This series seems to be a popular one and I hope I can convince people to transition to hobby board gaming. Often the games we start playing as children start to develop our critical thinking, and it's a shame that we don't continue that process as adults. Wow, that got a lot deeper than I intended. Anyway, on to the games!
There’s just something about the tactile pleasure of chucking dice that is intensely satisfying. Yahtzee is obviously the go-to dice game during childhood, as well as the one that probably annoyed the hell out of your parents. The press-your-luck mechanic always lent itself toward a fun, if not frustrating, game.
If you are looking for something that scratches the dice itch, Bang! The Dice Game is the way to go. Very rarely will you find someone that actually recommends a dice version of a game over the card version, but here’s the exception. It has a myriad of fun perks: Hidden roles, variable player powers, and of course pressing your luck with the dice. I cannot recommend this game enough, loads of fun!
If you are looking for something that scratches the dice itch, Bang! The Dice Game is the way to go. Very rarely will you find someone that actually recommends a dice version of a game over the card version, but here’s the exception. It has a myriad of fun perks: Hidden roles, variable player powers, and of course pressing your luck with the dice. I cannot recommend this game enough, loads of fun!
Can we all just take a second to reflect on how bad the movie Battleship was? Also, Rhianna is awful. Ok, moving on. Battleship was a fun little deduction game that allowed opponents to really try to outsmart each other from the outset, rather than during the game. This is the game’s biggest flaw; the “meta” game begins and ends in ship placement and drags from there.
You want deduction and strategy during the game? Mr. Jack and its variations (Mr. Jack in New York, Mr. Jack pocket, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is the perfect game for a constant cat and mouse game between two players. It is a little light on the deduction side, but it forces players to really evolve their strategies based on how the other approaches the game. For an idea of how the Mr. Jack style of game plays, check out my review of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra.
You want deduction and strategy during the game? Mr. Jack and its variations (Mr. Jack in New York, Mr. Jack pocket, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is the perfect game for a constant cat and mouse game between two players. It is a little light on the deduction side, but it forces players to really evolve their strategies based on how the other approaches the game. For an idea of how the Mr. Jack style of game plays, check out my review of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra.
Another 2-player game? Yep. I suppose the best way to classify Stratego is as a very light war game meant to be played with family. Like Battleship, there is a set up phase in which you arrange your pieces before the game before you attack in a vaguely chess-like way. With elements of bluffing, deduction, and variable abilities of your pieces, Stratego certainly helped pave the way for the war games of today.
I’ll admit it, I’m a Days of Wonder fanboy, their games are usually spot-on with fantastic components. Their entry-level war game is called Memoir ’44, and it is a nice introduction into the genre. Players will use a combination of dice and command cards to plan their moves against their opponents. One of the real perks comes from its replayability. Grab an expansion and suddenly you have different map set-ups, different scenarios, and more options!
I’ll admit it, I’m a Days of Wonder fanboy, their games are usually spot-on with fantastic components. Their entry-level war game is called Memoir ’44, and it is a nice introduction into the genre. Players will use a combination of dice and command cards to plan their moves against their opponents. One of the real perks comes from its replayability. Grab an expansion and suddenly you have different map set-ups, different scenarios, and more options!
Almost everyone has sat through a game that just drags……Phase 10 might be the biggest offender. Has anyone made it through all 10? Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good idea that is accessible to a lot of people because it combines aspects of common card games, but it, like Uno, tends has no set end point.
No Thanks! fixes the problems that Uno and Phase 10 have in one small change: the game ends when you hit the end of the deck. You’re not stuck on collecting 8 cards of one color, or getting hit with draw 4s, you simply play to the end of the deck. Like Love Letter, it’s a game that plays quickly and almost begs for multiple replays. The object is to take as few points as possible by passing on taking high number cards. The catch? You can only pass so many times before you have to take something, and usually it’s not good.
No Thanks! fixes the problems that Uno and Phase 10 have in one small change: the game ends when you hit the end of the deck. You’re not stuck on collecting 8 cards of one color, or getting hit with draw 4s, you simply play to the end of the deck. Like Love Letter, it’s a game that plays quickly and almost begs for multiple replays. The object is to take as few points as possible by passing on taking high number cards. The catch? You can only pass so many times before you have to take something, and usually it’s not good.