Board/Card Game Recommendations Needed

[Maveric]

My brother has recently instituted Family Gaming night for his family after a recently obtaining an awesome boardgame that I gave to him as a christmas gift.

I purchased the deluxe version of Kill Dr. Lucky boardgame which is like the anti-version of the CLUE boardgame.




As I mentioned above, it was a big hit with my brother's family and they want me to find some other "fun" games for them. They have played out the old usual standard boardgames like Monolpoly, Trivia Pursuit, Clue, Outburst, Uno, Phase 10, Miles Borne, etc, and are looking for unfamiliar alternatives like Kill Dr. Lucky.

I was actually thinking of trying this game below, but was a little worried that it might be a little too "dark" for the younger family members...




Anyways,thought I would ask the gaming Gurus if they had any fun alternative Board/Card games suggestions. What do you guys recommend and preferably why?

-Mav

[Embic]

One of my old favourites is the Farming Game

http://www.farmgame.com/tfg.htm

I grew up in a rural/farming area so i always thought it was kind of a neat idea for a game. I also like how it states in the rules that you can make up your own if you want and if some one is going broke they can trade with you and what not then you totally rape and pillage them lol.

[spectre]

Try Rail Baron. It's like Monopoly but it requires more strategy.

[rlbond86]

A really excellent boardgame is Settlers of Catan -- it's sort of complex at first but it's a great "introduction" to serious board games. Another really good boardgame is Blokus. You can't go wrong with either one.

[Gonain]

Your choice of boardgame depends on the type of gamers they are and how young the youngest player is.

I would avoid Lunch Money. The "dark, psychological images" aren't very exciting, the gameplay isn't nearly as fast paced and exciting as it could be. The game feels like it focused so much on flavor that they forgot about gameplay. The only aspect I enjoyed about the game was the designer made all the art by photographing his daughter and editing the pictures. Even then, the art gets sort of boring when you see the same girl in every picture in black+ a shade of blue/red/green.

If you are looking for a very fast paced game for all ages, I would suggest Fluxx 3.1. It has the simpliest set of rules ever.

You start with 3 cards in hand and each turn a player draws 1 card and plays 1 card. The cards you play will add new rules to the game, produce certain effects like everyone trading hands and playing cards that determine what you need to do to win the game.

I've never played Blokus before, but I agree with rlbond86 on Settlers of Catan. The goal is to reach a certain number of victory points, victory points are determined by what you have in play, ie each settlement you control is worth 1 point. You build roads, settlements and cities towards ports and other parts of the map to gather resources to develop your board and race to get the most victory points. There is an extremely heavy focus on trading other resources with players to meet your goals and it's very easy to pick up. I've seen many kids as young as 6 learn the game relatively quickly.

Settlers will never grow old because the board is made up of numerous hexagonal pieces that can be arranged to make new maps, the possibilities for these maps are endless and add a large amount of variety to the game. If your playgroup ever decide the game isn't complicated enough, there are numerous expansions that add entire layers of gameplay. Barbarians that attack the towns, knights to defend them, upgrades that give you special actions such as an extra resource if you didn't produce any that turn etc.

Be warned that the game can be quite expensive. The basic game can support 3-4 players and it costs about 40 dollars. Then there is the Cities and Knights expansion, the 5-6 player expansion and Seafarers which will run you another 40 dollars each. Most people will play the base game for a few weeks, realize they love it and buy Cities and Knights + the 5-6 player expansion. I've never played Seafarers, but everyone I've spoken to never recommends it. Whatever you do, don't try the other spinoffs they made like Spacefarers and Settlers of the Stone Age, they are cute the first time you play them, but after that you will probably never touch it again.

Carcasonne is another really popular title I've never really seen anyone dislike. Each turn players pick up a face down tile and add it to the board like a jigsaw piece then they play a guy to farm or build among other roles I can't remember off the top of my head. For builders, when a set of tiles completes the art for a town, all the builders return to the players that were part of that town and they get points based on how big it is and what tiles were used. The game takes minutes to learn and has quite a bit of longevity. I've been just playing the base game with no expansions for years now and it hasn't grown old yet. I believe you can buy the game with expansions included in a nice wooded box and felt bag which adds new tiles that add a bit more complexity to the game.

After they tried those, if they want more advanced games, my favorite two titles are Peurto Rico and Tigris and Euphrates. I don't think I'd ever suggest those to groups that haven't already gotten into the genre and become a little bit more serious. A common problem with board games is that when you play a very advanced game like Peurto Rico with a mix of casual and serious players, the weakest casual player will determine the outcome of the game and you are better off playing a less strategic title like the games previously listed.

I'm probably boring you now, I could go on all day about games worth trying. My favorites are Settlers of Catan /w Cities and Knights, Carcasonne, Carcasonne Hunters and Gatherers (pretty much the same thing as Carcasonne), Fluxx 3.1, Peurto Rico, Tigris and Euphrates (I don't own this one but I play it frequently). Games I enjoy, but haven't purchased (mostly because friends own them) are Ticket to Ride, Alhambra, Chrononauts, Three Dragon Ante and Chez Geek(not really suitable for youngsters).

[mixedmedia]

...ehhhh, me and my kids have endless amounts of fun with Life and Sorry.

I guess we're old-fashioned.

[Siege]

I think what spec actually means is

Originally Posted by spectre

Try Rail Baron. It's like Monopoly but it requires <strike>more</strike> strategy.

I personally suggest cranium and good 'ol chess.

[shoegirl]

I'll agree with Settlers of Catan - it's just a great game. If you're looking for something really simple but tons of fun, I'd try Apples to Apples. I'd never head of the game until I got it for Christmas - but given the right crowd, it can be really enjoyable and pretty hilarious.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by shoegirl

I'll agree with Settlers of Catan - it's just a great game. If you're looking for something really simple but tons of fun, I'd try Apples to Apples. I'd never head of the game until I got it for Christmas - but given the right crowd, it can be really enjoyable and pretty hilarious.

Apples to Apples is a favorite around here. Pretty much everyone I know has a set, so we play at family gatherings, at parties, etc. Lots of fun.

[ratbastid]

"Kill Doctor Lucky" is a production of Cheapass Games. I've never seen that deluxe version before, but I sort of object to it on principle: the whole idea of Cheapass Games is that we all have hundreds of little pieces and pawns and dice laying around, and they figured they could make just the parts you need to play their game (map, cards, etc) and sell them in paper envelopes with hand-drawn art, and sell them at like $5 a pop.

"Kill Doctor Lucky" is one of my favorites of theirs. "Save Doctor Lucky" is fun too--the same gameplay, but all the actions are reversed. You have cards to make save attempts, and you can only make a save attempt when you're alone in a room with the doctor. More silly humor, same great gameplay.

You also might also try "Deadwood!", which is set in the in a studio that produces cheap Wester movies. "Bitin' Off Hedz" is fun too; you're a dinosaur with a very small brain racing to be the first to hurl himself into the volcano, and biting off the heads of your opponents all along the way. Also, if you can find it, "Devil Bunny Needs a Ham" is a sure winner--the plot of that one is self-explanatory. Also don't miss "Give Me The Brain", the zombie fast food card game. Great stuff.

http://www.cheapass.com (They also have several free games for download to tide you over until your order gets delivered!)

[kurty[B]]

I'll put my vote in for Settlers of Catan.

[m0rpheus]

Fluxx and Chrononaughts both by Looney Labs
http://www.looneylabs.com/OurGames/P...nfo/index.html

both are fun fast paced games and hey playing Chrononaughts the kids might actually learn some history by mistake

[Kalnaur]

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great game that changes each time it is played. It is, however, based in the themes of classic horror/thriller movies, so not for all ages. It can be found at it's cheapest at Toys R Us. Also, the Lord of the Rings Boardgame (not the movie one, the one designed by Reiner Knizia) is a great game to play with a family because it is a co-operative effort (unless you purchase the add-on that allows one character to play the forces of darkness).

Betrayal is ages 10+, LotR is 12+. I just looked.

[ratbastid]

Originally Posted by Kalnaur

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great game that changes each time it is played.

It could be that I only played it once, but I wasn't all that impressed with Betrayal. The main gameplay hook is that one of the players is really the evil person, and at some point that's revealed. Sort of clever, but the finite plotlines sort of lock you into a set of standard games. :shrug:

[Kalnaur]

Originally Posted by ratbastid

It could be that I only played it once, but I wasn't all that impressed with Betrayal. The main gameplay hook is that one of the players is really the evil person, and at some point that's revealed. Sort of clever, but the finite plotlines sort of lock you into a set of standard games. :shrug:

Do you remember what scenario you got? Because I must admit that while playing the game is fun (and being the eventual betrayer is even more fun) that there are some pretty meh scenarios of the 50 they give you. However on the whole, the ones I have played have had enough variation to be fun. I've collapsed a house into Hell, killing my fellow players. I've beaten Death at chess with an old priest. I've commanded the Frankenstein Monster. I've helped kill a giant Oruboros. And killed the evil semi-immortal killer Crimson Jack. It is a kill or be killed game, mainly, but the fun lies somewhat in the people playing the game as well as what scenario.

[Cynosure]

If they really enjoyed Kill Doctor Lucky, then they will probably enjoy this other Clue-like game: Mystery of the Abbey. All the more so if one or more of the players enjoyed the movie (and/or the novel) The Name of the Rose. Note, however, that, like Kill Doctor Lucky, that Mystery of the Abbey is a more sophisticated and involved game than Clue.

Here's an image of the box back of Mystery of the Abbey...

Originally Posted by Maveric

I was actually thinking of trying [Lunch Money], but was a little worried that it might be a little too "dark" for the younger family members...

Not only is that game indeed too dark for younger family members, but I hear it isn't a good game, to begin with. (Me, I've never played it.) The comment about it I hear most is: "Novel and darkly amusing theme, but the actual gameplay involving it is mediocre at best."

Originally Posted by ratbastid

It could be that I only played it once, but I wasn't all that impressed with Betrayal.

Me neither, and I generally enjoy any kind of board game that is rich with theme and atmosphere.

Something else to note: If your group consists of non-roleplaying gamers, board games like Betrayal at House on the Hill will likely go over like a lead balloon. (Not that that was me and my group's problem with this particular board game.)

[sapiens]

I will second Carcasonne. Also consider Ticket to Ride. It's a fun, train related board game that has won many awards. If you haven't already checked it out, you might browse http://www.boardgamegeek.com for reviews of boardgames.

[telekinetic]

Originally Posted by Maveric

My brother has recently instituted Family Gaming night for his family after a recently obtaining an awesome boardgame that I gave to him as a christmas gift.

I purchased the deluxe version of Kill Dr. Lucky boardgame which is like the anti-version of the CLUE boardgame.

As I mentioned above, it was a big hit with my brother's family and they want me to find some other "fun" games for them. They have played out the old usual standard boardgames like Monolpoly, Trivia Pursuit, Clue, Outburst, Uno, Phase 10, Miles Borne, etc, and are looking for unfamiliar alternatives like Kill Dr. Lucky.

I was actually thinking of trying this game below, but was a little worried that it might be a little too "dark" for the younger family members...

Anyways,thought I would ask the gaming Gurus if they had any fun alternative Board/Card games suggestions. What do you guys recommend and preferably why?

-Mav

I used to work as the assistant manager at a board game store, and probably have 30 board games that i picked up while working there.

The game i pull out the most to play with people who I'm not sure like 'hardcore' games is Ticket To Ride (can be taught easily, tons of different strategies and fun, and easy to play with anyone who can play monopoly or clue).

Settlers of Catan is great fun, once everyone gets into it...everyone even remotly into board games should really own this.

Apples to Apples is a good game to play with non-gamers...not what I'd roll out on Family Game night, though.

A less dark alternative to Lunch Money that I have a ton of fun with is a card game called Kung Fu Fighting!

http://www.slugfestgames.com/products/cards/kungFF.html

It's a blast with 2 to 6 people, and it's still only $20. I used to sell a ton of them.

[georgeofjungle3]

Betryal is alot of fun, but yes it does have it's clunker scenarios.
Chrononauts is a lot of fun, but it always seems to take a couple games for a new player to really get a feel for it.
I get a kick out munchkin, even comes in multiple flavors.
Corprate shuffle while hard to find, is a fun version of the great dalmuti.
Robo rally is a fun game that has a lot of replayability.
Bang is a fun bluffing game in the old west.
I recently played hex hex, which is pretty easy, fun and quick.
illuminati is a fun game that if you allow it can be a very political back stabbing good time
flux is fun in short bursts, but i find it a little to random for long play times.
Monsters menace america is kind of fun, if your into giant movie monsters.
Zombies can also be fun, but sometimes if the dice turn against you it's just a long painful grind.

If your not opposed to just two player games i can name several really good ones.
Off the top of my head theres' abalone, quarto, and polarity.

[SexyCat]

I suggest the card game Pit, it's easy to learn and super fun