From casual card games to stress-inducing strategy games, there’s something for everyone
I think everyone can say they’ve played a board game or card game at least once in their lives. I’d bet most people have all heard of the classics like Monopoly, Ticket to Ride or Uno, but now it seems like there’s always a new game on the shelf that catches my eye. As a self-proclaimed board game and card game enthusiast, I’ve had the opportunity to play many games with friends and family. Keep reading to learn about all of my favorite games, and maybe you’ll find your own new favorite game to spice up your game nights.
1. Coup
Coup is a fun card game that’s all about bluffing, to eliminate all other players to be the last one standing. It’s an easy game to pick up, making it a great game to play with friends. Each player gets two character cards that feature one of five roles: Duke, Assassin, Captain, Ambassador, or Contessa, all with different abilities like stealing, taxing, card-swapping, couping and protecting against assassinations. Players take turns taking actions based on the face-down character cards they were given until only one player is left. The catch? Players can choose to take any action they want, regardless of their facedown cards, so they could be bluffing or telling the truth. This game has become a staple among my friends for its playability, suspense and all-around good time.
2. Modern Art
Modern Art is the perfect game for art enthusiasts or anyone looking for a unique, auctioneering experience. Playing as art collectors from around the world, the goal of the game is to collect the most high-value artworks and earn the highest profits. Each turn, a new player assumes the role of auctioneer, and they attempt to auction works of art for the most amount of money possible. Everyone bids, and the art is traded to the highest bidder. For me, playing the game as an auctioneer is just as fun as admiring the real, unique artworks featured in the game. From whimsical, abstract pieces to fun pop art, there’s something for everyone.
3. Dune Imperium Uprising
Dune Imperium is an intense strategy game based on the world in Frank Herbert’s “Dune” book series and the new Dune films. To start the game, each player is assigned a unique leader card and a starting hand. During the game, players move their player tokens, known as “Agents”, to different spaces on the board, acquire new cards to expand their decks and engage in nail-biting conflicts. For Dune fans, the added theme may be a nice touch, but the context isn’t necessary to understand the game mechanisms.
Personally, I don’t know much about the Dune world, but I find the game fun and engaging all the same. It may be a struggle to learn the game on first play through, but once you get the hang of it, Dune Imperium is a joy to play. If you want to take it to the next level, the Dune Imperium Rise of IX expansion is a worthwhile purchase that makes gameplay even more exciting.
4. Air, Land and Sea
Air, Land and Sea is a fun two-player strategy game where players battle it out to take control of three theaters: air, land and sea. Air, Land and Sea is played over several rounds, known as Battles. During each Battle, players are dealt six battle cards that each correspond to one of the three theaters: air, land or sea, and feature a strength number and tactical ability. Players take turns laying their battle cards, and the player who has the highest strength total in two of the three theaters wins the battle, earning victory points. If players predict that they’ll lose, they can also choose to withdraw early. I picked up this game last year and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. With a simple premise and minimal content, it’s a great game to bring on trips or pass the time.
5. Wingspan
Wingspan is a great game for people who love all things avian or anyone looking for a casual strategy game. In this competitive, engine-building board game, players use action cubes to collect food, lay eggs and draw new bird cards, or play a bird card into one of three habitats–forest, grassland or wetlands. Each bird card features a gorgeous illustration of a real-life bird, including their species name and geographic location, as well as their food cost and applicable habitats. Players’ “engines” grow with the addition of each new bird card that helps generate points and resources. At the end of four rounds, the player with the most points from bird cards, bonus cards, round goals and eggs wins.
Not only do I love this game because it’s fun to play, but I also love all the aesthetics and cute components that come with it. From a realistic and functional dice-rolling birdfeeder to the whimsical yellow, blue and green designs on the player boards and bird card illustrations, the game components themselves are aesthetically pleasing. Before I played this game, I knew very little about any bird species, so every time I’ve played the game I learned a little something too. In addition to the base game, Wingspan has several expansion packs, including Oceania, Asia and Europe, that elevate gameplay with new bird cards and fun twists.
With hundreds of board games and card games on the market, this list is only a snippet of all the possibilities out there. Whether you’re a long-time board game and card game enthusiast or you’re looking to get into gaming, I hope you found something that piqued your interest.