Anticipation, a bit of luck and calculating tactics are all the ingredients needed for a really good board game. Classics like Monopoly and Cops and Robbers have long been household names in the gaming world. But with new games being released at a rapid pace, it’s important to be able to navigate through different categories and genres. That’s why we’ve put together some tips on board games for different groups – you’ll find the list below!
Game expert and author Jimmy Wilhelmsson explains that board games can be divided into two different genres: American style and European style. With a focus on tactics, skill and scoring, Ticket to Ride or Puerto Rico are typical European-style games. Which genre is preferable is impossible to say, and it mostly depends entirely on the taste of the player.
– The American style is my personal preference. The games in this category are often heavily thematic and want you to take on the role of something – a bandit, a space traveler, or an oil tycoon. Often they involve more chance than brute skill. They also tend to create conflict between players and can sometimes drive a narrative,” says Jimmy Wilhelmsson, citing Risk and Dragon Castle as examples within the genre.
Difference between board games and board games
When talking about games, the terms ‘ board game‘, ‘family game’ and ‘ board game’ tend to be used interchangeably, and sometimes the boundaries between them are very fluid. The complexity of a game and the time it takes to play it can usually determine whether it is classified as a board game or a board game. Family games, on the other hand, can often be playful and simple while being suitable for young and old.
What is the difference between board games and board games?
– Generally speaking, a board game requires a board. In modern times, we tend to think that a board game is more for those who have games as a hobby, so-called gamers. A board game can then be assumed to have more advanced rules that focus more on tactics and strategy than on dice and luck,” says Jimmy Wilhelmsson and continues:
– Parlour games are often an easier game in terms of rules and often do not take as long, at least not the modern parlour games. Today, a game is often measured in time, how many hours it can be expected to take before a winner is declared. In the past, people played to pass the time – today we play more with the aim of investing our time. Parlour games now compete with things like Netflix, computer games and cooking. Time and inclusion are key elements.
Board games & board games for larger groups:
If you have more than six players, you may have to wait a long time for your turn. That’s why Jimmy Wilhelmsson recommends quick and easy board games that are suitable for several players, but can still be completed in half an hour at most.
Resistance
This is a game for five to ten players and is about a resistance movement to sabotage the government. However, some of the players are secret government agents and it is up to the “real” members of the resistance to reveal who they are before it is too late.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
One Night Werewolf was released in 2012 and allows up to seven players, but One Night Ultimate Werewolf actually allows up to ten players. In short, the game is all about bluffing and seeing through each other to identify who is a werewolf.
Board games & board games for two people:
7 Wonders Duel or Codenames: Duet
Both games are versions of multiplayer games(7 Wonders and Codenames), but specifically designed for two players only. The regular 7 Wonders is a card-based game for at least three players and involves developing your civilization and building wonders over three ages. The big difference in the two-player version is actually how you assign your cards. In Codenames, two teams first try to figure out which agents belong to each code name, but in Codenames: Duet, two players work together using similar game mechanics.
Carcassonne
This is a modern classic from 2001 for up to five players, but it works really well for two too. Players draw and place landscape tiles that score different points depending on how they are put together, and the winner is of course the one with the most points at the end.
The Lost Expedition
The Lost Expedition can also be played with more than two players, but in cooperative mode it may be easier to play with just two. The aim of the game is to find a lost ancient city before the hardships of the jungle kill all adventurers. Resources along the way include food and ammunition.
Board games & board games for the family:
The Mind
This is a game as simple as it is difficult, which may sound contradictory. Each player places cards numbered 1 to 100 in numerical order in a common pile – but no one is allowed to show their cards or communicate with the others in any way. The idea is that players get to know each other well enough to understand exactly when to place their cards.
Dixit
Players take it in turns to be the storyteller and say a made-up sentence about one of the cards in his or her hand, without showing the other players. The others should then choose the card in their hands that best matches this sentence. The cards are then given to the storyteller who shuffles them. All players then bet on which card was the storyteller’s, and points are awarded depending on who was right.
Robo Rally
Robo Rally simulates a kind of race between industrial robots in a closed factory. Each player must try to predict the fastest route to the goal – and then program their robot to get there. When all the robots execute their programs at the same time, it tends to be a lot of fun.
Amanda Blennborn, freelance journalist
