Packaging counts for something, and The Big Fat Tomato Game nails it. From its slick tin container to the splashy red art, half the fun of this game is unpacking the pieces and skimming the cards. It's enticing from the get-go.

There are elements of both Hi-Ho Cherry-O and the card game Uno here. The object is to collect the most tomatoes in your bucket while thwarting opponents from doing the same through a variety of strategy cards. Good cards, like soapy water, help protect your tomatoes from predators, and bad ones like the tomato zombie, can be played on an opponents' patch to slow them down. It's easy to see which cards are bad (red thumb, pointed down) and which are good (green thumb, up) which makes the game quick to learn.

The theme and art are signature Gamewright fun, and the card play is fast-paced. This is enough of a game for all in the recommended age range, and it's as easy to play with two players as it is with five. There's something about the combination - tomatoes plus the hazards and rewards of farming plus creative whimsy - that gives The Big Fat Tomato Game delicious appeal.