6 Sept 2020
SuperZings Meet Treasure X
Kate Markland
One of the best things about playing with Gabriel is his imagination. Our latest adventure? A mash-up of two of Gabriel’s favorites—SuperZings and Treasure X—to create a wild, action-packed game. It’s not just a game; it’s an adventure that changes every time we play, and honestly, I think Gabriel could give professional game designers a run for their money with the creativity behind it!
The Inspiration: Two Worlds Collide
Gabriel has loves the SuperZings universe, with its quirky, colorful heroes and villains. At the same time, he’s equally fascinated by Treasure X, with its gold-hunting explorers and buried treasures waiting to be uncovered. One day, while we were playing, Gabriel had a brilliant idea: “Mum, what if the SuperZings needed to find treasure to power up?”
And just like that, our game was born.
How the Game Works: The Basics of Our Mash-Up
We combined elements of both games, bringing together the strategy and battles from the SuperZings board game with the excitement of treasure hunting from Treasure X. The rules? Well, they’re as flexible as we want them to be. That’s part of the fun—we’re constantly adding new twists and turns as we go.
Here’s how a typical game unfolds:
SuperZings Characters: Each player chooses their team of SuperZings, ready for action. Gabriel always has a strategy—he’s quick to pick the strongest or most clever characters.
Treasure Hunt Setup: Instead of just battling it out like a standard SuperZings game, we add in a treasure hunt element using our Treasure X toys. These elements have special powers—they can “upgrade” a SuperZing’s abilities, or give them extra strength for battles.
The Treasure Hunt and Battle: As we play, each player must move their SuperZings across the board while trying to outsmart their opponents. But there’s a catch—whenever two SuperZings come face to face, a battle is triggered! The outcome of the battle depends on strategy, some dice rolls, and who has collected the most powerful treasures.
The game can last anywhere from 10-30 minutes, it’s unpredictable, fast-paced, and full of surprises—just the way Gabriel likes it!
The Master Game Designer
Watching Gabriel create new rules and scenarios for our game has been one of the best parts of the whole experience. His imagination is endless, and he’s constantly thinking up new ways to make the game more exciting. “Mum, what if this treasure gives my guy a special move where he can fly over your traps?” he’ll suggest, and suddenly the game takes a whole new direction.
His creativity means that no two games are ever the same. Sometimes the treasure becomes the central focus, and other times, the battles between our SuperZings characters steal the show. He’s always inventing new moves, and even entire storylines about why they’re on the treasure hunt in the first place. It’s like being part of a live-action story that we get to shape together.
The Joy of Flexible Rules
One of the things I love most about this made-up game is the flexibility. There’s no pressure to follow a strict set of rules. We’ve taken the elements we like from both SuperZings and Treasure X and blended them into a game that suits us perfectly. If something isn’t working, we change it on the fly. Gabriel’s input is key—he’ll often suggest tweaks to make things more more exciting!
Building Skills While Having Fun
What’s great about our made-up game is that it’s more than just play—it’s teaching Gabriel valuable skills without him even realising it. There’s strategy involved in planning which characters to move where, decision-making in how to use the treasure powers, and even a bit of math when we roll dice to determine the outcomes of battles.
He’s also learning patience and sportsmanship, especially when one of my characters does something that tips the game in my favour. Of course, most of the time, Gabriel still manages to win! His focus and creativity always give him the upper hand, and I’m happy to play along as the enthusiastic opponent.
Conclusion: Playtime with No Limits
In a world full of structured games and pre-made toys, it’s been refreshing to create something so open-ended with Gabriel. Combining SuperZings with Treasure X has allowed us to invent our own world, filled with battles, treasure hunts, and endless surprises. It’s a game where imagination rules, and every session feels like a new adventure.
And who knows? Maybe next time we’ll add another element, like Lego traps or an entirely new character from another toy set! With Gabriel’s creativity leading the way, the possibilities are endless.
For now, though, I’m happy to keep losing to his incredible strategies—after all, it’s the fun and creativity that matter most.