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Parents' Guide to

National Geographic Challenge

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Game show/board game is a blast -- but questions are tough!

Game Nintendo Wii , PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 2011
National Geographic Challenge Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • National Geographic Challenge Game: Screenshot #1
  • National Geographic Challenge Game: Screenshot #2
  • National Geographic Challenge Game: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

National Geographic Challenge offers multiple game modes for world trivia buffs. One is a game-show-like quiz format, while another works like a board game that sort of plays like Risk, but with trivia battles instead of armies. Players move around a global map, winning territories by answering questions correctly. There's also a slew of visual photo puzzles that can be played individually, outside of the quiz and board game modes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The standard quiz show mode of National Geographic Challenge is pretty great unto itself. But the "Explorer Mode," which plays like a world-conquering board game, is a fresh and exciting addition that is especially fun with four players. All modes make good use of photo and video clues, and it's nice to have access to those picture puzzles even when you're not looking for a full-on trivia challenge. The questions are real doozies, though, so be prepared to hear plenty of "wrong!" buzzers. Unless you feel completely confident on your knowledge of, say, the reigns of Soviet premiers or the populations of South Pacific islands.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the historical events brought up in the game's questions. Parents can use the game as a conversation starter, expanding upon some of the subjects that appear.

  • Does your family prefer playing family games on a console or around the kitchen table? Why or why not?

Game Details

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