Introduction
If you frequent the local thrift shops, you're bound to come across them. You know, those smallish game boxes with the blue ravensburger logo on them that say "such & such lotto" or "such & such memory". Do they teach kids how to play the lottery, or is there something lost in the translation between german and english? The name "Baby Animal Lotto" has some strange connotations when you think about it.

In this review I will (hopefully) give you the information you need to make an informed decision when purchasing a "lotto" style game.



Presentation
As with most Ravensburger games, the compnent quaity is top notch in "Baby Animal Lotto". Thick cardboard tiles and game boards, with bright photos of baby animals. This is not flimsy cardstock that children will be able to easily bend. Short of a child actually chewing on the cardboards tiles, I don't see them being marked or damaged in significant way. So kudos to Ravensburger on making this game able to withstand the wear and tear of children.
The box cover has a picture of a kitten, but there is nothing "too exciting" about it. A child would be more attracted to the box of Dora or spiderman "memory" game.


Gameplay
There are several modes of gameplay with Baby Animal Lotto which allows for better replayability as your children develop. All three modes use the same game components: 36 picture tiles of different baby animals, and 4 lotto cards that each have 9 animal pictures. Each of the pictures on the lotto cards matches one of the 36 tiles.

The game that I have played with my 2 1/2 year old son, and with my 3 year old (at the time) niece is the basic lotto style game. The 36 tiles are shuffled and placed face down. Tiles are drawn one-by-one and placed on the matching space on a lotto card. We play until everyone fills up their card(s), but you could play until one person has filled their card(s). This is very similar to "bingo".

A second more advanced game that can be played is a memory style game where the 36 tiles are randomly placed face down in some sort of organized manner (6x6 grid works well). Then players try to find the tiles that match the pictures on their lotto card. Players take turns turning over at tile. If a tile matches their card, they place it on their lotto card. If the tile does not match, it is turned face down again.

Overall, I have found that very young children (2-4 years old) actually enjoy this game. The game teaches different animal species and the names for the young in those species. It also works on picture recognition and memory. Kids really get a kick out of drawing the tiles and seeing that the tile is on their card. Now as children get older (5-6), I'm sure this part of the game loses its lustre, but I can see how the more advanced memory game would be fun for kids of that age.

The "bingo" style game is not for adults at all. I personally find the bingo game tedious, but I understand that the kids like it, so I play. The memory game would be a bit better for adults, but still not great. A game for your kids to play, but don't expect that you will want to play it.

Another characteristic of "Baby Animal Lotto" is that it can be played solitaire. While playing solitaire does miss out on the social interactions that come from playing a game, it is nice that a child could play the game by themselves if need be (especially since this game is not the best for adults).

A gripe I have is that some of the animals in the pictures are very similar (Hamster vs Gerbil) or a bit obscure (Anteater?). But, I guess that is part of the learning :-). Children who love animals will really like looking at the pictures and learning some names of animal babies that they did not know.




Buy or No Buy?
The MSRP for Baby Animal Lotto is $10 USD. At the time of this review it is $7.95 at US online stores. I got my copy used a the thrift store for $1.99.

If you come across this game in the thrift store and you have young children (2-4 years old) of your own or to babysit, I would recommend buying it. It is a nice alternative to one of the many memory variations you see all over the thrift store shelves.

Since Baby Animal Lotto is well produced and is several games in one box, it is a fair value even at a store price. Of course, you should always look for a sale!


Summary
From my experience, "Baby Animal Lotto" is a simple game that young children enjoy. High quality components, and the inclusion of rules for different modes of gameplay mean that it is fair value for its modest price.