Monday 25 February 2019

Carnival Games Family Console Game Review Age 3+ Sent by 2K (Plus Giveaway!)

2K are incredibly well-known in the gaming world and are the creators of 3 of my household's favourite games, Sid Meiers Civilisation, Borderlands and Bioshock, as well as a host of other sports and games titles. They've sent us the family favourite Carnival Games for review and I also have a copy to give away to one of my readers for the console of your choice...


Carnival Games is a compendium of 20 different sideshow games and an updated version of a previous, and incredibly popular, classic. It can be played by 1 to 4 players - although you need a controller for everyone who is playing at once. We have 2 controllers, played in pairs and swapped over. Games are very quick and mostly played individually, so swapping between players works really well and no-one is left bored waiting.


When you first play there are only a couple of very simple games available and by playing these you earn tickets to open up new games. It took under half an hour before we had 8 games available. Once you've opened up all of the games, tickets can be spent on clothing and music and other in-game items.

Some of the games are familiar to us and others new, but they're all very easy to play and the controls are intuitive and easy to master. You generally have a 'direction' joystick and an 'action' button and everything is down to timing and sometimes power - which is controlled by the length of time you press. Most have a time limit of around 60-90 seconds.


The 20 games are split into 4 different themed sections - Jungle Lane, Saturn Station, Vulture Gulch and Nuts & Bolts, and include among them:

Post Master - ring toss
Roll-R-Derby - alley ball horse racing/Camel Derby
Light Speed - drone racing
Cosmic Strike - cosmic bowling
Swish - shooting basketballs

Anyone can play from the outset and there is no advantage to age or strength, or really gaming experience. It's a light-hearted fun game and we've had a great laugh playing. Time commitment can be minimal, you can dip in and out, or you can challenge each other and play through a competition. Even so, a full contest can be over in 30 minutes.


We think Carnival Games is a great game to play with the family. It's fun and light and has just enough competition for you to get your teeth into, but not so much that anyone gets grumpy when they lose! There are hidden secrets and lots to unlock, so it keeps your interest very well, plus of course you always want to beat your previous best score!

Carnival Games is made by 2K Games, suitable for 1-4 players aged 3-99+ and available to buy now rrp £34.99 (but currently massively discounted) from all good game stockists, instore and online, including Amazon (*aff).


I'm delighted to have a copy of Carnival Games for one of my readers, which will arrive in plenty of time to entertain you for the school Easter holidays. The game can be for the console of your choice from the available options - Playstation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.

Entry to the giveaway is via the Gleam form below. No entry is mandatory, but each extra task completed earns you more entries into the random draw. The giveaway sweepstake is open to UK entrants only and will close at midnight Sunday 24th March 2019. For a link to help if you are new to Gleam, or to find my other UK giveaways, see my Giveaways Page....

Carnival Games from 2K console game giveaway (age 3+)


We were sent our copy of Carnival Games for review. *Amazon links are affiliate, which never costs you any more, but earns me a few pence if you buy through my link. Sadly it will never make me wealthy, but it may just about feed the cat. It all helps keep the website running.

89 comments:

  1. Looks like a fun game to play with the kids!

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  2. A wheel - and the hugher the better!

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  3. I like The Fun House with the wacky mirrors.

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  4. The Waltzers were always my favourite as a child- dont go to many funfairs now

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  5. Speedway - reminds me of shawaddywaddy ( the pop group ) teenage fun at its best

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  6. i liked hook a duck as a child :))))))

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  7. My favourite ride at a funfair is a rollercoaster.

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  8. I used to love the waltzer but the last time it was so fast and I think as I get older it is not so much fun, now i would love the hook a duck :)))

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  9. I love a good Runaway Train, it's about as adventurous as I get!

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  10. I like the Arabian Derby, it makes me very competitive!

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  11. My favourite has always been the Waltzers xx

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  12. love the fun houses and helter skelter

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  13. I've always enjoyed a roller coaster

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  14. I always love the hook a duck games when i was a kid x

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  15. I like the Rowlands FunFair.

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  16. My favourite had to be the dodgems i still love them until this day

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  17. Fun for all the family - a great prize

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  18. Natalie Burgess4 March 2019 at 20:51

    The waltzers xx

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  19. Karen hutchinson4 March 2019 at 23:23

    Hook a duck

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  20. great prize--id love to win

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  21. i always have to play hook a duck

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  22. Waltzers! Although I always end up bruised haha

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  23. Mine has always been the hook-a-duck games, I always won a prize with that!

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  24. I love a good ghost train

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  25. Margaret Clarkson
    I've loved "Hook a Duck" since I was a child!

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  26. I always liked the mirror maze.

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  27. My kids always love to play the hook a duck

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  28. I love the helper skelter,so simple but loads of fun

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  29. i liked hook a duck as a child :)))

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  30. I love Waltzers but they do make me queasy now!

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  31. My absolute favourite used to be the Waltzers but the last time I went on them - as a teenager- I was so close to spuwing up, my brother had to get the bloke to stop the ride lol. My favourite now are roller coasters

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  32. hook a duck was always a fave when I was young

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  33. Katerina Economides11 March 2019 at 14:43

    I love a good Ghost Train

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  34. I love the waltzer the best brings back fond childhood

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  35. The waltzers :)

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  36. The helter skelter was always my favourite when I was little, my mum could never get me off it!

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  37. I used to like the waltzers, I think it would be a no no now

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  38. used to love the waltzers now more hook a duck

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  39. loved the waltzers when I was younger - now they just make me feel dizzy and sick lol!!!

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  40. i used to love the twister ride at the fair

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  41. We love the water rides or slide, they're the best x

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  42. I love the Arabian Derby, so fast and furious!

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  43. I like the log flume, preferably on a hot day so you dry off quicker afterwards

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  44. The Dodgems - I can't do heights

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  45. I played it at a friend's and couldn't stop going on the waltzers!!

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  46. I like the rollercoasters at the funfair

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  47. My favourite ride as a child was always the bumper cars. It was such fun, my friends and I loved riding them.

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  48. I remember the kids loving this game on the PlayStation 2. The camel derby looks fun!

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  49. I like the Waltzers, it's about as daring as I can manage x

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  50. I like book a duck, I don't always win but I have a good try!
    Linda Ford

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  51. I like the roller-coasters most

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  52. It was the Fun House and all the odd mirrors the kids used to love these.

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  53. The Waltzers were my favourite funfair attraction

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  54. I always loved hook a duck as a child, because I always won a lovely prize.

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  55. hook a duck or the waltzers

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  56. My favourite ride at a funfair is a rollercoaster.

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