Blink: Lightning Fast, Good for Kids

Blink is a rapid-fire card game in which two players attempt to match shape-filled game cards as quickly as possible based on design, number or color. It’s also become our stocking stuffer/birthday present of choice in the Newquist household.

In the standard game, each player’s given their own deck with the same number of cards. The top card from each deck is flipped over, and players draw three cards from their respective decks. They then launch into frenzy, matching cards in their hands against the face-up cards. As they get matches, they draw new cards from their deck. The first person to run out of cards wins. Games typically last about 30 seconds.

It makes it a great way to pass the time on camping trips, at the airport, whatever. But what my wife and I love most about the game is how scalable it is. It’s designed for older kids and adults, but at its heart Blink is a matching game. That means that as long as kids can match, they can play the game.

Slowing things down

We started playing the game with my daughter when she was four, ditching the fast-paced play in favor of alternating turns. She loved Blink, and it’s quickly became one of our go-to games on road trips, family visits, and any other occasion where I need to distract Jordan for a few minutes. But the cool thing is that even younger kids can play this game; my two-year-old son can easily match the shapes and colors, and he’s starting to grasp how to match based on number of shapes. It’s amazing to see him “get” the game, and it’s only a matter of time until he and my daughter will be able to play it unsupervised.

The cards come in a metal tin that makes it perfect for road tripping; just throw it in your purse or kit bag, and you’ve got an instant distraction ready to go. From a gamer perspective, it’s been a great gateway game – people see me playing it with Jordan, and their immediately intrigued. I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t liked the game, and most ask “where can I get a copy of that?” after playing it once.

As a result, my wife and I have bought a few extra copies to serve as impromptu gifts (you never know when your kids will bring home a surprise birthday party invitation). It helps that the game itself is cheap — MSRP is $9.99 and you can get it for cheaper than that on Amazon.com.

Final Analysis

Blink is a great addition to your game library; it’s quick, educational, easy to store and a lot of fun.

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