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By: Olaf Pyttlik Posted: 2:01 AM CST Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021
Families throughout the province are preparing for holiday gatherings, friends are planning get-togethers and almost everyone is giving some serious thought about finding the right gifts for those close to us.
Families throughout the province are preparing for holiday gatherings, friends are planning get-togethers and almost everyone is giving some serious thought about finding the right gifts for those close to us.
Even though this is still not a time to gather without any restrictions, most of us will be able to spend some time with the people we love in person. Somehow it feels less isolating than the last two years around this time.
Board games might be the perfect addition to this period of re-connecting. They might allow us to spend some quality time together, share some laughs and to provide fun-filled entertainment that — hopefully — might let us forget the struggle of the last months for a few moments.
If you are looking for some new game ideas that might help to spread some joy to the people close to you, then here are some of my suggestions.
I sincerely hope that your Holidays will be filled with laughter and love!
If you are planning or attending a gathering with a larger and diverse group of people, then these titles might be a great addition everyone can enjoy, even if they are novice gamers. They are easy to learn and offer speedy game play.
3-6 players, ages 10 and up
A co-operative word association game for the whole family. Get Keywords and secretly write their common features on your Clover board; these are your Clues. Then work together to try to figure out each player’s Keywords.
3-12 players, ages 8 and up
Dixit has been one of my favourite family games for a while. Dixit — Odyssey is the same game, but it allows for up to 12 players. It is easy to learn and encourages imagination through beautiful artwork.
4-12 players, ages 10 and up
A classic party game where everyone writes a response to a particular prompt, such as “Things… you shouldn’t put in your mouth,” and the players then try to guess which player wrote which response.
4-12 players, ages 10 and up
A great choice if you have a group who wants to get playing without too much explanation. The active player(s) are trying to make everyone guess a word by placing tokens next to different images. The combination of these clues will form the word. I.e. Animal-small-flying-yellow-black = Bumble Bee. See, it’s easy.
These games are designed to be played with younger children, but they still allow for interesting and fun gameplay if adults would like to join in.
2-4 players, ages 5 and up
An elegant adaptation of the popular Kingdomino game for a younger audience. Place domino style tiles to create a landscape for your dragons that will give you the most points. Winner of the ‘Kinderspiel des Jahres’ 2021.
2-6 players, ages 4 and up
A fast reaction game where players try to gather the most magnetic tiles that represent a certain symbol as fast a possible.
2-4 players, ages 6 and up
A great introduction to the game of Catan for younger audiences. Same great game idea that offers a simplified ruleset.
2-6 players, ages 6 and up
The visually beautiful memory and matching game with a fairytale theme. Offers different sets of rules for various levels of game play.
These titles are wonderful gaming options for family units or a smaller group of friends.
2-4 players, ages 8 and up
A charming dice rolling and building game. Sell your goods to the local market and try to build the most lucrative way to earn points by buying new improvements to your farm.
2-4 players, ages 8 and up
Experience the colourful and crafty world of fibre arts. Buy yarn and follow the patterns to make cuddly bears, warm blankets, and cozy scarves. When the project list runs out, the crafter with the most points wins!
THE QUEST FOR EL DORADO
2-4 players, ages 10 and up
A great game that serves as an introduction to the mechanics of deck-building. Be the first explorer to find a path through the unexplored terrain.
2-4 players, ages 7 and up
Labyrinth has long been one of my staple games to bring out with friends and family. This new 3D version adds some new elements to the gameplay. A great path-planning game for any age.
There are a plethora of excellent games that come in small sizes. The following titles are less than $20 retail and make great stocking stuffers or bring-along gifts.
2-5 players, ages 8 and up
A quick-playing roll and write game that lets everyone participate, no matter whose turn it is.
2-5 players, ages 8 and up
Players have 15 numbered cards. In each round each player chooses one card in order to win the current points — or to avoid negative points. The trick is to figure out what card to play at what time.
2-6 players, ages 10 and up
Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday.
A wonderful card game that comes in a small package. Players play cards with different abilities to outwit their opponents in trying to get a letter to the princess.
3-5 players, ages 8 and up
A new twist on card games, because you can only play cards that touch each other… but you can’t rearrange your hand. So, play cards that push your remaining cards together in just the right ways, and add cards in just the right spots.
Olaf Pyttlik is a Winnipeg board game enthusiast and co-owner of Across the Board Game Café.
Olaf Pyttlik Board Game Columnist
Olaf Pyttlik is a Winnipeg board game enthusiast and co-owner of Across the Board Game Cafe.
Read full biography
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