Sometimes you just gotta sit down and play a board game. Here’s a helpful list of some favorites.
Board games are a classic, fun activity that will never go out of style. I take the opportunity to play board games at every possible occasion. Because of this, I know there are board games for whatever mood you are in. I have compiled a list of my favorite board games that will serve for every occasion.
Classic, Nostalgia Board Games
Otherwise known as the board games that are guaranteed to bring back childhood memories.
Monopoly — Can you have a list of board games without including this classic? Who doesn’t remember making their friends or siblings cry when you drained their bank accounts by putting a hotel on Boardwalk? This purely American capitalist game will never go out of style.
The Game of Life — Another timeless game that I played all the time as a kid. I would happily become a doctor, get married, have some kids, live in a $600,000 mansion and retire to Millionaire Estates in the space of half an hour. I recommend playing this game to reminisce about that time in childhood when you thought your life was going to be that simple and debt free.
Clue — The classic whodunnit murder mystery game where the answer changes every time. I used to play this with my dad and sister every Friday night as a kid. It still never gets old trying to figure out who did it. I say Mr. Green with the wrench in the drawing room!
Party Board Games
If you are having a gathering with any large group of people, pull these out along with some snacks and drinks, and you are sure to have a blast.
Catch Phrase — The great thing about this game is that it is portable and you don’t need a table — just an even number of people. The more the merrier. You try to get your teammates to guess what word you have by giving them clues. Hilarity, frustration and arguments about how many skips and which team had the game when the buzzer went off will ensue.
Apples to Apples — As the name implies, this is a game about comparison. Who will be able to provide the thing that is closest to the adjective “efficacious”? Will it be bon-bons, ghosts or Jack Nicholson? One person decides who will win the round, and so people campaign for their cards and tailor cards to that particular person.
The Game of Things — What are things that you would use the Force on? Answer the question and then try to guess what other people wrote. It’s a game about memory and how good you are at reading people.
Scattergories — Roll the letter dice, get an R. Now write your list with things only beginning with R; a boy’s name, a type of sandwich, a pro sports team. But try to think outside of the box — you don’t want to answer the same as other people. It’s a game of quick thinking as well as how successful you are at arguing whether your answer fits the category.
Strategy Games
If you are in the mood to really think about the game you are playing, these are for you.
Ticket to Ride — In this game, you are trying to get from one city in the U.S. to another by train. Collect the number of trains you need and cross your fingers hope that people don’t take your routes before you. It’s a game of blocking others, picking your routes wisely and trying to get the longest train for the extra points.
Settlers of Catan — The landscape of this game changes with each game play because you build the land of Catan each time. Then you battle the other players for resources, build your kingdom and strategize to outlast the others. It’s a game of alliances, utilizing resources and ruthlessness. Careful who you play with, for you may make some enemies with your cutthroat strategizing.
Azul — This is a game where you are trying to build your city out of mosaic tiles. Build smartly to get the most points by paying attention to the number of tiles and trying to force your opponent to get negative points. But mainly I play for the beautiful shapes on the tiles.
Unusual Games
My personal favorite category. These games don’t really fit into the other categories but are really fun.
Cash ’n Guns — or as my friend refers to it as, “Guns and Roses.” In this game, the players are thieves who have just robbed a museum and are fighting about dividing up the loot. The goal of the game is to get the most plunder and not get killed by your opponents. Ready, on the count of three, holdup.
Werewolf – Werewolves are in the midst of villagers. The goal for the werewolves is to kill and not be killed, while the villagers try to catch the werewolves. Everyone draws a card to assign roles, and nobody knows who is who. Commence a round and let the lies, accusations and arguments begin.
Perfect Wedding — This is a game from the ’90s, and I have yet to meet someone else who has heard of it. This game is a little girl’s dream. The idea is to get all the items needed for a wedding like a wedding dress, venue, honeymoon, etc. and get down the aisle before the other players. It is a great game to play for girls night! Although you can’t find it in stores anymore, you can still get it on eBay.
Who Will Win? — Who would win a dogsledding race between Batman or James Bond? This is an example of one of the ridiculous arguments you have to win in this game. Two players draw a celebrity and a challenge card, and then they try to convince the other players why their celebrity would beat the other one in the contest. As a result, you might argue that Barack Obama would be a better hairdresser than Wayne Gretzky because he styled Michelle Obama’s hair for all state occasions.
I hope this list inspires you to grab some friends and get a game night together.
Board games are good clean fun. graphic by Conner Maggio
