In recent months my family has been discovering (for the kids) or rediscovering (for Aileen and me) a love of board games. We’ve had great fun playing games like Ticket to Ride (an amazing game for the whole family), Lost Cities (a fast and fun strategy game for two adults or older children), and a few of the classics. In the next day or two Aileen and I are going to tackle Carcassonne, by all accounts a classic in its own right. Nick loves to play complicated war games like Axis & Allies and Risk, though he plays by his own rules.
With Christmas fast approaching, we’re looking at getting a few more games to tide us through these long, cold, winter months. I’m guessing there are some people out there who can suggest a few surefire winners for us. We’d prefer either games that the whole family can play (or, at least, age eight or nine and up) or games that Aileen and I can play on our own. We’re not too interesting, at least for now, in games that require four or more people. I’ve been looking at games like Blokus, Power Grid, and Puerto Rico. Can anyone suggest other games that might be worthwhile additions to our collection?
Comments (87) »
1. Ray
December 7, 2008
2:45 PM
I’d suggest “Apples & Oranges”. There’s a kid’s version and a grown up version.
2. Matthew
December 7, 2008
2:50 PM
Blokus is awesome! My family also loves Scotland Yard, which usually calls for 5+ people, but if one team plays more than one piece it works alright.
3. MarketGarden
December 7, 2008
2:51 PM
“Settlers of Catan” is all win.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlers_of_Catan
4. Wasabi Jane
December 7, 2008
3:03 PM
Check out Board Game Geek (http://boardgamegeek.com/newuser.php) if you haven’t already. Power grid may be a bit intense for kids (or at least, it is the way my friends play it). I like going for “lighter” games like Ra, Cleopatra and the Society of Architects, and Shadows over Camelot. If you enjoy horror parody, Betrayal at House on the Hill is also quite entertaining.
The other suggestion is to check out your local comic shop (if you have one remotely nearby). A lot of times they’ll have board game clubs.
5. Amber
December 7, 2008
3:04 PM
“Apples to Apples” is a must have for the whole family. I’ve played it with little kids, high schoolers, and adults, everyone loves it!
My husband is also a huge fan of “Settlers of Catan,” a strategy game. When I was in college a group of friends were addicted to it and played for hours.
My favorite game is Speed Scrabble: http://www.speedscrabble.org/
6. matt
December 7, 2008
3:07 PM
Carcassone is awesome! Just make sure to score it right (depending on which rules you have, farmers can be tricky. My wife and I still play by the original rules).
PR is a great game. I wish we had a copy right now.
Ticket to Ride…also another great.
I’d second Market Garden’s suggestion of Settlers. Although if you start adding additions/editions/expansion packs, etc…the game goes from a nice 45-75 min play to a couple of hours.
Look into Kill Dr. Lucky (http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/game/257) or Save Dr. Lucky (http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/game/1157) both are good. And you can use your Carcassone meeples!
Also, Atika is good. (http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/game/8051)
If your son (?) like A&A or Risk, check out memoir 44…is is another good one. (http://www.boardgamegeeks.com/game/10630)
I sent a link to your post to a friend who is a big gamer.
7. Pam
December 7, 2008
3:10 PM
We love Settlers of Catan! Speed scrabble and Nerts are winners too.
8. David Wang
December 7, 2008
3:12 PM
If you’d like to try something exotic, get ready to be challenged by Go, the simplest yet the most complex two-player board game in the world!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(board_game)
David
9. Katrina
December 7, 2008
3:17 PM
We’ve been playing Sorry! in my family since we were young children. It’s a lot of fun, relatively few rules, and has room for the unexpected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorry!_(game)
10. Alan
December 7, 2008
3:17 PM
I’ll second what Wasabi Jane said. There’s a forum on Boardgamegeek dedicated solely to recommendations. Read that for a week or two, and you’re likely to see your own question answered several times over with loads of suggestions. All the games you mentioned in the post are worth having. Blokus is only fun with exactly 4 players, though, in my opinion (unless you get the Trigon edition, which is fun for 3).
11. Andy Chang
December 7, 2008
3:31 PM
Another vote for Settlers! It’s expansion “Castles and Knights” is also great once you get the hang of Settlers. Endless fun, because the game is endlessly re-configurable.
12. Patrick Whitchurch
December 7, 2008
3:33 PM
I would second Settlers of Catan (for adults and, possibly, 8-9 year olds, too), Blockus, and Apples to Apples (we play the kids version of this with my wife and I and 9 & 7 year old daughters). Another one that our family likes is Doodle Dice.
13. Ron
December 7, 2008
3:34 PM
I’d like to second or third Settlers of Catan, easily the best board game I’ve played. Especially if you enjoy Risk. I describe it to newbies as Risk meets Monopoly.
14. Benjamin Fraley
December 7, 2008
3:45 PM
Gotta go with Settlers of Catan. There’s a basic set for 2-4 people to start out with, and 3 expansion sets for when you really get addicted :)
15. Charity Starchenko
December 7, 2008
3:47 PM
Settlers of Catan is fun. Everyone at our church plays that ALL THE TIME at almost any community group function. There is a two person version that my husband and I “developed”, mainly because we are nerdy.
My new favorite game is Farkle. all you need is 6 dice, a pencil and a piece of paper. Its a great game to practice math skills with as well, since there’s a lot of addition and subtration. And there are many versions to choose from. WIkipedia has a ver informative article about the game.
16. Cathy
December 7, 2008
4:03 PM
Othello is a great game for 2 players. It’s quick to learn and fun to play.
17. Elizabeth
December 7, 2008
4:07 PM
I can also attest that Apples to Apples and Blokus are great family games. For a change of pace, we also really enjoy the old classic “Pick up Sticks” and Jenga.
18. Elizabeth
December 7, 2008
4:09 PM
I’d go with Settlers too. We have people from church over to play almost every weekend. It’ll take a little bit for an 8 or 9 year old to get the hang of it, but it’s a great game. I was told it’s made by the same people who made Ticket to Ride.
19. Jason
December 7, 2008
4:18 PM
Pandemic sounds like a great game. I just ordered it, along with San Juan, for my wife and I to play. The great thing about Pandemic is that it’s cooperative; instead of playing against each other, you play against the board! It’s sounds like it plays with 2-5 people.
20. J.P.H.
December 7, 2008
4:21 PM
I’ve played Ticket to Ride, Carcasonne and Puerto Rico pretty regularly with a small group of friends. They’re fun. Some others we enjoy are Settlers of Cataan (which is way more fun using the Cities and Knights expansion) and Tigris & Euphrates.
I’ve only played T&E once, but it was interesting.
I haven’t played the other Cataan expansions, but when I looked into them they didn’t seem that interesting.
I also enjoy Scrabble.
21. J.P.H.
December 7, 2008
4:23 PM
Okay, now that I’ve ready the other responses, I feel compelled to register a vote “against” Apples to Apples. It’s an okay “party game”, but if you’re into the strategy aspect…well, there isn’t much. So, for me, it wasn’t that fun.
22. Colin Creel
December 7, 2008
4:31 PM
Tim, my wife and I started playing Ticket to Ride as well as Lost Cities about a year ago. If you haven’t already, you should consider purchasing the 1910 expansion cards for Ticket to Ride or the Switzerland expansion. Both add another wonderful additions as well as new levels of strategy. In addition, they are very economical ways to increase your game options. Ticket to Ride (Europe) is also a fun game.
23. Jared
December 7, 2008
4:39 PM
If you or your family enjoyed Lord of the Rings (books or movies) then I would suggest picking up the board game of the same name. Here is the info on board game geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/823
It is a cooperative game where you are playing “against the game.” Each player chooses a hobbit and the players have to work together to get the ring to Mordor and destroy it. It is fantastic! My wife and I enjoy it immensely. It can play up to 5 but we enjoy it just with two.
Another excellent co-op game that would be good with your family would be Shadows over Camelot, also made by Days of Wonder. In that one you are one of the knights of the round table attempting to defeat the evil threatening the kingdom. Up to 7 can play that one.
Pandemic just recently came out which is another co-op game (1-4 players) where you are trying to defeat the spread of viruses throughout the world. My wife and I just picked that one up and we are looking forward to playing that with family.
If you are looking for a few well-crafted two-player games for you and your wife that work well with more as well, you might try Thurn and Taxis, (also plays well with four) Saint Petersburg, (also plays four) Memoir ‘44, (a great WWII game that is very easy to learn and play) or Agricola which is works really well two player and is the number one rated game on board game geek (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/browser.php?itemtype=game&sortby=rank)
Finally, another game I grabbed through a trade on board game geek is 1960: The making of the President. It is a strictly two-player game where one player plays Nixon and the other Kennedy, where you are trying to gain electoral votes by spreading influence in each state throughout the U.S. through the media and even a debate. It is a very highly rated game that we are eager to try.
Welcome to the hobby! It is a great way for spouses and their families to spend time together. There are also a few games out there that wives might not want to play but that men could really get into.
My buddies and I really enjoy playing Twilight Imperium 3, a long game but it flies by because it is so much fun. It is a 3-6 player galactic conquest game. Great fun.
Enjoy!
24. Nick Coller
December 7, 2008
5:07 PM
I’ve heard Dungeons and Dragons is pretty fun…
But in all seriousness, get a hold of Settlers of Catan. Pure brilliance.
25. Sam Neylan
December 7, 2008
5:14 PM
Well, my friends and family and I play games the way that’s most fun for us, so that means adjusting the rules…here are some top picks (we don’t care as much about winning :) )
-Loaded Questions (we try to make each other laugh as much as possible; reincorportions makes this one really fun)
-Cranium (complicated at first)
-Nertz (or as I like to call it ‘Nerds); the more decks the better!
-Boggle
-Scrabble
-Dominoes
-Rummikub (sp?); though I’m horrible at it, I think this one is one of my favorites :)
-Charades
-Clue (LOVED this game as a kid!)
-Trivial Pursuit (there are so many versions that are age appropriate/topic specific)
26. Jacob
December 7, 2008
5:16 PM
Your son might enjoy a game called “Lionheart,” if he likes strategy games. It’s similar to Stratego in some ways, but I think I liked it a little better.
Axis & Allies was one my dad and I enjoyed starting (I think we only ever finished one game due to time), though its complexity makes it fairly time-consuming.
27. David A. Porter
December 7, 2008
5:30 PM
I like to play Cranium. But no will play with me.
I live with Backgammon players.
28. Hannah Elise
December 7, 2008
5:30 PM
“Apples to Apples” and “Settlers of Catan” are both excellent games that I had the pleasure of discovering this past year. Others have already mentioned them, so I suppose I’ll just say that I second their suggestion!
29. Emmie
December 7, 2008
5:35 PM
Triple Amens on Settlers. A good test of your Christianity! Also you can play Big Boggle (not a board game) with a handicap—have the kids get three-letter words or more, you and the wife 4 or more. Evens out the playing field and helps their spelling. Imaginiff is a hoot! Any Cranium game is great—the commercial for Depends and Cranium is so true—ask my cousin! Rummikub is not a board game, is it? I still like it. Another not-board game—Mancala. I still don’t have the hang of winning, and little kids seem to be very good at it! You can make your own with beans and an egg carton. Have fun with your dear family!
30. Jenny Hinton
December 7, 2008
5:35 PM
My husband and I knew there had to be something more out there for parents with small children besides “Candyland.” We bought “Maask” (by Blue Orange) last year and really enjoy playing it with our six- and three-year-olds. It’s basically “Memory”…with a twist!
I just ordered “You’ve Been Sentenced!” on the recommendation of a friend. Think of it as “Scrabble” with words instead of letters. I’ll give an opinion after Tuesday (my husband’s birthday). :-)
Our family standard, however, is “Aggravation.” I think there is a commercial version, but we play on a board made by my grandfather. There is currently such a wooden board for sale on Amazon (although it is six-player and we use four), but the price is a JOKE at almost $400! You could make your own for just a few dollars if you know someone with some woodworking tools. “Aggravation” is a perfect combination of logic and luck…ahem…providence. LOL!
31. Jugulum
December 7, 2008
5:41 PM
I go for “Bang!”. It’s a card game that’s a bit like Mafia.
Everyone has a gun, and can shoot other people if you play a Bang! card. The other person has to play a “Missed!” card, or they get shot and lose health. There are many other kinds of action cards, that do various things.
Each player is either the Sheriff, a deputy, an outlaw, or a renegade—but no one knows who’s who, except that everyone knows who is the Sheriff. The Sheriff & deputies want to kill all the outlaws. The outlaws want to kill the Sheriff. The renegade wants to kill everyone—but has to kill the Sheriff last.
Bang!
32. Rabenstrange
December 7, 2008
5:55 PM
I’d recommend Killer Bunnies (a strategy card game great for families and small to large groups).
For your son who likes A&A and Risk I’d recommend Twilight Imperium which is like A&A in space on steroids. It has a board made up of hex tiles that can be rearranged for a different board each game, hundreds of pieces representing 5-10 different unit types, a political aspect, a technology research element and much more. The only downside is that it takes a long time to learn, a long time to play and is best with 6 players.
33. Katrina @ Callapidder Days
December 7, 2008
5:57 PM
I see many of my recommendations have already been mentioned, but I’ll throw them out there anyway. We love Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne here and though we haven’t pulled out Lost Cities in a while, my husband and I counted that one a favorite for a long time.
For the whole family: Apples to Apples (Junior version so the kids can join in easily), Incan Gold, Chateau Roquefort, Pick Picknic, Qwirkle, Animal upon Animal
For you & Aileen: Jambo, San Juan, Pandemic (though this is a cooperative game, it completely stresses me out — but in a good way), Thurn & Taxis, Wasabi, and if you like an occasional abstract game, try Hive or Yinsh.
34. Jake Sherron
December 7, 2008
6:02 PM
Board Games are Great! Some of the best times here at school = when we get get a group together to eat food and play RISK or STRATEGO.
35. Kim
December 7, 2008
6:37 PM
There is a card game of Settlers of Catan that’s just for two people that my hubby and I love!
Empire Builder is also one of our favorites, and there are many different versions of it, though I’m not sure they have a Canadian version.
Though you didn’t mention wanting games for younger kids, I thought I’d mention Rivers, Road, and Rails. It’s a tile-laying game that is easy enough for young children to play but is interesting enough to keep the adults from losing their minds. :D My son loves it! (He’s six.)
36. Carrie
December 7, 2008
6:46 PM
Bananagrams is awesome for the whole family, as is Discombobulation. Bananagrams is similar to Scrabble, but each player makes their own “board” as it were with the tiles, and the object is to use all your letters before the other players. Discombobulation is a riotously fun card game that you just have to experience.
37. Malana Johansen
December 7, 2008
7:32 PM
Our church gets together and plays Dutch Blitz which can be very addictive. We’ve played with all ages and little ones can team with adults to play.
38. Tim S.
December 7, 2008
7:42 PM
Not sure if it is still available, but in the past I have really enjoyed “Shogun”, a Risk-type game set in Japan. I think it is from the same company who made “Axis & Allies”.
I enjoy “Ticket to Ride” as well, and recently played a similar train game called “Railroad Tycoon” (named after the video game, but this one is a board game). It was a lot of fun as well.
Finally, my son really likes playing Monopoly with me. There’s something about seeing dad broke and him with all the money and property at the end, that seems to bond the family. And if you get bored along the way, the battleship piece can ‘shoot’ the other tokens (the poor top hat!).
39. Curtis
December 7, 2008
8:01 PM
Axis & Allies and Risk are two of my favorite, but I have been considering a more simplistic one thats out, Strategy. I don’t know how good it is but I may give it a try as I have a 6 and 8 year old sons who are not quite ready for Axis & Allies, though they love Risk, even though I don’t let them win.
We also bought them Battleground, which is so much fun. You get catapults, and other medieval weapons of war, and you each take side of the table and try to destroy the othe player. It is a more involved alternative to sitdown board games, and ALOT of fun! http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=battleground&origkw=Battleground&f=Taxonomy/TRUS/2254197&sr=1
40. justkathy
December 7, 2008
8:05 PM
Parcheesi, hands down favorite in our house. Two to four players, ages seven to adult. We even play it with our guests who have limited English, a true testament that anyone can play (and enjoy) it.
41. Jennifer Churchill
December 7, 2008
8:32 PM
We love games here and since I didn’t see these mentioned I’ll add my two cents.
Pond Scum: FUN card game using ordinary decks of cards and can be played with any number of players, we play this with even our five year old and just help him a bit.
Labyrinth: AWESOME board game (by Ravensburger) that can be played with 2-4 players. Even the youngest can play.
Milles Bourne: Fun card game where you are racing through France. OUr youngest plays this with help.
Whonoo: Another awesome game by the Cranium foks.
Uno Attack: The kids are in stitches with this one!
Pirates: This is a trading/strategy game where you build little model sailing ships and then go looking for treasure. This is my three boys current favorite. You can start playing with one pack which is nice, and the mini dice are super cute!
Pit: This is the best and most fun game!!! You are trading shares on the market and it’s so loud and crazy and we all disolve into laughter at each session!
Hope this helps!
42. PHIL
December 7, 2008
8:52 PM
2 German Card games:
6 nimmt
Bohnanza
try germangames.com or germanboardgames.com
43. Lisa Harding
December 7, 2008
8:55 PM
Don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned yet, but if you like loud, rowdy, card games with all-at-once competitive trading and a bell to ring, you’ll love Pit! It’s based on the stock market and the goal is to ‘corner the market’. (Our whole family plays it and we all love it ages 10-49)
Again - you have to love a little frenzy!
44. Jason Clarke
December 7, 2008
9:12 PM
Another vote for Settlers and its wonderful expansion packs.
45. Jeff
December 7, 2008
9:13 PM
Settlers is hard to beat. After 7 years and 128 games played, we still love it. We record the winner’s name inside the box lid for a running record of games played with date. Great idea for any game.
IF your son likes Risk and Axis and Allies, he will love Settlers, esp. once you work up to Cities and Knights expansion. NOTE: Most of these games are relatively expensive on Amazon. Cheaper elsewhere.
46. Matt
December 7, 2008
10:33 PM
Look as a start for games that have won the Spiel des Jahres - the game award for family games. Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne are all previous winners.
boardgamegeek has already been mentioned, it is the best resource for boardgame information albeit from the point of view of people who see board games as their primary hobby. It can also be intimidating to pick a next game out of such a large database however there are plenty of jumping in points.
Also check out kidgameratings.com for age specific recommendations.
47. Stephen Feather
December 7, 2008
10:41 PM
Blink (http://www.educationallearninggames.com/blink-card-game.asp)
48. kevin
December 7, 2008
10:43 PM
There are a lot of great suggestions here. So I’m going to add my two cents as well since playing great board games (Euro Board Games) is what I love to play most.
If you like Ticket to Ride, then I would strongly suggest Power Grid as a next step. It can support 6 players, which is unique these days with most games only supporting up to 5.
More complicated but excellent games as well are Puerto Rico, along with Agricola and Caylus, and Maharaja. What make these game stand out above most other games is that they do not rely on random luck, either from a dice role or drawing lucky. These are games where you act and react to what is happening around you, and which is why they are great fun to play for a long time.
Settlers is a great game, and even better with the Cities and Knights expansion, but it does rely on dice rolling, which can get frustrating at time.
Today I just learned Pandemic, and as others have mentioned, it is a cooperative game, meaning everyone is working together to win, or else everyone loses. This is fine if you don’t want to compete with others, but it is not going to be my first pick in the future. I like to play to win :)
If you want simple fun card games, go with Bohnanza or Xactica. Neither take long to play.
Oh, and one of my favorite games to play is called Hoity Toity, but it is only realy great with 5 people playing.
Have fun game playing!
49. Stephen Feather
December 7, 2008
10:55 PM
Gipf, Dvonn, Zertz, Tamsk (http://www.gipf.com/ , http://www.riograndegames.com/)
Wordpsot (Front Porch Classics)
50. Jennifer
December 7, 2008
11:12 PM
Rummikub isn’t really a “board” game per se, but it fits the bill for a fun family game (up to 4 players) for almost any age. We all love that one. We also play a lot of card games like Uno, Phase 10, and Skip-Bo.
51. Justin
December 7, 2008
11:28 PM
Agricola as mentioned above a bit tougher game
Colosseum,
Pirates Cove (one everyone loves)
Shadows Over Camelot (Another co-op game like Lord of the Rings mentioned above, but much easier),
and Mystery Of the Abby (all Days of Wonder games like TTR…and actually the Europe and Marklin are just as good if not better than the original). www.daysofwonder.com
A really good war strategy game (smaller scale than Risk or AnA) is Memior ‘44 (Also by Days of Wonder). You would like it because each “mission” is based on a historic ww2 battle with historical info and everything. Easy to teach, tough to master).
Also most anything from Fantasy Flight Games. but these are longer games and higher quality. (http://new.fantasyflightgames.com)
Look at
Through the Desert
Black Sheep (Both this and Through the Desert are Knizia Games like Lost Cities)
52. Jess @ Making Home
December 8, 2008
12:38 AM
You’ll definitely enjoy Settlers of Catan (you can get the add on packs too- Knights & Cities, and Seafarers of Catan). Blokus is GREAT. And Apples to Apples is a very easy, very adaptable, and very fun game.
53. Wendy
December 8, 2008
12:53 AM
Already seeing a lot of Settlers of Catan, but I’m adding my vote for that one and the Knights and Cities expansion once you get the hang of it.
54. David Spice
December 8, 2008
1:25 AM
Dutch Blitz, a card game from the Pennsylvania Dutch, is one of our favorite family games. It can be played with 2 or 4 people. It is a take on Solitaire with up to four playing at one time.
55. Emily
December 8, 2008
2:03 AM
I will be the millionth vote for Settlers. It rocks!
I know you asked for board games, but something my brother, sister, and I enjoyed with our parents was a book of different card games. When we were younger, we used one for younger kids. Obviously you could look at Hoyle for more complicated games as well. Anyway, we would rotate turns for who was in charge of choosing the card game(s) for the night. We learned lots of new games from the books and it was a thrill to be “in charge” as a kid.
Another great (card) game is Phase 10. It’s a card game that is like a cross between rummy and Uno. There are 10 phases that each player must complete to win the game and in each phase you need different things (1 run and 1 set, 2 sets, 7 cards of the same color, etc.). If you put the cards in your phase down and go out before the other players go down, in the next round you move on to the next phase but they stay on their phases until they complete them. It’s really fun after a few phases when everyone is working on something different. Also, there are special cards like Skip. I think even younger kids could get this game, since they just need to be able to collect sets, runs, or cards of the same color. The only bad thing is that sometimes playing 10 phases takes forever, but you can always only play to Phase 5, or play even/odd phases.
56. Curtis
December 8, 2008
4:10 AM
OK!, OK!
I’ll get Settlers of Cantan already, just stop asking!
57. Nick Coller
December 8, 2008
5:18 AM
I’ll second Dutch Blitz also, although the kids might be a bit young for it…
58. Webutante
December 8, 2008
6:11 AM
Surprised no one has so far mentioned my favorite game: UPWORDS.
A very easy word game to learn which is a three dimensional and can be played by two, three or more. It can take several hours but truly the most, most fun, especially if you like words and want to keep your mind focused and very alert. But be forewarned, it’s so much fun it’s addictive!
59. Cheryl
December 8, 2008
6:30 AM
Wow, looks like we need to look into Settlers of Catan … hadn’t heard of it ‘til now. As for us, we love Blokus. The concept is easy enough for our 5 year old to grasp (he LOVES this game), yet still challenging and fun for my husband and me. It’s a 2-4 player game.
60. andrea_jennine
December 8, 2008
8:27 AM
Sequence is a good game for either the whole family or for just you and Aileen; it’s part strategy, part luck of the draw. You can play in teams or one-on-one.
61. Jackie
December 8, 2008
8:45 AM
These are games using just cards. Played a few at CiCi’s Pizza. I ordered them for our family for Christmas.
They are called Family Time Fun Dinner Games. Tim, you can find them at Amazon. The CiCi’s promotion is a good deal, but not for Canadians at this point - unless you have them delivered in the USA to your parents’ address.
Anyway, they are easy - beginners, and standard. Just cards. Each card is an opportunity to get to know something about each person at the table or do something in a pattern. The games embrace all ages. That is why they are designed for dinner time fun - to include the entire family.
62. Jackie
December 8, 2008
8:50 AM
We played these over Thanksgiving:
Whoonu
Cadoo
Blink
63. Zack
December 8, 2008
9:07 AM
A couple that our 8 year old boy loves to play:
Battleship
Guess Who
Pass the Pigs
Blokus
Trouble
64. Peter
December 8, 2008
9:09 AM
We’ve been playing the card game Labyrinth lately - good for children & adults together. The idea is to build a labyrinth using the cards and try to collect treasures by finding a path from the treasure on the card just played to one already on the board. You then take the one(s) already on the board as long as you don’t break that labyrinth in the process. It’s easy enough for younger kids, but pretty good for a quick game even with adults.
For my wife and I, we prefer games like MindTrap that involve some more thinking. Sadly, most of our friends don’t care for those as much. For parties, I’ve found that Pit generally works pretty well. You start off kind of slowly, but it gains momentum quickly.
65. John Meche
December 8, 2008
9:11 AM
Settlers of Catan. Buy it. Play it. Love it.
66. Matt
December 8, 2008
9:42 AM
One more vote for Bohnanza. It has replaced Lost Cities as the game that my wife and I play most.
Power Grid is not a good one to take a chance on. It is no fun at all as a 2 player game.
If you want a game that your kids will really get into, check out Heroscape. You get tons of miniature figures (army guys, robots, aliens, ninjas…) and plastic tiles that you can snap together to create a 3D terrain to battle on. It’s perfect for boys (and boys at heart). Alas, my wife won’t come near it. But still, it’s a great one.
67. Larry Geiger
December 8, 2008
9:49 AM
Boggle. My favorite.
Dominoes (with the train)
Mahjongg. Great game in real life (not computer).
When I was very young my parents taught us Hearts and Spades. Once we understood what a suit was and how to count points, we learned Bridge. My brothers and I could play fairly well by 8 or 9. I have two brothers so one person would sit out each hand. Bring food, go to the bathroom, and kibitz. We loved to play in the afternoons when the afternoon thunderstorms would roll through ( we live in Florida).
68. Chris Schroeder
December 8, 2008
10:25 AM
Here in the UK a new board game called Pilgrim’s Progress by www.lionhudson.com recently received great comments in an evangelical newspaper.
I haven’t bought it yet, as our children are still too young, but it’s on my ever growing to-get list!
http://www.lionhudson.com/Candle%20Books/9781859857144
69. owlhaven
December 8, 2008
11:30 AM
I just bought Bananagrams for our family since I heard GREAT things about it. We also enjoy Phase Ten, Dutch Blitz, and Scum (search my website for rules— it cam be played with a regular deck of cards). Up The River is another one that just takes a regular deck of cards and can be played by several people at once.
Mary, mom to 10
70. Dbro
December 8, 2008
11:46 AM
Tim,
We recently began board gaming in our household. I listed our favorites just last week: http://dbro5150.blogspot.com/2008/12/low-tech-pastime.html
Check out Board Game Geek for their comprehensive list of the best games as rated by their subscribers: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/browser.php?itemtype=game&sortby=rank
71. Mark Sohmer
December 8, 2008
12:58 PM
I second “Rummikub” and “Pass the Pigs.” Oh, and Uno! (Preferably the New England Patriots Edition.) ;)
72. Woz
December 8, 2008
1:52 PM
Settlers of Catan and Puerto Rico are a lot of fun. Another fun game is Hero Quest, which is a MB game a lot like a simpler and less dark version of D&D. My friends and I enjoyed painting the figurines and playing this as kids.
73. Kent Capps
December 8, 2008
1:58 PM
I’ll add my amen to the growing chorus for Settlers of Catan. My small group looks for any excuse to get together and play it. We’ve even designed a timing system that allows us to play full games in 30 minutes! Of course, everyone has to know what they’re doing in order to finish that quickly.
74. Hans
December 8, 2008
3:29 PM
trouble
jenga
yahtzee
75. Darren Foulds
December 8, 2008
4:15 PM
If you are considering Carcassonne, consider Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers. I bought the original in Germany 7 years ago and it’s a great game, but H&G refined all the niggly bits and in my opinion, perfected the game.
76. PHIL
December 8, 2008
8:23 PM
For 2 players:
GO
Settlers of Catan Card Game
77. Curtis
December 8, 2008
8:35 PM
My wife wanted me to include http://www.familypastimes.com/ These are all coop games, everyone either wins or everyone loses.
78. Kevin
December 8, 2008
11:11 PM
Well, it is fun reading what different people like to play. And that is the beauty of games: we all have different tastes.
What I will say is that if you want games that help you think, plan ahead, strategies, and provide a good challenge that changes every game, then go with these games. There is a reason they are on the top of the boardgamegeek.com list.
Power Grid
Puerto Rico,
Agricola
Caylus,
Maharaja.
79. Michelle
December 9, 2008
2:24 AM
Definitely Apples to Apples Junior Edition. I wouldn’t go for Settlers of Catan—I think that Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, and Puerto Rico are superior. I would consider GiftTrap, Aquaretto, and Bohnanza too.
Check out BoardGameGeek.com for more ideas. Also, do you know about the Spiel des Jahres (not sure I’m spelling this German board game award correctly)? The award winners are usually solid games.
If you don’t mind a little violence, there’s Guillotine which is a nice card game and Bang!.
80. Michelle
December 9, 2008
2:25 AM
I also heard that Mystery at the Abbey is like Clue, except richer.
81. Diane
December 9, 2008
4:18 AM
Rediscover backgammon or cards. You can’t beat Scrabble for 2 player action. Pick up a pack of Italian cards (get them at Little Italy around College/Dundas St.) & ask your Italian friends about Briscola or Scopa. Check out the new “Bible games” too. We love Scattergories Bible edition. Puzzles are also a great (and cheap) way to spend a relaxing day indoors out of the cold.
82. Laura
December 9, 2008
9:56 AM
Syzygy is SUCH a fun, nerdy strategy-word game, like free-form speed scrabble. A blast. And you can add rules and change the game completely on a whim.
Clue Master Detective. We played it All The Time when I was a kid, and my left-brained, analytical, strategic dad absolutely loved it.
And come on, card games. Bidding-type games (like hearts, spades, oh heck, up and down the railroad tracks, etc.) are really great for building math skills… and for sanctification purposes. ;)
83. Earl
December 10, 2008
8:47 AM
So, does chess classify as a board game?
Regardless, it is still the best game ever. And, a Dad can play two kids at the same time….(two boards)…
84. Kevin
December 10, 2008
10:50 AM
Me and the wife have enjoyed playing the Star Wars version of Risk. The special rules are pretty fun since the empire tries to wipe the rebel scum off the board while the rebellion tries to locate and destroy the base where the emperor is hiding. You can play with a third person who can be the Hutts. Their goal is to conquer all the resource planets. This leads to 2 sides having to sometimes team up to prevent the third from reaching their goal. Puts a cool spin on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Risk-Star-Wars-Original-Trilogy/dp/B000M8IE58/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1228923755&sr=8-1
We have also become big fans of the card game Fluxx. Keep changing the rules and the goals so that you can win. You know…just like life. :) Makes for some good strategy.
http://www.wunderland.com/LooneyLabs/Fluxx/
85. Angie
December 10, 2008
12:35 PM
Another vote for Settlers of Catan!
86. Aaron
December 10, 2008
2:29 PM
Settlers of Catan is actually on sale, which hardly ever happens: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W7JWUA?tag=ctownbochur-20# . That’s the cheapest I’ve ever seen it. This is by far my favorite game.
87. Stephen Feather
December 13, 2008
5:02 PM
@aaron
Found the sale, and had a $20 Amazon Gift Cert sent to me by a vendor of ours. Total with free ground was $7.xx
Should be here on the 16th.