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Thursday, December 1
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Gadget adviser
Eric Gwinn
20 cool board games you might not know about
Published December 1, 2005
We've been writing about cool board games for two decades, with the
goal to find new games that you might not have heard of. We tested 80
this year, and while we didn't set out to pick brainy games, our faves
demand more than a little strategy.
KIDS
AnagraMania Jr.
Find the hidden one-word anagram in each clue. Example clue: A
detective "loves" to find the answer to a mystery. Answer: "Solve." Fun
factor: You'll want to buy an additional box of clues ($14.97) to keep
the game fresh. It's addictive.
2 to 6 players, ages 8 and older; $29.97; AnagraMania.com, KarmelGames.com
Infinifield
Set up 24 plastic boards any way you want, as long as at least one
board touches another. Take turns moving your pawn around the board,
trying to capture your opponent without being captured. Every few
turns, a board is removed, so it becomes harder to escape. Fun factor:
Think ahead.
2 to 4 players, ages 6 and older; $19.99; Infinifield.com
Topitop
Occupy three contiguous spots, but you have to stack three
pieces--a big bottom, a medium middle and a top hat--to form a snowman.
The first to form two snowmen wins. Fun factor: Tic-tac-toe with a
twist.
2 players, ages 5 and older; $19.95; BlueOrangeGames.com
Pipeline
Connect colorful plastic pipes to build a line across the water to
the other side. Get to the other side first, or cap your opponent's
pipeline to force him to start a new route. Fun factor: Roll of die
picks your pipe shape.
2 to 4 players, ages 6 and older; $24.99; UniversityGames.com
Squint Junior
Pull a card with a picture, then use different shapes to build
that picture. Collect points if your opponents correctly guess the
subject of your picture. Fun factor: A pepperoni pizza slice out of a
triangle, some straight lines and a couple of circles?
3 to 8 players, ages 6 and older; $16.99; otb-games.com
FAMILIES
In a Pickle
Each card has a noun; you must arrange nouns from smallest to
largest to form a sentence, using your imagination and the preposition
"in." For instance, if you have "purse" and "turkey," your sentence
could be "There's a turkey in my purse." Of course, your opponents will
challenge, but you'll reply, "It is true; it's a turkey sandwich!" Fun
factor: Lots of laughs, and any game that gets the mind working, the
mouth moving and the belly laughs going gets an A in our book.
2 to 6 players, ages 10 and older; $14.99; Gamewright.com, AreYouGame.com
AnagraMania Intermediate
Same as AnagraMania Junior but with harder clues: "A cat lies put" when it surrenders (Answer: "Capitulates").
Granny Apples
Be the first to count and correctly announce the number of apples
(including fractions), but watch out for worms and birds. A fun,
beautiful game that teaches kids counting, with parents there to make
sure the answers are right. Fun factor: The game moves quickly to
prevent boredom.
2 to 6 players, ages 8 and older; $11.99; Gamewright.com
Do You Sudoku?
If you think it's fun to solve the popular numbers puzzle
yourself, try competing against others. Roll a die to see if you must
solve a Spicy, Hot or Mild (hard, medium or easy) puzzle, and then
slide the corresponding partially filled game card under a see-through
9x9 grid. If you are first to fill in the grid using numbers 1 through
9, yell "Sudoku!" Fun factor: With 100 total puzzles, this board game
is to numbers puzzles what Scrabble is to crosswords.
2 players or teams; ages 8 and older; $20.98; UniversityGames.com, AreYouGame.com
Go Mental FUNDAmental
"King," "Queen," "11," or "10"--which of these doesn't belong? If
you answered "11" (the others are playing-card denominations), you're
right. That's what "Go Mental FUNDAmental," the add-on to last year's
"Go Mental," is about. Find the odd one out and move around the board.
Fun factor: Not as tough as its predecessor, so it's better for kids.
3 to 6 players; ages 8 and older; $24.99; HLGames.com
ADULTS
Cirondo
This chess update takes place on a circular game board with
beautiful pieces. While chess is warfare in the abstract, Cirondo is
galactic domination in the abstract. With 36 pieces, the game seems
more intimidating than chess, but the 36 pieces are divided into only
three categories: moons, planets and solar systems. Fun factor: You can
learn how to play at Cirondo.com.
2-4 players, ages 8 and older; about $51 (29.95 British pounds); Cirondo.com
Liebrary
It's expensive, yes, but the game box looks like an old book and
unfolds to a beautiful board with great wooden pieces. One player reads
a card with a book title, author and plot. The other players secretly
write down opening lines from the book and try to convince the others
that their answer is the real first line. The more people you fool, the
more points you get. Fun factor: Guess the first line? More points.
3 to 6 players, ages 12 and older; $48; SimplyFun.com
Wreck the Nation
In this hilarious, sarcasm-dripping contest, you're a politician
who tries to lose the public's trust and money. Be the first to blow
all your taxpayer dollars on pork barrel projects and other
boondoggles. Fun factor: Join others at the WreckTheNation.com message
board to vent about the state of the U.S. two-party system.
2 to 4 players, ages 12 and older; $29.95; WreckTheNation.com
Pizza Box Football
All the strategy of real football in a quick-play game. The
offense chooses from three plays--run, short pass and long pass--and
the defense tries to stop it. Fun factor: Just like real football, if
the defense guesses correctly, the offense can still gain yards because
of how well the offense ran the play.
1 or 2 players, ages 12 and older; $29.99; PizzaBoxFootball.com
Keesdrow
If you play find-a-word puzzles, this game is for you. The board
is a jumble of consonants and vowels. Your job is to spell words using
letters that are next to each other. Mark the letters with colored
pegs--you may use letters up to three times before they are retired.
The longer the words, the more points you score. Fun factor: It takes a
little time to adjust your eyes to seeing the words, but once you get
the hang of it, you'll want to play again and again.
2 to 6 players, ages 8 and older; $29.95; PywacketGames.com
DESIGNER GAMES
Games from or influenced by Europe
Ticket to Ride Europe
This has you traveling across Europe by train, collecting train
cars that enable you to connect routes from Lisbon to Moscow. Fun
factor: Your travel time can be slowed by tunnels and ferries, or
speeded up by letting you build train stations.
2 to 5 players, ages 8 and older; $39.95; DaysOfWonder.com
Niagara
Climb into a canoe and navigate the 3D board that represents the
Niagara River and Niagara Falls. Row up and down the river, collecting
gems and returning them to shore. Use strategy to manage your speed and
to steal gems from opponents. Fun factor: A good game for families.
2 to 5 players, ages 8 and older; $44.95; RioGrandeGames.com
Manila
You're a smuggler in the 19th Century Philippines, selling silk,
ginseng, jade and nutmeg on the black market. You won't make money
unless your goods reach Manila harbor by small smuggling boats. Bet on
whether the boats will make it or be swamped by weather or overrun by
pirates. Plan ahead and guess right to make your fortune. Fun factor:
First-timers and veterans are on the same footing in this perfectly
balanced game.
3 to 5 players, ages 10 and older; $44.95; RioGrandeGames.com
Lock 'N Load: Band of Heroes
Mark H. Walker's latest "Lock 'N Load" war game features the
familiar map made of hexagons, but now your squad is part of the 101st
and 82nd Airborne Divisions across Normandy at the time of D-Day. Game
play is easy, and the different scenarios keep you coming back. One for
the history buffs and for those among us who miss the great Avalon Hill
war games. Fun factor: You can play solo, but it's much better against
an opponent. Find one at LocknLoadGame.com.
1 to 2 players, teens and older; $69.99; LocknLoadGame.com
Castle Keep
Build your castle first or destroy your opponent's in this attractive
game. Draw tiles of different shapes and colors. By placing the tiles
next to one another, you form a drawing of a castle as if it were seen
from overhead. Use the correct shapes to build your castle, or if your
card matches one of your opponent's cards, take his card until he has
none left. Fun factor: A bit like putting together a puzzle.
2 to 4 players, ages 8 and older; $11.99; Gamewright.com
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egwinn@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
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