Favorite (non-computer) games

[Maister]

Lots of folks enjoy card or board games like Uno, Scrabble, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Pit, and Monopoly. Several months ago we started a family game night where one night a week we gather round the kitchen table after dinner and play a couple of games before Junior gets ready for bed. I must say it seems to have helped him learn to be a better loser (still working on the being a better winner part), not to mention its enjoyable 'quality' time we get to spend together; pretty much an essence of life kinda thing. We recently taught him Uno, and he really enjoys a charades-type game, as well as a toy/game called "Elefun" and another called "Lets go Fishing" (he also loves to fish in real life). I'm looking forward to the day when he's old enough to play more complex games like Monopoly, Risk, or even Axis & Allies.

As a geeky teen, I grew up playing lots of Avalon Hill games. Ones like Squad Leader, Third Reich, 1776, Diplomacy, Civilization (yes, the board game that was invented years before Sid Meier came along), or Stalingrad. About the same time I same time I played Dungeons & Dragons too (up until maybe high school freshman year).

These days when we have company over, we'll sometimes play cards either Euchre, or a game with a special deck called Wizard.

How about you, were any of you active board or card gamers in your youth? Anyone else have family game night? Any avid card players?

[WSU MUP Student]

Monopoly and Risk are my favorite board games and have been for years. When I was in junior high, my mom and I would play those most weekday evenings. My dad would try to play too but I think he would intentionally throw the game so he could be the first one done. When I was in elementary school I always liked Clue but as I grew up, and my siblings no longer wanted to play, and it was just me and mom, it wasn't quite as fun. When I was in high school me and a buddy went on a Yahtzee kick where we would probably play a thousand games over the course of a weekend. At one point his older sister got so annoyed with us that she grabbed the cup and threw all the dice out into the backyard so we had to go raid all the other board games in the house for more dice. Even now my wife and I play Yahtzee quite a bit.

I always enjoy trivia and Trivial Pursuit can be fun, but it's really best at a party or with a bunch of people.

When I was in the Marines and home on leave one time and all my friends were away at school and I was pretty bored, my mom taught me to play backgammon. I had never played it before but it was super easy to pick up. After I returned to base I bought a backgammon set and was playing with everybody I could.

My mom and I would also play gin and gin-rummy for hours on end in the summers when I was home from school. We used to try to keep adding on to the same scores the entire season. Generally, after about a week or two, the scores would become so lopsided that we would start over.

[Gedunker]

When I was a wee lad, mom had the original Danish version of the game "Memory" known as "Husker du?" (which I've occasionally seen it called here in the States). As I got older, we became addicted to Scrabble. With a brother that is a journalist and an elementary school teacher for a sister, it was stiff competition.

We played the usual games with our kids and they have now grown into Scrabble fiends. I've been pretty much untouchable, but they are getting much closer now and it's only a matter of time ... Then we'll see if I can be a good loser.

[Tide]

Axis and Allies
Settlers of Catan
Ticket to Ride
Carcassonne

Monopoly is so last century - today's best games don't rely on beating your opponent into a pulp. This article describes the negative user experience for Monopoly, and many of the games developed in the 1900's where dice determined your turn and there was little to no interaction and the game was mostly luck. Trouble, Sorry, even Candy Land is based on this model. - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...112404140.html

" In Monopoly, much depends on luck; strategic decisions are limited; once someone has Boardwalk and Park Place, it's hard to beat them; there's little to keep you occupied when it's not your turn; and you can keep playing for hours after it has become clear who's going to win. A game of Monopoly can take three or four hours, and many players, especially adults, will be bored much of the time. Idleness may not have been an acute problem in 1935, but in 2010, it's a fatal flaw."

[btrage]

Not an exhaustive list:

As a kid:

Stratego
Risk
Axis & Allies
Candy Land
Chutes & Ladders
Checkers
Battleship
Life


Now:

Chess
Scattergories
Trivial Pursuit
Tribond
Taboo
Pass The Popcorn
Logo
Euchre

[hilldweller]

My cousins and I used to spend hours playing an old 1960s version of Acquire my grandparents had. I loved that game, it was sort of a mix between Monopoly and Risk.

[Hink]

Outside fun was the best...

- Capture the flag.
- Kick the can.

Inside fun included:

- Life
- Clue (my personal favorite)
- Parcheesi

[Salmissra]

We had family night long before it was something that had to be advertised. With two working parents, 3 active kids, and lots of demands on our time, my parents decided one weekend night would be family night.

The overwhelming number 1 choice of game to play: Rummy - the tile version. We still play when any 3 of us get together, and spouses are dragged along (my brother-in-law is quite good).

We also played Uno, Skip-Bo, Hearts, and Trivial Pursuit. We always had to handicap dad on Trivial Pursuit - he would win in one or two turns and then lord it over the rest of us.

With my friends and cousins we also played Chinese Checkers, War, Backgammon and Hide-n-Seek.

I would be hard-pressed to play Skip-Bo these days. Haven't seen it in stores and I don't remember the rules.

[btrage]

We had family night long before it was something that had to be advertised. With two working parents, 3 active kids, and lots of demands on our time, my parents decided one weekend night would be family night.

The overwhelming number 1 choice of game to play: Rummy - the tile version. We still play when any 3 of us get together, and spouses are dragged along (my brother-in-law is quite good).

We also played Uno, Skip-Bo, Hearts, and Trivial Pursuit. We always had to handicap dad on Trivial Pursuit - he would win in one or two turns and then lord it over the rest of us.

With my friends and cousins we also played Chinese Checkers, War, Backgammon and Hide-n-Seek.

I would be hard-pressed to play Skip-Bo these days. Haven't seen it in stores and I don't remember the rules.

My wife introduced me to Skip-Bo and Phase 10. We've started playing with the girls. They're perfect to take on trips.

[ursus]

Outside fun was the best...

- Capture the flag.
- Kick the can.

Inside fun included:

- Life
- Clue (my personal favorite)
- Parcheesi

If you add UNO and Risk to the inside games and "Follow the Judge" to the outside games this is my list as well.

My brother and I would sometimes have marathons of "Stratego" games. Brutal. My daughter Hailyn (Madam President) is getting quite good at chess, beats me up at the lake sometimes.

[Maister]

My cousins and I used to spend hours playing an old 1960s version of Acquire my grandparents had. I loved that game, it was sort of a mix between Monopoly and Risk.

Oh man, I still have an old copy of Acquire. Haven't played it for decades. Maybe I oughta blow the dust off and become a hotel magnate once again.

[Coragus]

I haven't played in a couple years, but Warhammer Fantasy. I haven't really played a traditional board or card game in years.

I have roleplayed GURPS and Amber in the last couple years, and that was all right too. I used to play a crapload of RPGs.

/two-time past president of my college's Gaming Society

[WSU MUP Student]

I haven't played in a couple years, but Warhammer Fantasy. I haven't really played a traditional board or card game in years.

I have roleplayed GURPS and Amber in the last couple years, and that was all right too. I used to play a crapload of RPGs.

/two-time past president of my college's Gaming Society

I guess that explains your avatar here...

I played a lot of GURPS and some D&D when I was in high school. I always liked GURPS a lot more, probably because I didn't really much care for the fantasy aspect/genre of D&D.

[terraplnr]

" In Monopoly, much depends on luck; strategic decisions are limited; once someone has Boardwalk and Park Place, it's hard to beat them; there's little to keep you occupied when it's not your turn; and you can keep playing for hours after it has become clear who's going to win. A game of Monopoly can take three or four hours, and many players, especially adults, will be bored much of the time. Idleness may not have been an acute problem in 1935, but in 2010, it's a fatal flaw."

This is how I felt about Risk growing up… it would start out full of promise but always turn into the longest game ever.


I have fond memories of playing Euchre every time we visited my mom’s parents, and a card game called Pounce at my dad’s parents. My dad had a big family so we’d sometimes have 8 people playing Pounce at the same time (each person needs their own deck of cards, so that was the limiting factor). My siblings, my dad, and I still play it sometimes.

For board games these days I like Trivial Pursuit and Balderdash if there are enough adults around to play.

[Mud Princess]

Oh, I loved board games when I was a kid! Monopoly... Clue... Life... Parcheesi... Masterpiece - anyone remember that one? I learned a lot about art history from that game. I'm sure there were other board games my friends and I played back in the late '60s and early 1970s. I used to play cards with my grandparents; they taught me gin rummy and rummy 500, which I loved.

In my 20s, I played Trivial Pursuit once in awhile. There was one guy, the best friend of my boyfriend at the time, who I really disliked playing, because he knew all the answers. It was unreal! Years later, he went on Jeopardy! and won about $65,000.

My husband and I have a Yahtzee set that we take with us when we go camping (and apparently forget about the rest of the time ). I love Scrabble, but my sister is the only person who ever wants to play. I considered joining a Scrabble meetup group just for fun.

[Brocktoon]

I haven't played in a couple years, but Warhammer Fantasy. I haven't really played a traditional board or card game in years.

I have roleplayed GURPS and Amber in the last couple years, and that was all right too. I used to play a crapload of RPGs.

/two-time past president of my college's Gaming Society

Axis and Allies was my favorite game as a child. I thought Risk was lame and Monopoly was okay. I did a lot of role playing as a from 14-17. AD&D, Cyber Punk, Rifts Robotech tech and many other Pallidium games were all in the mix. I played Magic a little but after a few games it grew boring. I have some friends that still do RPG but it does not sound like much fun.

Since then I have not played many games outside of an occasional Trivial Pursuit game. Several years ago I beat my wife at Scrabble (she is a high school English teacher) and that was hte first and last time we played. She got too competitive and was pissed that I beat her at Scrabble. As many of my posts suggest I am a poor speller and given the fact the win was a blow out and her obivous advantages made the drubbing an embarassing affair and hence we no longer play games.

[imaplanner]

I was never into board games and as much as I want to like Chess I just can never beat anyone in that game. I like Backgammon alot though.

[Whose Yur Planner]

Growing up, it was rummy, sorry, monopoly, uno, clue and mille bornes.

[Rygor]

We have about 30 board games at my house. My all time favorites have to be Trivial Pursuit, Axis and Allies, and Risk. I once played a game of Axis and Allies game with a friend that lasted for 30 straight hours before we were too tired to continue. I've heard Settlers of Catan is a good game and I've wanted to try.

Some favorite ones for parties are Apples to Apples, Cranium, and Battle of the Sexes. I've never really been big on Monopoly or other games that are almost all reliant on luck. Give me a true strategy game or one that requires intellect and skill any day. Of course, card games and dominoes never go out of style.