Hi everyone, Sarah here and I want to take a few minutes to talk about a subject that is very near and dear to me. Like many people, I grew up playing board games. We had well loved copies of Monopoly, Clue, Sorry!, and Uno among many others. It was a great rainy day activity to pull out Scrabble or Checkers and play a family game. One of my fondest memories was that whenever my grandparents would visit they almost always brought their copy of Rummikub to play with us (I now have my own fancy briefcase edition of this game mainly because of the fond memories I associate with it). I never really outgrew the hobby of board gaming. Throughout my high school and college days I continued playing games with my family and friends. As I entered into adulthood and a career there was less chance for gaming but my love of these games never waned. After I got married and had my daughter the quest began to find games that were fun to play with her, and here my husband and I discovered a love for modern board gaming. These were games that usually weren’t available at big box stores (luckily that’s changed to some degree today), we found out about these games by talking to friends and visiting a local board gaming store. Since discovering that board gaming went far beyond the titles of my childhood, I found a serious passion for the hobby. My family has amassed a huge collection of modern board games and even attend a board game convention each year where we get to game surrounded by 1000+ other people who share this same passion. Today, I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the classic games I grew up playing and some modern games that I think would be a good fit if you like these games.
If you like Monopoly try Machi Koro. At it’s heart Machi Koro is a city building game. Each turn you roll dice, collect money (or pay out money) based on your dice rolls and are able to purchase buildings that in the future will allow you to collect more money. I find it really fun to try to figure out which building combinations will net the most profit over the course of the game, but of course your fortune (or lack thereof) is ultimately determined from the roll of the dice.
If you like Sorry try King of Tokyo. I think the most fun thing about Sorry! for me was sending my siblings and friends back home with the obligatory “Sorry!”. King of Tokyo has a great take that aspect to it as well. In this game everyone is playing a different monster invading Tokyo. One of the most loved things about this game is attacking the other players. If you are outside Tokyo you have the ability to attack the player who is in Tokyo knocking down his health. If you are the one in Tokyo you attack everyone outside of the city. Ultimately there’s a balance to determining when you need to leave Tokyo in order to heal because you will surely be attacked if you stay in Tokyo.
If you like Yahtzee try Dragon Slayer. Like Yahtzee this is a press your luck dice rolling game. In Dragon Slayer you roll the dice in order to try to roll a full dragon and a sword while avoiding the dragon’s fire (luckily you can also roll shields to help protect you from the fire). Some dragons are harder to get, therefore giving the victor more points. In Dragon Slayer you need to decide whether to go for the easier dragons for less points, or press your luck and try to get the bigger points.
If you like Scrabble try Word on the Street. This fun party game pits teams against each other trying to slide the letters toward their side of the road and ultimately off the board to win the game. The teams take turns drawing a category card and then figuring out the best word that fits that category to move letters toward their side of the board. The catch is you have a limited time to do this. As you move the letters you must spell the word and you only get to move as many letters as you can say before the time runs out. Also if you misspell a word you only get to move the letters up to the point of your mistake, so this makes a great educational game as well.
This last game I don’t have a comparison for but it’s my number one recommended game for families looking for a new board gaming experience. What makes Forbidden Island so fun and such a great family game is that it’s cooperative. Everyone works together to gather up the artifacts and get off the island before it sinks and either everyone wins or everyone loses. Because of the cooperative nature of the game it’s great to play with younger children. You can help them out on their turn because everyone is on the same side and there is no hidden information. This is a wonderful introduction to modern family board gaming and one I highly recommend.
Do you enjoy playing board games? If so, I’d love to know your favorite games to play. Last year there were nearly one thousand new board games published and this year there is sure to be a similar number. Maybe one of these will become your new favorite board game. It’s such a great time to explore this hobby and of course later scrapbook about all the awesome games you played with your family!
Amy says
I love board games too! So nice to see your post. I have been creamed both times I have played Machi Koro, so I’m jaded. King of Tokyo is one that we can pull out and play with non-gamers and still enjoy our time. I have not played Forbidden Island, but I will look for it next time I get to play. If you’re anywhere near Raleigh, NC, you should check into the two conventions they have (Whose Turn Is It Anyway? in Feb and TBGT in Sept) for board gamers. They are great.
Kristina Lee says
I’m very interested in board games, but admit I’ve rarely played with my family. I have toddlers, so I’m not thinking we are at a board game age yet. But i have a closet full of “classics” to play…. “someday”