Competitive Games
Carcassonne – THE classic tile laying game. Players build up cities and surrounding lands and score points by placing meeples (little wooden people) on the tiles. Plays to 5, but with the Inns and Cathedrals or Traders and Builder expansions can play to 6. Seen at B&N.
Ticket to Ride – One of the most popular game and it deserves to be. You build groups of cards in order to put down trains to connect cities that you have route cards for. Earn points for routes finished and trains built. The company that makes this, Days of Wonder, makes very beautiful game. Plays to 5.
Clubs – an abstract card game that is a great and simple introduction to my favorite card game type; climbing/shedding games. Plays up to six. I’ve seen this at Target and B&N
For Sale – Pretty simple but strategic card game where kids catch on quicker than the adults. Use money to buy properties; anything from a box and a dog house all the way to castles, skyscrapers, and even a space station then turn around and sell them. Plays to 3-6.
No Thanks! – simple abstract card game where you either take cards or say “No Thanks” and pay a chip. If you run out of chips you have to take the cards. Cards are points and chips subtract points. Plays to 5.
Zooloretto (or
Coloretto) – Build up your zoo with animals of each kind in each section. Don’t get too many kinds or you’ll run out of room. Get points for completed sections (or near complete) and lose points for animals not placed. Coloretto is an abstract card game with roughly the same mechanics (and a little cheaper). There is also Aquaretto which is pretty much the same thing with a marine park. Plays to 5. I’ve seen Zooloretto at Target and B&N.
King of Tokyo – Yahtzee meets Godzilla/King Kong sized monsters. Should you try to score points or claw your way to Tokyo and stay there as long as you can. Plays to 6.
Love Letter – Simple game with only about 15 cards that is surprisingly fun and strategic. Are you the right suitor for the princess? Plays to 4.
Takenoko – A new panda has been gifted to the zoo. Take actions to move the farmer so he can grow bamboo, move the Panda to eat the bamboo, play a tile to build the zoo, or take cards that help you score points by eating the right type of bamboo, growing the right type of bamboo, or building up the zoo in the right way. The pastel colors are girl friendly, but the game is fun for all. Plays to 4.
Rise of Augustus – Bingo meets the Romans. Try to help Caesar by drawing tokens and placing troops. When you fill in a card, yell “Ave Caesar” instead of “Bingo”.
A la carte – Prepare dishes in little pans with shakers full of spices and your own little stove. Looks like a toy, but is actually a fun game. Plays up to 4 (or 5 with the Dessert expansion)
Qwirkle – Fun domino like abstract game where you try to match up patterns and colors (or make sure they are all different colors). Also Qwirkle Cubes is a fun dice version. Qwirkle is at Target.
Dancing Eggs – Fun, crazy dexterity game where you have to hold rubber eggs between your knees, in your elbow, under your chin, under your arm and sometimes run around the table.
Crokinole – Dexterity game and a little costly compared to most, but can be hung on the wall and provides great fun. Costs can range from $100 on up (to $400 for a custom heirloom quality board)
10 Days in... - There are many versions of this game; Afrika, Europe, Asia, America, the Americas. Like Racko, but with maps instead of numbers and a few different things in each version. Somewhat educational Plays up to 4.
Fauna – The only other educational game on the list, but this also has a lot of strategy. Should you place markers where you think a particular animal is found in the world, or how much an animal ways or how long it is, or tail length. Guess wrong and you lose your marker, but guess right (or adjacent to it) and you get lots of points. Plays to 6 and there is a Jr version that plays to 4. Was recently on clearance at B&N. I don’t think so any more.
Monza – A kids game that parents can enjoy. It’s like Formula One meets Candyland. Roll the dice and see how far you can go matching the dice to the track. Plays up to 6
Snow Tails – Fun dog racing game where you have to play cards to balance out your sled and brake for upcoming curves. Plays to 5.
Hey, That's My Fish! – Move your penguins to eat the most fish, but don’t get stranded. Plays to 4.
Can't Stop – Long time classic game of press your luck. – plays to 4.
Mondo – Build up a world of animals by all working against each other simultaneously with a time limit. Frantic and fun.
Frank's Zoo – Another climbing/shedding game, but this time with animals. More complicated than the illustrations would lead you to believe. Plays up to 7.
Piece o' Cake – Someone cuts the cake then everyone else gets to pick pieces first. Plays up to 5
) clue and monopoly.
