Sahamamama Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 For example, chess, Risk, Settlers of Catan, Blokus. What are your favorites, and what do you think would be the age range for each game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Really love Acquire. I'd say for teens and up. You can sometimes find it in thrift stores. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underthebridge Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 What age range are you seeking? Ingenious is good for 8+, Hey that's my fish is a great game for 5+, Pandemic is a cooperative game for 10+. Blokus is a classic, as is Othello and Ticket to Ride. Others that I have heard are good but haven't played myself are Hive, Yinsh, Blokus 3D, Zendo, Tsuro, and Through the Desert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Castles of Burgundy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Quarto -- for about six and up. Clue -- about eight and up Some card based strategy games (for about six and up): Iota SET Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Two more games ~ Rat-a-Tat Cat. This card game would be good for about age six and up. Continuo. This is more of a tile placing game good for about six and up. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 What age range are you seeking? Ingenious is good for 8+, Hey that's my fish is a great game for 5+, Pandemic is a cooperative game for 10+. Blokus is a classic, as is Othello and Ticket to Ride. Others that I have heard are good but haven't played myself are Hive, Yinsh, Blokus 3D, Zendo, Tsuro, and Through the Desert. The younger two are 7.5 and will be starting 2nd grade in the fall. Our oldest is 9.5, starting 4th grade. They currently enjoy checkers, Chinese checkers, Uno, Blokus, Connect Four, and some beginner Sudoku. We have plenty of other games, but I'm not sure they're brimming over with "strategy." ;) (Think: Trouble in the Bubble). LOL. The game they are SO EXCITED about is chess. Daddy is teaching them chess. We visited a friend's house a few weeks back, and they had so many strategy games! It started me thinking about how much my kids get into games. I'll have to ask our friends what their favorite games are. Thanks for your post. I remember Othello. I'll look into all of these. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Take a look at Boardgamegeek.com. They have a forum with people that can suggest things and tons of reviews and details about a million different games! I do all my game research on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 For the past 2 years, our family has been loving Ticket to Ride and Takenoko. I would guess for age 9 and up? Also been really enjoying Dix-It (need at LEAST 5 players) -- age 8-9+, and Carcassone -- age 10-11+. King of Tokyo is a hoot, esp. if you have family members who like battling types of games; I find it fun for letting out my "inner monster" and seeing if I can win via a fast dash at running up points rather than duking it out -- there are a variety of strategies you can win with, and a lot depends on what cards go into play during the game. Probably also for age 8-9+. We've also been enjoying Forbidden Island (9-10+) as it is a cooperative game, but leaves me feeling stressed and exhausted -- I get so anxious about the island sinking I can only handle one game of it every once in awhile. LOL! Games that involve strategy or critical thinking we enjoyed over the years when DSs were younger (age 6-7+): - The Secret Door - Mastermind - Amazing Labyrinth - Clue - 1313 Dead End Drive (not as much deduction as Clue, but there is some, and it's fun) - 221B Baker Street (more complex than Clue) - Scan (old Parker Brothers game available via ebay - Trumpet Game (another OOP one, but a really fun trick-taking card game) - Rummikub - Five Crowns - Set (DSs consistently beat the socks off of us at this one when they were young!) - Sequence, and/or Sequence Dice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underthebridge Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 You have a lot of good suggestions here! I would suggest a variety of games from different genres - abstract like chess, cooperative like forbidden island, party like dixit or apples to apples, resource management like Catan. Castle Panic is a great cooperative game that is a lot of fun for this age as it involves protecting a castle against monsters. I would choose games that go beyond simple turn taking and reliance on luck, and require complex decision making, risk taking, and resource management. Incan Gold is another fun "push your luck" type of game. You can look at dicetower.com for great reviews as well as boardgamegeek.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 We like Castle Panic and Forbidden Island because they are co-operative games. We find that our older two (ages 7 and 10) can play with very little help, and even our 5 year old can play with "help" (which works pretty well on these games because they are co-operative). We also play at various times Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and Carcassone. Our two older kids can both play these games with us pretty well. Settlers and Ticket to Ride, we often play to a lower point total to "win", in order for the game to take less time. The five year old wants to play but needs a lot of help, which doesn't work quite as well on those games since they are competitive (aka, "help" from siblings does not turn out to be in his best interest most of the time!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Battleship. Old-school, but strategic and fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 You might check this out. They have age ranges. http://www.mindgames.us.mensa.org/about/winning-games/ I know I enjoyed Duke. I've never been to where they select the games, but the games show up at later conventions and I've enjoyed them. These aren't specifically strategy games. But the people who select the games are a) smart people and b) people who love games enough to spend money in order to do nothing but play games for 3 days. Twaddle games usually aren't even submitted. But, they aren't chess knockoffs either. Also, Set with young kids. It is a mind game, that kids with their agile minds can beat adults at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraNevada Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Carcasonne and Qwirkle are two favorites at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 We like all from the original post, plus Carcassonne, Matter, Hive, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Smallworld, and Lost Cities ETA: Labyrinth, Qwirkle, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coast Mom Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 We enjoy playing Khet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merylvdm Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I would agree with KirstenHill - we played Forbidden Dessert this vacation (similar to Forbidden Island) and I enjoyed it and I am not a big fan of strategy games. What I liked about it: 1. Co-operative. This means either everyone wins or no one wins. Result: less fighting. Also means everyone is playing even when it isn't their turn. Easier to keep focused. 2. Quick to learn. I have a shorter attention span than my kids, I think, so this is important to me 3. Quick to play. A game can be over within 10 minutes (if you lose fast) or last about 30 minutes. It is not one of the ones that lasts hours and hours. 4. Simple rules - as Kirsten said - young kids can manage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlkmnsgrl Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Another cooperative is Flash Point. Maybe on the older end. Lost Cities seconded. They're probably getting close to ready for Stone Age. When they're preteens, Shadows over Camelot is a challenging and complex cooperative with the great medieval knights theme stuff boys love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventuresinHomeschooling Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Mastermind (ages 7 and up) Battleship (ages 6 and up) Stratego (ages 8 and up) Something classic like Sorry, Aggravation that involves getting all your pieces to safety (ages 5 and up) Rummikub (ages 8 and up) Gin Rummy or classic card games (ages 8 and up) Monopoly (ages 5 with help and up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSweet Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 More for teens and adults but we absolutely love Agricola. There is a bit of a learning curve but it is incredibly fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmerRex Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Love the suggestions. Anymore for 4-8 years of age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I love Blokus, because it goes differently each time, it's suitable for all ages, it doesn't take too long to play, and it's very simple but also has lots of strategy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 There have been a lot of great game suggestions, so I thought I'd contribute a methodological comment for those who have iPads. :) Many excellent strategy games like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Alhambra, Agricola, etc. are available for iPad. I have found this to be a great teaching tool for younger kids, for several reasons: * The iPad enforces the rules. * The game goes faster, which is helpful with young children. * If they are playing against the AI, it's not rude for them to quit partway through, as their attention wanes. * It's easy to whip out a board game while in a waiting room, etc, if you have it on your iPad, so they get to play more often. My son loves to play strategy games on the iPad, and this has translated into a love of playing board games at a table with a physical board. He has been able to hold his own with adults since he was six. (My daughter isn't as universally enthusiastic about board games, though she did also find the iPad helpful in learning to play them. She prefers role-playing games.) Oh, and the iPad versions of these games are much less expensive than the physical versions, so they also provide a great way to try a game out before spending $50 on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Love the suggestions. Anymore for 4-8 years of age? Strategy is difficult for this age group. At the higher end they are just beginning to think far enough ahead to actually deem that strategy. But here are some they can play. Gobblet Jr Checkers Walk the Dogs Qwirkle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Favorite board games in our family (and yes, the seven year old plays all and has been for awhile, though he's advanced in game playing). Settlers of Catan Seven Wonders Agricola Suburbia Pandemic Dominion Ticket to Ride Ten Days in the USA (also all other versions) Apples to Apples/Bubble talk Nexus Ops Killer Bunnies Risk 2210 Stone Age Puerto Rico Carcassone Betrayal at House on the Hill Word on the Street Power Grid Street Car Union Pacific Robo Rally Castle Merchants Railroad Tycoon the Board Game ... we own over 200 board games and spend lots of time playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Lemming Mafia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Chesskid.com just taught my son chess in ten minutes two days ago. It also has strategy games to go deeper. I love it. It's going to be a Friday school subject for a couple months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Innocent Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 We're big fans of Qwirkle here. It's a good one for younger children, as well as older children and adults, I think. When I play with my 8 year old we tend to play 'collaboratively' with our pieces on show and giving each other help. I'm sure he won't want to do that forever though! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Love the suggestions. Anymore for 4-8 years of age? We have a ridiculous number of strategy style board and card games, including most of those listed. Some of our favorites in that age range are: Set Quarto Blokus Chess Quirkle And another not mentioned is Zeus on the Loose. There is a suprisingly amount of strategy as well as great math skills. And it is just fun:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining Pineapples Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Cathedral ( 2 players and states 8 and up. My 6 yr old is playing though) Catan Jr. Mille Bornes Scribblenauts Great thread. Several fun suggestions here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Hare and Tortoise. Fun for the little folks, yet enjoyable by older players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Arimaa Dragon Face Hnefatafl More when I get off my duff to get the spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winoelle Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Lots of great ones already suggested that I won't repeat. We also love Tsuro and Agricola (the 2 player version). We watch Tabletop on Youtube and get a lot of ideas there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 There have been a lot of great game suggestions, so I thought I'd contribute a methodological comment for those who have iPads. :) Many excellent strategy games like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Alhambra, Agricola, etc. are available for iPad. I have found this to be a great teaching tool for younger kids, for several reasons: * The iPad enforces the rules. * The game goes faster, which is helpful with young children. * If they are playing against the AI, it's not rude for them to quit partway through, as their attention wanes. * It's easy to whip out a board game while in a waiting room, etc, if you have it on your iPad, so they get to play more often. My son loves to play strategy games on the iPad, and this has translated into a love of playing board games at a table with a physical board. He has been able to hold his own with adults since he was six. (My daughter isn't as universally enthusiastic about board games, though she did also find the iPad helpful in learning to play them. She prefers role-playing games.) Oh, and the iPad versions of these games are much less expensive than the physical versions, so they also provide a great way to try a game out before spending $50 on it. Given that we live on a sailboat and space constraints are an issue, I would love other suggestions for quality iPad games of this sort. Thank you so much for the great suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 We have a lot of favorites, but I haven't seen this one listed. One nice thing about it is that it is a quick game. Quoridor! http://www.amazon.com/Gigamic-5203-Quoridor-Classic-Game/dp/B00001NTXN/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407004229&sr=8-3&keywords=quixo+game By the same company, Quixo is also a fun one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Some other iPad games are Tigris & Euphrates, Puerto Rico, San Juan and Le Havre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 6 yo likes: Forbidden Island (cooperative) Catan Jr.Race to the treasure (coooperative) Tsuro (she has many other favorites, but those are the ones I'd consider strategy. Barely on race to the treasure, it's a pretty simple game) DH and I really like: Dominion (card based strategy game)Pandemic (cooperative) Stone Age Carcassonne Settlers of Catan Not having any older than 6 I'm not sure what age could start playing the ones DH and I play. When DD6 was filling out her "first day" questionnaire she answered "this year I would like to learn..." with "how to play hard games". She is very eager to play the games DH and I play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 We love all the Ticket to Ride variants, Carcassonne, Catan, almost all of James Earnest's Cheap Ass Games, etc, etc. DS7 likes chess, set, quirkle, blokus, and is just being introduced to TtR and various Cheap Ass Games( Very Clever Pipe Game etc). Pandemic was a rare failure for us. As a 2 player game DW and I always seem to lose. It just got very tedious. I'm not against tedious per se... I LOVE Diplomacy and Republic of Rome... but Pandemic just didn't seem well balanced to us as a 2 player game. We will have to retry it with a larger group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winoelle Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 We love all the Ticket to Ride variants, Carcassonne, Catan, almost all of James Earnest's Cheap Ass Games, etc, etc. DS7 likes chess, set, quirkle, blokus, and is just being introduced to TtR and various Cheap Ass Games( Very Clever Pipe Game etc). Pandemic was a rare failure for us. As a 2 player game DW and I always seem to lose. It just got very tedious. I'm not against tedious per se... I LOVE Diplomacy and Republic of Rome... but Pandemic just didn't seem well balanced to us as a 2 player game. We will have to retry it with a larger group. Pandemic is super fun with a group, so definitely try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilleigh Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Labyrinth by Ravensburger is a huge favorite with DS8, who got it for Christmas when he was 7. It took him one game to get the basic idea, and by the end of about game 3 he was consistently beating DH. Your mileage may vary as DS is particularly gifted with spatial relationships (better than a lot of adults even), but he adores the game. I like the fact that it's well-made (Ravensburger definitely means quality and we have other games by them as well), based on strategy rather than luck, and still results in a game that he can honestly beat me at. Enchanted Forest by Ravensburger is also quite good. It's really an elaborate memory game combined with the strategy of a board game. Those with poor memories may find the game frustrating, particularly when opponents have much better memories, but it offers incentive and opportunity to work on memory. After the first game I chose to allow DS to make notes as to what he found under each tree for a couple games (since his notes were on a separate sheet, keeping track of which note referred to which tree was a milder memory exercise all on it's own). After that he had the hang of it and no longer needed the memory aid to be competitive against adults. Set is something I've had for a long time. Playing as a family doesn't work out well for various reasons, but DS loves the game so sometimes I will just lay the cards out for him and let him grab sets as he sees them. I think that's more fun for both of us than the very lopsided way the game plays otherwise. I'm planning to teach him a solitaire version. We also have Quirkle, Rummikub, Caves and Claws (a cooperative game where the players work as a team to beat the game), several LEGO games (if you specifically desire strategy games, be aware that you need to be choosy in this product line), Clue (both the original game and one of the junior versions), UNO, dominoes, Phase 10 (haven't taught him this one yet, but soon), and a few others I can't think of at the moment. We also have Lunch Money, a card game which I find completely hilarious, but have been waiting until DS was old enough to appreciate the irony. The game plays a bit like UNO and a bit like something else entirely, but it definitely requires a sense of humor and the ability to not take the game seriously. The premise is someone trying to steal your lunch money, and the cards include things like Kick, Roundhouse, and various weapons and other attacks with different point values. The quotes at the bottom of the cards are definitely part of the fun. Those sensitive to even the suggestion of violence will want to avoid this one, but if you and your children can see the humor in it then you'll be cracking up and I suspect it will become one of those games they beg to play. I'm currently in search of a good quality mandala board (probably going to have DH make one), and a systematic program for teaching chess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 One that I didn't see above is Castle Keep. Good for all ages, quick, and fun. It's one of our favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 One that I didn't see above is Castle Keep. Good for all ages, quick, and fun. It's one of our favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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