If your own game closet looks like this, you're probably too advanced for this Spark (Photo by Luca Masters) You may not be shocked to hear that we're unabashed, self-described nerds. And one of our favorite forms of nerdery is playing board games. For many people, board games conjure mental images of long childhood hours playing "Monopoly" (and probably either being bored senseless or cheating shamelessly) or even more juvenile fare like "Hungry Hungry Hippos" or "Candy Land." But if you haven't given board games a second thought since you were a kid, or if you're stuck in the same old "Scrabble"/"Clue"/"Trivial Pursuit" rut, you might be surprised at how clever, creative, and fun board games for grown-ups can be. From social party diversions to serious, competitive-strategy games, there are literally hundreds of games out there to challenge and entertain. During the holidays, while we gather with family and friends for the typical Christmas and New Year's traditions, we'll also enjoy our own board game traditions. This year we hope to learn a couple of new games with competitive friends, while introducing some entry-level gamers in the family to some of our favorites. If your holiday gatherings already include games, but "Battleship" is causing more fights than it's worth and everyone has memorized the "Pictionary" cards, maybe it's time to try some new options. Or if your family is game-resistant and you could use a break from political dinner conversations or updates on Great Aunt Mathilda's psoriasis, maybe it's time to start your own gaming tradition -- you never know, it might even make your family smarter. We're not suggesting that you dive deep into the realm of hardcore wargames, immerse yourself in online worlds, or commit to full-on costume-wearing, character-creating role-playing games. (We may be nerds, but those are a bit too serious, even for us.) Instead, we suggest baby steps into the land of board game fanaticism. Let the board game obsessives pore over rulebooks for complicated (but highly-rated) German-style games (yes, that's a real thing) like "Agricola" and "Puerto Rico," and create spreadsheets and apps for score-keeping. Let the crafty nerds create elaborate projects dedicated to their favorite game pieces (yes, they really do that). Instead, start with something simple and non-threatening -- a game with a rulebook that doesn't look like a novella. Ready to play? If you're not sure where to begin, here are some of our favorite gateway games: Suggested Sites... Settlers of Catan - board game fanatics rave about the whole series of Catan games, but this is the classic. It's a simple strategy game that's reasonably easy to learn, but quickly becomes addictive. Bananagrams - if "Scrabble" is too slow and methodical for you, and it bugs you that you can't change the letters once they're on the board, this speedy anagram game might satisfy your word-nerd game needs. Fluxx - half the fun is keeping track of which rules are in effect at any given moment in this chaotic, fast-paced card game. Ticket to Ride - there's more strategy and back-stabbing than you might expect as you compete to build train routes across the map. Board Game Geek - the place to go for all your board game news, reviews, forums, opinions, and information.

Directory categories: Board Games, Board Game Reviews, Board Game Retailers, Online Board Games, Settlers of Catan

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