Stratego

  The box for Stratego says the game is for ages 8 and older, but in our experience, it has appealed to younger ages.
  Each player controls an army, and sets up his pieces unseen by the opponent. Each piece has a number on it, and as the pieces move across the board, they challenge each other. The higher number wins the battle. There are only a couple more rules, for example the scouts can move unlimited spaces, and only number threes can defuse bombs. But the game's rules are simple enough for a 5-year-old.
  As players get older, they will learn better strategies to win. The ultimate goal of the game is to find the opponent's flag. Setting up your pieces to attack, defend and hide your flag is complicated, so this is the part that older children will enjoy. But if you're older still, it becomes frustrating that so much of the game is based on luck. There's no such thing as a perfect way to set up your pieces. However, players can gain an advantage by remembering what their opponent's pieces are once they've seen them.
  Young children enjoy figuring out which number is bigger in a battle. And if the adult they're playing with sets up his soldiers to help a child win, the game can be really fun. But it's too upsetting if you start taking all their soldiers.
  The game has many little pieces that get put away in a fussy plastic tray. If your kids are small enough to enjoy tossing these around the room, store it on a high shelf.
  For ages 8 to adult, but we have played it at younger ages, 2 players. Cost: About $15.

Our rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Pay Day or Payday

  Pay Day has been around awhile, and the version we have is from 1975. It's another garage sale find, a game I remember from when I was a kid.
  My kids enjoy the game because it's the right level of difficulty, not too hard or simple. The board looks like a calendar month, and the game takes you through life events until the last day of the month, pay day. Players decide how many months to play, and whoever has the most money at the end wins.
  It's fun to get postcards and bills in the mail, to buy antiques with the hopes to resell them, and otherwise feel like you're managing your money. The graphics on the board, cards and money are bright and fun.
  Pay Day does have a few rules to read through. It might be best to read them before you intend to sit down and play. The game gives kids practice at counting money, adding and subtracting. There isn't a lot of challenge for logic and decision-making.
  For ages 8 to adult, 2-4 players. Cost: About $12. (I think the game is supposed to be spelled as two words, but amazon spells it as one.)

Our rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Junior Labyrinth

  Junior Labyrinth, like other games from Ravensburger, has a box, board and pieces that have a nice texture to them. The playing pieces, which look like ghosts, are made of thick cardboard on plastic stands. The maze squares are the same thick cardboard, and up to the task of being handled a lot.
  Each player is a ghost in a maze. By choosing a coin, players see what object in the maze they're trying to get to. They slide in their one maze piece to alter the maze, hopefully reaching their goal.
  I modify the rules for younger players by saying they can replace a maze piece instead of having to slide a piece in. You can imagine how much this would change the game, because sometimes, sliding a piece in alters more than you anticipated.
  That's the value of Junior Labyrinth as a learning game. It can be quite a puzzle to figure out a way to get through the maze, and there almost always is a way if you look hard enough.
  Our family doesn't have the regular version of Labyrinth. Now that the kids are getting older, maybe we'll have to get it and compare.
  My one criticism is that the game board doesn't lie as flat as it should, and this makes it hard to slide the maze pieces across the fold.
  For ages 5 and older, 1-4 players. Cost: About $19.

Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Snap It Up! Match Three

  Snap It Up! Match Three is a simple card game that can be played in many ways. If you follow the rules, it's a fast-paced race game. This can be hard for younger players, so you could modify the rules so that everyone gets a turn.
  But following the rules, each player holds three cards and has a discard pile. Players try to get two cards in their hand that have something in common with the one card in the center. If, for example, there is a banana in the center and you get an apple and grapes in your hand, you quickly snap up the middle card and say "Snap! They're all food!" Each round of the game requires a player to win three hands. The second time, you yell "It!" and the third time, "Up!"
  The game gets interesting as kids think of more creative associations between objects. For example, a bird, rocket and moon can all be seen in the sky. Or a potato, frying pan and the sun are all hot.
  Preschoolers could have fun just sorting the cards. Adults could have fun playing without kids, stretching the associations to the point where players must take a vote, like whether a raindrop, dog and pants are all things that get dirty.
  For ages 7 and older (or younger if you don't follow the rules), 2 or more players. Cost: About $10.

Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Clue Jr.

  Clue Jr. is one of many classic games reworked for younger players. I'm not often fond of these, but this one is better than most.
  You don't need to read to play this game because your clue pad has pictures. However, you must be able to recognize numbers and mark your pad correctly without help. It seems a very narrow window of time from when a child is capable of playing this game and when he learns to read. However, those who can read will enjoy the game, too.
  Players are not looking for a murderer in this game. Rather, they're trying to discover who ate the piece of cake, at what time, with which beverage. It's nice not to be violent, but I can't help but remember how the original Clue game, for me as a child, kept my interest in part because I was so horrified at the idea of being killed with a lead pipe or wrench.
  There is no such edge-of-your-seat scenario here. Players move from room to room trying to get the chance to peek under all the people and all the pieces of furniture. It can take a little too long, and kind grownups will probably know the answer awhile before they let the children guess. Tough-love grownups will find themselves winning every time, not as much fun for anyone, if you ask me.
  The pieces are tippy, and often get knocked over by young players, which is stressful because the hidden answers are underneath each piece. Adults would be kind to remind kids to mark down their answers every time they peek under a game piece.
  For ages 5-8, 2-6 players. Cost: About $10.

Our rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Othello

  Othello is another one of those logic games that doesn't take too much time to learn or play. I like that my toddlers have enjoyed playing with the pieces, which are smooth and feel nice to place in the velvety squares. The chips could be a choking hazard, so supervise small children.
  This game is easy to handicap, too, for example by giving a younger child a couple of corners right from the start. If you give them all four corners, good luck, because they'll probably win no matter what you do.
  The game is played by turning over the chips again and again as each player puts down a piece so that his color is on either end of the opponent's color. The rules take some explaining, but are logical and easy to understand. As the box says, "A minute to learn ... a lifetime to master!" That's trademarked, y'all.
  We've had some emotional outbursts playing this game with young children. Something about having all their pieces turned over to the other color is upsetting. But it's another game I like for its simplicity and short play time.
  For ages 8 to adult (or younger if you're not using rules), 2 players. Cost: About $12.

Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Master Mind

  Master Mind has changed what it says in its box. My old version says "Easy to learn. Easy to play. But not so easy to win." Nowadays, it says "The Classic Game of Logic and Deduction." The change is appropriate because although this is one of my favorite games, it is easy to win once you know what you're doing.
  But that's what I like about it. I know that if I think well enough, I'll win the game. I taught my son my strategy, and now he can win, too. It's not "easy to win," but you will win if you think things through properly.
  In Master Mind, one person hides four colored pegs. The other person tries to guess what colors they are, and in what order. If the guesser gets a color in the right place, he gets a black peg. If the guesser gets a color in the wrong place, he gets a white peg.
  When I was a kid, my sisters and I figured out that it's good to start with your first three guesses being two colors each. You can use this information to guess the code in one or two more guesses if you're lucky. Usually, I guess the code in six guesses, seven if I'm unlucky.
  Master Mind is just the right level of difficulty to make you think but not get your frustrated. A game lasts about 10 minutes, so it's easy to play a couple times and be done.
  For ages 8 to adult, 2 players. Cost: About $12.

Our rating: 5 out of 5 stars