Board Game Recommendations

          One of my favorite things to do is play board games. They are competitive but fun. They exercise my brain by making me think about strategies that let me win. And I get to have fun with a bunch of other people. Some board games I like more than others, though. Right now, there are three board games that are definitely my favorites. I'm also including two card games I like. Here are the board games:

1. Settlers of Catan

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/settlers%20of%20catan

     Settlers of Catan is a game with the goal of getting the most resources, so you can build the most settlements and cities, which give you the points you need to win. The board is a group of hexagonal tiles that can be rearranged to make each game different. Each tile has a source of a resource and a chip with a number on it. When the number on the tile is rolled on a dice, the players with settlements or cities profit from it by gaining a card representing the resource by the tile. The combination of dice and card collecting make this game unlike any other I've played.


2. Risk 

http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/VirtualExhibits/

Whitehill/risk/game.jpg

     Risk is an older game game, invented 50-ish years ago, but it is still extremely fun. The goal of the game is to conquer the world, by battling with dice in each of the 42 territories. The more territories you conquer, the more armies you get each turn. Even if it sounds luck based, strategy is a major part. The player must decide which territories to conquer with their armies, where to leave their armies so they're boundaries are protected, and how many dice to roll in order to minimize their loss. Out of all the games  I've played, this could be my favorite.

Ticket to Ride

http://www.threedifferentdirections.com/storage/january-2012/ticket-to-ride-game-board.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327164944231

     This game is about connecting cities with train routes. The longer the distance between the cities, the more points you get. If you accomplish a longer string of routes, you get extra points. Claiming a route is hard, though. The player must collect matching cards to create the route. Some of the players want the same connection, and the player who doesn't get the route often has to go the long way around. This game is a simple but fun competition.



Now, here are the two card games:

1. Duple

     Duple is a fast-paced game. Cards are dealt out face up in front of each player. Each card has a symbol and a letter. When two players symbols match, the first person to say a word (within the category currently being used) with the two player's card's letters in it wins the round! This game requires quick-thinking skills and a big vocabulary.

2. Dominion

    I have only played Dominion once, but I found it extremely fun. It is fairly complicated, and a beginner might find it hard to remember the actions a player preforms. I would not recommend it to anybody who does not play board games much or doesn't enjoy them. If you plan to buy it and play it, I would try to figure it out with a few friends. The gameplay goes as follows: On your turn, you draw cards from your deck, and then use them. Action cards can be used at the beginning of your turn, then any money cards in your hand can be used to buy an action card, and then everything you bought or used goes into your discard pile, which then goes back in to you deck, and could come into your hand.

     I hope somebody finds this entry useful, or at least interesting. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.