Board Games

In the age of digital entertainment, it’s easy to forget that there are still plenty of people who enjoy playing board games. In fact, a lot of people find board games more fun than video games because they’re interactive and social. Boardgame enthusiasts can be found all over the world; in big cities like New York City and Tokyo, in small towns like Boswell, Oklahoma, and even in countries like India!

Why is Playing Board Games a Good Hobby?

So if you’ve been looking for something new to do with your friends or family members this winter break (or any time really), why not try one of these great board games? You’ll have a blast!

Word on the street is that Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit are super fun, but if you’re looking for something a little more nostalgic then check out Operation or Hungry Hungry Hippos.

If those games aren’t your speed, you may enjoy Monopoly (if you can get past the fact that not everyone likes it as much as you do), Risk or Apples to Apples. And don’t forget about card games like UNO! If none of these suit your fancy, there are plenty of other board games available—just head over to your local toy store and pick up one called Mice & Mystics. According to some fans, it’s especially good for groups with kids!

The best part about board games is that there’s a game play for everyone! Whether you like to solve puzzles, make friends or just kill some time, this list has got the right board game for you. With Christmas fast approaching, what better way to spend your holiday than playing one of these fine board games?

How to Choose Your First Board Game

Choosing a board game can be overwhelming because there are so many to choose from! A good place to start is by asking your friends and family what games they like.

You could also ask the local toy store’s staff what kind of games beginners prefer. If you’re not sure about what type of game to play, you might want one that has multiple play modes or “modes.”

For example, when I’m in the mood for something fast-paced, I’ll usually pick up Settlers of Catan. On days where I don’t feel like thinking too hard, I’ll play my favorite Crazy Eights card game! And of course, don’t forget about your favorite classic games like Monopoly and Sorry!

If you’re still not sure which board game to choose, don’t forget that local toy stores are a great place to start. All the employees there are specially trained to help you find the perfect board game based on what kind of person you are and your general interests. For the best result, be as specific as possible about what you’re looking for!

These board games are just the tip of the iceberg—there’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. You could even start your own board game club or play with your friends online. The possibilities are endless! So what are you waiting for? Go pick up a hot new board game and make some new memories today!

Board Game Terminology

Playing board games is a great way to spend time with friends, family, and kids. Not only does it provide fun for all involved but also the opportunity to learn some new words! This section will take you on a tour of common terms, acronyms, and phrases that are used when talking about board games. So read on if you want an easy introduction to the world of tabletop gaming!

Actions – The Actions in a game are the player’s decisions, and/or moves they will make throughout their turn.
Alpha Gamer – An Alpha Gamer is a player who always wants to play first, and they usually have the most knowledge about games.
Abstract Games – Abstract games are ones that do not look like traditional boardgames with pieces on boards; instead, these games use cards or other components to show how different game spaces should be arranged for gameplay.
Card Drafting – A style of drafting cards where players take turns picking from one large deck.
Conventions (game conventions) – Boardgames conventions typically have lectures on board games, booths to purchase games, and opportunities to play boardgames with others.
Boss Monster – A Boss Monster is a powerful enemy that the players must defeat in order to complete their quest.
Cooperative Games – Co-op games are team based; each player has an individual goal but they all work together for some larger victory condition.
Dice Tower Awards (or DTA’s) – Dice tower awards recognize excellence in game design by awarding them at conventions and other events like Essen Spieles or GenCon International Championships of Dice Towers – so it’s basically a really cool trophy you can win!
Expansions – An expansion adds more variety to a given game by adding new boards, cards, tokens etc. They can be purchased separately from the original game or they can complement an existing game.
Kickstarter – A crowdfunding website for creative projects, Kickstarter allows people to pledge any amount of money to a project as long as it is within the given funding goal.
OPEN POLICY – Board Game Geek’s open policy means that anyone can post anything about board games on their site even if you are not one of their staff members! This includes discussions, articles and reviews among other things which is so great because who doesn’t want more information.
Meeples (or Miniatures)- Meeple figurines represent players in the game world.
Tableau Builder – Players will sometimes build Tableaus when they only have one card left during their turn and want more options than just playing it again. So you place your last card down as if you were building something out of Lego’s! Then you get another turn where you can make any move you want.
Tile Laying – Tile laying games are always played on a set of tiles that have been gathered together in some way and then laid out to make the playing area for the game. Players will place their pieces onto these spaces until they complete whatever goal is needed to win!
Victory Points – Victory points are awarded at the end of each turn so players know who is ahead or behind, making this a great metric for comparing player’s skill level through gameplay.

Types of board games

Board games come in all shapes and sizes, but there are 10 main types to focus on when you’re just starting out. In this blog post, we will give you the run-down on these different categories of board games!

Family-Style Strategy Games

These are games that try to appeal to a wider audience, and usually involve taking turns. The most common example of this would be Monopoly, which is the best known family board game in history! They teach players about strategy without being too complex or difficult for novices. Other examples include Risk (a war simulation), Clue (deducting who was how murders were committed) and Candy Land (which teaches colors). This category can also refer to cooperative games, such as Forbidden Island where each player has their own role on the team.

Examples: Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Candy Land

Party Games

These are games that are usually played at social gatherings to break the ice and get people mingling. They often involve lots of laughing, cheering, or making strange noises!

Examples: Charades, Trivial Pursuit, Heads Up

Traditional Abstract Strategy Games

This category can include any board game without a theme like chess, checkers or Go. The player’s strategy is key when playing these games because they require deep thinking and planning ahead. If you’re looking for something challenging but not too much so, this would be for you.

Strategy Games with a Story

These are games that use an interesting story or theme about pirates, wizards, space adventures and more to draw the player into the world of gameplay. They usually take between one hour and two hours to play (sometimes up to four) so they’re great for families on vacation wanting something long but not too intense!

Examples: Catan, Ticket To Ride

Adventure Board Games

This category includes any game where there is some kind of obstacle or challenge in your way like catching criminals by solving puzzles or rescuing hostages from kidnappers while avoiding hazards such as explosions in time.

Examples: Clue, Pandemic Legacy Season

Strategy Games without a Story

Examples: Blokus, Hive

Abstract Games with an Artistic Style

These are games that use shape recognition skills to quickly match pieces of the same color together in order to make them disappear from the board before your opponent does. They usually take about 20 minutes which makes it perfect as a warm-up to another activity or if you want something quick!

Examples: Qwirkle (Board Game Link), Hive (Board Game).

Abstract Games with an Intellectual Approach

These games can take a little longer to play but they are usually not as hard because the aim is typically less complicated. They require focusing on specific objectives or patterns in order to win and present new challenges each time you play them. **Examples: Pentominoes, Hive (board game) .

Strategy Based Board Games

If you enjoy making plans, these types of board games may be for you! You have strict rules that need following in order to succeed which makes it difficult at times when there are many factors involved and multiple players who all want one thing. The more strategy involved means higher levels of frustration when you can’t get your tactics right.

Examples: Risk, Stratego

Cooperative Board Games

These games have a set of rules that everyone playing needs to follow in order to complete the objective, which is usually saving some kind of protagonist from their doom. The player has more control than they would with other types as there are no winners and losers so it’s just about getting through the level together which means if someone messes up then everyone gets punished for it! *Examples: Pandemic, Forbidden Island

A cooperative board game is one where all players work together against a common adversary—typically another team of people playing on its own side–to reach an agreed-upon goal or accumulate points according to a set of rules.

Competitive Board Games

The objective is to come out on top by beating your opponents in some way, whether that’s through the strength of cards or with strategy and cunning moves–or both!

Examples: Monopoly, Risk

A competitive board game is a type of tabletop game which pits players against each other for victory, often determined by skill as well as luck. A player wins when they have more points than all their competitors—a point may be earned either directly from an opponent’s elimination from play or indirectly through accumulating tokens called “points” or “money.”

“Risk” is another popular example where one player has to beat all the others in order to win.

Social Board Games

The objective is usually to be nice and socialize with other players, but there are still some competitive elements involved. *Examples: Boggle (board game), Pictionary

A “social” board game is a type of tabletop game which is not focused on beating your opponents or trying to come out on top–instead, it’s all about having fun with friends while competing against each other for victory through skillful play!

Boggle is an example where one player competes at the same time as everyone else; they’re just working towards different goals than their opponents. Players must find words within five minutes by using letter dice that share letters in common.–Pictionary is a game where players compete to draw the word on their card in 30 seconds or less.

5 Best Solo Board Games

Do you ever feel like playing a game with someone, but no one is around to play it with you? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. We will talk about five of the best solo board games for anyone who wants to have some fun by themselves. We’ll talk about what makes these games so great and why they are perfect for solo players!

Cephalofair Games Gloomhaven Multi-Award-Winning Strategy Boxed Board Game

If you’re a fan of heavy strategic games with tactical combat, then Gloomhaven might just be what you’re looking for. From the creators are Cephalofair Games comes this deep board game set in a world where players shape the outcomes and explore an area full of secrets and challenges. Whether playing as a mage or warrior class, if you enjoy epic tales with a touch of retro RPG vibes, look no further than this award-winning game.

Themed dungeon crawlers have always been popular among gamers into fantasy worlds and medieval downtime adventures- mixing that genre up with captivating Eurogame elements is sure to get players hooked on this ultimate strategy challenge! In Gloomhaven’s modular storyline we’ll see different paths unfolding, different dilemmas, and different characters who will stand in our way.

Stonemaier Games Scythe Board Game

Scythe is a new take on the classic historical area control game set in an alternate-history 1920s period.

It will have you and your friends balancing a competitive atmosphere with cooperation; trading actions and planning several steps ahead. As a worker placement, engine building, asymmetrical strategy board game set in Europe during the 1920s, Scythe encourages players to achieve their goals through careful thought and clever planning of both military might and economic power.

Tensions rise as you balance expanding into new territories against insuring enough resources are available to produce mech points! This creates an atmosphere of tense competition where future victory hangs in the balance not only from your individual skill but also how it interacts with others’.

Indie Boards and Cards Terraforming Mars Board Game

In the not-so-distant future, humankind takes its next Big Step: Terraforming Mars. As we make our home on the Red Planet, five mega corporations have sprung up to lead mankind through this new frontier. There’s World Government America, New Delhi Empire Global Union of Asia, China People’s Republic Inc., Russia and Commonwealth Europe, which have broken free from their old nation roots – now it is strictly business with everyone vying for dominance on a red planet!

In Terraforming Mars players work toward one goal in particular: To start a colony (and win that lucrative contract) by exploring and exploiting all they can–using corporate powers of offices or space stations where resources are typically plentiful–then researching Farming to develop enough oxygen to breath and grow food to feed a population. But be warned: This is not for the faint of heart!

Fantasy Flight Games Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror calls the most terrifying, destructive creatures in existence to bear against humanity’s first instinct: survival. You can play cooperatively as your investigators face a world full of unknowable horrors or choose from multiple actions each turn to further explore and import new arcane materials. Eldritch Horror will bring more mystery, obstacles and certainty than you’ve ever seen before in an Arkham based game!

Tiny Epic Galaxies

Tiny Epic Galaxies is a fun strategy space exploration game perfect for 1 to 5 players that is easy to learn and play. It has been called both “quick, easy and addicting” with impressive art work that received an award in 2015.

Play against a rogue galaxy and hone your cognitive function skills or spend quality time with family while practicing strategic thinking without the use of screens. The Tiny Epic Series offers board games of epic proportions fit into small boxes, great for playing on-the-go or at home as one of the best collections available today!

These are games where you’ll ready about as much instruction in five minutes as it would take to read a single page from Harry Potter!