Games to Keep the Whole Family Entertained This Month
Games to Keep the Whole Family Entertained This Month
Through the pandemic, families have spent more time together at home than ever before. One of the best ways to stay entertained when you’re tired of binging TV is going totally analog with a board game. Yes, the classics like Monopoly, Clue and Candyland should never be underestimated, but this is an industry that provides endless options. Here are a few worth turning the TV off for...
1) Catan
Catan Studio
amazon.com
$42.94
You’ll quickly learn in Catan that wealth is found in whoever has an abundance of resources — hay, rock, clay and wood. It’s a game of strategy as much as it is luck. The game ends when a player receives ten victory points, which can be won in various ways including whoever has the longest road. Off the board, unofficial alliances will form where players can trade for resources, so it’s best to keep your frenemies close!
2) Throw Throw Burrito
Exploding Kittens LLC
amazon.com
$29.99
Deemed “the world’s first dodgeball card game,” someone was brilliant enough to come up with Throw Throw Burrito which is exactly how it sounds (but a plush burrito of course). Game time is only 15 minutes with an objective to create as many card matches as possible while dodging flying burritos. With that being said, it’s probably best to not play this in the living room next to fragile heirlooms. Players must be quick to dodge, because if you’re hit you will receive a token that will subtract from your total points.
3) Actually Curious: The Original Curiosity Edition!
Actually Curious
amazon.com
$24.99
Actually Curious is a game that allows you to really get to know fellow competitors. Defined as “a game that creates a safe space for difficult conversations,” this 52 card deck of empathy uses a foundation of science and psychology to create meaningful interactions with one another. Players start with the blue cards and work their way up to the pink ones, which are classified as the most vulnerable.
4) Unstable Unicorns
Unstable Unicorns
amazon.com
$19.97
Unstable Unicorns has a grassroots start, being one of Kickstarter’s most backed projects. Players build a unicorn army and it’s every person for themself as you’ll “destroy your friendships but in a good way.” The objective is to be the first to garner seven unicorns in your stable. Players work against one another to downgrade, use magic and the most important card “Neigh!” to get ahead.
5) Pandemic
Z-Man Games
amazon.com
$32.99
There aren’t any secret alliances or broken friendships here. Pandemic is a strategic game where players work together to stop the world from being overtaken with various disease outbreaks. Each character has specific skills and players must quickly learn how to help one another while traveling to countries across the globe.
6) Backgammon
Get The Games Out
amazon.com
$54.99
Can't go wrong with a classic. Like many others on the list, it’s a game of strategy as much as it is luck.
7) Santorini
Spin Master
amazon.com
$29.49
Santorini is fittingly named after the beautiful town in Greece adorned with white buildings along the coast. Playing against an opponent or as a team, the objective of this game is to be the first to build the highest building (including a royal blue dome). Players can move up or down and in any adjacent direction, capitalizing on their real estate while also trying to block anyone else. God Cards are dealt at the beginning of every round and each one holds a different advantage.
8) Disney's Villainous
Ravensburger
amazon.com
$34.11
The bad guys are the main characters in Disney’s Villainous from Ursula, Captain Hook, Jafar, Maleficent and more. After choosing a character, each player has their own mini board, storyline and guide to defeat the game. Card decks include your favorite good guys too from Ariel to Aladdin and Peter Pan. With various extension packs and different characters, each play through can feel like a totally new game.
9) Ticket to Ride
Days of Wonder
amazon.com
$43.99
Ticket to Ride is a fast paced game that takes players across the country with a goal to create giant train lines as far as Portland to Miami. To start, everyone gets a designated color for their trains and Destination Tickets to complete. Competitors have the opportunity to cut those train lines around them short while creating their own paths.
10) Clue
Hasbro Gaming
Amazon
$5.50
Was it Professor Plum in the study with the candlestick? This whodunit game starts with a murder and each player is a suspect. Before reaching the confidential envelope in the center of the board (which is set up like a mansion including a kitchen and library), players must successfully identify who it was, where it happened, and what was the murder weapon. Perhaps the wrench? Body language is everything in this game so be sure not to reveal yourself.
Time to cut back on the screen time.