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Oh no (groan), Christmas! What a nightmare. Turkey?- sold out in November. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Don’t make me laugh. “But it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. Ha! Tell that to Little Eva, who's teary, snot filled tantrum is shaking the brick work because Lewis cheated when pulling the crackers and ran away with both of the useless pieces of plastic tat that fell out. Noddy Holder is screaming “it’s Christmas” yet again (piss off Noddy) and Uncle Jimmy is wearing his ‘stripper pole dancing on a Christmas tree jumper,’ lurching around the room in search of another bottle to open. You can’t keep him away from the kids and stop the sprouts from burning – ah yes, the sprouts; that cramped living room is going to be filled shortly, but not by the spirit of Christmas.
Never fear, the answer is here; break out a board game! I know what you’re thinking…the last time you dragged out Monopoly/Risk/Trivial Pursuit Auntie Pauline assaulted little Robbie with a chicken drumstick and it took three weeks to redecorate and you’d rather take a rusty saw to…! Well, have a look. Here are 12 (actually 14) worthy suggestions to get the party started.
1.Tumblin’ Dice
Plays best with: 6 or 8
Estimated time: 10 mins
Suitable for ages: 5 to 105.
Tumblin’ Dice is full on finger flickin’ fun. Contestants will receive an agreed number of dice and, one after another, they will flick a die from the top of the board and take a sharp intake of breath as the drama unfolds. The further the die tumbles down the steps, the more points one scores. For best effect, create a tourney, play in teams and put up a prize. It will get very rowdy very quickly.
You might like:
· Short games.
· Playing solo, in pairs or in teams.
You might not like:
· The price
· Being pilloried for having poor dexterity skills.
2.Dixit/Detective Club
Plays best with: 6-8
Estimated time: 60 mins
Suitable for ages: 8 to 108.
This recommendation is a ‘twofer’ because the games are so similar. You choose. In both Dixit and Detective Club you will receive a hand of large, colourful, magical, and beautifully rendered cards that you will attempt to match with a word, phrase, song, noise, or sound suggested by another player. And that’s pretty much it. Detective Club adds a ‘hidden traitor’ twist, which I am partial to. The interaction that follows is gentle and genial and at the end the losers politely clap. Grandma loves it.
You might like:
· The fast teach; learn as you play.
· Meeple rabbits (mabbits, anyone?).
You might not like:
· The gentle ‘tweeness’
· That it’s more of an activity than a game.
3.Codenames
Plays best with: 6 or 8
Estimated time: 40 mins
Suitable for ages: 10 to 100.
Codenames is a simple word game cleverly wrapped in a cartoonish Spy Vs Spy style theme. Word cards will be arranged in a 5x5 grid and then two teams of ‘spies’ chose a spymaster. The spymasters have secret information about the cards which they endeavour to communicate to their team of spies but they are restricted to using only one word. And so the fun begins. The spymaster has an agonising wait, listening to the spies fumbling around the clue and switching their attention from the intended cards to, oh no, the one with the bomb under it! Meanwhile, the opposing spymaster is watching carefully for every facial spasm or rolling of the eyeballs that might give the spies further direction. And when the round is over the accusations and recriminations start to fly.
You might like:
· The player interaction
· The tension
You might not like:
· The stress
· Analysis paralysis.
4.Camel Up
Plays best with: 5-6
Estimated game time: 60 mins
Suitable for ages: 8 to 108.
You will smile. The ‘oohs’ and ‘ohs’ as those crazy chaotic camels race around a pyramid will be too much to resist. Younger players enjoy the physicality of shaking the pyramid and moving the camels, older players enjoy the betting. You are in good hands with Camel Up; turns rattle around and if someone is familiar with the rules you can (almost) learn as you play so even the teenagers will be willing to give it a go. And the 2nd edition looks amazing.
You might like:
· The tactical choices
· Cheering for your camels
You might not like:
· The luck factor.
· Learning the rules in advance.
5.6 Nimmt (AKA Take 5)
Plays best with: 4-5
Estimated time: 45 mins
Suitable for ages: 12 to 120.
6 Nimmt is an Einstein; it’s not a looker but my, my, it’s clever. You begin the game with 66 points (which can be reduced to shorten play time). To win, have the most points remaining at the end of the round when another player has lost all their points. Players will simultaneously play cards to the table, adding them to existing rows in ascending order. Here’s the trick- if you end up placing the 6th card in a row, you have to pick up the other 5 and reduce your points score accordingly. Doesn’t sound like much does it? The first couple of rounds are likely to pass without remark. And then, as the rows fill up, this little beauty starts to reveal itself. There are squeaky bum moments aplenty as you skirt around the edge of disaster. “Oh no, I’ll have to take a risk-I’ll play the 54, that’ll pop comfortably on to the end of the row with the 52. What are the odds of someone playing the 53. What? The 53? Nooooooo!” As for who played the 53. They are looking straight at you with their first finger and thumb in an ‘L’ shape on their forehead and a huge grin slapped across their face. You try with all your might not to flip the table.
You might like:
· It’s simplicity.
· Discovering how to play well.
You might not like:
· The chaos.
· That it’s not pretty.
6. Welcome to the Dungeon
Plays best with: 4
Estimated time: 20 mins
Suitable for ages: 12 to 120.
Bluffing games are popular in my house. There were 4 candidates for this spot: Liar’s Dice (unavailable), Skull (good), Cockroach Poker (a very close second), and this: Welcome to the Dungeon (WTTD).
Thematically, WTTD is the strongest candidate. Players represent a group of grubby, snivelling, cowardly thieves itching to plunder a dungeon, plotting to throw someone else in first to face the terrors that await below. WTTD does a great job of enticing players into character, which is why it is such an amusing sniggerfest. On your turn you will decide whether to play a card, remove a card and a piece of equipment or pass. If you snooze, you lose. The last to pass has to go into the dungeon deep, usually unequipped for the task. Now, was there anything than funnier than watching Nathalie’s face drop as she realised that she had to brave the dungeon dark in only her vest and pants? Or more surprising than her unabashed exclamation of triumph when she vanquished the monsters and won the game?
You might like:
· That gameplay can inform your decisions
· The variety of characters to choose from.
What you might not like:
· The element of memorisation.
· Player elimination.
7. Incan Gold aka Diamant
Plays best with: 6-8
Estimated time: 30 mins
Suitable for ages: 8 to really old.
Can’t Stop is my favourite push your luck game, full stop. But it only plays 4, there is no theme and it’s not available. However, Incan Gold, aka Diamant, is available and it’s a pretty good substitute. Put on your fedora, grab your whip and Indiana Jones your way through ancient, crumbling temples, grabbing treasure as you go, but don’t get caught out by the deadly hazards which await the brave and the greedy. Every turn of the card requires you to make a decision-leave the temple while the going is good, perhaps picking up a little extra loot as you scuttle away, or throw caution to the wind and go for broke, plunging deeper into the temple in search of great wealth and glory.
You might like:
· The simple, simultaneous gameplay.
· Younger members of the family getting involved.
You might not like:
· Drawing matching hazard cards early in a round
· The rudimentary components.
8. Cash ‘n’ Guns
Plays best with: 6-8
Estimated time: 30-40 mins
Suitable for ages: 12 to 120 (hope for us all)
Oh yes, Cash & Guns (known in my house as the Reservoir Dogs game) is like a shot of adrenalin straight to the heart, Pulp Fiction style. 30 mins of murderous mayhem to get into the Christmas spirit. You’re all gangsters meeting up after a heist to split the loot but to win you’ll need to split some heads. In each round players will load (or not load) their guns and then “all together now, POINT.” Bragging, bluffing and bullying ensue as participants try to intimidate each other into backing down. Granny thinks she’s Ma Baker and Tarquin is holding his piece like a G from the ‘hood. It's just as well that the pistols are foam.
You might like:
· The simultaneous gameplay.
· The gangster style bravado
You might not like:
· Having a gun (even a foam one) pointed at you
· Some of the fiddly rules.
9. Bohnanza aka ‘the bean game’
Plays best with: 6-8
Estimated time: 60 mins
Suitable for ages: 10 to 100.
Bohnanza rarely disappoints. You can leap in almost immediately, it’s pacey (most of the time) and highly interactive. Players are Mexican farmers growing beans to sell for gold coins. I know, sounds dull. But don’t be fooled; turns out that these farmers are ruthless cutthroats. You can’t just jump in a hammock, cultivate cards and win. You can only plant two fields at a time (unless you buy a third which is not always wise) and so you are forced into short, brutal negotiations to secure the beans you want and get rid of the rest. You are often at a disadvantage and everyone else knows it, so friendships are cast aside and the ‘nasty’ is ramped up. Perfect.
You might like:
· Lots of fun negotiation
· No downtime.
You might not like:
· That it sometimes outstays its welcome.
· The continuous negotiations which can be exhausting.
10. King of Tokyo (with the Power Up expansion)
Plays best with: 4-5
Estimated time: 60 mins
Suitable for ages: 11 to 111.
Claw your opponents, improve your health, buy 'jellies' to power up or go for victory points? Should I stay in Tokyo and gamble for a quick win before I bleed out or stay out of trouble, power up until I'm invincible and hope it won't be too late? This is a fast, furious, fun yatzeefest. "Now I'm the king of Tokyo, roaaaarrrr"! If I can just hold out for one more round.
King of Tokyo is probably the most challenging game on this list for new players because 1. there are a number of mechanisms in play and 2. the cards add to or break the rules in multiple different ways. However, if you are willing to watch a ‘how to play’ video, you can get the game up and running quickly. The Power Up expansion adds customised monster powers and more fun without much added complexity.
You might like:
· Lots of dice rolling
· Puffing your chest out and roaring like Godzilla
You might not like:
· Checking the rule book from time to time.
· The luck factor.
11. Wits & Wagers
Plays best with: 4-14
Suggested time: 45 mins
Suitable for ages: 11 to 111.
I’m not a big fan of trivia games, or party games for that matter. But I think this is great. Why? Well, 1. You don’t need to know the answers so you're not going to be left feeling stupid-a reason why many people shy away from trivia games. And 2. It brings Las Vegas into your living room (in fact, one edition of the game is subtitled ‘Vegas, Baby’). You win by placing a bet on what you think is the best guess. Play in teams to add some interaction and you have a light, fun, sociable experience to look forward to.
You might like:
· Betting
· Reasoning out a ‘best guess’ with your teammates.
You might not like:
· That you are unlikely to know any of the answers
· That, sometimes, lucky guesses win the day.
12. Sushi Go/7 Wonders
Plays best with: 6-7
Suggested time: 30 mins
Suitable for ages: 11 to 111.
Yeah, I know it’s cheating but I’m going to finish on a ‘twofer. Both Sushi Go and 7 Wonders are card drafting games, where players collect different sets of cards to score points by playing a card from their hand to the table then passing the rest of their hand to the left, receiving a new hand in turn from the player on their right. Sushi Go is the lighter, more accessible of the two games with less rules overhead and iconography to digest, more suitable for casual players and younger players. It tends to play quicker too. On the other hand, 7 Wonders is the more visually impressive and has more meat on its bones as you draft the building blocks of your ancient wonder while also optimising your trading relationships and fending off your neighbours' armies.
You might like:
· The fast, simultaneous game play
· Collecting sets of cards while preventing your opponents from doing the same.
You might not like:
· That your seating arrangement can influence the outcome of the game.
· That learning the iconography to enable fast gameplay can take time
