Game Time

Although we have been feeding our LOST addiction (hello season 3), Michelle, the boys and I have actually been spending a lot more time with the TV off. Our new pastime that we are very enthusiastic about is playing boardgames. Recently, some friends of ours through church (thanks Paul and Kim) turned us on to a whole genre of games that aren’t widely known, although they are readily available. These boutique games (they are often called Euro-games, as many have been developed in Germany) are much more enjoyable then the old standard board games.

Say goodbye to Monopoly – these games take it to the HNL.

Our current favorite is Settlers of Catan. We have introduced this game to several couples who have, in turn, purchased it for themselves or returned to play again!

We also love the Carcassone series of games. These games are based on playing terrain tiles that have to be aligned on all edges with other tiles as they are played. It’s a great game for adults and kids too.

Both Carcassone and Settlers of Catan are great gateway games to introduce Euro-gaming to new players.

One of our newer games is Memoir ’44. This is a game based on the Allied – Axis theater of operations in Europe, during World War Two. Although it is just a two player game, we have played as teams at our family table. The boys love this game because it has highly detailed little “Army Men” style pieces which represent infantry, tanks, artillery, etc. This is a faster game too, as it can be played in under an hour.

Ticket to Ride is a great board game based on building train routes. We have the European map addition, but they have versions in the US and other scenarios. This game can be played in less than an hour and is a lot of fun.

These Euro-games are not available at normal retailers, although our city does have one dedicated game shop that carries them. They are easy to find online; however be prepared that they are more expensive than traditional board games. The best resource that I have found for purchasing Euro-games is http://www.empireboardgames.com/.

You can read ratings and reviews of just about any board game at

www.boardgamegeek.com.

I have to give honorable mention to another fun game that we've been playing. It's called Cathedral and it takes about 2 minutes to learn to play. A game can be completed in about 10 minutes or less and is enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

Think about trying some of these games out with your friends or family. They are a blast, and your TV won’t mind the night off.