Never bored with board games
By Tara Roberts on Mon, Sep 14, 2009
I was excited to see Pulse editor Omie Drawhorn’s article about board games in Thursday’s issue. I know I’ve admitted I’m a nerd before, but here we go again — I’m a board game nerd, too.
One of the greatest things about board games: For an average $20-$40 dollars up front, a good game can bring hours and hours of fun for your family and friends. (Better than spending the same amount in one pop on a movie and treats!)
My brother and I grew up playing classics like The Game of Life and Clue, plus a few out-of-print gems like WWF Wrestling Challenge and The Simpsons Meaning of Life (which, as far as I know, exists only in the tattered copy I still have).
My mom and I got hooked on Scrabble in later years, and I spent a good deal of my junior year of high school geeking out with my cousins over Settlers of Catan. My brother is a nut for unusual board games and introduced us to the innovative (if slightly pricier) wonders of Ticket to Ride, Mystery of the Abbey and Shadows Over Camelot.
My extended family still gets together once a year for a massive board game night (if you haven’t caught on, we’re all pretty dweeby) — the group favorites are Cranium, Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture edition and Apples to Apples (which goes to whole new levels when you take a Sharpie to the boring cards and make them more … interesting).
I can’t leave out card games! Uno is always great and Guillotine is a fun newer game, but a 50-cent pack of plain old playing cards opens up worlds of options. My husband and I are big fans of cribbage, pinochle and Crazy 8s. (This site claims to be the largest collection of card game rules).
And just for the record — I loathe Monopoly.
So, what’s your favorite board game?
Tags: Stretching A Buck
September 15th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Even the more expensive games give ypu great bang for your buck, as the better games are highly replayable.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Looooooove board games. And ditto on the Apples to Apples w/ Sharpie love. It’s an ever-evolving game that way. There are plenty of games you can easily customize or change as you go to keep them interesting. If you get a hand-me-down of a game you don’t particularly like, or can find a basic game (Jenga, perhaps?) for cheap, taking a Sharpie to it can be a great way to involve a group in creating their own game.
Another great game is Scattergories. It would seem that with only so many letters and so many lists, you’d eventually start repeating, but in three years of owning the game and many more of playing it, I don’t think I ever have. And even if you do, the people you’re playing with make each game different anyway. And again, with the customizing! Once you do get bored with the lists provided, make your own on 3×5 index cars.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I also meant to mention - The A-MAZE-ing Labyrinth. Glorious game.
September 26th, 2009 at 12:04 am
I always appreciate news coverage of board games because I think they bring so much value and learning to people of all ages. I have a business in Colfax, The Bored Son, a pay-to-play enterprise that uses games from my personal collection of 3,000 board, skill, logic, luck, triva and so forth games. For information about my business, you may check out http://www.BoredSon.com for hours of information and contact information. Most of my collection is pre-owned, and folks are welcome to come and play. You may also want to check out a game before you decide to buy it, assuming I have that game.
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