Unlike most of the games we remember from our childhood, Pandemic is a cooperative game. That means that instead of playing each other, players band together to try and beat the game itself. This unique dynamic makes for a very fun game that’s perfect for people who don’t like confrontation and direct competition. In a sense, Pandemic is a game where players try to solve a difficult puzzle together. The theme of global diseases threatening humanity really gets the blood flowing! Pandemic is suitable for up to five players, and even works really well as a solo game.
Upon its release, Dominion ushered in a whole new genre of games: the deck-building game. In Dominion, you not only play the hand you’re dealt, you actually select which cards go in your deck. Dominion has very simple rules, making it easy to teach and learn, and it has many expansions too. The game doesn’t skimp either, with tons of cards included in the box, including 25 different types of action cards. Since you only play with a random set of ten each time, no two games are the same. The game tops out at 4 players, making it a perfect couples game!
Released in 2010, 7 Wonders has quickly become one of the most awarded games in history. What’s so great about it? For starters, you can ply with up to seven players, and the game still takes only about 30-45 minutes. That’s because in 7 Wonders, players take their turns simultaneously, so there’s never any waiting around. One minus: adding up the score at the end is easiest with a pencil and included score pad. If you’re playing on Shabbos, you may want to keep some poker chips or a deck of cards handy to help you with the math. The first game is also a little bewildering, so don’t be discouraged! Wonders is a well-designed, fast-paced game that plays equally well with as few as three or as many as seven players. There’s even rules for a 2-player game, but the game really shines with three or more. If you’d like to play with eight players, check out the Cities expansion.
Another “new classic” board game, Carcassonne is unusual because it doesn’t even have a board! Instead, like dominoes, players create the board while playing the game by laying tiles on the table. The tiles show roads, towns, and other features of the French city Carcassonne. Players earn points by placing pawns on the tiles to claim the roads, farms, towns, and cloisters. A fast-moving game, Carcassonne plays differently every time, and has a wide array of available expansions to keep things interesting. Got a bigger family or game group? The Inns and Cathedrals expansion lets you add a 6th player to the fun, and offers new rules for more advanced play.
The Good: |Board changes from game to game
|Short, quick turns so everyone stays invovled
|Quick and easy to teach and learn – great for new players!
|Tons of available expansions
If someone says “board game” and you think Monopoly and then groan, you should try Settlers of Catan. In Jewish neighborhoods around the world, Settlers has become a hugely popular Shabbos game for children and adults. What makes it so popular? Settlers is easy to teach and learn, the board changes with each game, making it fun to play over and over again, and it plays in about an hour, so the fun doesn’t run out before your patience does! In Settlers, there’s no fighting, and your gain isn’t always someone else’s loss, which makes it enjoyable even if you’re not the really competitive type. And with so many expansions available, there’s lots of variety if you ever grow bored. Settlers of Catan has changed the way people think about board games. A great start to your collection, and a wonderful gift for children ages 10 and up, as well as adults.
Expansions for this game include:
5-6 Player Expansion, City and Knights of Catan, and Seafarers of Catan
The Good: | Modular board of hex tiles means no two games are the same
| Lots of player interaction, trading, and negotiation
| Many paths to victory, many viable strategies
| Additional expansions available to extend the game
| Quick and easy to learn and teach – great game for new players!
The Bad: | Can only be played with 3 or 4 players. A 5-6 player expansion is available
expansion lets you add a 6th player to the fun, and offers new rules for more advanced play.
are also available.