Family Board Games - Looking For Something New to Play?

Why Board Games?

A few months ago I was looking for a way to have a little more fun, and actually interact with people. I've always loved playing PC games that involved playing online. The social interaction was always fun, but it was always someone who was five states away, or sometimes had to deal with the difficulties of when to play, so I started researching board games.

We used to play board games as a kid, but it was usually monopoly, which is a very long game as you all probably know. So I started researching other options.

There are a lot of great reviews of games out there but sometimes it's difficult to find a game that fits your needs. There are some really good web sites that help people match themselves to the best games for them to play. Here are some tips to think about when selecting a game.

Finding the Right Game For You

Some things to consider when choosing a game...

    How many players do you want to play with? Some games are specifically for two players, some are for four. Four-player games are hard to get together at times. With a two-player game you may be leaving someone out. Many of us have to work only with two-player games because we only have the capability to play with a spouse. There are even some games that are designed for solitary play...for those times when you can't find another player, but you want to get your game fix.
    Look at the age levels of the players. You don't want to make it too difficult to where people aren't interested. If you plan to involve the younger players, you don't want a game that is over their head and they won't enjoy. You do want them to grow up and enjoy gaming, just like you, right?
    Is the theme something everyone is open too? Some people don't like fantasy. Some don't like war games. Some games have the exact same elements, but different pieces.


Reccomendations For You To Start With

Here are a few of my favorites that can usually accommodate different quantities of players.

Carcassonne

It's a tile laying game where you build a city and get points. It's easy and it changes every time you play, because each player chooses how to build the city. As you build the city, you get points. The bigger the city, or item in the game, the more points you get.

Ticket to Ride

The object of the game is to make a railroad line from one city to the next. The great thing about this game is its simplicity level. You can go through any number of cities to get there. Each move you can do only one of three things: 1) draw train cards that you eventually use to build a route, claim a route using train cards in your hand, or get a new destination card so you can points for the different routes you build. It's very fun and plays quickly (typically less than an hour). The instructions are easy and kids seem to really enjoy the theme.

Settlers of Catan

This is one of the most popular games in the world - and you probably have not played it. Simply it is a "country" with different resources. When you roll the dice and have a city on a resource, you get that resource card. In Catan, you collect resource cards to place cities, towns, and roads. When you place towns you get resource cards. If you need a specific card you can trade with other players, so there is a lot of interaction between people on every turn. You win by being the first to get to a certain number of points.

Blokus

Who cares about building cities and gathering resources? You want a good puzzle game. If you like Tetris or Sudoku, this game is probably up your alley. Think of it as a puzzle crossed with checkers. You have many different pieces, and the object of the game is to get them all on the board. Here's the trick, you can only touch the corner of your own piece and other players can block you in. Remember this game board is specific to the number of players you have, so the standard Blokus game can handle up to four players, the travel edition can handle two players.

Are Classic Board Games Better?

There are some very innovative board games coming out these days. They've re-invented Monopoly with an electronic version and even re-invented Scrabble with a digital version. I remember when major manufacturers would re-release a game and it usually just had slightly different artwork and a new color scheme but now the new digital versions take the board game genre to a new level. Lights, sounds, music and talking directions allow for an entirely new interaction.

Is this better? Is playing Monopoly with a credit card that tells you how much money you have in your account better than counting old-fashioned paper money? Is punching words into a new Scrabble screen better than staring at your own seven letters that sit in front of you?

Although you have critics on each side of the fence, the important thing here is interaction. Spending time with your children and having fun. The nostalgia of sharing something with them that was important to you as you grew up. And it doesn't only have to be a board game. Sitting down and watching "The Wizard of Oz", "National Velvet", or "Mary Poppins" instead of the latest TV cartoon - baking a cake with flour, eggs and sugar instead of using a box mix, or - recommending a book to read and see them actually read it and then talk to you about it. There's always a special joy in watching your children light up at enjoying something that used to be special to you when you were a child.

But is this even possible? Can you pry your children away from their hand-helds or computer games? And, with the older children, can they even do something without typing away on their cell phones every 2 minutes? The answer is definitely, yes! And although this may sound surprising, your children may actually like sitting down with you for an hour or two. And usually the most fun will come from a family board game.

Dig deep and think of the games that were important to you. And, although you tend to think of classic games as being old, new games such as "Dino-Bump" put a new twist on the old-fashioned board game concept that you grew up with. It has simple rules, is very fast paced, and will keep the family laughing. Comes with six, 5-1/2" dinosaur playing pieces and a beautifully designed oversized board. You will love playing it with your children.

Okay, so I'm a little prejudiced, I invented Dino-Bump. But do yourself and your family a favor. Whether you play my game or any old classic, spend a night with your family playing a board game that you loved as a child. Whether it's a modern electronic version, an original classic, or a new classic, you may be very surprised at the results.

Hot Trend For Christmas 2009 - Board Games

One of the hot trends for Christmas toy shopping this year may be the resurgence of the board game. That's right, sales of many old prepong favorites such as Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, and Operation are increasing, while sales of video gaming systems such as PlayStation are dropping. Spurred by a combination of recessionary belt-tightening by shoppers, and a tendency to wax nostalgic during hard times, board game sales have increased 5% since May 2008 while toy sales in general have decreased 2%, with electronic games sales off by 12%.

Toy manufactures are responding to this new trend by updating their familiar games to have a more current feel. For example, the depression era game Monopoly has replaced it's familiar shoe playing piece with a laptop. You can also purchase property using the new credit card machine. In place of removing a wishbone in the game Operation, you can now remove a cell phone finger, and the board game Clue has new characters, including a dot-com billionaire.
Marketing of board games is also being updated. Hasbro , the manufacturer of games such as Operation, Candy Land, and Scrabble has begun to promote "family game night" in response to the growing board game trend. Their Website features "games of the month" along with suggestions on how to host your own "game night".

Technology has recently made its debut into the board game world. with a game called Scene It?. This game uses a DVD to display movie and television clips along with the traditional playing board to engage players in this fun trivia-style game.

So, what are going to be the hot board games for Christmas 2009?

A top seller in many stores continues to be the strategy game Settlers of Catan. In this game, geared for ages 10 and above, the players battle to collect resources, building settlements and cities that ultimately determine the winner.

Another top seller this year is Quiddler, a quick paced word lovers game in which players attempt to create words from dealt cards. Like Scrabble players try to use high point letters to get the highest score. Points are also given for most words, so even small words can help you win.

What serious board-gamers are picking as their top game overall is Puerto Rico. If your looking for a super fun strategy game that can teach your kids lessons in economics and commerce, this is it. Recommended for ages 12 and above, players of this game take on the roles of various plantation owners around the 1800's. The winner is determined by who positions themselves best to deliver their product across the sea to Europe.

With a combination of gambling and trivia, Wits & Wagers may again be top seller for 2009. In this fast paced, easy to learn game, players not only try to answer fun, and sometimes crazy questions, but also bet on the accuracy of other players answers to crown a winner.

If you're looking for a game which can be as enjoyable for a five year old as well as an adult you have to try Blokus Classics Game by Mattel. In this strategy game which lasts about 30 minutes, you place colorful pieces on the board in an attempt to be first to play all your pieces before your opponents. Blokus is a fast game, easy to learn and fun for both adults and children.

With the economy still in the dumps, and many board games selling for under $20.00, they are sure to be a popular present found under the Christmas tree this year. So pick up one while there's still a good supply on store shelves. You'll find out like many others already know. You forgot how much fun playing a board game with your family and friends can be.