I most definitely grew up as part of the video game
generation. I was born in the 80’s, grew up in the 90’s with a computer in the
house and had my first video game console at age 12 (it was a Super Nintendo
and my first game was Mario World. I’ve had a slight obsession with the Super
Mario Bros ever since.)
But I’ve always loved board games and card games. I played
them a lot with my younger sister when we were growing up—snakes and ladders,
checkers, monopoly, sorry (which I can now only say with a terrible Canadian
accent) and so many more.
When my husband and I moved to Canada we went to an awesome
board game café called
Snakes &
Lattes. I love the concept of a board game café – you get to try out new
games and see if you like them before you buy all while having a coffee (or an
incredible Nutella latte).
Snakes & Lattes totally renewed my love for this fun
activity and since then our collection has grown. Here are a few that
frequently get played in our house which you may not have heard about:
Sushi Go! (card game)
This is a fast-paced card game that involved passing hands
of cards around a circle and trying get as many points as possible. It’s played
in rounds and takes about 20 minutes to play. It’s great if you don’t want to
invest several hours that are required for some other games (*cough Monopoly
cough*)
Pandemic (board game)
This is a co-operative board game, which wasn’t something I’d
ever tried before. All players work together to beat the game, essentially. In
this game you have to stop the spread of diseases around the world and each
player has a special ability that helps you do that.
Lords of Waterdeep
(board game)
This game is more involved, has a longer play time and takes
a little while to learn. But it’s a lot of fun – you spend the game trying to
complete quests to gain points all the while trying to block attacks from your
opponents. It has a fantasy theme (I believe it’s from the Dungeons and Dragon’s
world) and the artwork is amazing.
Agricola (board game)
This is an agriculture-themed (hence the name) game where
you have a farm that requires crops, livestock and food. You’re in competition
with the other players but it’s less about attacking and more about personal
strategy. Bonus points for the adorable little wooden animal pieces that come
with it.
Exploding Kittens
(card game)
Illustrated by the same guy who does The Oatmeal (aka my
favourite comics) this game is the most backed Kickstarter project in history.
We have the NSFW version (of course) so it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of
tea. But it’s so much fun, is very quick to play and the artwork is hilarious.
It’s a game of attrition/survival.
There are so many more games I could list here! Honourable
mentions go to Settlers of Catan, 5 Crowns, and Forbidden Desert.
Are you a board game
fan? What’s your favourite game to play?
