First in an occasional series.
People often ask us about board games. Not that we’re particular experts, but because we have our ear to the ground in gaming circles. We branch out beyond Monopoly and Clue to European hits and intricate commodities-gathering. We have our favorite stores, including Griffon Books in South Bend, Ind., and Valhalla’s Gate in Columbia, Mo.
People often ask us about games that are good for friends and family: games that don’t require lengthy instructions, intense strategy, or tiresome gameplay for a novice. These games work well with various, often larger, numbers of people, and each can be played in less than an hour (which permits time for another game if the family enjoys it and wants to try again “now that we get it”). Here are the (i.e., my) top four casual games for friends and family, from all categories of games–“serious,” standard, and party (in no particular order).
Ticket to Ride
Days of Wonder
2-5 players
30-60 minutes
Collect train cars and complete routes across North America circa 1900. This low-maintenance game has only three possible actions you can perform on your turn, and you’ll generally only choose between two of them. It’s not terribly cut-throat, unless a route you’d like is suddenly taken or placed in danger by a competitor. Scoring may be a forgettable endeavor, but first-timers often win. (Purchasing tip: if a close friend owns Ticket to Ride, try Ticket to Ride Europe for some variety.)
Family Business
Mayfair Games
3-6 players
45-60 minutes
Protect your mafia’s family members while killing everyone else’s. This quick-play game of murder and intrigue is always a big hit, particularly with a large crowd; the closer to a full six players, the better. Explaining game play takes just a few minutes (even with many kinds of action cards), and, after a couple of times around, new players dive right into vengeance and payback. Plus, there’s enough luck to ensure that a new player can defeat a veteran any given day. (Purchasing tip: the second generation of Family Business has authentic portraits of mobsters, a much more compact box, and a new card or two. We own the first generation, pictured here, which has generic portraits of mobsters, a large box, and the “original” deck.)
Mille Bornes
Hasbro
2, 3, 4, or 6 players
30-60 minutes
This French racing game debuted in 1962. It might be a household name where you’re from, but for a lot of folks it’s not on the same shelf as Scrabble or Monopoly. This turn-based draw-and-play card game requires you (or your team) to race to 1000 miles before your opponent (or opposing team) does. Sure, it’s mostly luck, but it’s always been an enjoyable game to have around because of the speedy gameplay and enjoyable competition. Easy to learn, easy to score, and easy to make a comeback at the last minute. And family members always enjoy revenge in the form of an out of gas card, an accident, or a coup-fourré. The flexibility of gameplay is also a great feature: you can play one-on-one, one-on-one-on-one, two-on-two, or two-on-two-on-two. (Purchasing tip: splurge for the “Collector’s Edition,” which includes the original 60s artwork.)
iMAgiNiff
Buffalo Games
45-60 minutes
3-8 players
Sometimes, you want a game as intense as Taboo with the humor of Apples to Apples. Except that Taboo requires too much thinking and, well, Apples to Apples gets tiring if people always pick the “Hillary Clinton” card and you’re stuck with “fuzz.” iMAgiNiff is best with a group of eight people who know each other quite well. You roll and take turns picking one of your group to be the object of a question: if Emily were a computer part, could meet a famous dead person, were a color; and there are six answers. Everyone votes, and everyone who votes for the majority gets to advance. You can also have a “challenge,” where you try to match the same answer as someone else. Hearing how people explain their answers leads to the best conversation topics and laughter of the night.
The next topic in this series will discuss how to enter the “serious gamer” market in four easy steps.
I’m really struggling right now with a decision that I will share once I’ve really decided, but the gist is that I’m having a hard time feeling that my calling as a stay-at-home mom is worthy enough. Oh, I know it is, but when you’re disciplining for temper tantrums 20 times a day and seeing no fruit yet, it seems pretty unglamorous. But God knows where I’m at, and He really blessed me today at the playground. Tommy was running up and down ramps and turning the steering wheel and laughing, and suddenly I had this rush of joy–“This cute little dude is MINE, and I get to take him home and give him a bath tonight and tuck him in and see him again in the morning!” And then we got home and he wanted to brush his teeth at 11 in the morning, which was fine with me, and he was really sweet and cuddly before his nap. Thanks, Lord, for reminding me how much I love my son. 
Here’s Tommy just after his first act of support for the pro-life cause…
I was incapacitated with a cold earlier this week, and the only way I managed to keep Tommy in one place, out of mischief, was to pull up some videos from his first birthday party. He asked to put on my headset, too, so he sat on my lap looking like a little computer nerd and watched himself and Laine opening his presents. Over and over again. Other favorite home movies–playing in the bathtub, eating his birthday cake, and taking his first piano lesson from Uncle Peter. Next time I need a break, we’re going to watch youtube videos of his friend Margaret…keeping up with your buddies is better than tv, right?
