On both sides of my family, we play games. Board games, or card games, we love getting around a table for some fun. I thought I would let you in on some of our favorites. Maybe some of you play the same games, or if there is something different you like, post it so we can all have new ideas for the holidays!
1. Settlers Of Catan and Expansions
Now this is THE NUMBER ONE pick on Russ' side of the family. We all have our own boxes, because we were tired of hauling them around to each others places. We have since gotten most of my family in on this craze as well.
This is the board game to end all board games. EVERY SINGLE GAME IS DIFFERENT !! See, each one of those pieces is separate, and the board gets put together like a puzzle everytime you play. Hence a new game everytime. It involves strategy and thinking ahead, but is simple enough to learn and TONS of fun. There are also expansions that you can add on and we have a couple of those too.
These are the two expansions we have, Seafarers and Cities and Knights. I DISLIKE Cities and Knights because is is to cut throat for me, but we use Seafarers everytime we play. This is a 4 person game, but there is another expansion to play with 6 players that I also use.
2. Uno
A classic card game that we play different versions of to make more exciting. We do play the original way, but most often we play "Jump In" Uno. In that version, if you have the same color and number (or weapon) card as the one just played, you can place it down, even if it is NOT your turn. So if someone put down a red 5, and you have one, youcan quickly get your card down and the play then continues from you. Everyone in between you and the previous card player skip their turn. For weapon cards, let's say that YOU put down a +4 card. If someone else "jumps in", the person beside them would pick up 8, if someone else jumps in it would be 12. The original card layer could end up adding 16 cards to his hand if everyone "jumped in". The +2 cards are the same way. Makes for a much more lively game ... hehehe. Almost unlimited in the number of people that can play.
3. Dutch Blitz
This is a fast paced game all on its own and can cause sore hands. I recommend taking off jewelry to play, but don't let the scare you. This game is worth the effort to play. Though it is technicaly a game for only 4 people, we often play in pairs so that more of us can join in the fun. This card game often finds a way to the bigger family gatherings (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.), so that everyone can have a go. In pairs, one person does the flipping pile and one person does the deck. I can say that 4 eyes are usually much better than 2, but don't play against my mom. She NEVER loses !!
4. Ticket To Ride (Nordic Countries)
This game is new to me, having only played it a couple times. I loved it so much, though, that I went and bought it the day after I learned to play it!! It is kind of like Settlers, in that it is a new game everytime, but it is a bit easier to learn. I just HAD to bring it to the rest of the gatherings that I have this year ... hehehe. Since I have only played it twice (once by myself and I WON), I can't really comment too much except to say that if you like Settlers, you are going to LOVE this one.
I hope this gives you some new ideas for games, or resurrects memories of times gone by. I also hope it encourages you to spend some time around your table with loved ones and have a few good laughs! Tootles, have fun and happy gaming!
Your Dutch Blitz sounds like a card game our family played called "Nuts". Very fast-paced in pairs or singles. Clip your nails and take off rings! Sequence, Uno, Skipbo, Scrabble...to name just a few.
Posted by: Ellen Wright | January 07, 2011 at 07:48 PM
I got my 14 yr. old grandson Settlers of Catan for Christmas. It was on his wishlist and I figured a board game was a good gift. I get tired of seeing my grandkids with the electronic games.
Posted by: Gail S. | January 02, 2011 at 08:15 PM
Settlers and Ticket to Ride are both our favourites too! I've never heard of dutch blitz though, so based on your tastes, I should probably try it straight away!
Posted by: Kylie | December 26, 2010 at 02:38 PM
We love to have family game nights/days. We love Settlers of Catan! Such a fun game. We also like Valley of the Pharaohs and a new one we we just got, Tobago.
Uno is always a fun one, too. My 7 year old son and I love to play that. :)
Posted by: Lori A. | December 25, 2010 at 08:16 PM
Drove over 50 miles just to get this game (Dutch Blitz) for my 18 year old daughter for Christmas. (Not that I minded - there were other things in the Amish town that I wanted also.)
Hope you and your boys have a very Merry CHRISTmas!
P.Wittenbach
Posted by: Phyllis Wittenbach | December 24, 2010 at 03:40 PM
I love Ticket to Ride! It is so much fun. I will try the Dutch Bliss. I think that sounds like so much fun, too. My family are big board game nuts, especially my daughter and her husband Greg.
Posted by: Shelley Williams | December 24, 2010 at 08:27 AM
I love Dutch Blitz & Ticket to Ride (though I haven't played the Nordic version) I have a group of friends who get together atleast once a month to play board games. One of our friends is a BIG gamer and has introduced to many games I'd never heard of before. We use many of these games at the daycare where I work and the kids LOVE them! Carcassone is a good one - works well from ages 5 and up. Pandemic is ALOT of fun, Alhambra, Power Grid, Chinatown, Mamma Mia, Cartegena, Puerto Rico. We have a local "small" game store here in Surrey, BC that carries many of these. If you are interested, you can check them out at http://www.cravingforagame.ca -The owner of the store is great at explaining games to you and helping you find what you are looking for. He also has an area for you to "rent" games to try out and if you buy it, your rental fee goes towards the cost.
Posted by: Theresa | December 23, 2010 at 09:59 PM
We love so many games, but one of our favorites that I haven't seen mentioned is "Apples to Apples". Teens especially love this one and it is so very very easy to learn.
This year I bought a game called "Bubble Talk" that has been highly rated and is similar to Apple to Apples.
Fun topic. Thanks for bringing it up and have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season.
Posted by: Teryl | December 23, 2010 at 09:03 PM
What a great idea to share family traditions with us readers Julie. We are already feeling like a part of your extended family with all that you have shared with us. OK, so my kids are grown but we love to eat home made snacks and play Pictionary on Christmas Eve. Girls and guys always mkes it more fun, but only when the guys are ready to get Beat!!
Posted by: Carri McMullen | December 23, 2010 at 08:06 PM
Settlers of Catan is one of our favourites too. If you like that I would also suggest Carcasonne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne_%28board_game%29). I think I might like it more than Settlers, but they are both great games!
Lost Cities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Cities:_The_Board_Game) is a wonderful two person game, but can't be played with larger groups.
We have also just got Pandemic (an interesting cooperative game) and I bought my husband Power Grid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Grid) for Christmas based on rave reviews online and a recommendation from the staff at the store.
Posted by: Tamara | December 23, 2010 at 06:47 PM
I also love sequence as I can see quite a few others do. That game is awesome. Another game I love is Quelf! This game is a must have as it is sooooooooooo much fun. This game will get anyone laughing. You do have to play it with the right crowd as it gets you doing weird things like getting up and dancing for 30 seconds with whoever is on your left, reciting a poem backwards, balance a spoon on your nose, talk like a gnome who just burnt his cookies(so funny when my brother in law had to do this one as he is great with impersonations) for the rest of the game or until you land on a new blue card. Oh, that game is so much fun. The first time we played it it started out with us laughing so hard just at our character names and their descriptions then when the game got going we were laughing so hard constantly through the game we were crying and our stomachs were hurting. This game is game of the year to me...soooo much fun! Would definitely recommend it for everyones game closet!!! Another fun one is Mexican Trains and Fundomino, Catchphrase is awesome too. Also still love the classice Milborne and uno as well.
Posted by: April D. | December 23, 2010 at 04:04 PM
My 14 year old daughter and I usually play a game when she gets home from school while she is grabbing a snack before settling in with her homework. Our favorites are Farkel, Yahtzee, Uno and Racko. On the weekends if we have a big block of time we love to play Scrabble. When we play Scrabble we allow ourselves use of the Scrabble Dictionary so that we can improve our game and word base.
Posted by: Nancy | December 23, 2010 at 03:32 PM
Love ticket to ride. Another one of our favorites is Carcossonne.
Posted by: Roxanne Isaac | December 23, 2010 at 03:28 PM
We also love to play games. We each have personalized notebooks keeping score for Farkel and Hand & Foot. I am going to share the info about Catan as it looks like one that would be a hit with our tweens, teens, and adults. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Wynn H. | December 23, 2010 at 11:53 AM
We love Catan though I haven't played with the expansions yet. Another by the same folks is Carcassone, lots of fun!
We always get out the dominoes for a game of Chickenfoot - Wade's dad always wins when we're at their place!
I bought a game called BANG this summer but we're still figuring out how to play it - you need a big group so haven't had a lot of opportunity. And Cranium is always good for laughs.
Posted by: Angela Fehr | December 23, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Wow, those look like the layout of my families games but you need to add one more. "The Bean Game". Great card game fro 2 people or 10!
Posted by: Marlene peters | December 23, 2010 at 08:39 AM
My family LOVES to play board games too. WE play dominoes,Rummikub,Rack-o,Uno,Sequence, Scattergories,Catch Phrase,and just recently,Blokus. But we love all games.I remember getting games from Santa and that's what we would do Christmas night, play all the new games. One memorable Christmas, we played Chinese Checkers and just after we got all the marbles through the middle of the board,someone spilled a glass of soda on the board! We had a good Christmas anyhow and I am sure you will provide for your boys the same. I admire you so much and I say a prayer for you and the boys most every night, that God will put his arms around you and give you strength to carry on another day. Blessings to you and your boys!
Posted by: Darlene Cope | December 23, 2010 at 07:56 AM
Our Swiss cousins introduced us to Ticket to Ride - Europe and US versions. I love it and will certainly bring it out for Christmas enjoyment. Uno is another favorite - a little easier for the younger ones to enjoy.
Posted by: Janet Smith | December 23, 2010 at 07:50 AM
I got Settlers for the kids (teens) for Christmas! Also purchased an extenison pack, since we're a family of 6 :) Also a cool game, though not in production any longer (I got mine on ebay) is Rail Baron. I wonder if RB is like your fav, Ticket to Ride, which I will most definitely look into, Thanks!
Merry Christmas! Love and blessings to ALL!
Terri
Posted by: Terri Zimmermann | December 23, 2010 at 06:25 AM
We play games with anyone that comes over, including our two granddaughters, 15 and 19. Our favorites include Sequence, Pinochle, Golf (a card game played with a deck of cards), Scrabble, and many more. I have been hearing about Settlers of Catan but wasn't sure if it was something my girls would like. I'll have to check it out. Also....Ticket to Ride. Thanks!!
Posted by: Char | December 23, 2010 at 06:19 AM
You know Julie, that's exactly what families need to do, these days. Board games are a great way to spend some quality time with your loved ones. "Ticket to Ride" sounds cool ... guess I have another thing to add to my next shopping list!
Posted by: bonnie weiss | December 23, 2010 at 05:32 AM
Our grown son has introduced us to Catan, Settlers, Pink Pigs,Dino Hunt,Ticket to Ride and so many more.We have so much fun when he and our DIL visit or when we visit out there.
Posted by: chrisd | December 23, 2010 at 05:09 AM
I'm afraid I'm totally addicted to Phase 10 at the moment! Some other favorites are Sequence, Skip-bo, and Blokus. Love playing games! Always a good time with lots of fun and laughter! :o)
Posted by: Nancy | December 23, 2010 at 03:23 AM
Interesting ~ We are a games family too Adding to the list of already mentioned favourites Scrabble, Pit, Racko, Canasata, Kaiser, Tile Rummy! Thanks for introducing Ticket to Ride I'll have to Check this one out!!
Posted by: Kerry Andres | December 22, 2010 at 11:58 PM
Wow, what a timely post on your blog. I am looking at the holiday spending time with family and games are an awesome way to spend time. Love UNO, we like Jenga, Scrabble, Monopoly and Catchphrase. All in USA
Posted by: Mary Hansen | December 22, 2010 at 10:59 PM