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Are we playing any good board games these days?


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Or maybe not even board games but card games? We've been playing Ticket to Ride Europe a lot, but I think dd is ready to move onto something else. Anything of about that level, girl-friendly, no violence... Are any of the other games from that company good? Are the expansion kits fun? Anything else?

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At one time I wasn't a big board game fan but there are certainly some good ones out there lately.

 

We like:

 

The Bard Game (LOTS of fun!)

http://www.amazon.com/Uberplay-UBR125-Shakespeare-Board-Game/dp/B0006HCWJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297649598&sr=8-1

 

Carcassone (there are many expansion sets)

http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-4098395-Carcassonne/dp/B00005UNAX/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1297649665&sr=1-1

 

Labyrinth (fun for all ages)

http://www.amazon.com/Ravensburger-26448-Labyrinth/dp/B00000J0JF/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1297649728&sr=1-1

 

The Secret Door

http://www.amazon.com/Cooperative-Game-Memory-Mystery-Secret/dp/B00000IUFA/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1297649772&sr=1-1

 

Dominion (a great game but expensive for what you get. Beware the impressive box; the game consists of cards only)

http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-370RGG-Dominion/dp/B001JQY6K4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1297650075&sr=1-1

 

Based on recommendations from these boards, I've also just purchased:

 

Wildcraft

Equate

Ingenious

Blokus

 

 

Oh yes, I've heard that Puerto Rico is great as well!

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Or maybe not even board games but card games? We've been playing Ticket to Ride Europe a lot, but I think dd is ready to move onto something else. Anything of about that level, girl-friendly, no violence... Are any of the other games from that company good? Are the expansion kits fun? Anything else?

 

Word Games

- Boggle (when DS was younger, I let him have 3-letter and longer words, and I had to have 4-letter and longer words)

- Quiddler

- Balderdash (needs a group)

 

 

Thinking/Logic Games

- Set (the kids love playing this one and whipping us "old folk" at it!)

- Scan (OOP, but worthwhile!)

- Mastermind

- The Secret Door

- 221 B. Baker (like an expanded version of Clue)

- Clue -- we made a set of 6 "motive" cards to make this a little tougher game; the only trick is, if more than 2 people are playing, those not getting to see a card have to close their eyes so they don't know if a home-made card (obviously motive) or printed card was shown; we just write the motives at the bottom of the "Detective Notes" and make any marks there

 

 

Board Games

- Trumpet (OOP; a combo card/board game; a long-time family favorite)

- Dix It (beautiful game! a new favorite; needs a group)

- Amazing Labyrnth (so creative! we all love this one)

- Monopoly -- so much more fun when you make your own Chance and Community Chest cards!!

- Shut the Box -- I think it's the flipping of the numbers that made this one such a hit with the kids

 

 

Card Games

- Double Solitaire

- 5 Crowns (good game to take camping or on the road)

- Fill or Bust (good game to take camping or on the road)

- Mille Bourne

- Indiscretion -- OR -- also released as Scan (different from "Scan" above)

- Quiddler

- Xacticka

- Cribbage

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I am new to this site- more of a reader than a poster- since we just started homeschooling this year...but board games is something I know about...

 

I would second the other recommendations of Carcassonne and Dominion. Both games have a ton of expansions if you really like them. I would also recommend:

 

Card games:

Frank's Zoo

Bang!

no Thanks

Loot

 

Board games:

Settlers of Catan

Stone Age

Forbidden Island (Cooperative game)

Castle Panic (Cooperative game)

Tumblin dice

Pitch Car

 

My boys are 6,9 & 11 and they play and enjoy all the games above.

 

I would also go to http://www.boardgamegeek.com and check out the kids gaming forums and also http://www.thedicetower.com for a ton of board game video reviews.

You can also save alot buying online at sites like http://www.coolstuffinc.com and http://www.boardsandbits.com/

 

happy gaming!:lol:

Katie

Edited by jksponz
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We love Gamewright games (card games) in our house. I gave all the kids in the family Gamewright games. They were a hit with all the kids.

 

Our favorites:

Too Many Monkeys

Dweebies

Sleeping Queens (created by a 6 year old girl)

Toss Your Cookies

Zeus on the Loose

Forbidden Island

Loot

 

http://www.gamewright.com/gamewright/index.php?section=games

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At one time I wasn't a big board game fan but there are certainly some good ones out there lately.

 

We like:

 

The Bard Game (LOTS of fun!)

http://www.amazon.com/Uberplay-UBR125-Shakespeare-Board-Game/dp/B0006HCWJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297649598&sr=8-1

 

This looks fun! I just ordered it and my dc can't wait to play it!

 

I'll put in a plug for Killer Bunnies. My dd10 and ds11 are having a blast playing against each other. They haven't been getting along as smoothly lately, and it's wonderful to watch them play together! I enjoy the game too!

Killer Bunnies is a favorite in our house too! My younger dd recently noticed that the red holographic bunny (from the red booster pack) is modeled after Rimmer from "Red Dwarf" -- she really got a kick out of this.

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Dd and I have an ongoing (the board has been up two weeks) "Equate" game. It's been intense. We decided that there would be no time limit on your turn. So sometimes a couple of days will go by before the other person makes and equation. It's been COMPETITIVE!

 

The boys have been playing lots of chess, stratego, blokus, and clue. The youngest boy, our 10 year old man of logic, is destroying his older brothers in chess and blockus.

 

The 14 year old is begging someone to play monopoly with him. Unfortunately, he's burned that bridge pretty well because he sings "I'm in the money" and behaves like the banker on "The Beverly Hillbillies". He stomps people into the ground. That game is now drawing dust on the shelf while he waits to meet up with unsuspecting prey.

 

Faith

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Holly-Is Scotland Yard fun with 2 people?

 

I don't think so.

 

I tried to think of games that I like that are only 2 player games other than the obvious like chess and haven't already been mentioned.

 

Pentago

Othello

Scrabble

Qwirkle

Set cubed

 

FWIW, my kids love Ticket to Ride Europe so much that they have invented an "extreme" version when only 2 want to play. They each use 2 colors, no double routes, shuffle in the left over long routes into the ticket deck, and no longest train.

Edited by 8FillTheHeart
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Dd and I have an ongoing (the board has been up two weeks) "Equate" game. It's been intense. We decided that there would be no time limit on your turn. So sometimes a couple of days will go by before the other person makes and equation. It's been COMPETITIVE!

 

 

 

Faith

 

Faith,

 

You made me look! Ok, that is now on my wish list! Definitely would appeal to my kids.

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We love Gamewright games (card games) in our house. I gave all the kids in the family Gamewright games. They were a hit with all the kids.

 

Our favorites:

Too Many Monkeys

Dweebies

Sleeping Queens (created by a 6 year old girl)

Toss Your Cookies

Zeus on the Loose

Forbidden Island

Loot

 

http://www.gamewright.com/gamewright/index.php?section=games

 

Sleeping Queens was created by a six year old homeschooled girl!

Edited by Jane in NC
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Equate is in my shopping cart, but through a 3rd party, so I'm sad it won't be here quickly...

 

We love board games at our house. Many were mentioned. We particularly love cooperative games like Pandemic and Forbidden Island.

 

This weekend our family was playing 10 Days in the USA. I hear Transamerica is even better, I'll be checking that out soon.

 

Our favorite card game is Frog Juice.

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