Gobblet

While it's true Firebox is all about groundbreaking gizmos, we're not averse to the occasional wooden plaything. Because much as we love state-of-the-art thingamabobs it's impossible to resist the allure of a seriously engrossing board game. Especially when it's as tooth-itchingly addictive as Gobblet.

In fact, this simple but seductive two-player hour-cruncher is so fiendishly playable we can't believe it hasn't been around for centuries. It feels like a classic the minute you start gobbling up your opponent's pieces. Yes, gobbling!

Of course we don't mean that literally (the gorgeously crafted wooden pieces are far too filling). You see the idea of Gobblet is to line up four of your playing pieces, or Gobblets, in a row. On each turn you must play a new Gobblet or move one around the 16 square board.



But here's the tricky bit; the Gobblets are hollow and come in four sizes. This means your opponent can 'gobble' your pieces with bigger Gobblets and steal your place. All of which plays a pivotal part in the game's strategy as you have to figure out which size piece to play and when to use larger pieces to steal. It also means you can lose by uncovering a Gobblet and revealing your opponent's winning row. It's like tic-tac-toe meets checkers by way of chess and Connect 4.

If you think this sounds shoulder-shruggingly mundane you'd be seriously wrong. Give Gobblet just one try and you'll be utterly obsessed. It makes players so desperate for a rematch we've had to ban it from the office. Hardly surprising as Gobblet has won 10 best toy awards around the globe. A modern classic? Quite possibly, but if you'll excuse us we're sneaking off for a few more gobbles just to be sure. Gulp!