Mall Madness
Testers Kyra, 8, Upper West Side; Julia, 10, and Leah, 8, Murray Hill
Premise We bet your city kid is more likely to have seen Amahl at Lincoln Center than “a mall” in the suburbs. This game provides a dose of nonurban reality—and you don’t even have to set foot inside a food court. The first player to buy six sale items and still have money left over wins. The takeaway skills: bargain hunting and wholesale shopping.
Learning curve Constructing the board (an electronic two-story mall) requires some time—at least on the first round.
Entertainment value If you can master the setup, a half hour of this game is genuinely fun. What New Yorker doesn’t love retail therapy?
Sound bite Julia: “Now let’s shop at a real mall with some real money.”
Grade B+
Hasbro, $27; at toysrus.com. Ages 8 and up.

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