Author: Kate Darktea

  • Takenoko board game review


    30 August 2019, 10:25 PM

    In Takenoko* you are a member of the Japenese court who has been given the task of looking after a Giant Panda gifted to the Japanese Emperor. You need to set up a garden, grow bamboo and feed the panda.

    The only things I’d heard about the board game before Asmodee sent us a copy* was it is cute, and highly regarded (it has an average rating of 7.3 / 10 on Board Game Geek). Antoine Bauza also designed other classic games including 7 Wonders, Hanabi and Toikado (which I enjoy playing on my tablet).

    There are only two pieces that move around the board, so it is a good game to introduce the idea of shared pieces that anyone can move. All the pieces are played to a central board, that you try to influence to meet your objectives e.g. eating bamboo that someone else has grown.

    I like the game because I enjoy working together when we’re not really working together

    B – 10 year old girl

    Takenoko Board Game Overview

    Game Type – Takenoko is a themed light strategy game. The theme is a bamboo garden in Japan and each player’s decisions impacts on the game, but elements of chance is through the cards you pick and the weather dice.

    Aim – The aim is to be the person with the most points at the end of the game.

    Players – 2-4 players
    The suggested age is 8+, but my 7 year old son happily plays (although his turns are not quick).

    Time to Play – The suggested time is 45 minutes. My experience playing with the children is slightly longer, but under an hour.

    Components

    The front of the box has a cute picture of a panda walking with an umbrella. There is also different artwork on three sides; the panda, the emperor and the stressed gardener.

    The plastic insert is pretty well designed with obvious spaces for all the components. Our games tend to spend a lot of time on their sides either stored on our shelves or when we take them to play with friends. I’ve found the pieces do move around the box, but they are easy to sort out and get the game started.

    When you open the box the first component you notice is the bamboo. It is stackable wood pieces painted in three different colours. The player action markers and dice are also wooden.

    The panda and gardener are pre-painted plastic miniatures, and blue plastic sticks depict the irrigation channels. Everything else is cardboard of varies thicknesses.

    Each player has a board that reminds them of the possible actions each turn, and to collate their loose pieces. Thes boards maybe optional in a game with adults, but I think they are essential in a game with children.

    Takenoko board game components

    The instruction book starts with a cartoon which explains the theme of the board game. It also explains where the name of the game came from and how to write it in Japanese characters. There is also a list of game materials and I suggest you check this as our game had a miss-printing so one of our improvement tokens is blank.

    How to play Takenoko

    Objectives

    The aim is to be the person with the most points at the end. You gain points by completing objectives. There are three different types of objectives and you start the game with one of each type:

    • Plots — arrangement of irrigated garden tiles of different colours.
    • Gardener — growing bamboo of a certain number, colour and height.
    • Panda — collecting pieces the panda has eaten of certain colour and number.

    Takenoko is interesting as the cards are very different – what the panda eats, garden layout, what you grow

    M – 7 year old boy

    You keep your objective cards hidden which means people can’t aim to disrupt your objectives. This could be a good benefit if you’re playing with children as they can focus on working towards their objectives and not worrying that someone will disrupt them.

    Takenoko objective cards

    Actions

    Each person chooses two different actions each turn, which they show by placing markers on the action section of the board.

    • Pick and place a garden tile – pick three, choose one and return the other two to the bottom of the pile.
    • Take an irrigation channel – pick one channel and either play it or store it for later (it is not an action to place it later).
    • Move the gardener — move to any tile in a straight line of where he starts, and grow a piece of bamboo (if the tile is irrigated).
    • Move the panda — move to any tile in a straight line from where it starts, take 1 piece of bamboo and put on your board.
    • Take an objective card — limited to five in your hand
    Girl selecting which garden tile to place

    From the second round, weather also has an impact. The weather is randomly decided by rolling a die. This selects an effect you take before your actions:

    • Sun — gain an action
    • Rain — chose to add a piece of bamboo on any irrigated tile
    • Wind — can take two of the same action
    • Storm —move the panda anywhere and gain a piece of bamboo
    • Clouds — take an improvement chip and either play it or store it for later
    • Your choice of weather

    Irrigation and Enhancements

    The garden tiles are built around a central water feature which provides irrigation water to any tiles touching it. Any tiles outside this ring need to be irrigated by placing irrigation channels from the central water feature. Another way to irrigate a tile is through improvements. There are three enhancements that are either printed on the garden tile or added as an improvement chip following a Clouds dice roll.

    • Enclosure — the panda can’t eat the bamboo
    • Fertiliser — the bamboo grows twice as quickly as a normal tile
    • Watershed — the plot is irrigated without needing irrigation channels
    Takenoko irrigation channels and improvement chips

    Game play

    It is worth noting that there are not even numbers of each colour garden tile and this is reflected in the objective points for each colour, where green generally has fewer points and pink the most. However, this may not be reflected in your game depending on how many garden tiles are placed.

    Takenoko is slow at the beginning as you need to lay a certain amount of tiles and grow a certain amount of bamboo before people can start achieving objectives. However, it does speed up, and it is possible for people to meet an objective with each action on their turn.

    I’ve only played this game with 7 and 10 year olds and it has been slow, taking longer than the suggested time. They found it difficult to plan ahead and spent a lot of time working out what to do with their actions. They also found it confusing to work out what they’d done in a turn, even with the board and markers. But equally, they have beaten me without me letting them, so their thinking time was effective!

    Ending the game and winning

    The last round starts when someone completes a certain number of completed objectives e.g. in a 3 player game after eight objectives. That person gets the emperor card which gives them an additional 2 objective points and everyone else has a final turn.

    The points on completed objectives cards are totalled and the winner is the person with the highest score.

    Do I recommend Takenoko?

    Takenoko will be a good choice if you want to try a board game that:

    • Involves decision-making, and not just rolling die and moving
    • Introduces gaming concepts such as tile placement, set collection and grid movement which are used in lots of other games
    • Keeps people engaged for a longer time

    For me, it is a maybe game. I like games that are enjoyable for adults and children, and I don’t think I’ll suggest to play Takenoko. However, I’ll be happy to play it if the children suggest it, and as they have both said they really enjoy it. I’m sure I’ll be playing it more in the future.

    Things I like

    • Different ways to score points
    • Cute artwork
    • Stackable bamboo pieces
    • Miniature model panda and gardner
    • Introduces two actions per turn
    • Introduces set collection and grid movement concepts
    • Others can’t actively ruin your game
    • Introduces the idea that anyone can move the pieces

    Things that could be improved

    • Long game – at least 45 minutes
    • Turns can be slow
    • Box insert is not great at holding components in place
    • Possible imbalance in scoring – the plot objectives seem harder than the others but for similar points

    Other games you may want to consider*

    Set Collection

    Grid Movement

    • Santorini
    • Forbidden Desert
    • My Little Scythe
    • Magic Maze UK USA

    * Disclaimer – I received this game through the Asmodee Blogger Board Game Club. This was a free game in exchange for an honest review. All comments are my own. This post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something I may earn a percentage of the value. However it does not cost you any more.

  • Blue Lagoon Board Game Review

    Blue Lagoon* is a board game that works for both children and adults. For children it is simple to learn with quick turns. Yet it has depth for adults due to the different scoring options. Each player explores the archipelago, searching the islands to make new settlements. I didn’t know about the game before we got a free copy to review*. After doing some research I was excited to try it because it is:

    • designed by the well known designer Riner Kniza (Battles Lines and High Society)
    • published by Blue Orange Games whose games include one of our favourites KingDomino and one of my wish list games Photosynthesis.https://web.archive.org/web/20241007203253if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/B0WJbLylk8P/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=614&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fblue-lagoon-board-game-review#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A32350.400000095367%7DView this post on InstagramA post shared by Kate Davis (@katedarktea)

    Blue Lagoon Board Game Overview

    Game Type – Blue Lagoon is an abstract strategy board game. This means the rules don’t simulate reality, each player’s decisions impacts on the game and there is no element of chance such as dice rolling.

    Aim – The aim is to be the person with the most points at the end of two phases. The game is scored twice, after phase one and then totalled at the end of phase two.

    Players – 2-4 players
    The box says 8+ while the Board Game Geek community suggests 10+. However my 7 year old has enjoyed playing it.

    Time to play – The box says 30-45 minutes which fits our experience. However, I think it could be quicker if everyone knows how to play and stays focused.

    Components

    The box is brightly coloured with a picture reminiscent of Moana. If you enjoy the film, this could be an accompanying resource highlighting the island hopping. A nice touch is the spot UV printing meaning the central boat appears glossy.

    The plastic insert is well designed. It is obvious where each piece goes and the player tokens are neat, meaning it is easy to set up a new game.

    The player tokens are cardboard disks with a land and a water side. With additional wooden huts for each village settlement. The huts have tiny carved doors and roofs to match the player token colour. The huts were a huge hit with the children I’ve played game with.

    The resource tokens are wooden, but don’t look like what they represent. However this isn’t important as they are all different colours and shapes so are easy to identify.

    I love the fact the pop out cards have a corner cut out to make them easier to remove. This is a thoughtful addition considering you are unlikely to keep the cardboard once you have removed the pieces

    Components in Blue Lagoon board game

    How to play Blue Lagoon

    The basic mechanism is very simple. On your turn, you place a token, or a village hut, on to the board next to one of your existing pieces, or by starting a new chain. If the token is on the water it shows the boat side and if it is on an island it shows the land side. And if it goes on a stone circle you take the resource or statue on that space.

    However, there are slight variations on how you start a chain depending on the the phase. In Phase one you can start a chain anywhere in the water (huts can only be placed on land). In Phase two you can start a chain from one of the village huts you placed in phase one.

    There are lots of choices in the game as there are different ways to score points. Do you build one long chain across lots of islands, or ittles ones that mean you get resources from each island? You can also see what the other players are doing which may change your strategy. Do you aim to maximise your points do you take actions to stop other people collecting as many points? We found it was easier to get blocked in a game with more players, which led to more resource hunting.

    As each turn is playing one tile the game should move quickly and keep people’s interest. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet, but I hope the more we play it the more focused everyone one will be. However, the second phase has always played quicker than the first phase. Interestingly, the instructions suggest not playing this phase on your first play. I disagree because it will help to reinforce the rules and scoring, as they are almost the same as the first phase. Plus, everyone I’ve played with has enjoyed the second phase more because they know what they are doing.

    Playing Blue Lagoon Board Game

    Ending the game and winning

    Each phase ends when either the last resource is picked up or the last player token is added to the board. Scoring takes place at the end of each phase, using the provided score pad. There are different ways to score points:

    • have more tokens on an island than any other colour
    • have tokens on 7 or 8 of the islands
    • have a long chain touching
    • different islands
    • collecting resources
    • collecting statues

    I had a problem with the score pad the first time we played as I thought there should be an extra row. This would enable you to total the two rounds and then sum the totals together. On a later play I realised you get the grand total by adding the individual scores from phase two to the phase one total.

    The person with the largest grand total is the winner.

    blue lagoon board game score pad

    Do I recommend Blue Lagoon Board Game?

    Yes, I recommend Blue Lagoon*. I think it will be a great addition to our collection, particularly for those days when we want to play something easy and quick. It also introduces area control and set collection mechanisms which will open up lots of new games to play in the future.

    Things I like

    • Simple to learn
    • Quick turns
    • Lots of scoring options
    • Well designed box insert
    • Cute village huts
    • Double sided tokens can be used on land and water
    • Introduces area control and set collection concepts
    • If you make a mistake you can start a new chain
    • Opportunity for deeper games as players start watching what other people are doing

    Things that could be improved

    • I’d prefer an extra line on the scorepad
    • Some of the resources don’t look like what they symbolise

    Other games you may want to consider*

    Area Control

    Set Collection

    *Disclaimer – I received this game through the Asmodee Blogger Board Game Club. This was a free game in exchange for an honest review. All comments are my own. This post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something I may earn a percentage of the value. However it does not cost you any more.

  • What I loved about 10 x 10 game challenge

    I was very excited when my friend told me about the 10×10 game challenge for two reasons 1) it would encourage me (and hopefully the family) to play more games and 2) I could create a spreadsheet to analyse the data. And I admit that may have been more exciting than the prospect of playing games as I do love creating spreadsheets!

    What is the 10×10 game challenge?

    According to BoardGameGeek, where I believe the challenge originated, the challenge is to play 10 games 10 times each in a year. This challenge encourages people to play each game several times to explore and experience them in depth. There is normal and hardcore challenge depending on whether you want to choose the ten games as you go along or define them at the start of the challenge. As I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for I did the normal challenge.

    Did I enjoy the 10×10 game challenge?

    Yes I did, in fact I really enjoyed it. It added a new interesting dimension to my gaming; and not just because I had a spreadsheet. I’m very pleased that I completed the challenge, although it was tight because I played the tenth play of the tenth game on New Year’s Eve! I’ve enjoyed

    • finding out more about the type of games I like to play
    • watching the children develop their game playing abilities
    • spending time with family and friends

    However, it was also frustrating at times as my fellow game players were not always as keen to play the games on my list. At times it actually felt I was playing as many games as possible instead of focusing on playing a small number more.

    It was also difficult to decide what counted as a play. As different games have different play lengths is one play actually equal? The rules on BoardGameGeek say “If you play a game multiple times in a row, each completed game counts as a play.” I disagreed. Some of the games I play with the children are very quick such as Grabolo and I could get to ten plays in one day, which didn’t seem very challenging. Therefore I counted the number of days I played a game, no matter how many times I played it.

    The ten games I played ten times

    In my quest to get ten plays of ten games I actually played 69 games, a total of 253 plays (an average of 3.6 plays each). I’ve put the full list at the end of the post. But here are the ten games I played ten times; it is an interesting list as it is pretty different to my favourite games of last year. Links with * are an Amazon affiliate link.

    1. Hero Realms (my review) – 16 plays
    2. Staccups (my review) – 18 plays (gifted)
    3. Pack of cards (my review) – 15 plays
    4. Animal upon Animal* – 11 plays
    5. Grabolo* – 11 plays (gifted)
    6. Rummikub* – 11 plays
    7. Magic Labyrinth* – 10 plays
    8. My First Carcassonne* – 10 plays
    9. Star Realms* – 10 plays
    10. Magic Maze* – 10 plays

    Although on average I played 21 games each month, I didn’t have my 10th play until September. It wasn’t looking good that I’d complete the challenge, but managed to get five games to ten plays in December.

    The months I reached the 10th play f games in the 10x10 game challenge.

    I enjoyed the normal 10×10 game challenge so much I am doing it again this year.

    What I learnt from doing the 10×10 game challenge

    As well as playing lots of games and creating a spreadsheet I also learnt a lot more than I expected during the challenge.

    The games I played don’t necessarily reflect my choice

    I play a lot of games with my children and often let them chose the games. So my list of ten games is more of a reflection of what they enjoy playing than what I enjoy. For example I’d like to see more puzzle games e.g. Azul and fewer dexterity games e.g. Grabolo.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007201733if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/BngXSABB8tj/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fwhat-i-loved-10×10-game-challenge#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A14743.800000071526%7D

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    Playing a game more often with children helps them develop their own strategies and start winning

    Children often don’t have the experience to be successful on the first few plays of a game. However, the more you play a game, the more they can see what works and doesn’t and can try different strategies. Hero Realms is the first game I played ten times and that was mostly driven by B who discovered it and loved it. She got better each time so it wasn’t long before she started beating me and I had to get tips from my husband to have a fighting chance!

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007201733if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/BgLlhrrHspO/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fwhat-i-loved-10×10-game-challenge#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A14749.300000071526%7D

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    It is quicker to set up a game you’ve played several times

    When you’ve played a game a few times you don’t need to refer to the instructions as often. This means it is easier to set up the game and you get down to playing quicker. Or, in some cases the children have set up games when I’m doing something else so we start playing as soon as I’m there (they’ve learnt this also means we play the game they choose).

    It is possible to find more time to play games

    The challenge provided enough encouragement to find more times to play games. And I was surprised how easy it was to find pockets of time. My favourite was organising game night; although this sometimes backfired as people would bring their own games which didn’t help me get ten plays! But I also played games with one of my children while the other was in a dance class, and any other children in the waiting area.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007201733if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/BqndkPIF6w_/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fwhat-i-loved-10×10-game-challenge#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A14753.600000023842%7D

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    Helped us to review our game collection

    Recording the games we played over a year means we have a very good record of which games we play and which we don’t. This means we’ve been able to consider why we haven’t played the games and get rid of the ones we know we don’t enjoy. This means we now have space to get more games, which is very convenient just before UKGamesExpo. It has also helped us question whether we’re ready to get expansion set. For example we were planning on getting the Magic Maze expansion, but realised despite having played the base game 10 times we still had lots of scenarios to work through.

    Good to have quick play games

    It is great to have games which are quick to set up and play because it means it is possible to fit in a play during a short period of time. I think our children are ready to move on to Carcssonne from My First Carcassonne but we’ve decided to keep it. Although it is simple, it is also fun and can get competitive, so is a game we frequently play when we get in from after school activities.

    The games we play go in phases

    I was surprised how hard it was to reach ten plays of a game. We’d enjoy a game, play it a few times and then decide to move on to something different. One exception was Grabolo, which I got in a conference goody bag, which we played lots because my son LOVED it. It took 69 days to get to ten plays of Grabolo, compared to 191 days for the next quickest game, Animal upon Animal. The average duration to get to ten plays was 257 days and the longest was 339 for My First Carcassonne.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007201733if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4K3QbB0T7/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fwhat-i-loved-10×10-game-challenge#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A25489%7D

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    You can play board games on your own

    There were times when I wanted to play games, but couldn’t tempt anyone to join in. So it is great that an increasing number of games have a one player option; we have two: Magic Maze and Sagrada. I still prefer to play games with other people, but it is nice not to be reliant on them.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007201733if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk9mwCRBbLj/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Fwhat-i-loved-10×10-game-challenge#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A25502.200000047684%7D

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    Do I recommend doing the 10×10 game challenge?

    Well that depends on whether you enjoy playing games. If not, the challenge is unlikely to change your mind. But if you enjoy games and want to encourage yourself to play more than yes I do recommend it. And if you love analysing data then absolutely yes because you can collect lots.

    Have you taken part in any game challenges? Do they add to your gaming enjoyment?

    Full list of games I played during the 10×10 game challenge

    I’ve marked a few of these games as gifted as I’ve been given them to test, however, please note all my comments are honest

    5 Second Rule Junior – 1 (gifted)
    5 Second Rule Mini – 1 (gifted)
    Adrenaline – 2
    The Amazeing Labyrinth – 1
    Animal Upon Animal – 11
    Anomia – 3
    Azul – 4
    Beasts of Balance – 1
    Bugs In The Kitchen – 1
    Camel Up – 1
    Catan Junior – 4
    Caveman – 1 (gifted)
    Champions of Midgard – 3
    Charades for Kids – 1
    Cludeo – 1
    Code names – 4
    Concept – 2
    Dice Forge – 1
    Dinkee Linkee for Kids – 1
    Dino Hunt Dice– 3
    Dixit – 5
    Dobble – 5
    Dream Home – 1
    Drop-it – 6 (gifted)
    Exit Secret of the Premiere – 1 (promotional demo)
    Exploding Kittens – 1
    Fairy Tile – 1
    Forbidden Desert – 2
    Grabolo – 11 (gifted)
    Happy Salmon – 3
    Hero Realms – 16
    High Society – 1
    Ice Cool – 6
    Iquazu – 1
    Jenga – 3
    Junk Art – 2
    King of Tokyo – 1
    Kingdomino – 6
    Linkee – 1
    Magic Labyrinth– 10
    Magic Maze – 10
    Make N Break – 3
    My First Carcassonne – 10
    One Night Ultimate Werewolf – 1
    Operation – 2
    Ore-some – 1
    Othello – 1
    Pandemic – 1
    Pass the Pigs – 1
    Patchwork – 3
    Phase 10 – 2
    Playing Cards – 15
    Potion Explosion – 1
    Queendomino – 1
    Rhino Hero – 7
    Ruins of Thandar – 1
    Rummikub – 11
    Sagrada – 4
    Scrawl – 4 (gifted)
    Staccups – 18 (gifted)
    Star Realms – 10
    Stuffed Fables – 1
    Sushi Go Party – 5
    Talisman – 1
    Timeshock – 1
    Tsuro – 4
    Waggle Dance – 2
    War of the Nine Realms – 1
    Yeti in my Spaghetti – 1

    *Disclosure – I was given some of these board games free. This post also includes affiliate links which means if you buy something after following a link I will earn a percentage of the sale but it will not cost you more. All the plays were honest choices by myself, family or friends.

  • 2018 Board Games Played Wrap Up

    2018 was the first year I kept a record of the games I played, as part of tracking how I was doing for the 10×10 challenge. Here’s a look back on my year.

    Graph showing the cumulative number of games played per month in 2018

    Number of games played: 69

    Total plays: 253

    Games played at least 10 times: 10

    Month I played the most: September

    Games I played that we didn’t own: 23

    Games we aquired after trying someone else’s copy: 5

    • Drop-It (gifted)
    • Ice Cool
    • Azul
    • Happy Salmon
    • Sushi Go Party

    New Games: 17

    • Anomia
    • Sagrada
    • Stuffed Fables (loaned from friends)
    • Exit: Secret of the premiere
    • Drop-It
    • Ice Cool
    • Champions of Midguard
    • Queen Domino
    • Azul
    • Ruins of Thandar
    • Grabolo (gifted)
    • Happy Salmon
    • Sushi Go Party
    • Scrawl (gifted)
    • Caveman (gifted)
    • Adrenalin
    • Timeshok

    Games we removed from our collection: 3

    Full list of games I played in 2018

    I’ve marked a few of these games as gifted as I’ve been given them to test, however, please note all my comments are honest.

    5 Second Rule Junior – 1 (gifted)
    5 Second Rule Mini – 1 (gifted)
    Adrenaline – 2
    The Amazeing Labyrinth – 1
    Animal Upon Animal – 11
    Anomia – 3
    Azul – 4
    Beasts of Balance – 1
    Bugs In The Kitchen – 1
    Camel Up – 1
    Catan Junior – 4
    Caveman – 1 (gifted)
    Champions of Midgard – 3
    Charades for Kids – 1
    Cludeo – 1
    Code names – 4
    Concept – 2
    Dice Forge – 1
    Dinkee Linkee for Kids – 1
    Dino Hunt Dice– 3
    Dixit – 5
    Dobble – 5
    Dream Home – 1
    Drop-it – 6 (gifted)
    Exit Secret of the Premiere – 1 (promotional demo)
    Exploding Kittens – 1
    Fairy Tile – 1
    Forbidden Desert – 2
    Grabolo – 11 (gifted)
    Happy Salmon – 3
    Hero Realms – 16
    High Society – 1
    Ice Cool – 6
    Iquazu – 1
    Jenga – 3
    Junk Art – 2
    King of Tokyo – 1
    Kingdomino – 6
    Linkee – 1
    Magic Labyrinth– 10
    Magic Maze – 10
    Make N Break – 3
    My First Carcassonne – 10
    One Night Ultimate Werewolf – 1
    Operation – 2
    Ore-some – 1
    Othello – 1
    Pandemic – 1
    Pass the Pigs – 1
    Patchwork – 3
    Phase 10 – 2
    Playing Cards – 15
    Potion Explosion – 1
    Queendomino – 1
    Rhino Hero – 7
    Ruins of Thandar – 1
    Rummikub – 11
    Sagrada – 4
    Scrawl – 4 (gifted)
    Staccups – 18 (gifted)
    Star Realms – 10
    Stuffed Fables – 1
    Sushi Go Party – 5
    Talisman – 1
    Timeshock – 1
    Tsuro – 4
    Waggle Dance – 2
    War of the Nine Realms – 1
    Yeti in my Spaghetti – 1

  • Favourite Board Games 2018

    We love playing board games. And we enjoy playing as a family and with friends, at home and out and about. It has been an interesting year for us as we’ve visited a local board games cafe, Thirsty Meeples and the UK Games Expo for the first time. I’ve also been taking part in the 10×10 challenge, with the aim to play ten games on ten different days, which has given me an extra focus on the number and type of games I’ve played.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007195902if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYffBXhjWO/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Ffavourite-board-games-2018#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A23433.299999952316%7D

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    Our favourite board games

    We each listed our top five board games * of the year and I’m very pleased there is enough overlap that I’ve been able to create a top five for the family. Interestingly, each game had two votes so they are not all loved by all members (especially as Scrawl is 17+ game).

    our family's favourite board games

    I’m intrigued that none of these games appeared on last year’s list. However, as we got four of them this year, it will be interesting to see if their novelty lasts into 2019.

    Azul

    Azul is a tile drafting game to create patterns with different coloured tiles. I loved this the first time I played it, and not just because I won, because since then I’ve been beaten every time. My daughter particularly is very good at making good choices while drafting to get high scoring patterns.

    Drop It

    We played Drop It at UK Games Expo and were then lucky enough to be sent a copy. You drop different coloured and shaped pieces into the frame to earn points. However, there are a number of challenges due to restrictions such as not touching another piece of the same colour and the pieces frequently don’t land where you expect.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20241007195902if_/https://www.instagram.com/p/BjiiGltBoOV/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=638&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.meeplesoverboard.com&rp=%2Fposts%2Ffavourite-board-games-2018#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A23439.5%7D

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    Rummikub

    Rummikub is a game we’ve had for a number of years, however my son has learnt the rules this year and likes number patterns so has asked to play it a lot. The game has similar rules to the Rummy card game where you create sets or runs of tiles, with the aim to get rid of your tiles first.

    Scrawl

    I got a copy of Scrawl in a blogging conference goody bag and I absolutely love playing it. Although as it is not child friendly I haven’t played it as much as I’d have liked! Everyone starts with a saying which they draw for the next person to write a description of the drawing, which the next persons draws and so on until it ends up back with the original person. Think Chinese Whispers / Telephone game but using drawing and writing instead of whispering.

    Sushi Go

    We were introduced to Sushi Go on a weekend away with our university friends, and have since got our own copy. It is a quick and cute card drafting game meaning you chose a card to keep from the cards in your hand, and then pass the cards to the next person. At the same time you take the desk of cards you are being passed from the person on the other side of you, and choose a card to keep, and then pass on the ones left. This continues until all the cards are used. Then you count up your score based on the different rules for each food group (it is easier to play than this may sound).

    The votes broken down by person

    Here are the favourite games by each person. Again these are in alphabetical order as it is too difficult to select a favourite, let alone list five in order of preference.

    My favourite games (female adult)*

    female adult favourite board games

    Ed’s favourite games (male adult)*

    adult male's favourite board games

    B’s favourite games (female 10 year old)*

    It is worth noting I think B was heavily influenced by a recent gaming weekend with friends as we only owned two of these games. However, she got Sushi Go for Christmas and plays Potion Explosion on her tablet whenever she gets the chance.

    female 10 year old's favourite board games

    M’s favourite games (male 7 year old)*

    7 year old male's favourite board games

    Do you play board games as a family? What are your favourites? Which would you recommend we try? What games do you plan to buy in 2019?

    *Disclosure – I was given some of these board games free. This post also includes affiliate links which means if you buy something after following a link I will earn a percentage of the sale but it will not cost you more. These games are genuine choices by me and my family.

  • Playing Cards Review

    Playing cards were invented around 9th Century AD, although according to WIkipedia, the type of pack we use now came into existence in the late 18th Century. I thought hard about counting playing cards, because they’re not actually a game, instead they are a tool that allows you to play many many different game varieties. However, I’m glad I did because I would not have accepted us to use playing cards so many times in a year and it shows me that sometimes classic is as good as new.

    Playing cards are so versatile that there are games you can play from a young age such as snap. The main limiting factor we’ve experienced is small hands can find it hard to hold a lot of cards. It is possible to find card games which are played single player (patience) upwards, particularly if you combine more than one set of cards.

    The number of days we've used playing cards

    Why I’ve played it on 10 days

    The first time we played with a deck of cards was in a restaurant as a way to entertain the children as we waited for food, without using a digital device. We played games that involved everyone by passing cards around the table – Old Maid and Spoons.

    The next time we played was because B was taught a new game during the summer. She wanted to play that a lot and soon after wanted to learn other games.

    These are the card games we’ve played this year, with links to instructions on YouTube. Every game has been with my 10 year old daughter, sometimes my seven year old son and sometimes other adults.

    • Old maid
    • Palace (sometimes known as Shithead) – we played an additional rule that if you play a 5 the next person has to play a card equal or lower to the 5
    • Rubbish (sometimes known as Trash)
    • Rummy
    • Sevens (although we only deal out 7 cards to start)
    • Slam (also known as Spit)
    • Spoons
    playing cards being held in a hand

    Why I recommend playing cards

    • versatility – you can play so many games with pack of playing cards including single player games, and games for any age
    • cheap – a pack of playing cards is very cheap compared to other games
    • compact and portable

    What are your favourite card games?

  • Games Weekend November 2018

    Our friends came to visit for the weekend and that meant, we played lots of games.

    Day 1 we played:

    • Sushi Go Party
    • Camel Up
    • Drop-It (gifted)
    • Fairytile
    • Adrenaline
    • Potion Explosion

    Day 2 we played:

    • Sushi go party
    • Anomia
    • Adrenaline
    • Dice Forge (I only got part way through this as I was cooking dinner, B took over from me and I think enjoyed it more than me)
    • Champions of Midgard
    • Scrawl
  • Friends’ weekend away September 2018

    We got together with friends in a hired house for a weekend away. There were over 20 of us, adults and children. It was a weekend for us to catch up and spend time together, it certainly wasn’t planned as a games weekend. But a few games were played.

    I was having such fun I forgot to photo some of the games, but here’s the play list and the photos I did take.

    • Happy Salmon
    • High society
    • Sushi go party
    • King of Tokyo
    • One night ultimate werewolf – my first time playing this and it has made realise I don’t like games involving bluffing. I can’t bluff and like to trust what people say
    • Junk art
    • Dixit
    • Concept
    • Rhino Hero
    • Magic Labyrinth
    • Staccups
    • Grabolo – this was particularly popular with the children
  • Staccups game review

    Staccups* is a dexterity game requiring both hand eye coordination and speed. The aim is to be the quickest at stacking your cups by matching the colour of the bottom of your cup to the colour on the top of the cup below. The challenge comes from all players racing to place their cups on the same two stacks.

    It is described as for 2-4 players, but you can also play it solo where you race against the clock, in fact I won our game by entering a competition with University Games and having the quickest time on the day. The box says 8 years plus, however my son enjoyed played it at age five. It is just as popular with adults as children, and when I’ve taken it into work or at our games night it has got very competitive.

    Staccups is the second game I’ve played on ten different days in 2018 as part of the 10 games 10 times in a year. In fact, I’ve played it more than ten times as the children keep asking to play it.

    Two women playing Staccups competitively

    Why I’ve played it on 10 days

    This is a great party / break the ice game. It is easy to teach people as the concept is simple, although harder to put into practice. My son was able to play it from the age of 5, yet adults find it just as fun – although they may get a bit more competitive, including pushing and shoving!

    graph showing the number of times I've played staccups each month to get to 10 plays in the year, it took 6 months

    Do I recommend Staccups?

    Yes. I really enjoy it because

    • its quick to set up
    • the games are quick so you can play lots of rounds
    • it has a simple mechanism so quick to learn
    • the random start colour generator on the base is fun
    • simple mechanism so quick to learn
    • cheap to buy*
    • although it is mostly about speed there is also some strategy on which cups to play so you don’t get left with cups of just one colour
    • its not a foregone conclusion because if another players interrupts your flow it can be hard to get it back
    • the game is suitable for all ages

    I suspect my children will request to play Staccups many more times this year, and I’m okay with that, even if my daughter is starting to beat me!

    The only improvement I’d like to see to the game is a more compact box. This is a great game to play with friends and if the box was smaller it would be easier to take it places such as work, games nights and ballet show rehearsals.

    Have you played Staccups? What games have you been playing this year?

    *Disclosure – I won this game from University Games and all thoughts and comments are my own. This is an affiliate linking meaning if you buy something after following the link I will earn a percentage of the value, but it will not cost you any extra.

  • What we played on our first visit Thirsty Meeples


    After the success of attending UK Games Expo we decided to visit our local board game cafe for the first time, Thirsty Meeples in Oxford (the original UK board game cafe).

    We played:

    • Drop It
    • Dream home
    • Azul
    • Junk Art

    And once we got home some neighbours came round, and we played:

    • Kingdomino
    • Labyrinth