runs out! Climb the ladders, slip down airshafts, but don't get bit by the snakes. (Publisher's description)

Staff Recommendation

"Space Escape is an amazing cooperative game from creator Matt Leacock, who is mostly famous for his great catalog of cooperative games for adults, but has made another hit with this one. This game revolves around players helping all of the mole rats reach the escape pod after retrieving all the items they need to leave without getting bitten by the invading snakes. No one player controls any particular mole rat. Rather, players choose a color, but only move that color based on the action indicated by the card they draw. Each player draws one card from a central deck. These cards are completely without words and use images and symbols to convey the action they require of the player. On each card there is one action for the mole rats and one action for the invading snakes. Players must discuss and choose carefully where to move which mole rat and where to move whichever snake in order to best situate their mole rats for future turns. After carrying out the actions on a card, the player discards it and draws a new one. Play continues this way until either players win or a player gets sent into space or bitten twice by accident or poor planning. I've played this game multiple times at Labyrinth's Kids Events, and kids just seem to love it, especially as they get into the discussion of strategy and start figuring out ways to remove snakes from the board and position their mole rats just right to make it up to the escape pod.

Who is this for? Anyone looking for a game that will challenge your youngster, but that doesn't require a whole lot of reading to work, so it has flexibility if they have younger siblings. It teaches strategy, cooperation, and camaraderie."