Give us your list of favorites and newly discovered games. I've found some gems lately and I'm sure you know of some goodies. (Shawshank's thread about Diplomacy reminded me of this.)
Here are mine:
Settlers of Catan: There are two expansion sets called "Cities and Knights" and "Seafarers." My personal favorite is Cities and knights. The game is really fun, relies on some luck and some skill. The only drawback, only 6 people can play at a time. You can always do doubles. It's rather expensive, but if you poke around the internet, you can get all the sets for cheaper than you can in a game store.
Curses: We played this at a recent gathering of incredibly smart people (also known as Jatraqueros) and laughed like crazy. The great thing about this game is that as many people can play as you want. It's funniest with at least four people playing. The play is ridiculously simple, and the consequences are a kick in the pants.
Apples to Apples: Duh. Most of you have played this. It's really easy and ends up being really funny. The only drawback is that if you play it with boring people, it will be boring.
Liebrary: This one is for all you aspiring or very successful writers out there. It's like Balderdash, except that instead of words and definitions, it's books. You're given a synopsis and genre of a book and everyone writes the opening sentence of the book. The object is to guess which is the real opening sentence and to try to fool everyone with yours!
Carcassonne: This looks like settlers, but it isn't as complex. It does require strategy and the opposing players actually end up working together to make sure cities and roads and stuff all fit together right as you build them. I've only played this once, but it was really fun.
Set: I can't even explain how this goes, but it's a brain teasing game for 2-4 players. It involves finding sets of three cards relying on shading, shape, color, and number on the cards. More fun than it sounds. Here's the daily practice game.
Ok, add to the list.
[ July 23, 2006, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: Narnia ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Set is a lot of fun. It's also supposed to be useful for kids with perceptual issues.
Looney Labs makes a whole slew of fun card (and other) games. And they're all small, which makes packing 'em easy.
Fluxx, where the rules keep changing, and any card could win it all.
Chrononauts and Early American Chrononauts, where the "board" is made up of 64 cards, and you are a time traveller. Your goal is to save the universe -- YOUR version of it. Too bad everyone else is going for a different version . . .
Aquarius, which is sort of like 2-d dominoes. And which you can try out online (although it's rather confusing if you've never played it with actual cards).
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
My votes would be Apples to Apples, Balderdash, and Cranium. With all of these, the more zany and creative the people, the better the games.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I like Malarky, which is Balderdash with facts rather than definitions. Problem in my family is that someone knows the answer about 2/3 of the time.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
See Dag, I've played Malarky and I'm dense enough that it was great fun.
Sniglets is another good game. It's Balderdash backwards. You make up the word instead of the definition. Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Cranium is a good game for a group, quick moving and fun, even when it's not your turn. Kind of like the opposite of Trivial Pursuit, which, if it ever does get finished during a party, pretty much ensures that it was the dullest party ever.
Depending on the crowd, break out Twister. Left foot green!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
For a party of six to eight, I prefer:
Apples to Apples Pictionary Cranium Tsuro Hex Once Upon A Time Chez Geek Guillotine
These are not necessarily (at least IMO) the best games in the world. But they're great games for parties, as they play quickly, are simple to explain, and include a good mix of creativity/strategy, chance, and "screw your neighbor" opportunities.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: Kind of like the opposite of Trivial Pursuit, which, if it ever does get finished during a party, pretty much ensures that it was the dullest party ever.
It was not! Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Perhaps your party experience is different. When I've been to parties where the evening was devoted to Trivial Pursuit, I have felt the desire to gnaw off my own leg in order to escape.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I feel the same way about Risk. Risk is the mind-killer.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: Perhaps your party experience is different. When I've been to parties where the evening was devoted to Trivial Pursuit, I have felt the desire to gnaw off my own leg in order to escape.
Well, it wasn't the evening. It was midday. And it was a multi-day party/get-together. Oh, and it was the Booklovers Edition.
But I've spend other parties playing Trivial Pursuit, and enjoyed those as well. Maybe you need more interesting people to play with. Posted by Palliard (Member # 8109) on :
Depends how many you got. We always paired off an even four to play 42
But my folks are out of Texas, and I understand the game isn't played everywhere. Teaching a new player can take a little effort.
If you have a Nintendo sitting around, Mario Party is pretty kewl. If not... "crappy job stories" do seem to be terribly popular.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: I feel the same way about Risk. Risk is the mind-killer.
Ah, the Litany Against Risk: I must not play Risk. Risk is the mind-killer. Risk is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face the game of Risk. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the game has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Heh. I agree with Tom about Risk. Not only is it a mind killer but, like Monopoly, it brings out the worst in people. I love Monopoly, don't get me wrong. I guess I just shouldn't play either of those games with my father.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Monopoly and Risk both take too darn LONG.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Clue Parcheesi Jumanji 7 Deadly Sins Outburst Zathura Scrabble
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:I love Monopoly, don't get me wrong. I guess I just shouldn't play either of those games with my father.
Written in ballpoint pen in my mom's handwriting on the cover of my family's old Monopoly game:
"<dad> cheats at Monopoly. You can't always win if you don't cheat, and <dad> always wins. Ergo, <dad> cheats. signed, Sour Grapes."
And yes, the word "signed" was written out.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
We always played Mafia at parties, if there were enough people.
Scattergories, Uno, and Boggle are the games that get played the most in my family. Occassionally we'll play Phase-10, but that game can get really ugly and lead to family grudges. I imagine those games are all old enough that most people know them, though.
--Mel
Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
I happen to love Trivial Pursuit, but my two absolute favorites are Taboo and Guesstures. Cranium is good too.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
The only two new board games I've played recently are Taboo and Scattergories. I love Taboo. Me and one of my cousins can get a ridiculously high amount of points in one round because we each understand the way the other thinks so well. Scattergories is ok, but it gets boring after awhile. I really want to try all these games that you guys said. I love board games.
I love games that require you to understand the way other people think. Those are the kind I'm best at.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Munchkin is a fun one. Kwea and JenniK introduced us to that game and it's spread rapidly through our contingent of friends.
My family (well, my sister and those whom she's close to, as well as Nathan and myself) plays some knock-down drag-out games of dominos.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Yeah, I liked that one a lot. We played it when TomD came down to visit, along with Chris and others. It was a lot of fun....I negotiated a three way win for me.
It is very tongue-in-cheek, sort of like the comic Order of the Stick.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
We found Guillotine to be really dull. It might have just been because the whole group was unfamiliar with it, or maybe we were doing something wrong. But it was boring.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I like Set as well, although I am not good at it yet. I have only played it once, even though we own it. Posted by Launchywiggin (Member # 9116) on :
Favorite board game is chess.
Favorite party games are the scene-its.
Cranium was a blast the one time I've played it.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
ooh, I've never had the chance to play any of the scene its and I think i'd totally rock. Drat, I'll have to put one on my Christmas list this year. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
If Guillotine is dull, you're doing it wrong. It's actually one of the more vicious "screw your neighbor" games out there when played with adults.
Now, Munchkin can be excruciatingly dull in long stretches, once you've seen all the cards. But Guillotine? Never.
Out of interest, Dana, how did you play it?
Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
I love Munchkin but my wife can't stand it. She was also very reluctant to play Starfarers of Catan but after getting used to the rules ended up loving it. I'm also a sucker for Axis and Allies but can rarely find an opponent since it's such a long game.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
quote:It's actually one of the more vicious "screw your neighbor" games out there when played with adults.
LOL - as one should expect from a game called "Guillotine". Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
So this includes a few card games, but meh: Set Phase 10 Tripolee aka Michigan Rummy Canasta Rummikub Balderdash (I prefer the original as the best party game ever, given the right crowd) Apples to Apples oh, and don't forget the cheesy joy that is: Mall Madness (Try again later!... how I long to find the pimply teenager that voice was from and throttle him while longing to luck out with $100 from the bank)
and for those not faint of heart: Axis and Allies, and let me tell you, invading England with Germany on the first turn and holding it through the second, while it does invalidate 30 minutes of setup in 5 min is rediculously satisfying.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I was going to mention Cranium, but since it's already been mentioned..
A great game to play is PIG, a variation of Pit. I have never played Pit the way the directions say--I'm not even sure that they're that different. In PIG, you deal out the pit cards to everyone, making sure that you have 1 commodity for each person playing--all shuffled, of course. You place spoons in the center of the table, one less spoon than people playing. When everyone is ready, the trading starts, everyone yelling out how many cards they want to trade. 2! 2! 4! 3! It's very loud and hectic.
When the first person has a complete commodity set, they quietly grab a spoon. The trading continues as other players gradually realize that someone took a spoon, and they take a spoon, too. This usually results in about 3 people diving for the last two spoons very violently. The last person, who doesn't get a spoon, gets a P. If they don't get a spoon again, they get an I, and then a G. Once someone gets PIG, they're out of the game. The catch is, nobody is allowed to speak to someone who has PIG, so they spend the game trying to get people to talk to them. If they do, they're out, too. It's fun.
I also enjoy Rook and Uno--very simple card games, but I like them anyway.
Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
So what is the best way to win with the Allies in Axis and Allies? I always have such difficulty handling the Russians very effectively.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I played Curses, you really need a group of people who are comfortable doing odd things around each other.
Last game I played I got a horrible combination of curses imo. I think the worst is when you get multi accent curses, so your supposed to only speak in an Austrailian witch count dracula voice.
I remember trying to sell somebody a cell phone service in a witches voice, it was interesting to say the least I endorse curses though its a solid game and its fun to play.
Settlers is a solid choice, if you play with expansions you need to dig in for the long haul.
I played some scrabble yesterday and I realized that I am obnoxious to play with. I take FOREVER sometimes to place my word, incidentally I won last nights game "Vexed" on a triple word score can be quite point enhancing, and it "vexes" other players as a bonus
On a side note I just looked over and saw a book entitled, "The PDR Pocket Guide to Prescription Drugs." If you've got pockets that could carry around 1.5 bricks then it truely is a pocket guide for you, and I am not exagerating. When did prescription drugs outnumber foreign language dictionaries in terms of volume?
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
I forgot Nertz! That is one of my all time favorite games to play. We play it with decks of rook cards and I always mop up.
Hm. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I, personally, am a huge fan of improv games. Freeze, Questions Only, Celebrity... They are all tremendous fun at parties (as long as you party with fun people. And especially if it's late at night.)
I have enjoyed Fluxx and Chrononauts when I played them (both at Hatrack get-togethers.) I have wanted to play 1000 Blank White Cards since I saw this website, preferably also at a Hatrack gathering, but never had the chance...
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
I just hosted a game night.
We had Cranium, Jenga, Scrabble, Taboo, and Uno.
Taboo was probably the most fun, but it was tailed by Cranium.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Those are all games I enjoy. Can I come to your next game night, Celaeno?
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
Of course! Give me a call the next time you're in Northern California.
(But I wouldn't suggest coming now. The apartment's unbearable with no air conditioning.)
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Oh I forgot Jenga! Great game, doesn't require brains, good opportunity for sabotage, and can be rowdy. House rules are always fun to make, too.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Out of interest, Dana, how did you play it?
Dana's on vacation now.
We followed the instructions, I don't know how else to say we played it. It was a couple of years ago, when we were down at Dana's for a holiday. I don't remember if it was just our family or if a couple of her friends were there, too, but I do remember it being really dull, and everyone pretty much agreeing it was a bust when we were done.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Of course! Give me a call the next time you're in Northern California.
I'll hold you to that. It may be sooner than you fear. Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
I think I become real if I meet you, so don't worry. I have a lot of incentive.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yep, KPC, the Princess, and I are all real. Her Royal Heinzness isn't real yet, but only for lack of being old enough to want to post on Hatrack. You meet my family, instant Real.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: We followed the instructions, I don't know how else to say we played it.
Hm. Does this sound familiar?
1) Each game consists of three rounds, called "days." Each day, twelve cards ("nobles") worth various point totals are dealt from the "noble" deck in a face-up line. All players start with three "action" cards, which are kept in a second deck.
2) Play begins with the youngest player on the first day and the player with the fewest points on the other two days. (Note that in groups of more than five, you'll need to form teams.)
3) Each player begins his turn by drawing one action card from the deck. He may then choose to play one action card. Action cards usually alter the order of the nobles arranged on the table (the "line"), but can also change hand size, affect the point totals of certain nobles, reverse the order of play, add more nobles to the line, etc.
4) After the player has decided to play (or not play) an action card, he collects the last noble in line and places that noble in his scoring pile. Some nobles are beloved of the people and are worth negative points; some, like the king and queen, are especially prestigious and are worth quite a lot. Many nobles have special abilities that either affect play while they're in line or confer a benefit (or curse) on the executioner who "collects" them. Once the player finishes collecting from the line, play continues with the player to his left.
5) When all nobles are removed from the line, or when certain effects or action cards decree it, the day ends and all remaining nobles in line are discarded. If it's not the third day, a new day begins and 12 more nobles are dealt into a new line. If it is the third day, play ends.
6) When play ends, the player with the most points -- usually coming from nobles, but often augmented by some action cards -- wins.
-----
If players don't think ahead more than one step and just play action cards as they draw them, I suppose the game could be really dull, perhaps even as dull as something like Fluxx. The point of Guillotine is to anticipate not only the current day's line but the potential lines over the next few days. Several nobles encourage "sets" -- like the Palace Guards and the Count and Countess -- and many action cards also reward players for specializing in a certain "type" of noble.
The biggest challenge of the game, IMO, lies in the difficulty of anticipating action cards. While it's possible to predict the line, it's very difficult to guarantee that an opponent doesn't have just the one card needed to jeopardize your careful line arrangement.
The whimsical art ameliorates what can be a pretty competitive gameplay mechanic, and often makes the game an easier sell to teens and pre-teens in mixed groups.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
Twister, thats a funny game.
Posted by b boy (Member # 9587) on :
Ooh I forgot about Jenga! That's a great game!
I had a friend who was really into Settlers of Catan. It's a really neat game. Unfortunately I never really got caught up in it. I did buy him an expansions set that I never gave him because I realized that it's the 2-player card game version and he played the full version. So if anyone can make good use of this, I'd be more than happy to send it over.
Posted by just_me (Member # 3302) on :
Most of my favorties have already been mentioned, with one notable exception:Zendo Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I have to say I love Risk. A couple games that haven't been mentioned, that I really enjoy.
Betrayal! Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
No one said Truth or Dare...
Posted by GutterTenant (Member # 9601) on :
quote:Originally posted by SoaPiNuReYe: Twister, thats a funny game.
You have an interesting sense of humor.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
What you don't like it?
Posted by GutterTenant (Member # 9601) on :
Well I guess it depends what kind of Twister player you are, no?
Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :
I inspired a thread on Hatrack. *tear*
Mafia is a pretty awesome game.
Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
My wife has a custom-made "Truth or Dare" Jenga.
Posted by b boy (Member # 9587) on :
How does "Truth or Dare" Jenga work???
*edit: typo
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Celaeno - you only need to meet one more Hatracker to become real? I'm in Sunnyvale for the next month or so, and I'm real...
And I like playing board and card games!
----
I don't know how Truth or Dare Jenga works, but Drinking Jenga is a lot of fun... Buy a regular Jenga set, and on each block write down drinking orders (take two, give out three, finish your drink...), dares, pranks, rules that everyone has to follow, etc. You pull a block, you have to follow its instructions.
--- A favorite game of mine is Alhambra. It was the Spiel des Jahres 2003(Game of the Year in Germany), which is almost always a good recommendation. It has a feel similar to Settlers and Carcassonne. Each player tries to build a city by buying tiles of different buildings - you get points by having the most (or second or third most) of a type of building in your city at different intervals in the game. On your turn, you can choose to buy a building or collect money (which comes in four different currencies) which will fuel later purchases. The rules are fairly simple, but there's a lot of strategy possible.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
But then what happens if the blocks fall in truth or dare Jenga? Games over, we all had fun?
Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
"Truth or Dare" Jenga is much like what Jhai described. You write instructions (either a truth to tell, or a dare to do) on each block and you have to do (or tell) what you draw. The person who causes the tower to drop has to draw three blocks from the rubble and follow their instructions (i.e. to discourage people who just want to topple the tower to get the game over with). My wife and I have a "clean" version and a "dirty" version to appeal to any crowd.
Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
Our favorites:
Pirate's Cove - Our current most favorite game ever. We have our little "Pirate's Club" that comes over every Sunday night to play. We even went to the drive-in early to see "Dead Man's Chest" and took a card table to play the game. We play 6 players, with one being the infamous pirate. Loaded Questions - Our favorite larger group game. We play this sans board. It's more fun. We've played with up to 12 people.
Who, Where, How? - Our favorite party game. It's kind of Charades meets Clue meets Telephone. Seriously fun and seriously funny!
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Where can I find the rules to that last game, diva?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Loaded Questions sounds like fun to me, too! I've played Pirate's Cove and found it not that fun, though. Maybe it was the group I played with?
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jhai: Celaeno - you only need to meet one more Hatracker to become real? I'm in Sunnyvale for the next month or so, and I'm real...
And I like playing board and card games!
Oooh, let's do it. Maybe next week some time? I'll facebook message you. (Because I'm a nerd.)
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
I've had fun playing Catch Phrase.
Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
So this only kinda relates as it's not really a party-game per-se, but is there anyone else here that plays some variant of Mao?
Posted by sarfa (Member # 579) on :
I love Settler's of Catan, by my 2 favorites are Titan and Iron Dragon.
Both of these games take a really long time, but they're a blast.
I don't think Titan is even made anymore, but you can download a free online version called Colossus (which doesn't take nearly as long to play as the original). Basically you go around the board recruiting mythical/fantasy monsters to do battle with other players monsters.
In Iron Dragon, you build railways across a fantasy world (w/ elves, dwarves, and dragons)and ship goods along the railways to generate income.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Wow. I'm amazed at how many of these games I've never ever heard of. Good list!
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Loaded Questions sounds like fun to me, too! I've played Pirate's Cove and found it not that fun, though. Maybe it was the group I played with?
That is true on a lot of these games; the group you are playing them with makes or breaks the game. Some games are more fun than others, but nothing beats a bunch of friends hanging around playing....a lot fo time it doesn't really matter what you ar playing then.
I had a blast over Icarus' house last night, but when we played Malarkey Lisa didn't care for it at first. I know she still doesn't care for it as much as others, but once we loosened up and had fun with it it was a lot more fun overall.
We also played a video board game called Nightmare, her favorite game, and the sequel. It was weird, as I had never played a video board game (it is a video that gives instructions while you play a board game), but it was a blast.
With less fun people it probably wouldn't have been as much fun, though, and we wouldn't have stayed until 1 am. Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
quote:Originally posted by Narnia: Where can I find the rules to that last game, diva?
Well, I'd probably just have to tell you them.
Who? Where? How?
3 people leave the room. The rest of the group decides who died, where they died and how they died. It's much more fun if they don't relate at all. An example: Santa Clause died in the Great Salt Lake from lung cancer.
First person enters the room and asks one person "who" and they act it out, charades style. Then they ask someone else "where" and then someone else "how." Once they've seen all of them, person #2 enters the room. Person #2 asks person #1 "who" followed by a reinactment, "where" and "how." The same process is followed for person #3.
After all the charades are done, person #3 guesses who died, where they died and how they died. Then person #2 guesses, then person #1. Then the group reveals what the real answers were.
The 3 people who person #1 asked to act are the next 3 people to leave the room.
It's a riot, and makes for hours of fun! Enjoy!
Edited to add: Grimace, we play Mao. It's fun!
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Holy cow, that sounds like a blast!! Thanks for writing the rules out!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)