Gameology Blog - Gamer's Hub Online
Top 10 Best Buy Family Games
Are you looking for some games that play well with children, but with enough meat on the bones to play with a group of adults? Maybe you’re looking for some games that don’t take all night to play. Here are some great games that we love to play. They are not ranked in any order, just randomly listed. King of Tokyo 2-6 players, 8+, 30 minutes. This is a dice rolling game that uses the Yahtzee mechanic. Each player has a scoring card which tallies both their health and victory points. The aim of the game is to collect either 20 VP or reduce everyone else’s health to zero. This means that the game has player elimination, but since it plays in 20 minutes, it is not much of a wait. When it is your turn, you roll the dice and keep health, lightning bolts (which count as money to purchase cards to power up your turns), claws (which attack the other players), sets of numbers which count as VP or any combination you wish. To attack other players with your dice rolls, you hit the players who are in opposition to you. If you are in Tokyo, you hit all other players not in Tokyo and if you are out of Tokyo, you hit the player(s) in Tokyo. This is a fun tactile game with excellent components as the dice are large and heavy, adding to the fun of rolling dice. It only takes a round or 2 to fully understand the game and you can adjust the game to the group you are with. For example, with children, you may not want to claw each other too often, while with a group of adults, it can get ugly very quickly. Potion Explosion Potion Explosion is a 2 to 4-player game that plays in 30 minutes. It uses a specially designed tray (dispenser) to hold 5 rows of marbles of different colours. The aim is to make the most potions by collecting the ingredient’s required to make each one. To do this, you take a marble from the tray, which may trigger an ‘explosion’ or multiple ‘explosions’. An explosion is caused by 2 or more marbles of the same colour hitting each other. Once you have caused an explosion, and removed those marbles from the tray, you can add them to the 2 potions you are producing. When you complete a potion, it gets turned over and you can use that potion to help complete more potions by activating their special 1 time use ability, which ranges from stealing an opponent’s supply to taking one of each colour from the bottom of the dispenser. A completed potion gives you several points, depending on the level of difficulty. Collect sets of the same potions to earn skill points, triggering the end of the game. Final scoring is then completed by adding up the total of your completed potions. The game has good quality and aesthetically pleasing components. The 2nd edition has the improved marble dispenser. This is a great game to play as a family as there are not many opportunities to “get” each other. It really is fun to pull out the marbles and place them on your potion card. Easy enough for kids to understand as it is all visually laid out before you. It also plays well with a group of adults seeking a fun quick strategic game. One Night Ultimate Werewolf Do you like the idea of playing half a game with your eyes closed while listening to an app and keeping secrets from your fellow players? Someone in your group is a werewolf. Find out who it is before it’s too late! You reside in a village, each night a werewolf comes in and attacks. As a group you need to find out who the werewolf is before the morning, or it’s over. Each player receives one player card in secret. There will be 1 or 2 players vs the rest. Each player has an action they will get to do in secret that will help or hinder everyone find the Werewolf. The app directs you all the way through, from closing your eyes, to opening your eyes and completing your personal job for the village, to opening your eyes and then the countdown clock. Once everyone has completed their action, you have a certain amount of time to talk to each other to figure out who did what and discover the Werewolf. This game is addictive as you try to figure out the best time to reveal what you did, without telling everyone too much. Kids easily understand the game after a couple of plays. It is fun seeing how they develop their strategies to play. Adults may be sneakier, but this may be their undoing. All this aside, it plays in 10 minutes at most, but be prepared for it to take longer as one game will never be enough. Easy for anyone to play, this game is also fun to sit back and watch. A great game for a large group as is it for 3- 10 players. Ticket to Ride While this game has been around for a long time, it still plays well. A great train theme that works for kids and adults. It can be played by 2-5 people and takes between 30- 60 minutes to play and is suitable from 8+. Each player takes control of a coloured set of small train carriages. The aim is to get the most victory points by completing tickets. The tickets give you 2 destinations on the large board, which you aim to connect. You do this by drawing coloured train cards from 1 of the 5 draw piles on your turn which every player can see. These colours corresponded with small track sections on the board, ranging from requiring 1 coloured train card to 6 of the same colours. When you have the desired cards in your hand, for your turn, you can reveal the cards and then place your train carriages on the selected tracks. This also gives you victory points. The strategy comes into this game at whatever level you like. If you are playing with children, take it easy and don’t block the tracks they require. If you are after a more difficult game, try collecting as many destination cards as you want and completing them. All players new to hobby games find this a great game to learn about victory points, collecting and drawing cards and strategy. Catan This is one of the Euro games that started it all back in 1995. While being a simple game to play, it also requires lots of strategy. Catan is played with a board of hexagonal tiles, cards and dice as well as each player having a wooden token set consisting of their roads, settlements and cities. The board is set up randomly with all the hexes laid out face down, each one representing a different resource. Each hex is then assigned a number between 2 and 12 (not 7 as that deploys a robber). The hexes are then turned over and each player in turn order, places out a settlement and a connected road, then in reverse order players place out a city and a road and collect some starting resources. Each player is a settler that tries to grow their towns by harvesting resources (brick, grain, sheep, timber and ore) from their areas and by trading them with opponents. The resources are then used to build roads, settlements or cities. Each settlement and city is worth victory points, 1 and 2 respectively. The victor will require 10 victory points to win. If you have the longest road you even get an extra 2 victory points. A fun element of this game is the trading of resources. While you might need the trade, do you want to give your opponent just what they need? The game plays in 1-2 hours and is for 3-4 players, however there are expansions to increase this to 6 if needed. While there is an element of luck in the game, depending on which dice are rolled, it can be mitigated by ensuring you have settlements on as many numbers as possible and making good trades. Sushi Go Party If you are after a fast paced, fun, easy game that will satisfy your hunger for a card drafting game, Sushi Go is it. A small game with a small tin, lots of cards and some soy bottles to count your score on a victory point track. Each player is dealt several cards depending on the player count. You then select and place face down on the table one of the desired sushi dishes that you would like to collect on your tableau, while placing the remaining cards from your pile face down on the table. After a short amount of time, all players simultaneously turn over then cards and if you have selected Miso call out Miso. If 2 or more players have turned over miso they get discarded. All the sets you collect gain you victory points in different ways depending on the dish, some may even give you zero. You then pass your hand of cards to the next player and all pick a card from your new hand. This continues until all the cards are used. Points are tallied for all cards except the desserts (you don’t enjoy them until the end of the game). There are 3 rounds in total, the cards are passed in the opposite direction for the second round. A great little game for 2-8 players that plays in 20 minutes and is fun for all ages and gamers. Azul In this beautiful set collection game, you are tiling the walls of a building in Portugal. The aim of the game is to fill as many squares on your player board with tiles of certain colours to give you the most victory points. Each player has their own player board which displays the desired layout of tiles required. In turn, each player collects a design of tile from the suppliers and places them on their player board. This is randomly drawn from a cloth bag before each round. Each supplier has different quantities of patterns. This is where the strategy comes in. Do you take maybe 1 of the tiles you desire, while leaving the others in the pool for your opponents to collect? The tiles you don’t take on your turn are pushed into the middle for selecting. Every time you select a tile, you take all that tile whether you need them or not, so don’t get greedy or you may pay a price. When all the tiles have been removed from the market, each player looks at their player board to see if they can use the tiles on their wall. The rounds continue until one player fills a row with one of each colour. A great abstract strategy game easily played by children 8+. The game plays in 30 to 45 minutes and with 2-4 players. The 2-player game can be a lot quicker. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle If your family enjoys Harry Potter, this is the game to try. In this co-op game, all the players are on the same team trying to complete their goal. It starts out with an easier game to teach the rules and how to play, then slowly get harder as you venture through the campaign. There a 7 books (boxes) inside that you get to open as you progress through the adventure, each giving you new villains and abilities. The game comes with a main player board and 4 individual player boards to help you manage the game. The idea is that you need to defeat villains by using your player’s ability, (Harry, Hermione, Neville or Ron) and by using the cards you collect when spending your money. Your deck will grow as the game plays out. So how do you find the card you need to win? While the recommended age is 11+, this game is easy to play as a family with younger kids while teaching the deck building genre, with a theme they are sure to love. It is for 2-4 players, but it can be played solo once the rules are understood. It is played in around 30-60 minutes depending on the player count. One you finish the campaign it can be played again, or you can buy an expansion to change the game more. Carcassonne This game has been around since 2000 and is considered another of the big games that helped shape the board game hobby to what it is today. Ever heard of a “meeple” (my people)? This is where it came from. Whilst it is a very simple game it can involve a lot of strategy, depending on your game level. The idea of the game is to collect the most victory points by adding tiles to a city or road and deciding where to place your meeples to guard them. The stacks of tiles have different pictures of towns and roads on them and are placed face down. Each player on their turn reveals a tile and decides where to place it on the table. Do you need to extend a road, finish one or take on others for control of a large city? Each player has a limited number of meeples, so use them wisely. The game continues until all the tiles have been played. It is fun to watch as the table presence grows, from the starting tile to a massive city and countryside expanding before your eyes. Carcassonne is for 2-5 players, plays in 30- 45 minutes and is from 8 years and up. The game comes with 2 mini expansions, The River and The Abbott. If you enjoy this game, there are plenty of expansions that are available that may add a theme you love even more. Flamme Rouge Time for a race game? Well get on your bikes and get pedalling. Flamme Rouge is the name given to the red flag that hangs at the start of the last kilometre of a stage. This fun game uses cards and a track which simulates the final section of a bike race. Each player gets a small deck of cards for each of their 2 specialised riders. The cards numbers ranging from 2 to 9 depending on if it is your sprinter or Rouleur. A track is selected and built on the table following the cards that are provided for different track layouts. Once completed, each player selects a colour and collects the 2 bike miniatures. In turn order each player places their riders on the track behind the start line. When everyone is ready, all players simultaneously draw 4 cards from 1 pile and selects 1, places it faces down, then draws 4 cards from their other pile and selects 1 card. When all players have chosen, the leading bike’s card is revealed and moved accordingly. This happens for all bikes in race position order. The rounds continue until 1 rider has crossed the finished line. Beware though, when you are leading a peloton, you take a fatigue card (2) because its tiring in the lead. Finish the round exactly 1 space behind the bike in front, great, you can slipstream onto the back of the pack. There are also hills to slow you down and speed you up, so play your cards wisely. This can be played by 2-4 players, takes 30-45 minutes as is great for ages 8+. Again, don’t let that fool you, it is a strategic game where playing the right cards may just get you to the end first. There are also expansions that can add 2 more players and change the track layout. This is a fun and realistic bike racing game. Written by Robert and Patrick from the Board Game Basics Podcast. To hear more of our thoughts on these games or others please listen to our family podcast. https://boardgamebasics.podbean.com/
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Gloomhaven
Welcome to the dark and dirty city of Gloomhaven. It takes all types to keep this city prospering and safe. Most are out for themselves. Will you help the city or help yourself to the riches that surround you and the city of Gloomhaven? From the ocean to the mountains you will travel. Safely? Who knows? It might depend on the company you keep. Gloomhaven is a game for 1-4 players and takes around 2-3 hours to play. There is no mistaking the size of this box. It is huge and is packed top to bottom with cards, room tiles, miniatures, standees, the scenario book, a board map and cardboard tokens of every kind. If you're after value for money, this is it. The game can be played as a single scenario with a group of friends or solo by playing multiple characters. However, it really shines when played as a full campaign with the same group of players. You start in the city of Gloomhaven and equip your character with available items for sale. While in the city take a city event card, what decision you make affects what you may get or lose in the encounter. After finishing in the city, the group travels along the road to the next scenario. Whilst travelling, a road event occurs. Draw the card. Who do you meet? What will you do? Every decision you make has an outcome. Once completed, move into the scenario. Read the story, get your scenario goal and look at your personal quest for the scenario and start playing. Each character has a player board that gives you a back story, the number of cards you can hold, how many hit points you start with and your turn options. Everyone has different abilities and their own role to play in defeating the monsters. The scenario continues round by round until the goal is completed or the adventurers all die. Experience is collected during the game and tallied on your characters playing sheet. At this point you can return to Gloomhaven, spend your money and move to another scenario in the same way. The game continues like this through the book of 100 scenarios. If you seek a strategic adventure game, it is hard to go past Gloomhaven. Written by Robert and Patrick Doolan of Board Game Basics Podcast. To hear more of our thoughts on Gloomhaven listen to Episode #19https://boardgamebasics.podbean.com/
Betrayal at House on the Hill - Game Review
The door closes behind you. You’re locked inside this house with the other explorers. Are they your friends or your enemy? Time will tell. You had better explore this house, so you can work out how to get out of here. Just don’t fall through the floor or its going to hurt and watch where you look, you don’t want to lose your sanity. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a semi co-op game for 3 – 6 players that takes around 1 – 1.5 hours to play. Each player is an explorer who investigates the spooky old house. As players move around the house exploring, new rooms are discovered, and certain events may occur. Each explorer changes their abilities over the course of the game as they encounter things that may strengthen or weaken them. At a random point in the game after rolling dice, an explorer triggers what is called a ‘haunt’. At this point, one player will become a traitor who is trying to defeat the other explorers. The remaining explorers work together to defeat the traitor. The first team to complete their goal is the winner. The game comes with 44 room tiles about the size of drink coasters and a larger starting tile. There are 6-character miniatures, which are pre-painted, as well as their corresponding character cards. There are 8 dice which each have 0, 1, 2 on them, 80 game cards, 149 little cardboard tokens, a rule book, a traitor’s tome and a survival book. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a game played in 2 halves. In the first half of the game you are trying to make your character as strong as possible by collecting item cards that increase one of your four skills. Each character card has four traits that are used in the game, they are speed, might, sanity and knowledge. When you reveal a room tile with the omen symbol, you draw an omen card, carry out the action and then you must roll 6 dice. If the total of the 6 dice is less than the total number of omen cards drawn by the group since the start of the game, the ‘haunt’ begins. There is a reference table in the Traitor Tome for this part of the game. This decides which scenario will be played and who becomes the traitor, based on the room the card was drawn in and the card name. The traitor takes the Traitors Tome and leaves the room reading the scenario instructed at the time of the haunt. The other explorers read the same scenario but in the Survival Guide. The traitor returns to the room, sets up anything they were told to and the game is played until the end from there. The first person to complete their goal wins. This game has lots of replayability as it comes with 50 scenarios. Even then if you played all 50, it plays different each time depending on the room tile layout and the characters’ different abilities. So, if curiosity gets the better of you, why not enter the house and see what lurks within it’s walls. Just beware and watch your back! Written by Robert and Patrick Doolan from Board Game Basics Podcast. If you would like to hear more of our thoughts of this game, please listen to episode # 11. https://boardgamebasics.podbean.com/
Sun & Moon Forbidden Light
The newest expansion in the Pokemon - forbidden light series was recently released and it is certainly brightening up the Pokemon world! Building up on the story of Sun & Moon - Ultra Prism, this expansion showcases the mysterious power of Necrozma, who has absorbed a legendary Pokemon and taken on a luminous new form as Necrozma-GX. So, the other legendary Pokemons Lucario-GX, Greninja-GX, Zygarde-GX, Yveltal-GX and even the mighty Acreus must choose a side. The new expansion includes 5 new Prism Star cards 8 Pokémon-GX 6 Ultra Beasts 15 Trainer cards 2 Special Energy cards Each booster pack will include ten cards from the expansion, including at least one rare card and one basic energy card. Two new theme decks - Tropical Takedown and Twilight Rogue are also introduced. Tropical Takedown features Alolan Exeggutor while Twilight Rogue features Lycanroc. This new expansion of the Pokemon Forbidden light series also includes Prism cards, limited to one per player deck, since they are so powerful. Once used they are discarded in the Lost Zone rather than the discarded pile which means that once gone, they are never returning! Tropical Takedown Alolan Exeggutor is leading the way and all his Pokemon mates come along to wins as a team in the Tropical Takedown. The deck contains over 130 cards that you can use to make the most of your big attacks. Twilight Rogue Unleash Lycanroc when you are outnumbered by your opponent, after Lycanroc does more damage when your opponent’s bench is full. Salazzle and Malamar pull more cards and more energy for more ways to win the Twilight Rogue theme deck! Featured Cards Pheromosa Pheromosa makes an appearance in the TCG series in a simple yet fearsome style. It may not be a Pokemon-GX or Prism, but its 110 HP and no Retreat cost is enough to create an impact. If you are down to only one prize card, Pheromosa’s white ray attack will hit with a massive 180 damage and make you victorious. And since it isn’t a GX, if your opponent manages to throw Pheromosa off the game, they’ll be able to claim only one of their prize cards instead of two. Naganadel-GX This ultra beast’s power is well known. And when its power becomes stronger by having few friends by his side, he is undefeatable. Its beast raid attack increases in power for each ultra beast on your bench. The stringer-GX is a game changer. It not only forces both players to shuffle their remaining prize cards but also requires them to put three new ones down, regardless of how many they has before! Zygarde-GX Durability, power, attack, and defence all together in this GX makes it a complete package. This land wrath’s energy requirement might seem difficult to meet, but its well within reach when combined with cell connector attack. Play this card with good timing and nothing can stop you from winning! Diancie Diancie is a booster. When this Pokemon is on your bench, your attacking Pokemon’s attack power increases by 20 damage. It is also a healer. Diancie’s diamond rain attack delivers a one-two punch - doing 90 damage and healing all of its teammates. Guzzlord This voracious ultra beast’s lord valley attack does a formidable 160 damage. With right timing, few Pokemon will stand a chance against lord valley. It also is a GX, hence you will only have to give up a single prize card if it happens to get knocked out. Ultra Necrozma-GX Necrozma has returned and this time with more power than ever as Necrozma-GX. In one massive shot, its photon geyser attack can bring down can enemy, doing 20 damage plus another 80 for each basic psychic energy card you discard from Ultra Necrozma-GX. The sky-scorching light GX can put six damage counters on each of their Pokemon. This ultra beast should definitely be feared! Ultra Space Ultra beasts have changes the landscape of Pomon TCG battles. When ultra space is in play, you can search your deck for any ultra beasts card and put it into your hand once per turn. This gives the players an opportunity to make strategies around the powerful beasts on their deck. Beast Energy Beast energy make the ultra beasts even more dangerous, When attached to an ultra beast, this card provides 1 energy of any type and also adds 30 damage to that Pokemon’s attacks. You can have only one beast energy in your deck, but one is enough to turn the table around! Bonnie Zygrade’s GX attack creates vast damage and is widely effective at slowing down opposing Pokemon’s EX and GX. Its friend Bonnie lets you break the GX attack rule and use it again! Bonnie appears as a supporter card, but before you play Bonnie, a stadium card must be in play and which needs to be discarded as part of the card’s effect - this could be great for your gameplay especially if it’s your opponent’s stadium car at play.
Rising Sun Board Game : Review
Blood Rage became an instant hit as soon as it made a debut in he market in 2015. Eric Lang, the designer of Blood Rage came to be known as one of the most prominent board game designers. Now, Lang is back with his newest game which revolveds around diplomacy, honor, blood and finely sculpted plastic. So, anyone who enjoyed Blood Rage would definitely find Rising Sun intimidating, The premise of the game is simple. The game is based infeudal Japan and each player is part of a clan, vying for control of the land. Rising Sun Board Game takes place over three rounds. On each turn, players have to pick up top four ‘Political Mandates’, as portrayed by the colourful cards. Such mandates include “recruit’ which lets you add new units to the game, ‘Marshal’ which lets you move them around and so forth. Players have to make the best decision to get a tactical edge over other players. All the players will try to take the best decision to win conflicts and conquer newer regions. The victor is given a province token worth a small amount of points. But this isn’t as simple and balanced as it sounds. Players will frequently find that the mandates they’ve chosen, seldom allow them to do the thing they want. Also, each player has to harness the actions taken by other players and pull off sweeping moves which benefit them the most. An important element of the game is forming alliances at the very start of each round and just like real life, alliances also come with the element of betrayal. The ‘betray power’, one of the strongest mandates of the game, is a mandate used to betray allies when a players’ priority shifts. These changing priorities and blurred alliances maintain an ever challenging atmosphere where every player has to be on the lookout of an unexpected knife on the back! Unlike in Blood Rage, players cannot depend on the same winning tactic. Rising Sun Board Game is full of challenges, sly manoeuvring and betrayals. It will leave you pondering upon your decisions for days afterward, analysing decisions taken and second guessing vengeful back stabs.
The best adult board games of 2018!
If you have grown up playing board games, then you can definitely think of a time that you had great fun with your mates. Contrary to popular belief, board games aren’t just for kids and nerds. Gamers will tell you that having a game night is often more exciting and fun than a night out. Board games can turn even a lousy gathering into a bash! Today we live in a golden age of gaming with endless options available at our disposal. There are board games for every mood, age group and theme. So, if you are planning to make a collection of your own and bring back the good old days, you might face difficulty picking the best ones. Here’s a list of the best board games to help you get started. 1. FOG OF LOVE Playing Fog of Love is like being characters of a romantic comedy. Two players meet, fall, in love and face the challenge of making an unusual relationship work. It’s a game of love and laughs and even though your happily ever after may not be certain, what’s certain is a bountiful load of laughs, love, twists and surprises! 2. NOOKII Set aside the Friday night Scrabble with this playful game made for playful couples. The game has no board, you play around and explore your partner’s body as guided by the specially scripted Nookii cards. Each action must be completed within the time limit, determined by the number you roll on the dice. Included in the game set to spice up your playtime is a blindfold, do not disturb sign, timer, and playing guidelines. 3. PICK YOUR POISON Find out which of your friends are just as messed up as you thought with this awfully hilarious party game. In this “Would you rather” game, player anonymously answer questions set up by other players, and when everyone has revealed what they would rather do, you’ll find out which friend agrees with you and which friend chooses the other option – potentially an option which is really messed up and depraved. 4. GUTTERHEAD If you like Card against Humanity and Pictionary, then you’d absolutely love their naughty love child. Gutterhead is a friendishly filthy board game that will certainly have you wetting yourself with laughter. One member from each team draws the fiendishly filthy word while their respective teammates frantically try to guess the word before another team does. The first team to guess correctly wins the round. 5. THE GAME OF NASTY THINGS In this hilariously nasty game, you choose a topic and everyone writes down a response. Then all the responses are read aloud and you have to guess which of your depraved friends said what! You won’t believe the outrageous things you’ll hear! For the friendishly filthy group of friends, the game of nasty things is a guilty pleasure! 6. TELESTRATIONS AFTER DARK The famous board game Telestrations has grown up and now he is called Telestrations after dark. Telestrations after dark is an adult version of the original Telestrations, so the gameplay is the same, but the word content has changed to more adult fare. Some of the word cards now include stuff such as "Anaconda", "Jackhammer", "Doggie Style", and "Human Centipede". 7. GUARDS AGAINST INSANITY Guards against insanity is a naughty expansion of Cards against humanity. If you have a dark sense of humor and hope cards against humanity could match your darkness, then this is the game for you! The ASYLUM PACK can be played as a stand-alone game, however, it's more fun when combined with Cards Against Humanity and CAH expansions. 8. WHAT DO YOU MEME What if memes could bring friends and family together for a game in which the only premise is to out-meme each other? This is what exactly “what do you meme” is all about. Players try to out-meme each other IRL – no screens attached! The rules are simple. Each round, a rotating judge plays a Photo Card and everyone else plays a Caption Card to complete the meme and the judge decides the funniest pairing. 9. CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY Cards against humanity is a party game for the dark, profane and politically tinged people or as the publisher calls it, cards against humanity is a game for horrible people. The game is simple. Each round, one player asks a question from a black card, and everyone else answers with their funniest white card. You'll be laughing nonstop and using your darkest humor when you play the Cards against Humanity Game at your next adult game night.
The Best Family Board Games of 2018!
When one thinks of family board games, classics like Monopoly and Scrabble are probably the first ones that come to mind. However, in the family board game genre, these big titles are only the tip of the iceberg. Today’s board games are incredibly diverse, with gameplay ranging anywhere between few minutes to a few days and requiring few players or even the entire family! If your family game night still consists of only the classics, you are missing out on all the incredible fun that these contemporary board games bring. Here is a list of the top family board games of 2018. 1. SETTLERS OF CATAN 5TH EDITION Settlers of Catan should definitely be in your arsenal of board games if you have family game nights regularly. This is a strategic game, perfect for three or four players. The premise of the game is rather straightforward – Players have to collect resource cards to build structures around the island of Catan. Players earn victory points as they build structures and the first players to get ten points, wins the game! The twists, obstacles, clever rules and the very theme of building a settlement, make this game super fun. 2. CODENAMES This challenging spy game will keep you on the edge of your seat all throughout. The premise of this game is to guess the identity of your secret agents with the help of your team’s spymaster. 25 cards are laid on the table, each representing the two team’s secret agents. Spymasters give one-word clues that point out their cards on the board. The teammates guess words of the right color while avoiding the cards that belong to the opposing team, and everyone wants to avoid the assassin. The gameplay is quick, challenging and extremely competitive. 3. CODENAMES DUET Codenames Duet keeps the basic elements of Codenames, but now, you are working together as a team to find out your secret agents. Codenames has spawned various variations over the years, but by far, Codenames duet provides the best experience of them all, probably for the fact that the game has been made cooperative and playable with as few as two. 4. EXPLODING KITTENS Exploding Kittens is a fast-paced, action game that adds thrill and excitement to even the dullest of family gatherings. The premise is very simply – avoid getting blown up by exploding kittens. Players take turns drawings cards until someone draws an exploding kitten. The game gets more intense with each card as fewer cards in the deck mean more chances of drawing a kitten and facing a massive feline explosion. 5. TOKAIDO In Tokaido, players take a journey through the “East sea road’, traveling from medieval Edo to Kyoto in Japan. In this competitive board game, players meet people, taste fine meals, visit temples and wild places and do many interesting things on their journey. At the end of the trip, when everyone has arrived at the end of the road, you’ll have to be the most initiated traveler. It shouldn’t be just a trip, it has to be a journey with the most interesting and varied things. 6. SUSHI GO PARTY The most adorable game on the list, Sushi Go Party with its simple rules, family-friendly gameplay and adorable artwork, is a must-own game even for the most jaded gamers. Sushi Go Party is a card drafting game where you pick a card from your hand and then pass the rest of your hand to the next player. The basic theme of the game is that all the players are at a sushi-go-round, the cards get passed around and at each round, you’ll get to pick one thing of the conveyor belt as it goes past. 7. CAPTAIN SONAR Captain Sonar is an innovative real-time game where two enemy teams are trying to locate each other’s submarines in order to blow it out of the water. In this challenging game, the teams consisting of Chief Mate, Radio Operator, and Engineer take their submarines head-to-head in a thrilling battle and try to win by destroying the enemy’s submarine, a task which is far more difficult and exhilarating than it may first appear. 8. CHARTERSTONE Charterstone is a legacy style game where players construct buildings and inhabit a shared village. The game features a story evolving through 12 linked games in which players take turns moving their worker pawns around the board and gather resources to build their village. The process of building your own village is rather enriching in which a few dozen buildings soon grow into an action-filled, bustling village. 9.PANDEMIC LEGACY SEASON 2 BLACK / PANDEMIC LEGACY SEASON 2 YELLOW Transform your family game night into an epic adventure of bringing humanity back from the brink of extinction. Unlike most games, actions you take in Pandemic season 2 will affect future games. The world is on the brink of extinction and the world is counting on you!
The amazing benefits of playing board games
Board games are great fun, we all agree to that. Other than the fun part, playing board games have several other benefits as well. Bringing family together is top on the list. Children of all ages want to spend time with their parents and friends and playing games is an excellent way to spend unhurried, enjoyable and valuable time together. Board games are also rich in learning opportunities. Children get an idea of competition and through a healthy competitive environment, they can also learn how to lose or win gracefully. Games, both educational and non-educational teach important social skills as well such as communicating with others, negotiating, sharing, taking turns and enjoying with others. It fosters the ability to focus, lengthens attention span and makes an individual more patient and accepting. Board games like the Catan board game secretly teaches many life skills – establishing something of your own, adjusting with what you have, accepting that luck can change any moment for the better or for the worse. The message inherent in probably every board game is to “never give up”. If you haven’t yet considered including board games in your family time, I am sure after reading the benefits of board games given below, it’ll be the first thing on your to-do list. It exercises your brain In order to play a board game successfully, one has to learn the rules and strategize techniques that help them win the game. In a way it is an extensive brain exercise. Board games help us master skills required in a specific game, like our communication skills for Dixit board game, beat opponents and win the game. It gives you a reason to put your screens down Board game is an excellent remedy for a world that is constantly distracted by blinking screens. They can be set up anywhere, outdoors or indoors, and they’re wonderful alternatives for a group of friends just sitting around and debating about what they should do while constantly being on their phones. They create plenty of fun moments while also creating opportunities of spending time constructively. You never know when the Risk board game can become your squad’s favourite pass time! They are therapeutic As you play them with friends and family, board games can actually boost your overall mood. They require a certain level of focus, hence, giving a chance to take a break from problems. Studies have shown that encouraging brain stimulation through the use of board games may be used to prevent the deterioration of one's cognitive memory. In short, you can fight Dementia with board games! You can learn while having fun Board games are a great way to sneak in some learning while also having fun, something that all kids will appreciate. Learning to count your moves, solving puzzles, practicing math facts, or even enhancing your vocabulary and communication skills; a lot can be accomplished through board games.
5 reasons why Settlers of Catan should be in your game closet
“Settlers of Catan is a great game”, you probably must have heard many people make this statement. But, when it comes to board games, the words great or fun hold little value because in the digital world, board games for many have sentimental value. Settlers of Catan is one such family board game that holds sentimental value because a large number of special “party-time” and “family-time” is associated with it. Settlers of Catan is game that many people say got them into playing board games. Now, this is a good way to describe the greatness of a board game. First a little overview The game is based on a fictional island of Catan. Players play as a settlers who want to establish their settlement on the island. To do that, players have to compete with each other and collect bricks, lumber, ore, grain etc needed to build the settlement. The standard game can accommodate four players and it be expanded upto six players. Let’s hop on to why this classic game should be in everyone’s game closet It’s really easy to learn If you have friends or family who are hesitant to play board games because they are difficult and requires a lot of time and effort to actually understand and begin playing then, Catan is the best game to start with. It is easy to learn and accommodates a wide variety of skill levels, hence, it’s the best for a game night. This game is for everyone The Catan board game is easy to learn and accommodates a blend of strategy, luck and interesting choices, hence, can be played by both young and old alike. The best thing about the game is that it keeps everyone engaged throughout. Rather than sitting and waiting for someone to take their turn, people can engage and gather resources even if it isn’t their turn. Players don’t get eliminated here, so it keeps everyone hooked until the end of the game. Its straightforward The game is pretty straightforward. You roll/collect resources and then utilize those resources. The goal is to spend the resources to get a total of ten victory points. However, even with a simple game play, it is quite challenging. It starts out easy but eventually gets competitive when trading starts, players compete for resources or when there’s a shortage of resources. The game is interactive The Catan board game does a great job at getting people to interact. To win you have to interact and trade, in a way the whole set up of the game takes you through a great segue which is creative and thrilling. Trading gets creative, tension is ratcheted and it really gets players to play together. It’s a bestselling board game The settlers of Catan first appeared in 1995 and ever since, its popularity has only grown. It has highly been rated by critics and sincere board game players absolutely love it! Various editions have also grown out from the success of the first game – Catan traveler edition, Settlers of Catan Star Trek version and many more. In a way, Catan has evolved with time and have catered to what’s in vogue. Final Thoughts If you are new to board games, Catan is the best place to start. Once you try it, you’ll come back wanting more. No collection is complete without it.
Top 10 Best Board games that will instantly make you fall head over heels
The real gamers and the game aficionados were born not when videos games were created, but they were born even before gaming technology showed its face. Board games have created this wonderful race of gamers and game enthusiasts. Board games have entertained people for centuries. They were the best highlights of a get-together or a party and even today continue to be so. Board games have evolved with time. With the advent of fascinating fiction and change in designing trends and expectations of players, boards games today have drifted towards story driven experiences which have thinned the boundaries between fiction and reality. Below is a list of 10 board games that will surely get you hooked 1. Catan Settlers of Catan has been updated with a new name and a revised rule book. The name has been shortened to just “Catan” and the revised rule book features clarified rules that make sense of edge cases and ease the entry of new players into the game. Catan has been a gamers’ favorite for 20 years and in these 20 years, it has been sold in 30 different languages! In Catan, the strategy is to be the dominant force of Catan (a fictional place) by building your own settlement, roads, and armed force. It is like Age of Empires but only better. This game of strategy, tactics, warfare and luck, will blow your mind. 2. Codenames Codenames is an instant crowd-pleaser. It is a team based word game with a simple premise. It includes words but it is nowhere close to the mainstream word games. Its challenging game play creates an atmosphere of mystery and competition, almost making you feel like real life agents. In the game, two teams compete to see who can make contact with all their agents first. Spymasters give clues and their team mates try to guess the words on the board while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. 3. Arkham Horror LCG Arkham Horror LCG will make you feel like you’re living in the world of your favorite TV show (consider stranger things). The story is mind blowing and it is filled with twists. Once you start playing Arkham Horror, you will find yourself slipping much deeper into its grip. The story goes like this – The year is 1926 and people are celebrating the end of all wars. But just then, there’s an alien invasion. The aliens are writhing at the gates between the worlds and it is upon us to save our world against the invasion. 4. Eldritch Horror Eldritch Horror LCG is a cooperative game of adventure and terror. One to eight players play this game but the best feature about this Fantasy Flight Game is that, each player in the game is an individual investigator. Every player is a globetrotting investigator working to solve mysteries, finding clues, fighting ghoulies and protecting the world against the alien invasion. 5. Betrayal Betrayal at House on the Hill is a game of suspense, horror, surprises, excitement and heroism. Here, players explore a haunted mansion of their own design, encountering spirits and other horrors and overcoming them at every step. Horror is a sweet thing. Even though you risk your heart beat, you still like experiencing horror. This is exactly how the game is, once you have experienced Betrayal at House on the Hill, your eyes will dilate with excitement even at the idea of running back to the haunting mansion. Verdict? Must play, must own! 6. Ticket to ride Ticket to ride is one of the few games which can be played at family parties involving children. It is easy to learn and has a simple game play. The game is fast paced and engaging. Each turn goes pretty quickly and requires fact responses from the players, which is why it is the best game for parties. The gameplay goes like this- each player tries to build the most well-rounded network of railroads that connect various cities together. The longer the routes, the more points you earn. Elegant, quick and super fun! 7. Star Wars Rebellion Star Wars Rebellion is board game of the epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliances. It is one of those conflicts which we actually enjoy and want them to happen again and again. And unlike other war games, Star Wars rebellion doesn’t make you in charge of a few war heroes, but puts you in command of the whole galactic war! Both the parties – the rebels and empire have different missions, and different strengths and weaknesses but the same aim – to be victorious! 8. Terraforming Mars No other game is as progressive and futuristic than Terraforming Mars. The strategy is simple – make Mars habitable! The game takes place in the future and ends with Mars having vegetation, oceans and people. The gameplay goes like this – There are many organization in the future, trying to make Mars habitable and you are one such organization. You work together for the terraforming process but compete to win victory points or terraforming ratings. The organization with the highest terraforming ratings wins! This is your chance to be a Martian! 9. Scythe Scythe is set in an alternate history 1920s period. The underlying theme is – it’s the 1920s and the great war has just ended. The capitalist city known as “the factory” has shut its doors. Players represent countries who are trying to earn fortune by attempting to establish themselves around the mysterious factory. It is not a war game, while combat does feature, Scythe is a game of building and establishing. Players conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous mechs. 10. Charterstone Charterstone is a competitive legacy game with multitude or secrets, twists and surprises. The game makes you feel like you are the characters of a mythical fable and you have great responsibilities on your shoulders. Charterstone is a series of 12 games and each game is a cliffhanger right up to the final game. The theme is what makes the game so intertwined – The forever king has chosen six citizens of Greengully to start a new village away from the eternal village. Your task is to build the village from the ground up and bring glory to the king. Thus, you start off with simple choices and few workers, but soon you have a bustling village with dozens of possible actions. Gameology is one of the most popular online game stores in Australia. You will find the best board games here, from the classics to the most recent international sensations. The aforementioned best board games are available at great prices on Gameology. Visit Gameology and make them yours!
