Players work together to keep the tide at bay in this creative, cooperative game from Family Pastimes. The goal is to build three different sand castles before the waves come in and wash them away. Players take turns rolling a die, with a result of 1 to 3 earning the player construction materials (shovel, sand, pail), and a 4 to 6 forcing the player to move a wave one space closer to shore. A few bad rolls can quickly turn the tide against the group, and the players must work together in order to win. Players can help each other by pooling their resources: if a player has a pail and a shovel and the next player rolls and gets some sand, then together they can turn all three resources in to get one section of sand castle. In addition, any player can build a sand wall instead of a section of castle. When a wave hits a sand wall, it is sent back to its starting space, buying the players more time.
Strategy, planning, cooperation, and the random time limit combine for an exciting game. Parents and older children will have fun working with the younger kids to finish building castles before the waves roll in. --Michael Fehlauer
