Although I totally love video games, there are two other types of games that I love a lot, too: board games and card games. Sure, they might not be as exciting as the fast-paced, newest video game releases that are design marvels, but there is no way you can go wrong with a classic.
Board and card games are awesome when hanging out with friends and family. They can be fun and competitive.
I firmly believe that college parties would be more fun if a game table could be found at all of them. (Come on, someone out there has to agree with me!)
Let’s start with the most classic game of them all: Monopoly. I can always remember playing this when I was younger, when playing the game became an all-day event. This game could break friendships!
You must buy properties on the board, eventually building houses and hotels on them. Your goal is to own as many of them that will put other players out of the game.
After winning the game, you can’t help but feel like a new business mogul taking over the world.
I still love this game, and odds are I will always agree to play it.
Last year, I was introduced to Settlers of Catan. The rules are complex to explain, but it is essentially based on trading. Depending on the placement of your settlements on the board, you will get certain resources on each turn. Resources include brick, lumber, grain, ore and wool. You need certain resources to continue to build settlements, roads and cities. To win, you must score 10 points. Points are earned by building, along with certain cards that grant them.
This game doesn’t take nearly as long to play as Monopoly does, and it tends to be played with less of the typical cutthroat attitude found with Monopoly players.
Settlers is the first strategy game I have ever played. I haven’t played any other strategy board games, but it launched a love for strategy games that I can play on my phone.
A favorite game in my family is Yahtzee. You roll the dice and their value correlates with a scorecard that tells you how many points you earned. You get three tries to roll the five dice. At the end of your turn, you must fill in a score.
Possibilities include things such as a full house (two of one number and three of another), four of a kind and large and small straights.
The name of the game comes from rolling a “Yahtzee,” in which all five dice are the same number. It’s a large number of points and nearly ensures that you win the game.
This is a great game to play while socializing. Your full attention doesn’t have to be on the game, and it’s easy to play.
Still, there are hundreds of other games out there. Play one with your friends this week, and maybe you’ll see why I still love them so much.
Sophie Kruse is a sophomore studying journalism. What are your favorite board games? Tell her at sk139011@ohiou.edu.
