Ten Great Games For International Tabletop Day!
By Kevin Ohannessian
This weekend is International Tabletop Day. Whether you are going to an event an a game store or holding a tournament at the house, you better be prepared for the celebration. Here are ten highly-rated games, presented in alphabetical order, that should scratch that itch to play.
7 Wonders
Popular because this card game is addictively intricate, but also relatively approachable. Build your civilization one card at a time, working with and against your neighboring players. And it has the rare virtue of supporting as many as seven players--eight if you also have the Cities expansion.
You might like it if a game with flexible strategies and complex options are your thing. That and you like the idea of playing just the right card, at the right moment, preventing your opponent from using it later.
Carcassonne
Popular because taking turns placing colorful tiles and claiming the increasingly larger fields and castles can be surprisingly strategic, yet it is a relatively quick game.
You might like it if building a large medieval landscape of fields and castles one tile at a time interests you. And there is the almost jigsaw puzzle-like joy of playing the perfect tile in a hole.
Cards Against Humanity
Popular because who doesn't love shocking people with insane combinations of cards? This NSFW game is simple and can be played by anyone, especially those with devious minds.
You might like it if you find crude or strange humor funny and you don't care who knows it.
Munchkin
Popular because it takes the crazy loot collecting of Dungeons and Dragons or video game RPGs and boils it down to a card game. With tons of expansion for different genres--super heroes (pictured), horror, spies, etc.--there is something for everyone. And it supports many players.
You might like it if hacking at whimsical creatures, stealing treasure from friends, and leveling up to destroy enemies sounds like a fun way to spend a few hours.
Pandemic
Popular because it is a cooperative game about a real fear that many have, the end of the world via deadly virus. While the rules are a bit complex, the mechanics of how the viruses can spread or can be cured are elegant.
You might like it if you want a change of pace from the usual games where you and your friends are playing against each other. And you can be a doctor or scientist without the years and years of actual training.
Power Grid
Popular because it is an intricate game about spending and collecting resources with an ingenious set of rules mimicing the economy of energy supply and consumption, and how it evolves from one type, say oil, to another, like nuclear.
You might like it if you prefer relatable board games over those with abstract concepts. It also feels a bit like being an oil tycoon or the energy mogul that finally makes solar energy viable.
Puerto Rico
Popular because it's another solidly designed resources game, this time taking place on plantations on the island of, you guess it, Puerto Rico.
You might like it if after playing several other board games, you are up for something with a little more meat and don't mind a bit of difficulty.
Risk Legacy
Popular because it has all of the same insane warfare of the classic Risk from when you were a kid, but with a board and a set of rules that evolves as you play game after game. Up to five can battle it out.
You might like it if being a general that actually shapes the world appeals to you. And you want to rename America as The Republic of [Insert Your Name Here].
Settlers of Catan
Popular because it is a fun and random game of collecting resources and building an empire. It is a gateway game for many making the jump from the casual to the complex. It supports 4 players, 6 with add-ons. Use the Cities expansion for a more complex and nuanced game.
You might like it if trading ore for brick, to build a few roads, cutting off the next player before he can build a settlement on a specific part of the map, infuriating them to no end, excites you.
Ticket to Ride
Popular because it is simple, but very competitive. Players race to occupy the routes between cities, in hopes of building connected chains from one city to another, to reach a destination city, such as from Seattle to New York.
You might like it if you want to rule the rails, mastering the map one metropolis at a time. Plus they have various editions for many different countries, if you prefer an international feel.
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