Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Families are always looking for more wholesome ways to connect and have fun, so Tomy’s board game Triggle is a gem for the winter months. Based on 2-4 players (but you could play in teams) it is aimed at 8 years and upwards and has a remarkably simple objective; to create triangles.
The starting board consists of pegs arranged in a geometric pattern. Each player chooses one of the colours of pegs (there are 21 pegs for each player) and the elastic bands are divided out between everyone playing. Taking it in turns, each player add one rubber band to the board, suspending it between any two posts in any direction. The only ‘rules’ are that the line created by the band must be straight, and it must stretch across 4 post only and touching at least one other rubber band.
Once a player creates a triangle with their rubber band, they can claim it as their own by placing their coloured peg inside it. A triangle consists of only one single space.
The game ends whenever there are no spaces left on the board to claim, or one of the players uses up all their pegs. An alternative to the full game is for each player to have a set amount of rubber bands (for instance, 10 or 20) and the players play until there are no more bands left. Whoever has the most pegs placed on the board is the winner.
This is a remarkably easy game to follow and learn the rules for, and can keep the whole family entertained. We found that playing with just two, and especially two adults or older children was exceptionally easy and allowed for conversation throughout. There was no need to remember where you were in the game, so it was easy to talk, or walk away and come back after dinner if you needed to. It also doesn’t last for hours and hours where you feel compelled to complete the game. It also didn’t require point scoring or writing anything down as you can just count up the number of pegs visible, and there’s no need for remembering characters or complicated rules!
If you are in a group who don’t speak English or have limited vocabulary, this is a great mind teaser puzzle, and if you lose the rubber bands, they can easily be replaced. Instead of using the pegs, you can use any other type of counter from another game, so there’s longevity too. I found that after a while, some of the younger children (under 12 years old or so) were able to make up new games of their own, or liked making patterns in the board after the game had finished, so there was endless entertainment to be had over the school holidays.
Triggle isn’t really a game you grow out of and can be picked up by anyone. It’s definitely a “thumbs up” from us as a family game.
Available from £19.50 at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Brain-Preschool-Educational-Suitable/dp/B08SRF4FKJ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2T4AYCESTM577&keywords=triggle+board+game&qid=1672763459&sprefix=triggle+board+game%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
The Review Studio 