“Bandido” - board game for family connection and language development
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. You do not pay a higher price.
“Bandido” - a family board game that also fosters language development
Through vacation with the broader family, we came across our latest addition to our selection of board games that means pure family fun. “Bandido” is a card-based game that all starts with the bandit in the middle that is set out to escape from prison. All players of the game share the same mission to stop the bandit from escaping through open tunnels. This is being done by placing cards with tunnels, and closing the routes with torches. The players win the game if all tunnels are blocked. If no player can place a card anymore and there are open tunnels, the bandit won and escaped.
There are a few things that we love about the game:
it is easy to pick up - the instructions are clear, and concise and there’s no learning curve to overcome before you can enjoy the game.
it is logical and strategical - you need to think about your cards and how you can use them to prevent the bandit to escape prison.
it is collaborative - all players share the same mission of stopping the bandit from escaping on a route. Since we are just introducing our son to board games, it is a fantastic way of guiding and teaching him while we all play without disrupting the objective.
younger players can play along - the game is indicated from 6 years. We currently play the game with our preschooler. While he might not be able to strategise over every tunnel that’s being laid out, he can play along, match tunnels and find good ways to close escape routes. Over time, he’ll learn a lot about the strategic approach.
it is a niche problem, so plenty of opportunity for language - We are playing together in our OPOL mode, with added English between parents. And all that very specific language and vocabulary is being used and soaked up by our son.
it is quick - the time commitment of a round is about 15min. So you can have a normal round of play without blocking your entire afternoon. It also fits the concentration span of younger children.
So, for us, it is a fantastic card/board game for family play while fostering language in use. If you love simple, straight-forward and time-boxed games, it is totally worth it. The moment of family bonding is amazing.
You can find the game on Amazon.
