5 board games for bored people

When it comes to games, there are many more options than Monopoly and Sorry. Photo by Isabelle Bennett

Isabelle Bennett, Features Editor

One of my very favourite ways to spend a Friday or Saturday evening is breaking out the card games and board games for a night-in with a few friends. There’s just something about that Capri Blue-scented, skyscraper-lit, giggle-filled atmosphere that makes me some kind of content. But throughout the years I’ve dedicated to trying to convince my peers that board games are cool, I’ve learned there are some people out there who can’t stand them (usually because the only ones they’ve tried are Monopoly and/or Sorry and/ or puzzles, and puzzles don’t even qualify). Here are a few recommendations that are so good they will impress these bozos as well as the seasoned game-player with lots of choices to compare them to.

Exploding Kittens

The title might incite some giggles, but the gameplay might incite some screams — be careful if you want to keep your friends, friends. This is the card game equivalent to Russian roulette — all you have to do to win is be the last person to die, or in this case, draw an exploding kitten. It’s ridiculously easy to learn and can be played with lots of people, plus there are extremely witty graphics on the cards that make me wish I created the game myself. I would highly recommend purchasing the party pack over the regular deck of cards — it can accommodate more players, comes with unique action cards which make the gameplay significantly more fun and the packaging lights up and plays mariachi music when you open it.

Telestrations

While this game might imply a necessity for artistic ability, it’s actually a lot more fun when players have the opposite. Essentially, everyone is given a card which they must draw and pass to the next person who writes what they think it is and passes it on to the next person who draws what the previous person wrote — and so on and so forth. I’ve both cried laughing and peed a little after seeing some of the artwork that comes out of this game — it’s intrinsically fun enough that I’ve never even bothered to keep score. It’s a hoot for the whole family. Again, I’d recommend the party pack which comes with what’s needed for more people to play and for the initial phrase to get even more messed up.

Cover Your Assets

Cover Your Assets is another card game and maybe the most inexpensive suggestion on this list. It’s the perfect game to keep in a bag for airport layovers or restaurant waits and if you’re feeling competitive, this is a phenomenal choice. Similar to Exploding Kittens, it’s incredibly easy to learn and offers a safe opportunity for players to take out their grudges on others. It’s simply a competition to collect the most assets and end off wealthiest, but be careful — mo’ money, mo’ problems. The more that you have, the more others can steal.

Sushi Go Party

My only beef with this game is that the flipping adorable cards always make me hungry for maki. Of the options on this list, this is the most “board gamey” one, but the board is just used to specify a menu and keep track of the points (no chutes, no ladders — don’t panic). The rest of the game consists of cards that are used to make combos which amount to different values. It might take one or two rounds to get the hang of it, but the fun makes it worth it. Plus, gameplay is quick and interactive — there’s no waiting for people to take their turn.

Hearing Things

Ahh, another fabulous party game. This one comes with these obnoxious green earphones which spit out raunchy zombie sounds at painful decibels (it’s worth it, I promise) while the headphone wearer tries to guess what phrase their teammate is reading from a card. The more cards that are guessed correctly before the zombie-like sounds run out, the better! The entertainment value of this game is seriously unparalleled.

Let me know what you think of these suggestions or other board games in your closet at featureseditor@thereflector.ca.