Some of my fondest memories as a lad are of sitting around the kitchen table, drinking tea and playing board games with my family.  Granted, this occurred before the advent of the internet and about twenty years P.R.B (pre-Rebecca Black), but just because times and technology have changed doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a game night with those closest to you.  In fact, we at Shopaholic love board games so much, we’ve compiled a short list of our favourites to help you take your family back.  Just don’t forget the Early Grey and HobNobs.

Best use of an imaginary island: Settlers of Catan

Why we love it: Umm, let’s see.  This strategy game by Mayfair Games is the perfect combination of luck, tactics, and cooperative thinking.  The board is simple, but can be arranged differently every time to keep the game fresh.  There’s a bank, but you’ll never owe it money or resources like in Monopoly, the whole thing takes a lot less time than that other strategy game, Risk.  Oh, and it turns out that settlin’ is a whole lot of fun.

Best opportunity for sarcastic apologising: Sorry!

Why we love it: Sorry! dates back a long ways, but its simplicity and fun factor have kept it a family favourite for years.  It’s a card game that plays like a dice game, and it’s all luck, which means that snarky older siblings and dads who take everything too seriously won’t automatically win every game.  Plus, there’s nothing better than shouting “Sorry!” at some poor fool as you claim the title of house champ.

Best for increasing your vocabulary: Pass the Pigs

Why we love it: Ignore, for a second, the fact that Pass the Pigs doesn’t really use a board at all.  Aside from Scrabble, no game will teach your children new words better or faster than Pig Mania and its double razorbacks and leaning jowlers.  It’s just two little plastic pigs, shaken in a cup, and rolled into positions that earn a variety of points.  The first to 100 wins.  How simple is that?

Got a favourite game that didn’t make our list?  Let us know about it in the comments below.

Did you know?
Game maker Hasbro holds a worldwide Monopoly tournament in which 41 players compete for a cash prize of 20,580 USD.

-Jeff O.

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