Board games are one of life’s truest joys. Friendship, competition, laughter, and pride all come together to make the perfect setting for a memorable night. Whether your friends and family are fierce competitors or laid-back players, game nights bring us all together to enjoy life’s relaxing moments. Another great aspect of the board game world is the thousands of great options to choose from. Games invented 100 years ago bring the same joy as board games centered around memes and other modern phenomena. Here are a few of our favorites in recent weeks.
Ticket to Ride
I recently journeyed to Jackson, Mississippi and while there I stopped by for a game night with my uncles and some cousins. My mom’s side of the family is known for their fierce competition during board games (and multi-person solitaire), and I was nervous when they broke out “Ticket to Ride”. It was my first time playing, but it quickly became a favorite. The goal is to build successful train tracks from one city to another based on cards that are given to you. You aren’t entirely sure what paths the other players are going for, so there is a lot of mystery throughout the game. While I didn’t win that night in Jackson, I did learn about my new favorite game! Sounds like a victory to me - take that uncles!
Settlers of Catan
Catan has slowly become one of the most popular games on the planet, and it’s easy to see why. The game requires players to gather crucial resources which can be used to build roads and buildings that create a new settlement on the island-shaped game board. It takes a little longer than other games to complete (more along the lines of Monopoly than Sorry!), but the game goes by in a blur of excitement. May your wheat grow in abundance and your knights steal swiftly.
Sequence
Sequence takes a lot of our favorite game-centered items and brings them together to create a delightful, easy-to-play game. A specialized deck of cards that features both two-eyed and one-eyed Jacks. All cards besides the Jacks also have a marking on the game board, and players try to use the cards they are dealt and later draw to try and create a streak of 5 cards in a row. This can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. One-eyed Jacks allow you to remove an opponent’s card marker while two-eyed allow you to place a marker at any spot on the board that isn’t already marked.
Dominos
One box of dominos provides enough entertainment and gaming options to keep 100 people entertained for 100 years. My friend group is a bit unusual with our selection - going with 15-dot Dominoes and Mexican Train is our game of choice. This edition involves each player starting their own line of dominos from a central starting spot, with two community lines open to all players to play on. If you can’t play on any of the available options, you have to open your train for other players to have the option to play on until you can play on your own line again. The first person to run out of Dominos wins.
Cards Against Humanity
If you want to laugh until your abs hurt and/or judge your friends for their dark sense of humor, then Cards Against Humanity is the game for you. A series of ridiculous questions are anonymously matched with ridiculous answers from each player besides the one who drew the question card (who acts as judge for the round). The funniest or darkest answer wins - based on how your judge - so make sure you answer to impress that particular person.
Monopoly
Talk about an icon. Monopoly is still a favorite for many people after being around for nearly a century (the game that inspired the version we know is over 100 years old), and the endless variations dedicated to famous cities, movies, and more only add to the fun. From the wonderful silver player markers to the endless trials of Chance cards and more, Monopoly is a great night for the whole family.
Whatever you end up choosing, there are plenty of great options to gather around with those you love and make some new memories.
Cover image from Pexels
