I’m always on the lookout for good educational games to play with my kids—emphasis on the word “good” as those seem few and far between. As a big fan of geography, I’ve had my eye on the “10 Days in” games for a while, so I was happy to see this recent reprint from The Op!
In 10 Days in the USA 2-4 players race to be the first to complete their ten day trip by arranging their cards to make connections from state to state. Playtime is about 30 minutes and the suggested age is 8+, though my 6-year-old was able to play with a little assistance.
Gameplay Overview:
The game board is a map of the US and there is a deck consisting of 50 state cards and 16 transportation cards. At the start of the game, each player is given trays to hold their cards, with a slot for each of the 10 days players are traveling in the country, then they draw cards from the shared deck, one at a time, placing them into any empty slot in the card trays. The object is to arrange your cards to form a cohesive trip.
Once all players have filled their card trays, they then take turns drawing cards from the deck, or taking the top face-up card from any one of the three discard piles. They may either replace a card in their tray with the new card, or discard it to one of the discard piles. Connections are created when you play a state card next to another state card that shares a border with it on the map, or when you place an airplane card between two states of the same color. Players may also skip a state in their journey by playing a van card, which essentially acts as a wild card. For example, you could have Oregon in your Day 1 slot, a van in your Day 2 slot, and Montana in your day 3 slot. The first player to complete a contiguous 10-day journey wins the game.
Game Experience:
The premise of the game is simple, but engaging. The length, which is about 30 minutes or less, feels just right for what it is. My six-year-old really enjoys it, but my nine-year-old was at first frustrated with the process of making connections. I think what she disliked is that you can’t freely rearrange your cards once they’ve been placed, so you might have a card in your tray that you want, but it’s not where you want it to be.
On your turn you can draw a new card and discard the one you want, hoping it will still be available when it gets back around to your turn but, if not, you might need to make alternative travel plans. This process can feel frustrating and tedious, but it’s also necessary as the game would be too easy without it.
Once you accept that you might have to adjust and try for new connections, the game becomes an engaging hand-management race. After a few plays, my daughter did enjoy the game more and my son requests to play it almost daily. I appreciated that each state also depicts a landmark, which helps people less familiar with the US quickly find states on the board to look for a connection.
Final Thoughts:
As an educational geography game for kids, I think 10 Days in the USA is one of the best I’ve played. It’s not bogged down with too many facts, it’s quick, and everything is clearly explained and depicted, though a lot is left up to luck of the draw. The no re-ordering restriction can be frustrating and some might find the game too simplistic and dependent on luck of the draw, but it’s one I’ll happily play with my kids any day.
Final Score: 3.5 Stars – An excellent addition to any classroom or family collection
Hits:
• Playtime is just right
• Clear, clean graphic design
• Educational while still fun
Misses:
• High luck factor
• Card placement restrictions can be frustrating
