New Kids On The Block: Summary of New Games On "Family Game NIght"

Earlier this month, I posted a montage teaser photo on The Blog Is Right's Facebook page hinting at the new games that will be featured in the upcoming fourth season of Family Game Night. Jenga, Barrel of Monkeys, Monopoly Remix and a new version of Yahtzee will be added to the roster of the life-sized games, which currently include Battleship, Connect 4 Basketball, Simon Flash, Sorry!, Operation and Bop It. Check out the pictures below to view each game in action and make sure you mark your calendars for the season premiere of Family Game Night Sunday, August 18 at 7:00pm EST on The Hub.

Barrel of Monkeys: To win this game, you will need a little bit of luck and a little bit of strategy. One four-member family will have to choose from 10 barrels, which contain monkeys ranging from one to 10 monkeys. After selecting a barrel, the family has to organize the monkey chains in sequential order from lowest to highest on five trees. Inside one barrel is the "Top Banana", which provides the team to trade out a chain monkeys that doesn't fit on their tree sequence. The game ends when the team chooses a chain of monkeys that doesn't fit on the trees.

Monopoly Remix: This fast-paced game requires concentration and great memory. One family consisting of three members, will be given two properties, Boardwalk and Park Place, and $1,000 in Monopoly money. The goal in each round is for the families to find their properties hidden among in each group of cards and to avoid picking any cash penalty cards. In the first round, four cards will be shuffled: the two properties, a $300 Luxury Tax and a $300 Income Tax. In round two, five cards will be shuffled: the two properties, a $400 Luxury Tax, a $400 Income Tax and a $400 Street Repairs charge. In round three,  the two properties, a $500 Luxury Tax, a $500 Income Tax, a $500 Street Repairs charge and a Bankrupt card. If the team has at least $100 by the end of the game, the family will win the prize package.

Yahtzee: This show's rendition of the classic dice game requires strategy, good timing, luck and little bit of trivia knowledge. The game begins by one team of two family members answering a question that has six possible answers, of which only three are correct. Each correct answer turns one number on each of the five dice into a WILD space to increase the chances of the family rolling a five-of-a-kind Yahtzee. After the question round is over, the family will have three rolls to get a Yahtzee. If they do so they will win a prize.

Jenga: This game of speed, strategy and dexterity has two families of three removing and stacking blocks on an oversized version of a life-sized version of a Jenga tower. The game begins with one member from each team picking a number from a box ranging from zero to three blocks. Based on the number chosen, the team will have to remove the block(s) and place it on top of the tower within a two-minute time limit. The game ends when either one team has knocked over the tower or their time has run out.

The creative producers of Family Game Night continue to improve this series each season with not only the addition of the new games, but also making small aesthetic changes to the show to keep it fresh. In this case, the names of the families Newton calls before each game will now appear on the big screen behind him. Along with the show itself, I am also impress with the new games and amazing visual graphics accompanied with some of the games, especially Jenga, which had me on edge when I first viewed it. I even felt a little nostalgic when I saw the plunger being used for Yahtzee and a timer that measures a tenth of a second being used in Jenga. Collectively, the new lineup covers all of the critical elements and dimensions of creating an excellent format for the show's gameplay. This is also the reason why Family Game Night is one of The Hub Network's top-rated shows.

Source: The Hub Press