#11 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday April 28)
Good morning!
A decade or so ago, Milton Bradley, known for its board games, encouraged “family game night.” I heartily support that notion (although, I note that the pandemic arguably made every night the opportunity for games). Last week, USA Today published a list of what it considered the 22 most popular board games. They based their analysis on sales, reviews and lists of popularity they accumulated. I agree with much of their list but divide them into a few categories, with some opinions sprinkled through…!
THE OLD CLASSICS
Chess
Checkers
Backgammon
Mah Jongg (curiously, not on the USA Today list—obviously the author never attended a Jewish women’s get-together)
WORDS AND NUMBERS
Scrabble
Boggle (not on the USA Today list)
GOING AROUND THE BOARD
Trouble
Sorry
Game of Life
Pacheesi (actually a classic and not on the USA Today list)
Oh Wah Ree (a game of African origin involving moving stones around a circular series of “pits.” It goes by other names as well)
These are basically games of moving pieces around the board…
THE RECENT CLASSICS
Clue
Connect Four
Pictionary
Trivial Pursuit
Rummikub (Andrea’s favorite and a Cayton family addiction)
Stratego (love Stratego—a far more sophisticated version of Battleship)
Battleship
SET (the card matching game at which Lauren has yet to lose—not on USA Today list). It’s easily transportable. Buy it. Seriously.
CLASSICS WHOSE WINNER IS KNOWN TOO EARLY
Monopoly
Risk
I put Monopoly and Risk in the category of great games that unfortunately quickly become lopsided and then drag on. There is a point in each where the inevitable economic takeover or geopolitical takeover of the world is inevitable…
FOR KIDS
Candyland
Chutes and Ladders
Operation
MODERN GREAT
Settlers of Catan
Similar to Risk, this also is a game where places are chosen and then a dice based, yet strategy-infused game plays out. Catan is different in that the perceived lead can wobble back and forth before a winner is evident. In Risk, the inevitability of a winner is apparent well before the final roll.
GAMES I’VE NEVER PLAYED
Blockus
Cranium
Othello
What are some other board games? I still think many of the 3M games were great—Acquire, Mr. President, Stocks & Bonds, Twixt, Facts in Five.
Gotta go and play a board game,
Glenn