

Dice Off
Fall 2013 GamesDice Off is a game of travel and language learning. Each player gets a passport that can be leveled for different Spanish abilities. There are four levels of difficulty, and with each the game builds in depth.
With each roll of the dice, children learn different Spanish verbs and adjectives and practice using them in the correct way. Proper pronunciation is important too, and effort is rewarded (if you need help, try Dice Off's pronunciation guide app). If an opponent makes a mistake, children get a bonus and the opponent loses something. Even when the turn isn't on the player, they still have to pay attention and participate if they want to benefit from their opponents' mistakes. The first player with a full board/passport, wins.
The concept of Dice Off is well thought out. The components are durable and the rules remarkably easy to follow. The directions are very thorough, and our evaluators were intimidated by them at first. Once they began playing, though, gameplay proceeded in a logical and easy to follow way.
Dice Off really does teach Spanish. It does not stop at nouns and pointing and naming things, but also teaches verbs and their conjugations. Basing the game around Spanish-speaking countries and keeping the tone of the cards fun and light make this a game kids will actually want to play. It is a playful way to teach Spanish vocabulary and grammar, and that is a very rare find.