Board Games
Choosing a board game  may seem overwhelming -- there are literally hundreds of them. This guide will help you choose the best board games for children, teens and adults. It will also refresh your memory about the oldies but goodies and give you the inside tips on what's up and coming.
New Board Games
The most recent news in board games, as many have noticed, is the Here and Now Edition of Monopoly. Read more about it here.
One of the newest things to take the market by storm are board games on DVD modeled after popular TV shows and movies, including one for the popular television drama 24, The Great Race, American Chopper, American Idol, and X-Men. The popular logic game, Sudoku is coming up with a DVD version too, rivaled by the competitors to hit the market this year Kakuro and Colorku. An electronic game that will feed everyone's Poker hunger is the 5-in-1 Casino TV Plug-and-Play. Banzai, a DVD betting game might also be fun for those into putting it all on the line to win big.
Seen at the Toy Fair
|
|
|
|
Cranium Pop 5
This is a crazy, yet creative game for teams of teens and adults who enjoy pop culture. For those who have played Cranium, it is the same idea of drawing, molding, acting, or humming to get your teammates to figure out the secret phrase or word. The first to reach 20 points wins! Hilarious fun that everyone can enjoy together. |
Mona Lisa Mysteries
Can you unravel the mystery of Mona Lisa? Who has the real Mona Lisa? Through wheeling, dealing, and manipulating the market, you, as an art dealer, need to do what it takes to drive up the price of your piece and lower the price of your opponent's Mona Lisa. He (or she) with the highest valued painting in the end is the victor. For teens and adults. |
Easy Money
Buy! Sell! Build! Borrow! Rent! Sounds like Monopoly? Sure it is very similar. However, this game originally launched in the 1930s, roughly around the same time as Monopoly, and it has now undergone a makeover. If you don't already own a banking game, this could be the right one for your board game collection. |
Luck of the Draw
Pick a card, any card, and try to draw it! Whether your specialty is drawing stick figures, or if you're a regular artiste, everyone can enjoy this family board game reminiscent of the classic Pictionary. The big difference is that in this game there's no guessing. Everyone draws at the same time. When finished, everyone votes on the drawing that best represents the card that was pulled for the round. |
Award Winning
|
|
|
|
|
Niagara
Battle it out on a crazy ride down white water rapids. The first to the finish line wins |
Dragon's Loot
Play a looting dragon in Medieval times, dodging deadly wizards, kings and knights. |
Boomtown
An easy game for all family members about miners and mayors in the wild west. |
Da Vinci's Challenge
A puzzle game modeled after the bestselling book, players have to use abstract strategy to uncover designs and patterns. |
Jambo
An economics-based card game involving selling wares from market stands to make the most money. |
Party Games
Party games are great because you can get a lot of people involved at the same time. They often require skills such as drawing, molding clay, acting/charades, word play and trivia. Other games not shown here, but also worth mentioning are Times Up, Balderdash, 25 Words or Less, Apples to Apples, Wise and Otherwise, Trivial Pursuit, Fluxx, and Set.
Conquest and Strategy Games
The strategy genre falls both under family games and what's sometimes called designer, German-games or Euro-games. Others that are included in this category but not pictured below are Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Liar's Dice, Heroscape and Scotland Yard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Risk : Battle it out for control over the lands-- choose your edition from Star Wars to Godstorm and more. |
Tikal : Uncover hidden treasures in archaeological ruins. |
Taj Mahal : An auctioning game by a renowned board game creator. |
Tigris and Euphrates : Manage trade, agriculture, religion and government evenly to win victory points. |
Settlers of Catan : Build cities and towns and connect them by an infrastructure to improve and expand. |
Classic Board Games
These aren't the only supposed "classics" out there. Other noteworthy games include Twister, Life, Tiddly Winks, Jeopardy, Dungeons and Dragons and Canasta.
Choosing Board Games for Kids
A great gift for children, board games are instant boredom medication.
As with most toys, choosing board games for kids is mostly a matter of finding something suitable to their age. The recommendations on board games, such as 3+, 12+, etc., are a good guideline to follow. However, keep in mind that some parts can cause a choking risk and that every child develops at a different rate. Some four year olds may be perfectly happy sitting down to play a game, whereas others may not have the patience yet. When in doubt, go for the more advanced game so that the child can grow into it, otherwise the game will be too basic and bore the child. Be especially wary when it comes to board games with a limited age range, say 5 to 8. An eight year old and a child who just turned five are very different.
When choosing for preschoolers, look for board games that help enhance a child's learning experience and promote the use of color and shapes. Numbers and basic math skills should start to come into play once a child enters school. Simplicity is key at this young age. Once a child has moved on from grade school you will want something challenging that requires logic and problem-solving, even word and number games. Yahtzee, Upwords and Boggle are two that are good for groups of kids to play together. 1-2-3-OY! (4+), a bilingual Spanish/English family game for language students, is an educational award winner.
Take note of what particular interests a child may have. Some board games are based on a particular show, movie or character. Think Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Sponge Bob, etc. These games may cost more, but when they are applied to classic games that will be played hundreds of times, the special touch could be worthwhile. If the game is about the character alone, the game will be less likely to have staying power.
Price may be a matter when it comes to board game selection. The most important price matters have to do with quality and playability. Games that will be played repeatedly for years to come will be well worth the extra money, while a game that has a very limited spectrum for game play will become tiresome and not get used as much. Often, games that are geared towards children less than 10 years old are not going to live on into the future for long. Don't spend more than $20 on one of these short-lived board games. If it's a collector's edition of something, expect to spend more than $50. These might be appropriate options for teenagers.
| New Games |
|
|
|
|
|
I Spy Eagle Eye
It's a race to the finish that all family members can enjoy (ages 5 and up). Based on the popular "I Spy" game, learning to play is easy. Simply draw a card and match the item to your game board so you can ring the bell first and win the round! |
Chase and Race Game
This is a fast-paced game for preschoolers and kindergarteners to help them learn their colors. Players start on opposite ends of the board, give the spinner a whirl and move to the next space with the right color on it. The first to the other side of the board wins! |
Zingo
The concept is simple, just like bingo. However, this game has an educational twist designed to teach kids about vocabulary, matching and concentration. It comes in a variety of styles including the popular "Heroes" version that uses Marvel comic book characters. |
Game of Knowledge
This is a great game for kids and parents to play together since it is a trivia game easily adaptable for all ages. All the questions can be answered by using what you already know, and often, the questions just use a little creative thinking to come to the right answer. |
Twister Dance DVD
Love Twister? Love to dance? Then you'll love Twister Dance DVD. It combines the classic element of Twister with dance lessons to upbeat music. Ideal for slumber parties and girls between the ages of 8 and 12. |
|
|
Shopping Directory
