RPG Review: RPGKids 1.5

With the release of rpgKids 1.5, there’s no reason not to get your kids into RPGs. Enrique’s update to rpgKids which appeared both on his website and in the Open Game Table 2.
Enrique sent me a review copy to look at, and it’s a really, really solid product. He’s had some great reactions, and as of this moment, it’s #3 on the RPGNow Hottest Items list.
The game is a simple, straightforward roleplaying game to teach kids concepts such as math, taking turns and rational thinking. It encourages the use gridded maps and miniatures, which I approve of, because I think it engages a child’s tactile and visual senses.
There are four character types a child can play: Sword Fighters, Wizards, Archers and Healers. Archers have to keep track of the number of arrows they use, to help with math skills, healers can heal allies and when they attack, hit everything adjacent to them, sword fighters can team up with other sword fighters, while wizards are the only ones who can read magic, making them invaluable outside of combat.
Combat rules are very simple, with a d12 being rolled by each side, and the higher winning. The rules are very simple and easy to understand, making it ideal for kids. In fact, it seems like it would be quite easy for a child to run an entire adventuring party, and I’ve seen Enrique’s kid do that very thing on the videos he’s posted on his site.
The book also contains counters and a 1″ grid for making adventures. It’s pretty nifty, with nice simple crayon drawings of heroes and monsters.
The book concludes with a nice little adventure called The Lair of the Frog Wizard, in which the evil wizard is turning the town to frogs, and the must stop him. Its a great introduction to the game, and really shows the style of play you should be using with your kids.
I look forward to seeing what else Enrique comes out with in the future. I’d love to see a Sci-Fi version of this for kids who love Star Wars, or even a Super Hero one.