Friendly, low-key competition, some addition, strategy, and a bit of luck: that’s Backyard Builders Treehouse. No reading is required and only minimal easy addition in the scorekeeping, making this game ideal for younger players.

The game was made by Crash Games, a company that is apparently no more. However, you can still purchase the game new from Walmart (however long that lasts) or used from eBay or Noble Knight Games. I don’t think it’s worth the price tag of $30 that Walmart is asking for it, but if you can find it for $5-$10, it’s definitely worth that.

To play, each player is dealt one ladder card to form the base of their treehouse. All the treehouse floor cards are shuffled and placed face-down (grey side up) in a pile in the center of the table. The first player draws one more card than the number of players, looks at them, and chooses their first treehouse card. They then pass the rest of the drawn cards to the next player.

Every other turn consists of drawing one card, choosing one card to add to your treehouse, and passing the rest of the cards to the next player. When choosing what card to add to your treehouse (after the first floor card chosen), either the color or the number of the bottom floor of the new card must match the top floor of your treehouse. Cards cannot be rearranged once they are played.

These are 3 successful treehouses. Going from left to right:

31 points; notice how each card (there are 2 floors per card) match in either color or number. However, this player did not have the longest streak.

29 points in treehouse cards, but this player had the longest streak – 6 yellow floors in a row! Total of 35 points.

24 points; for their third card, this player could not find a match so had to use the “wild” side (the grey side).

Each treehouse floor card has two floors on it. Each floor has a number (2, 3, or 4) and a color on it. At the end of the game, these floor numbers will be added to determine the score. In addition, whoever has the longest color streak (the same color uninterrupted for the most floors in a row) will count up the number of floors in their streak and add that to their score.

Players can play by just focusing on matching either color or number. They can emphasize getting the highest numbers possible. They can prioritize a color streak. Or, if achievement cards are used, players can focus on the achievement.

Achievement cards are an optional aspect of gameplay. At the beginning of the game, draw one of the achievement cards at random and all players can work toward that same achievement. A variety of achievement cards are included, allowing different gameplay aspects to be emphasized.

If your child can match colors and numbers (or is working on it), then they can play Backyard Builders Treehouse. However, it is still enjoyable for older players as they try to maximize their scores and fine-tune their tactics. Since there is no timed component, Backyard Builders Treehouse is an ideal game for wide age and skill ranges. This is a game that can grow with your family and everyone can enjoy.