Gobblet Junior

Goblet Junior - An advanced game of Tic-Tac-Toe.

The rules for Gobblet Junior! are the same as the rules for Gobblet Gobbler, the pieces just look different. So... I am copying and pasting the rest of this post from Gobblet Gobbler. No sense in reinventing the wheel! 

Like tic-tac-toe, get three of your colored pieces in a row to win (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). That is where the comparison to tic-tac-toe ends. Each person has two large pieces, two medium sized pieces, and two small pieces in his own color. Pieces are hollow and can cover smaller pieces already on the board to block the other player (see the large red piece over the medium yellow piece above).

Object:

Be the first player to get three pieces in a row.

Set up:

Place the board between the players. Each player take all 6 game pieces of his color.

Play:

On your turn you have several options:

• Place a new piece in any empty space
• Place one of your larger pieces over any colored piece already on the board
• Move one of your pieces already on the board to any empty space or to cover any other piece on the board.

If the piece you want to move is covering another piece, try to remember what is underneath that you will be uncovering. If you can't remember, you may inadvertently help the other player win! I hope I didn't make this sound too difficult, as it is a fun game that moves fairly quickly. Always keep an eye on what pieces the other player has left and keep your biggest pieces for strategic moves, as they can cover both medium and small pieces. All parts are wooden, well constructed, and brightly painted. Blue Orange plants two trees for every one tree they use to manufacture games.

Try this:

• Work toward a win in only one plane for beginners. For instance watch for horizontal wins only. Play games until the individual can spot them without help. Then move to vertical wins only, then work toward diagonal wins only. Lastly put them all together.
• Introduce the game by starting with a regular tic-tac-toe game, using color only and not covering pieces. Then show the individual how to cover pieces. Then teach how to move pieces already on the board.
• Place a piece of paper near the board showing the three different ways to win. I usually draw three 9-square grids. I use a highlighter to color in the three boxes for a horizontal win on one grid, the three boxes for a vertical win on one, and the three boxes for a diagonal win on the last one.
• Practice recognizing wins. I fill the whole board, embedding a win somewhere on the board. I ask the individual to find the win. Do this over and over until they can easily spot a win. 
• Tell the individual to ask himself three questions on each turn. 1) Can I place a piece and win? If so, do it. If not, ask 2) Can I place a piece and block my opponent from winning? If so, do it. If not, ask 3) Where can I place a piece that will help me win on my next turn?
• Tell the individual to look again if they miss blocking you from winning. I tell them that if they don't block me, I will win on my next move. See if they can spot the space and block you. At least while they are learning;)
• Work on spatial relations, visual memory, visual discrimination, visual closure, figure ground, manual dexterity, planning, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: 4 bars to build a playing board, 12 Gobblers (6 red, 6 yellow)

Ages 5+, 2 player

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.