Finally starting to find time for other things (such as this blog). Planning on trying to keep a weekly rhythm to the updates here. Likely be a mix of reviews, what's being played, along with other board gaming focused topics.
- NA
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Slight hiatus
Been MIA for a bit dealing with the realities of parenting another addition to the family. It's definitely awesome, but there are challenges. Finding time for hobbies, or even sleep, is definitely among them.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Gaming with the Family: Camel Up review
Over the course of Memorial Day weekend, quite a few board games were played with my family. We're on a series of posts that takes a look at a few games played from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
2-8 players
30 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
In Camel Cup, players bet on five racing camels (which apparently is a real thing) around a short track. Bets are made on which camels will come in first or second for shorter segments (called legs) and first or last for the overall race. Coins represent victory points in the game and there are various ways to earn or possibly even lose these.
You'll find that due to the randomness built into the game, your bets will frequently change and what may have seemed like a good bet at first will leave you yelling at a trailing camel. Fortunately, you do have some direct influence on how the camels move.
On your turn, you can do one of four things:
Rolling the die determines which and how far a camel moves. This is how the game progresses through the legs. Each camel will be guaranteed a movement, but you don't know which one will come out or what the movement number will be. Camels will landing on the same space as other camels will either be placed on top of the stack or at the bottom depending on if they moved forward or backwards. If a camel has other camels on top of it when moving, those camels will move as a stack.
Desert tiles can be placed on the board in front of the camels to influence their movement. Depending on whether you play it as an Oasis or a Mirage, it can bump the camel ahead one space or move it back one. Either way you get a coin if a camel should land on it.
Betting on the overall winner (or loser) of the race is a great way to score points. Just like the betting tiles, it's important to be among to bet first to get the most possible points. However, betting early can be tough as the race leaders and losers can and will change over the course of the race.
The game ends as soon as a camel crosses the finish line. At that point, the leg is considered finished and scoring takes place both for the leg and the overall race.
Thoughts
gameplay - B-
components - B+
Gameplay is simple enough to grasp and players will quickly understand how camels move and betting works. Legs move fast enough to keep you engaged, although I've found that with more than 6 players the downtime is a bit too much. I'd recommend keeping player count in the 3-6 range if possible. The game is all about betting and it works well both for the legs as well as the overall race. Sure you can slightly influence the race, but it really comes down to timing. When and which camel to bet on is key to winning.
There isn't a ton of strategy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a game that's designed to be accessible and enjoyable for a wide range. Besides the betting, strategy is limited to deciding when to roll or where to place your desert tile. The luck of the dice plays heavily into the results, but that's what makes the betting fun. Adding more strategy would put this game into a weird limbo in that it wouldn't be as accessible and likely wouldn't be enough to compete with other more strategically designed games.
One of the strengths of the game are the components. Artwork is colorful and appropriately cartoony, invoking the theme well. Wooden camels stack nicely and the betting tiles are made of a thick cardboard. The centerpiece of the game is the pyramid dice tower. Sure it may be gimmicky, but it's a fun gimmick and one that I find cleverly adds to the game. Not only does it draw interest, but it also works well to reveal the dice in a way that invokes groans or cheers from players.
While components don't make a game, they are incredibly important for luring new players to the table. Camel Up does this well and keeps them there with an entertaining game.
Yay:
The first time my family played, they wanted to immediately play again. While it may not be the best game out there, there aren't many games out there that you can bring out and be enjoyed by almost anyone.
-NA
Camel Up
2-8 players
30 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
In Camel Cup, players bet on five racing camels (which apparently is a real thing) around a short track. Bets are made on which camels will come in first or second for shorter segments (called legs) and first or last for the overall race. Coins represent victory points in the game and there are various ways to earn or possibly even lose these.
You'll find that due to the randomness built into the game, your bets will frequently change and what may have seemed like a good bet at first will leave you yelling at a trailing camel. Fortunately, you do have some direct influence on how the camels move.
On your turn, you can do one of four things:
- take a betting tile
- take a pyramid tile and roll a die
- play your desert tile
- make a bet on the overall winner and loser of the race
Rolling the die determines which and how far a camel moves. This is how the game progresses through the legs. Each camel will be guaranteed a movement, but you don't know which one will come out or what the movement number will be. Camels will landing on the same space as other camels will either be placed on top of the stack or at the bottom depending on if they moved forward or backwards. If a camel has other camels on top of it when moving, those camels will move as a stack.
Desert tiles can be placed on the board in front of the camels to influence their movement. Depending on whether you play it as an Oasis or a Mirage, it can bump the camel ahead one space or move it back one. Either way you get a coin if a camel should land on it.
Betting on the overall winner (or loser) of the race is a great way to score points. Just like the betting tiles, it's important to be among to bet first to get the most possible points. However, betting early can be tough as the race leaders and losers can and will change over the course of the race.
The game ends as soon as a camel crosses the finish line. At that point, the leg is considered finished and scoring takes place both for the leg and the overall race.
Thoughts
gameplay - B-
components - B+
Gameplay is simple enough to grasp and players will quickly understand how camels move and betting works. Legs move fast enough to keep you engaged, although I've found that with more than 6 players the downtime is a bit too much. I'd recommend keeping player count in the 3-6 range if possible. The game is all about betting and it works well both for the legs as well as the overall race. Sure you can slightly influence the race, but it really comes down to timing. When and which camel to bet on is key to winning.
There isn't a ton of strategy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a game that's designed to be accessible and enjoyable for a wide range. Besides the betting, strategy is limited to deciding when to roll or where to place your desert tile. The luck of the dice plays heavily into the results, but that's what makes the betting fun. Adding more strategy would put this game into a weird limbo in that it wouldn't be as accessible and likely wouldn't be enough to compete with other more strategically designed games.
One of the strengths of the game are the components. Artwork is colorful and appropriately cartoony, invoking the theme well. Wooden camels stack nicely and the betting tiles are made of a thick cardboard. The centerpiece of the game is the pyramid dice tower. Sure it may be gimmicky, but it's a fun gimmick and one that I find cleverly adds to the game. Not only does it draw interest, but it also works well to reveal the dice in a way that invokes groans or cheers from players.
While components don't make a game, they are incredibly important for luring new players to the table. Camel Up does this well and keeps them there with an entertaining game.
Yay:
- betting - betting without losing real money is usually fun (for most people)
- look and feel - game is attractive with the wooden camels and a unique pyramid tower
- simplicity - easily grasped rules with limited turn options
- plays quickly - with 3-6 players, games play fast enough to often warrant another playthrough
- player limit - find that playing with more than 5 or 6 players tends to drag the game along
- randomness - some control, although this is limited and you're generally at the mercy of the dice
The first time my family played, they wanted to immediately play again. While it may not be the best game out there, there aren't many games out there that you can bring out and be enjoyed by almost anyone.
-NA
 |
| Family Meeples: 4/5 |
|
| My Meeples: 4/5 |
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Gaming with the Family: Haggis review
Over the course of Memorial Day weekend, quite a few board games were played with my family. We're on a series of posts that takes a look at a few games played from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
2-3 players
45 min to play
ages 13+
How to Play
Haggis is a 2-3 player trick taking game that plays out in rounds (called tricks) until a certain score is reached (250 or 350 depending on preferred game length). The deck consists of xxx cards made up of five suites, with cards ranging from 2 to 10. A Jack, Queen, and King are placed face up in front of each player and then fourteen cards are dealt to each players. The remaining are set aside as the Haggis. Prior to cards being played, players bet 0, 15, 30 points on whether or not they will be the first one to play all their cards during a round.
In addition to the betting, points are earned by winning tricks. Each odd numbered card has a value of 1 point and the Jack, Queen, and King have values of 2, 3, and 5 respectively . If you're the first to go out (or second in a three player game), you also get 5 points for every card remaining in players hands.
Each trick starts with a player playing a card combination (note: the Jack, Queen, and King may be used as wilds) of either a:
Subsequent plays must follow the same type of the first play, but of a higher combination. For example, if a pair of threes is played (making a set), another pair of two cards can be played as long as the number on the card is four or higher. The exception is a bomb. Bombs can be played on top of any set or sequence and can then only be beaten by a higher bomb. However, when you play a winning bomb, you then must select an opponent to receive all the cards played in the trick.
Play will continue until all other players pass and the player with the highest combinations wins the trick and takes the cards played (unless they won with a bomb). This player will then lead for the next round.
Thoughts
gameplay - B
components - B-
While I found this game to be enjoyable, it didn't seem to catch on with my dad as expected. He enjoys card games (especially those of the trick taking variety), but after a couple rounds this didn't interest him. He found the playing of combinations to be dull and gameplay to be boring.
For me, the game was an interesting combination of bidding and collecting tricks through card combinations. The wild cards add a fun and unique element to the game that changes your approach through each trick, especially when your opponent is playing combinations that leave you unable to play. You never feel like you're completely out of the game as each new round, the player with the lowest point total gets to lead first. This along with the betting, helps keep players in the game.
I also enjoyed the strategy of considering what cards to play or hold on to. Do you play that matching set now or hold on to them in hope that you'll get to play them as part of a sequence? Do you play a bomb to keep the lead, knowing it will give the trick to your opponent? You definitely want to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible, but sometimes you'll find it makes sense to hold back in order to setup playing multiples of a specific combination. Find it to be a good balance of risk and reward in a game that is mostly strategic in nature, but has a fun element of luck to it.
The quality of the cards are ok, but not great. Would like a thicker card stock, but they're also not the worst quality either. A Celtic theme is loosely applied through images which adds a nice feel to the game, but I do wish there was a greater difference in the colors as they tend to blur together.
Yay:
Meh:
For me, the game was interesting enough to want to play more, but will likely have difficulty getting it to the table with the family. Will try to see if other similar games such as Clubs and/or Tichu go over better.
-NA
Haggis
2-3 players
45 min to play
ages 13+
How to Play
Haggis is a 2-3 player trick taking game that plays out in rounds (called tricks) until a certain score is reached (250 or 350 depending on preferred game length). The deck consists of xxx cards made up of five suites, with cards ranging from 2 to 10. A Jack, Queen, and King are placed face up in front of each player and then fourteen cards are dealt to each players. The remaining are set aside as the Haggis. Prior to cards being played, players bet 0, 15, 30 points on whether or not they will be the first one to play all their cards during a round.
In addition to the betting, points are earned by winning tricks. Each odd numbered card has a value of 1 point and the Jack, Queen, and King have values of 2, 3, and 5 respectively . If you're the first to go out (or second in a three player game), you also get 5 points for every card remaining in players hands.
Each trick starts with a player playing a card combination (note: the Jack, Queen, and King may be used as wilds) of either a:
- set - a single or group of cards of the same number
- sequence - a set of three or more singles (or two or more larger sets) in numerical order and of the same suit
- bomb - a combination of cards that can be played to beat any combination except for a higher bomb
Subsequent plays must follow the same type of the first play, but of a higher combination. For example, if a pair of threes is played (making a set), another pair of two cards can be played as long as the number on the card is four or higher. The exception is a bomb. Bombs can be played on top of any set or sequence and can then only be beaten by a higher bomb. However, when you play a winning bomb, you then must select an opponent to receive all the cards played in the trick.
Play will continue until all other players pass and the player with the highest combinations wins the trick and takes the cards played (unless they won with a bomb). This player will then lead for the next round.
Thoughts
gameplay - B
components - B-
While I found this game to be enjoyable, it didn't seem to catch on with my dad as expected. He enjoys card games (especially those of the trick taking variety), but after a couple rounds this didn't interest him. He found the playing of combinations to be dull and gameplay to be boring.
For me, the game was an interesting combination of bidding and collecting tricks through card combinations. The wild cards add a fun and unique element to the game that changes your approach through each trick, especially when your opponent is playing combinations that leave you unable to play. You never feel like you're completely out of the game as each new round, the player with the lowest point total gets to lead first. This along with the betting, helps keep players in the game.
I also enjoyed the strategy of considering what cards to play or hold on to. Do you play that matching set now or hold on to them in hope that you'll get to play them as part of a sequence? Do you play a bomb to keep the lead, knowing it will give the trick to your opponent? You definitely want to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible, but sometimes you'll find it makes sense to hold back in order to setup playing multiples of a specific combination. Find it to be a good balance of risk and reward in a game that is mostly strategic in nature, but has a fun element of luck to it.
Yay:
- designed for 2 or 3 - sometimes it can be tough to find a good game with low player count
- strategic decisions - choosing what cards to play when creates an enjoyable tension
- well balanced - never feel like your too far behind
Meh:
- suit colors - card colors are difficult to distinguish when first learning the game
- cardstock - would have preferred a higher quality, although this isn't a huge issue
For me, the game was interesting enough to want to play more, but will likely have difficulty getting it to the table with the family. Will try to see if other similar games such as Clubs and/or Tichu go over better.
-NA
 |
| Family Meeples: 2/5 |
 |
| My Meeples: 4/5 |
Monday, June 1, 2015
Gaming with the Family: Splendor review
Over the course of Memorial Day weekend, quite a few board games were played with my family. We're on a series of posts that takes a look at a few games played from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
2-4 players
30 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
Splendor is a game where players are merchants attempting to gather prestige points through mines, transportation methods, shops, and alluring the favor of nobles.
On your turn you really have two choices:
Thoughts
gameplay - B+
components - A-
One reason Splendor makes a great gateway game is that along with it's attractiveness, it begins to introduce multiple concepts such as set collection, basic engine building, and light math. While a light game, there is some depth which will have you asking questions like:
Initially, playing to 15 points seems like a lot as point gathering starts out rather slow with players focusing on developing their resources. However, this quickly changes and turns into a frenetic grab for higher value point cards and nobles.
Splendor is a lot of fun at all player counts, and as you add more players it requires that you be more agile in your planning. While there isn't direct player conflict, you'll often find yourself competing for the same cards. This requires keeping tabs on what other players are doing and possibly attempting to prevent them from acquiring the gems or cards you think they may want. I like this aspect of the game as it gives you something to think about between player turns.
One aspect that really helps Splendor stand out are the components. The highlight are the chips representing the resource gems. These are made out of heavier poker chips which have a nice tactile feel when gathering and holding these basic resources. The art on the cards is enticing, but in a subtle manner that helps tie the rather loosely applied theme together. I do wish the box was a bit smaller as everything could easily fit into a box almost 1/2 of the size, but this is a minor gripe and can be remedied by a custom box. Overall, the components are very well done and do help draw people into the game.
Yay:
Meh:
Splendor is one of my families favorite games at the moment. Play moves quickly and there is enough there to satisfy more experienced gamers, while newer players will not be overwhelmed with too many choices or find themselves unable to compete. One of the best gateway games available today and would never turn down an opportunity to play this game.
-NA
Splendor
2-4 players
30 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
Splendor is a game where players are merchants attempting to gather prestige points through mines, transportation methods, shops, and alluring the favor of nobles.
On your turn you really have two choices:
- collect gems, the basic resource of the game
- buy a card with gems you have collected and/or through the permanent gem bonus granted from previously purchased cards
- there is also an option to reserve a card that you want to buy but cannot at the time, thus saving the card for only you to be able to buy on a later turn
Thoughts
gameplay - B+
components - A-
One reason Splendor makes a great gateway game is that along with it's attractiveness, it begins to introduce multiple concepts such as set collection, basic engine building, and light math. While a light game, there is some depth which will have you asking questions like:
- Do I pick up 2 chips of one color to help me get a certain card faster or 3 chips which will give me more?
- It looks like someone is going for the card I want, should I reserve it?
- There's nothing on the table that I want. Is it worth taking a chance to reserve a random card?
 |
| Goes great with coffee in the morning |
Initially, playing to 15 points seems like a lot as point gathering starts out rather slow with players focusing on developing their resources. However, this quickly changes and turns into a frenetic grab for higher value point cards and nobles.
Splendor is a lot of fun at all player counts, and as you add more players it requires that you be more agile in your planning. While there isn't direct player conflict, you'll often find yourself competing for the same cards. This requires keeping tabs on what other players are doing and possibly attempting to prevent them from acquiring the gems or cards you think they may want. I like this aspect of the game as it gives you something to think about between player turns.
One aspect that really helps Splendor stand out are the components. The highlight are the chips representing the resource gems. These are made out of heavier poker chips which have a nice tactile feel when gathering and holding these basic resources. The art on the cards is enticing, but in a subtle manner that helps tie the rather loosely applied theme together. I do wish the box was a bit smaller as everything could easily fit into a box almost 1/2 of the size, but this is a minor gripe and can be remedied by a custom box. Overall, the components are very well done and do help draw people into the game.
Yay:
- quality components - really like the poker chips used for gems; appealing art on the cards
- scales well - gameplay is great for all player counts
- moves quickly - turns do not take long and there's enough for you to think about between them
- easily explained - limited playing options allow new players to quickly grasp concepts
Meh:
- box size - seems like this could have been a smaller box; also find it slightly annoying that the card dividers are not spaced appropriately for each stack of cards
- limited depth - not a lot going on and after a few plays you'll have discovered most of what the game has to offer
Splendor is one of my families favorite games at the moment. Play moves quickly and there is enough there to satisfy more experienced gamers, while newer players will not be overwhelmed with too many choices or find themselves unable to compete. One of the best gateway games available today and would never turn down an opportunity to play this game.
-NA
|
| Family Meeples: 4/5 |
|
| My Meeples: 4/5 |
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Gaming with the Family: Timeline review
Over the course of Memorial Day weekend, quite a few board games were played with my family. We're on a series of posts that takes a look at a few games played from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
2-8 players
15 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
Timeline is a game where each theme (I'd brought 3 versions to try with my family - Inventions, Music & Cinema, Historical Events) includes a set of 109 cards. Every card has a picture of a person, place, event, or object on one side and the same picture on the other side, but with a year the pictured thing took place. Each player is given four cards placed on the table with the year side facing down. One card from the pile placed in the middle, thus creating the "timeline". On a players turn, they must select a card and place it to either the left or the right of a card in the timeline based upon chronological order and then flip the card to see if they were correct. If they were, the card stays. If not, the card is discarded and the player must draw a new card to be placed in their hand. Play then moves to the next player. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
Thoughts
gameplay - B
components - C
Gameplay is easily understood and works well with those who don't play many games. It helps that difficulty ramps as you play. It's easy to place a card when there's only one or two options, but as the timeline grows, it becomes increasingly challenging to choose correctly. You'll also find the difficulty to be dependent upon your knowledge of the theme. However, unless your knowledge of the theme is akin to Wikipedia, you'll almost always come across cards that trip you up.
One of the great things about the game is that downtime really isn't an issue. You'll either be thinking of what you want to play next or laughing at others for how many years off they were with their choice. With larger player counts you'll likely end up with multiple players placing their last card during a round. This is resolved well by an elimination playoff with each remaining player drawing a single card until only one player remains. This may take a few rounds to complete, but it tends to go quickly.
In regards to the components, art on the cards isn't amazing, but does give you enough to help make an educated guess on the era from time to time. Card size is a bit small, but any larger, would create a timeline too long for most tables. Do enjoy the tin box it comes in, although wish that the various versions would stack better. Overall the components are adequate, but nothing that really stands out.
Yay:
While it's doubtful it will see much playtime in my gaming group, Timeline is a game that definitely will be played again with my family. Not one of my favorites, but it will remain in the collection to be played in the right setting. Set expectations appropriately and you'll be find this to be a quick and enjoyable game that can be played with a wide variety of people.
-NA
Timeline
2-8 players
15 min to play
ages 8+
How to Play
Timeline is a game where each theme (I'd brought 3 versions to try with my family - Inventions, Music & Cinema, Historical Events) includes a set of 109 cards. Every card has a picture of a person, place, event, or object on one side and the same picture on the other side, but with a year the pictured thing took place. Each player is given four cards placed on the table with the year side facing down. One card from the pile placed in the middle, thus creating the "timeline". On a players turn, they must select a card and place it to either the left or the right of a card in the timeline based upon chronological order and then flip the card to see if they were correct. If they were, the card stays. If not, the card is discarded and the player must draw a new card to be placed in their hand. Play then moves to the next player. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
Thoughts
gameplay - B
components - C
Gameplay is easily understood and works well with those who don't play many games. It helps that difficulty ramps as you play. It's easy to place a card when there's only one or two options, but as the timeline grows, it becomes increasingly challenging to choose correctly. You'll also find the difficulty to be dependent upon your knowledge of the theme. However, unless your knowledge of the theme is akin to Wikipedia, you'll almost always come across cards that trip you up.
One of the great things about the game is that downtime really isn't an issue. You'll either be thinking of what you want to play next or laughing at others for how many years off they were with their choice. With larger player counts you'll likely end up with multiple players placing their last card during a round. This is resolved well by an elimination playoff with each remaining player drawing a single card until only one player remains. This may take a few rounds to complete, but it tends to go quickly.
In regards to the components, art on the cards isn't amazing, but does give you enough to help make an educated guess on the era from time to time. Card size is a bit small, but any larger, would create a timeline too long for most tables. Do enjoy the tin box it comes in, although wish that the various versions would stack better. Overall the components are adequate, but nothing that really stands out.
Yay:
- ease of teaching- able to explain and start playing in less than a minute to almost anyone
- accommodating - works well with various group sizes (we played with anywhere from 2 to 6)
- short length of games - allowed for repeat play with players being able to jump in/out
- various themes - players gravitated to a certain theme based upon their knowledge/interest
- size - easy to pack and play almost anywhere there's a flat surface
- cost - inexpensive, usually can find for around $10
- limited replay - once you start to remember the dates on the cards, the games become less interesting (possible to mitigate this by having multiple versions of the game to play on their own or even mixed together)
- minimal strategy - not a ton of tactical planning here
 |
| Timeline: Historical Events ended up being my dad's favorite game of the weekend |
While it's doubtful it will see much playtime in my gaming group, Timeline is a game that definitely will be played again with my family. Not one of my favorites, but it will remain in the collection to be played in the right setting. Set expectations appropriately and you'll be find this to be a quick and enjoyable game that can be played with a wide variety of people.
-NA
|
| Family Meeples: 4/5 |
 |
| My Meeples: 3/5 |
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Memorial Day Weekend Recap
As mentioned in my previous post, Memorial Day weekend has turned into a day full of family, BBQ, croquet, and board gaming. Weather was great and the annual croquet tournament was the highlight of the weekend.
An early lead was claimed, but unfortunately the quest for a repeat fell short. Next year!
Many board games were played throughout the weekend. The next few series of posts will be focusing on a few games from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
Here's the list of games we'll be looking at:
- NA
 |
An early lead was claimed, but unfortunately the quest for a repeat fell short. Next year!
Many board games were played throughout the weekend. The next few series of posts will be focusing on a few games from the perspective of what worked / didn't work for enticing my family into the hobby.
Here's the list of games we'll be looking at:
- Timeline
- Splendor
- Haggis
- Concept
- Rhino Hero
- Pinochle
- Camel Up
- Robot Turtles
- Pandemic
- Tsuro
- Sushi Go!
- NA
Friday, May 22, 2015
Memorial Day Weekend Gaming
Gradually, I've begun to share board gaming with my family with varying success. Most everyone enjoys card and party games, while some like lighter fare such as Ticket to Ride, Takenoko and Blokus.
Every Memorial Day weekend, our extended family gets together for BBQ, croquet, and homemade ice cream.
The croquet tournament has become quite the event over the past few years with the winning team being memorialized with their names engraved on a trophy. Needless to say, the competition has been fierce with rule debates often breaking out. It's not officially a family event with us until arguing occurs.
In packing for this years long weekend, here's what's getting included in this years box of games:
Lighter Fare
Card Games
Party Games
Kids Games
While these won't all get played, I enjoy having some options to choose from. What games do you find work well for your family?
- NA
Every Memorial Day weekend, our extended family gets together for BBQ, croquet, and homemade ice cream.The croquet tournament has become quite the event over the past few years with the winning team being memorialized with their names engraved on a trophy. Needless to say, the competition has been fierce with rule debates often breaking out. It's not officially a family event with us until arguing occurs.
In packing for this years long weekend, here's what's getting included in this years box of games:
Lighter Fare
- Camel Up - have yet to play, but due to it's simplicity and short playtime, thinking it'll work well
- Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries - only 3 players, but is a game my wife and dad enjoy
- Pandemic - debated between this and Flash Point
- Splendor - great looking game that's easy to teach
- Biblios - enjoy playing this with my wife and eager to try it with more than two players
- Tsuro - simple, short game that accommodates up to 8
- Survive: Escape from Atlantis! - saving yourself while drowning others
- Get Bit - push your luck while bluffing
- Eight-Minute Empire: Legends - been wanting to try this
- Hive - something for when there's just two of us
- Boss Monster - brother has been asking to play
Card Games
- Archeology - just got this and want to give it a try
- Haggis / Tichu - trick taking games, choice will be determined by number of players
- Sushi Go! - hand drafting simplified with a easy to digest theme
- Timeline - some history buffs in the group so this should go over well
- Port Royal - need to learn this one before bring it out
Party Games
- Ca$h 'N Guns - what's a better way for family bonding than pointing guns at each other
- Telestrations - guessing this will result in laughs, arguing, or both
- One Night Ultimate Werewolf - to my surprise, mom really likes this one
- Train of Thought - picked this up on sale recently and think it will work well with our family
Kids Games
- Robot Turtles - one of my son's favorites
- Rhino Hero - thinking this may get some play from a variety of folks
While these won't all get played, I enjoy having some options to choose from. What games do you find work well for your family?
- NA
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