Disclaimer: We were sent the Upside Down Challenge Game from Ravensburger to review free of charge, but words and pictures are mine. This post contains affiliate links, see more information here.
It’s been a while since we did a full on game review, but this one was fun and the kids are currently obsessed with it, so here’s what you need to know about the Upside Down Challenge Game.
What’s in the box?
In the box you receive one pair of adjustable Upside Down Goggles, 32 playing cards containing 120 cards, a timer and a pop-out token board.
To play, you will also need some other objects including toilet roll tubes and water (if you’re brave!) before the game starts, although if you don’t have these to hand you can skip these challenges.
Who can play the #UpsideDownChallenge?
The game is aimed at children aged 7 and up, but my six year old was instantly captivated and able to follow the instructions even without my help. I would say that even a four or five year old could play this game under supervision. It is a good one for the whole family to play as although it takes some skill to master the upside down goggles, it isn’t necessarily easier for adults.
What is the aim of the Upside Down Challenge Game?
The aim of the game is to collect five tokens; then you’re the winner! (You can change the number of tokens to make the game shorter or longer).
To set up the game, lay the two ‘super challenge’ cards aside and shuffle the rest of the cars, placing them face down on the table. Take the tokens out of the token board and put the contents of the box on the table as well as cardboard tubes, pen, paper etc.
Gameplay is fairly straightforward. You can choose to play the easy or the more difficult challenges which are denoted by a feather (easy) or a dumbell (hard). Starting with the youngest player, they draw a card from the pile and do the challenge!
These can be drawing challenges or action challenges which are explained within the instruction booklet, and to complete the challenge and get a token, you must complete it before the timer runs out. Examples of the action challenges might be to put a lid on a pen, write your name, or toss a scrunched up piece of paper into the box.
Oh, and you must perform the challenges whilst wearing the Upside Down goggles – and it’s certainly not as easy as you may think!
The game sround about 20 minutes.
You can of course make your own challenges; my children have challenged each other to headstands, baths, football and all sorts wearing the goggles.
Any down sides?
Obviously you need to play in a place clear of dangers – maybe don’t let the kids start wandering up and down their bunkbed steps unless you fancy a trip to A&E.
This game isn’t suitable for glasses wearers as the goggles need to be placed directly in front of the eye. This is a real shame for any glasses-wearers (which my kids probably will end up to be, if like me).
They can make you feel a bit dizzy at first – I guess this is probably normal! The kids didn’t seem to suffer though.
Can you buy the upside down goggles separately?
No, sadly not. Only one pair of goggles is included in the Upside Down Challenge Game; it would be great if there was an option to buy a pair separately so that the game could flow more easily (as the goggles need to be re-sized between turns, etc), and also so my kids wouldn’t constantly fight over them!
Although you can buy 90° goggles from Amazon I have not found any that turn you upside down. Please comment below if you find any as I would love another pair without having to buy a whole new game!
How much and where to buy
The Upside Down Challenge Game costs around £25, and can be bought from retailers including Amazon and Argos.