Hi guys,
A few friends and I are organising to catch up for board game nights every so often. I was wondering if there are any "must have" games that are always going to be a hit on the table. Im more personally interested in economic styled games but really open to any suggestions! Tell me your favourite games please!
Monopoly
Squatter
Cluedo
Pictionary
2 decks of cards - to play Canasta
Or 1 deck to play bridge (the only game really worth playing)
The game Sequence is our go-to favourite. Appears simple at first glance but the strategies kick in when you get into it, particularly when playing as teams.
Tried that for the first time this Christmas, was quite interesting!
Same. Was a bit skeptical but very good game
Lords of Waterdeep
Terra Mystica
Eclipse
Pandemic
Ascension
Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Game of Life
Sorry.
Pictomania is super, super fun. More of a party game than what you're after I imagine, though.
Articulate is also a lot of fun
Sheriff of Nottingham.
Monopoly
Cards Against Humanity
Exploding Kittens
Ticket To Ride - Everyone from my 6 year old son to my 60 year old Dad enjoys it. Super easy to learn, near impossible to master. Some elements of luck but very strategic. Get the European version, its a little more complex then the USA version, but I feel it adds some additional variables that makes the games on a knifes edge. Best part about the game is you often cant tell who is winning until the game is over and scores are tallied.
This. TTR is a great game and as you say, winner is usually a surprise!
Pandemic!
Logo Board Game
Is pie face considered a board game?
swap the whipped cream for something more sinister.
Love watching videos of people playing that game. I am almost afraid to ask but what do you mean by more sinister?
Some questions for you OP:
I can highly recommend checking out the forums for the board game hub on the Internet, "Board Game Geek": https://boardgamegeek.com/forums/region/1/boardgamegeek - your question has been answered there many times over. ;)
As some generic, modern, family friendly recommendation for you though:
+1 for Codenames, but a warning that it does need a shared cultural context. Tried playing it with a group of people from very different backgrounds and we had a lot of trouble thinking of clues (e.g. books/movies/tv/music/history we all knew was basically zero)
+1 for Settlers of Catan also. I think after 10+ years of playing my family have finally got to the point where we know what everyone is going to do each turn so it's less fun.
Catan and Carcassonne are my favourites and are not too long to play so can get in several games in one session. So more chances of getting a win.
I also love Eurorails but it is a long game (3-4 hours depending on number of players) - so usually only get to play it once in a boardgame session.
Thanks for the advice! Looking into more modern games, there are 4 of us and we are all adults. Competitive games will most likely be the most enjoyable for my group.
Ah, Settlers of Catan. I have sheep and I need some wood…
I've got some wood, and I need a sheep…
Just be careful taking note of ratings or other people's opinions. We were getting quite into gaming and I got some popular games, such as Shogun, and it turns out "most people" aren't into investing the time to learn such a game.
However, I do believe I got onto Ticket to Ride there, and as many others have said it's a very popular game. Stresses me greatly (in a good way), yet we play family-style helping each other out rather spoiling each others strategy's.
I would really stress playing with ruthless people!
snakes and ladder.
Talisman
History of the World
Space Crusade
Heroscape
Machi Koro
Cosmic Encounter
Dune
Concept
Appples to Apples
Sherlock Holmes Card Game (now back in print)
Fluxx
Car Wars the Card Game (now back in print)
Where's my fish.
These are mostly card games but it still counts imo.
Resistance Avalon
Exploding Kittens
Sushi go
Bohnanza
Cards against humanity
I've been meaning to buy Secret Hitler as well.
For the economic type games Power Grid and Cargo Noir are alright.
Secret Hitler was released under an open licence. If you're feeling patient, you can make your own Print and Play (PnP) version: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/188834/secret-hitler/fil…
True OzBargain style. ;)
done this in the past with cards against humanity.
A lot of time and effort.
You also need decent card / paper laminator and a lot of ink.
I was looking into Power Grid actually, what are your thoughts on it?
I liked it enough after playing it once I bought it (though I haven't had a chance to play it since). It's a game that's really fair but can be frustrating because if a player is behind they'll be given advantages (going first to buy cheaper resources) to catch up.
I think if you're after the economic type games it's very good and can be educational for kids. For example, you can buy different power plants and the required resources but the initial outlay for the plant will be high however the resources will be cheap since there's less demand.
Secret Hitler is amazing
Do you know Uno? - Its lots of fun. It's number 1
Chess
Bughouse chess.
battle chess
My faves are
* Ticket to Ride - Europe
* Tokaido (A relaxing journey through Japan)
* Dixit (A fun game if you like picture/word)
Most of my favourites have been mentioned already (Catan, Coup, Lords of Waterdeep, Codenames), but one that hasn't been mentioned is Bang. It's a wild west themed card game where the outlaws have to kill the sheriff, the deputy has to protect the sheriff and the renegade has to be the last person alive. But everyone except the sheriff keeps their identity secret. It's easy to play but really fun and very replayable. Best with groups of 5-7 players.
Ticket to Ride!
Scotland Yard
In Scotland Yard, one of the players takes on the role of Mr. X. His job is to move from point to point around the map of London taking taxis, buses or subways. The detectives – that is, the remaining players acting in concert – move around similarly in an effort to move into the same space as Mr. X. But while the criminal's mode of transportation is nearly always known, his exact location is only known intermittently throughout the game.
Creationary
Arcadia Quest
Risk
Cards Against Humanity
Robot Wars
Bang
If you are looking for an economic style game, you really can't go past… Poleconomy. It's a flashback from the 80's,if you can find somewhere to still buy it. For those that aren't familiar, it's Monopoly, but taken up to an adult level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poleconomy
For a strategy style boardgame, Stratego is another blast from the past.
In addition to those already mentioned:
- Splendor: a good medium length/complexity game, but sill allows some strategy. There's an expansion to mix it up/keep it a bit fresh too.
- King of Tokyo: another light-medium game, includes some player interaction in the form of attacks, but pretty light hearted.
- 7 Wonders: a but more complex, has some economic elements.
As mentioned Coup is awesome and the expansion "reformation" really adds to the game.
I personally really like Dominion but it works best for 2-3 players in my opinion. It has loads of expansions and (if you like it) replayability is quite high.
Even though you said competitive, pandemic is a lot of fun, and can be a nice break after a few competitive sessions. Follow it up with Pandemic Legacy and you're golden! That game is amazing…
I have a feeling Scythe might also be a good match, I haven't had a chance to play it yet but so many good reviews on it online - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe
Twilight Imperium is hands down my favourite - and they just released the 4th edition, which supposedly streamlines a few things.
Of course, it takes about 1.5hours x the number of players you have (as a general rule) and has a reasonably big rulebook but it is well worth it.
4.13 BGG complexity rating! oO
It is definitely an investment time wise, and you need to play a couple of times to really get the hang of it.
The payoff is really big though, especially if you have very competitive friends.
Thanks, we are competitive but time starved as well!
Ironically for someone who despises some of the unsustainable elements of capitalism, Monopoly is still my all-time favourite boardgame. Risk is great too.