Playing board games with anyone is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. Yet, there’s nothing like playing a good ol’ board game with all of the roommates on a Friday night while procrastinating on homework. Some of these games have been discovered over the break, while some are games that I’ve been playing for years now. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!
1. Unstable Unicorns (Website : https://www.unstableunicorns.com/)
Image source: https://www.yellowoctopus.com.au/products/unstable-unicorns-card-game
This is a board game I’ve recently discovered over the Christmas break. My friend invited me over to catch-up, one thing lead to another and we ended up playing it. After a few rounds, I was hooked! The primary goal of the game is to finish and win while having 7 unicorns in your stable. There are different types of unicorns that are found within the game, some which have magical abilities that help make the game more competitive. Winning this game is all about the strategy, the details, and your ability to cope with what the other players throw at you. I was fortunate enough to find it at Target for 15$, but I know it is purchasable in Canada on Amazon.
2. Cards Against Humanity (Website: https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/)
Image source: https://intl.target.com/p/cards-against-humanity-game/-/A-51078183
This is the classic college game. It’s a game you definitely don’t want to play with your parents as a good portion of the playing cards are downright inappropriate. Yet, it’s amazingly addicting and it gets better as the player group increases in size. It’s the perfect party game, especially if you want to include a large number of people. The goal of the game consists of collecting as many question cards as you can as they account for points. Each round, one player will have their turn being the Card Czar, meaning they are reading the question and selecting the answer they think deserves to win. Each other player will submit the best card in their hand in order to answer that question with either a dirty, hilarious or crude card. If you still haven’t heard of this game, be sure to check it out! You can also play it online with your friends for free if that’s more your cup of tea.
3. The Settlers of Catan (Website: https://www.catan.com/)
Image source: https://www.amazon.com/Mayfair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA.
This game is more of a slow-paced and long sit down game and it is not nearly as intense as the two other games mentioned above (in my opinion). As players get more comfortable with this board game, they can increase its difficulty by either adding additional expansion packs or randomize the map at the beginning instead of using the beginner’s template. The goal of the game is to reach 10 Victory Points by building settlements, cities, roads, armies, etc. This game gets more and more competitive as it progresses as it is quite easy to hide the number of points you have, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. This game is the priciest of the recommendations, so I’d advise you try playing it with someone else first before buying your own copy as not every college student wants to spend 70$ on a board game. Regardless, this is a classic board game that I cherish. (It also doesn’t help that I am in love with my Game of Thrones edition Catan board)
4. Werewolf (Website: https://www.playwerewolf.co/rules/)
Image source: https://timewellspentgames.com/collections/voting/products/ultimate-werewolf-deluxe-edition.
This party game becomes more fun the more people you have. I remember first playing this game at a birthday party when I was around 12 years old. We were about 25 kids huddled around a large living room with makeshift printed cards with our roles written on them, giggling while trying not to give ourselves away. The whole point of the game is to “kill” (causing a player to be “out”) the opposing team. There are two main teams: the werewolves and the villagers. Each round, at night, the werewolves chose to eat one person. At dawn, that person is “out” of the game. After the village meeting during the day, everyone (the werewolves included) elect a person to “kill” as they suspect them to be a werewolf. There are villagers that also have additional powers that give them an advantage to pinpoint who the werewolves are in the crowd without giving away their position, as the werewolves will elect them to be eaten the next round. Hence, each party tries to be the last one standing. This game can easily be made at home by printing off character cards and laminating them, but there are actual pre-made card packs you can buy. This has to be my favourite quick, cheap and easy game to play with roommates! (You also get very good at detecting the liars as the whole point of the game is to convince one another of your innocence!)
5. Sheriff of Nottingham (Website: https://www.arcanewonders.com/game/sheriff-of-nottingham/)
Image source: https://www.amazon.com/Arcane-Wonders-Sheriff-of-Nottingham/dp/B007EZMABG.
This is another board game that my friend has shown me over the course of the summer. It only lasts about 20 minutes a round, making it a great option if you’re running short on time. The point of the game is to smuggle in as many objects into the market without being stopped by the sheriff. You may do this by lying, bargaining, and bringing in objects of higher value. Each player gets to be the sheriff twice or three times a game (depending on the number of players), meaning you want to prevent as many players of bringing in as many points as they’re your opponent. In the end, the points are tallied and the player with the highest score wins!