Best Toys, Games, and Puzzles

Honest Reviews of Products I Use and Recommend

All of these products get excellent reviews, and my wife and I personally use them.
If you buy through my links, I may make a commission. Full disclosures

Bring on the Dirty Jokes
Cards Against Humanity Card Game
Cards Against Humanity

Pros & Cons:
  • Histerical
  • Replay-ability
  • Potentially a bit raunchy (know your audience)

Love this game! You can play this repeatedly, and it always gets plenty of laughs. Learn a bit about your friends or family, and get this game now if you haven't already played it.

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Gideup!
Horse Racing Gambling BoardGame
Grhonior Finish LINE Horse Racing Board Game

Pros & Cons:
  • Super fun for friends or family gatherings
  • Play with a large group
  • Requires either poker chips or cash (if you want to place bets)

This game has exploded amongst me and my friends. It's a wagering game / dice game / card game.

Essentially, you are betting or wagering on horses with your friends or familiy with or without money. It's fast-paced, gets everyone involved, and is super fun to pick up and play.

Justin's Tip: Try different variations with the dealing of the cards.

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Fun for All Ages
Apples to Apples Family Game
Apples to Apples

Pros & Cons:
  • 100% Family friendly
  • Great for all ages
  • Laughs and Surprises

Super fun and enjoyed by millions, this game is a hoot. From your seven cards, pick the closest description card that's "apples to apples."

It's a dynamic game that changes each time you play it. You'll learn about your friends or family members each time you play.

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Kids Game (Game of the Year)
Gravity Maze Game for Kids
Gravity Maze Marble Brain Game

Pros & Cons:
  • Easy to learn and play
  • Educational

For ages 8 and up, this game was awarded game of the year, and is a logic game for both kids and adults. You are presented with different cards which guide you to create different setups of blocks on an 4x4 board. You then roll a marble from the designated entrance, and try to figure out the correct configuration (maze-like) to ultimately have the ball land in the exit.

Overall, this game is really fun for all ages, and makes you think about logic in a fun and enjoyable format.

Justin's Tip: You can see a preview (how to play) video on Youtube here.

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Check for Gravity Maze on eBay. Note, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.

Best LEGO Set
LEGO Millenium Falcon
Star Wars Millenium Falcon

Pros & Cons:
  • Challenging, even for adults
  • Elaborate design
  • Great for Star Wars enthusiasts
  • Rather big, expensive

7,541 pieces makes this, to the best of my knowledge, the most complex LEGO set out there. This is an adult build that will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to complete. This is the ultimate Star Wars fan (and LEGO fan) gift out there.

Justin's Tip: This is an expensive build, so if you are looking for something more reasonable, check out the LEGO tree house. I completed this during the early Covid months, and it was a fantastic and fun build! It's also doable for children 16+.

Best Puzzle
Ravensburger Rig Views Puzzle
Ravensburger Rig Views

Pros & Cons:
  • Beautiful
  • Challenging

If you love puzzles, then you've probably heard of the Ravensburger brand. This particular one currently the highest rated puzzle on Amazon, so I've added it here. But, they make hundreds to choose from. This particular one is 1,000 pieces which is medium/high difficulty, and will probably take you and/or some other friends 2-3 days to complete.

The image is beautiful with a full array of vibrant colors, which is what Ravensburger puzzles are notorious for. This is the perfect gift for somebody for Christmas, or if you just want to get away from watching TV.

Check out the full lineup of Ravensburger Puzzles

*New* Try it
Would You Rather the Card Game
The Wacky ‘Would You Rather’ Card Game

Pros & Cons:
  • Travel-friendly
  • Unique each time
  • Family-friendly

This "would you rather" spin-off is a card game which ultimately gets a rise out of people when they must choose between two conversations.

I'm new to this game, but so far loving it!

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