My First Castle Panic Board Game Review

A group of monsters are on their way to the castle. Catch them all before they can smash the castle flat!

Work together in this cooperative board game to figure out the best way to catch every monster before they can reach the castle.

Understanding how to match colors and shapes, utilize strategic thinking and forward planning, and of course, working together, all make up this strategic game for youngsters

About My First Castle Panic Board Game

My First Castle Panic Board Game is a cooperative strategy game and the younger brother of ‘Castle Panic’, which was published in 2009 by Fireside Games. Castle Panic focuses on defending a castle from an invasion of goblins and orcs with players working together to repel them. This is done by using various cards that represent different units and can only be played in certain sections of the game board. As it’s a cooperative game, players keep their cards face up and can offer suggestions to, or trade cards with, other players in order to implement the best strategy.

My First Castle Panic was released in 2019 and was created with a younger audience in mind. It takes the same theme and some of the same mechanics from its predecessor, but makes gameplay much more linear and easier to get to grips with in general for pre-schoolers and young kids. Gameplay still relies very heavily on cooperation and working together, but also integrates some developmental skills that will benefit younger players in all aspects of life, especially as they start to prepare for school.

How to Play My First Castle Panic Board Game

When starting the game, when the board is set up, start by finding the three monsters with a star on the first three spaces on the board, including the start space. The rest of the monsters are mixed up and put face down in easy reach near the board. The deck of castle cards is then shuffled and each player gets one card, with the rest being placed face down to form a draw deck. The youngest player then gets to go first.

Each player’s turn is then made up of four steps:

• Draw a card from the draw pile

• Play a card from your hand OR ask for help from another player

• Move the monsters

• Draw a monster token

Players start their turn by taking a card from the castle deck and adding it to their hand. There is no limit to how many cards can be in a player’s hand and when the draw pile runs out the discarded cards can be shuffled to make a new deck.

In order to catch a monster, a player must play a card that matches both the colour and shape of the space a monster is currently occupying on the game board. Some cards can be used to catch a monster in any color or shape, and special cards like boots can be used to send the monsters back to their pile. Only one card can be played each turn so choosing the right one is important. When asking for help, if the active player wants to save a card or can’t currently play one, they can ask another to play a card from their hand in order to capture a monster. Any cards played are discarded after use and any captured monsters are sent to the dungeon inside the game box.

Next is the monster’s turn and to start with, all monsters move one space closer to the castle. If a monster gets close enough and hits the wall of the castle, both are knocked flat. The monster goes into the dungeon and the castle wall gets set aside. If a monster reaches the castle, they knock the castle flat. With no castle left standing however, the players lose the game!

Finally, one monster token is drawn from the monster pile and placed on the board and goes to the start space. If there are no monsters left in the pile this step can obviously be skipped.

There are several different kinds of monsters, some of which will have an impact on the rest currently on the board. A ‘shover’ will move all monsters one step forward, a ‘runner’ is placed in front of the monster closest to the castle, and a ‘marcher’ not only moves all monsters one step closer to the castle, but then calls an additional monster from the pile onto the board. If this is a special monster then the rules for it must be followed too!

The game continues until either the castle is knocked flat, or the players capture all the monsters. As the game progresses, the threat increases with more monsters emerging from the pile.

Castle Panic vs. My First Castle Panic

When choosing between Castle Panic and My First Castle Panic, it’s important to consider the desired level of complexity for the players. Neither of these board games are particularly complex, but Castle Panic, which is geared towards a slightly older audience, involves a deeper level of strategy and coordination. Players must manage a variety of cards, each representing different units and abilities, which can only be effective in specific sections of the game board. The complexity of Castle Panic lies in its need for advanced strategic thinking, careful planning, and significantly involved teamwork to repel the invading goblins and orcs effectively.

On the other hand, My First Castle Panic simplifies these mechanics to suit a much younger audience. Designed for pre-schoolers, it offers a more linear and straightforward gameplay experience. It’s still a cooperative game, but the complexities of card management and strategic deployment are reduced. This version introduces children to basic gaming concepts such as matching colors and shapes, taking turns, and working as a team, without overwhelming them with too many rules or strategies. After a few games, young players can easily grasp the gameplay.

If you are looking for a game that involves detailed tactical planning and suits players who enjoy a challenge, Castle Panic is the recommended option. It provides a richer, more engaging battle against the monsters, ideal for older children, teens, and adults. Conversely, if the goal is to introduce younger kids to cooperative board games while helping them develop cognitive and social skills in a fun and approachable manner, My First Castle Panic is the perfect choice. It scales the mechanics to be more accessible for young minds while still maintaining the excitement and collaborative spirit of its predecessor.

Why We Recommend My First Castle Panic For Younger Kids

The great thing about My First Castle Panic, is that it keeps the spirit of the original very much alive, but in a way that younger players can enjoy. Rather than all the monsters coming from all sides and having to keep track of six areas, the single road that monsters travel along is more than enough of a challenge for players to manage.

Strategy plays a big part in the game and understanding why making certain moves over others, as well as learning to plan ahead and predict the likelihood of something happening, all lay the foundations for more complex games later down the line. Like the original game, cooperative gameplay is a big driving force, which for younger players is great.

Some of the best games aimed towards pre-schoolers put a huge emphasis on teamwork in order to develop social skills, and cooperative gameplay so that everyone wins and loses together.

Additionally, matching colors and shapes may seem simple to us, but it’s an important skill for young children and will help with their development and preparation for school. All in all it’s a great adaptation that stays true to the original without losing out on any of the aspects that made it great. My First Castle Panic is also a great choice for family game night.

Summary   

• Games are fast paced

• Simple rules

• Everyone wins and loses together

• Introduces strategic concepts

• Great artwork

Final Verdict: Bring on All the Monsters

My First Castle Panic is a great introductory game to utilizing strategy and teamwork to overcome obstacles. It takes what made the original Castle Panic great and waters it down in a way that makes the game accessible to younger players without compromising the quality of gameplay.

It blends luck and strategy fairly evenly and comes with variations of the rules to offer more or less of a challenge, depending on the player’s ability. Along with the great artwork and emphasis on teamwork, this is a game that will keep younger players entertained for a long time.

This is one of our Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds. Check out that article for more recommendations.

If You Liked This:

If you enjoyed locking up goblins in your castle dungeon, below are some board games that are similar to My First Castle Panic that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!

Castle Panic: The original game that’s a step up in difficulty and enjoyment. Defend the six sides of your castle from a relentless stream of monsters. Use castle cards to repel invaders and keep you castle standing until they’re all slain. 

Catan Junior: Adventurers explore a ring of tropical islands and harvest and trade resources in order to construct pirate ships and lairs. Be the first to build seven pirate lairs and you’ll win the game. Just watch out for the ghost captain!

CoraQuest: A cooperative dungeon crawler that sees players work together to avoid traps, find treasure, fight monsters, and even rescue Kevin the gnome!

 Ticket To Ride: First Journey: Ride the rails and visit iconic destinations whilst claiming train routes to connect them. Complete destination cards by claiming train routes with the matching colored cards. The first player to claim six routes is the winner.    

Magic Maze Kids: A cooperative game that has players controlling all the heroes. The catch is they can only move in one direction. Team work is crucial in navigating through the scenarios in the game and collecting the ingredients needed for the potion to save the king!   

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