Help me stock my cabin with a great assortment of fun games!
December 28, 2015 3:07 PM Subscribe
Many different types of people might visit, and I'd like to have some good options available for everyone, to keep folks entertained on rainy days in the absence of TV/video games/internet.
I'm hoping to cover a range of ages (kids to seniors) and group sizes (from 2-10 people). Here's what I've got so far:
Settlers of Catan
Monopoly
Uno
Spot It
Cards Against Humanity
Deck of regular playing cards
Jenga
Scrabble
Chess
What's missing from this collection? Thanks!
I'm hoping to cover a range of ages (kids to seniors) and group sizes (from 2-10 people). Here's what I've got so far:
Settlers of Catan
Monopoly
Uno
Spot It
Cards Against Humanity
Deck of regular playing cards
Jenga
Scrabble
Chess
What's missing from this collection? Thanks!
Scattergories ! 2–6 players and fun for most ages, it's a favorite of my group of friends and we howl with laughter when it's played. It works well with mixed ages. I dislike most board games because I have a hell of a time learning them, but Scattergories is a super simple principle that's easy to learn.
Maybe a cribbage board, too?
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 3:11 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Maybe a cribbage board, too?
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 3:11 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Probably should make it two decks of regular cards. Some games take two.
Yatzee?
posted by Duffington at 3:12 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
Yatzee?
posted by Duffington at 3:12 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
We have an According to Hoyle rule book for card games. Someone always forgets the rules in our card games or challenges a rule. It's nice to be able to look it up.
posted by cecic at 3:16 PM on December 28, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by cecic at 3:16 PM on December 28, 2015 [8 favorites]
Othello! A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.
I'd also have an old carrom board tucked away.
posted by headnsouth at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015
I'd also have an old carrom board tucked away.
posted by headnsouth at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015
Pandemic
Puerto Rico
Risk
Stratego
Backgammon
Go
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Puerto Rico
Risk
Stratego
Backgammon
Go
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dixit!
posted by phunniemee at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, puzzles are very big at our lake house.
posted by cecic at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by cecic at 3:17 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
Chinese Checkers is a classic and adaptable to good number of players (including 2, which is sometimes hard to do). I find it more fun than regular checkers but not as complicated as Chess.
posted by darksong at 3:22 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by darksong at 3:22 PM on December 28, 2015
Telestrations is the perfect large-group, mixed-ages game. It is more fun if you are terrible at drawing, and if you get the party version you can play with up to twelve people.
posted by charmedimsure at 3:22 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 3:22 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
How about adult coloring books?
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:23 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:23 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, King of Tokyo is pretty great for all ages and pretty lighthearted. I have also enjoyed Sushi Go with my extended family this holiday stretch; easy to teach, never feels high-stakes.
posted by charmedimsure at 3:26 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by charmedimsure at 3:26 PM on December 28, 2015
Cathedral
MasterMind
Carpet Bocce/Bowls
Random 500 or 1000-piece puzzles
Cribbage
posted by carmicha at 3:28 PM on December 28, 2015
MasterMind
Carpet Bocce/Bowls
Random 500 or 1000-piece puzzles
Cribbage
posted by carmicha at 3:28 PM on December 28, 2015
Qwirkle also fills an easy-to-teach, good-for-all-ages, good mix of strategy and luck void. Plus, it is pretty and the tiles are nice to touch.
I will shut up now.
posted by charmedimsure at 3:32 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
I will shut up now.
posted by charmedimsure at 3:32 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
Lots of Dice (for Bunco)
Life
Risk
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:34 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Life
Risk
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:34 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dixit and Qwerkle were the ones I was coming to suggest as ones I like to play nowadays. Apples to Apples is fun with a group and Set is a good brain-bender and not too difficult to learn (and basically similar to Qwirkle). Would also suggest a Scrabble dictionary.
posted by jessamyn at 3:35 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 3:35 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Strat-O-Matic
My brothers and my neighborhood gang spent hours and hours playing this as teens. I now play it with my children and with a few of the riff raff that are still nearby. We played baseball, but I hear the other sports are decent too.
posted by AugustWest at 3:52 PM on December 28, 2015
My brothers and my neighborhood gang spent hours and hours playing this as teens. I now play it with my children and with a few of the riff raff that are still nearby. We played baseball, but I hear the other sports are decent too.
posted by AugustWest at 3:52 PM on December 28, 2015
Sorry! (In my experience, kids love singing, "soooorrrrrrry!" at that point in the game.)
posted by Countess Sandwich at 3:53 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by Countess Sandwich at 3:53 PM on December 28, 2015
I'd get more than 2 decks of cards, since they will inevitably get sticky or worn out over time, and I'd add in a set of poker chips.
posted by Aizkolari at 4:16 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by Aizkolari at 4:16 PM on December 28, 2015
Rummikub
Sequence
Quiddler
Everyone in our family (from 6 - 60yrs +) loves these games
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 4:27 PM on December 28, 2015
Sequence
Quiddler
Everyone in our family (from 6 - 60yrs +) loves these games
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 4:27 PM on December 28, 2015
Love Letter, any version.
Wits and Wagers.
Thirding Sushi-Go.
posted by isauteikisa at 4:36 PM on December 28, 2015
Wits and Wagers.
Thirding Sushi-Go.
posted by isauteikisa at 4:36 PM on December 28, 2015
I'll try and cover the ~10 range of people and board games, since many of the suggestions top out at 4-6.
Bohnanza - Bean farming and trading game, very social - works up to 7 players, but also works well with 4-5. I'd put this way up on the list, based on flexibility of players + social interaction + sub $20 game.
Citadels - 8 player game of role selection. Works well with anywhere from 3 to 8.
Formula D - racing game, works with up to 10 players, but also good for just 2 players if those two players control multiple vehicles.
Codenames - the new hotness, lately - word play game, plays 8, but realistically could play more
Concept - works as two teams, so the teams can be as large as you'd like, really. I'd probably limit it to 12, but good for a group of 4-5 too.
There's a couple of print and plays which would be fun with large groups as well:
Secret Hitler - Kind of an improvement on One Night Ultimate Werewolf (which is admittedly another game that would likely work for you), just kickstarted, but there's a print and play version too.
Two Rooms and a Boom - Similar theme to Secret Hitler. Both of these games you're going to want at least 6 people, and it works better with 8-10.
posted by chillin411 at 4:37 PM on December 28, 2015
Bohnanza - Bean farming and trading game, very social - works up to 7 players, but also works well with 4-5. I'd put this way up on the list, based on flexibility of players + social interaction + sub $20 game.
Citadels - 8 player game of role selection. Works well with anywhere from 3 to 8.
Formula D - racing game, works with up to 10 players, but also good for just 2 players if those two players control multiple vehicles.
Codenames - the new hotness, lately - word play game, plays 8, but realistically could play more
Concept - works as two teams, so the teams can be as large as you'd like, really. I'd probably limit it to 12, but good for a group of 4-5 too.
There's a couple of print and plays which would be fun with large groups as well:
Secret Hitler - Kind of an improvement on One Night Ultimate Werewolf (which is admittedly another game that would likely work for you), just kickstarted, but there's a print and play version too.
Two Rooms and a Boom - Similar theme to Secret Hitler. Both of these games you're going to want at least 6 people, and it works better with 8-10.
posted by chillin411 at 4:37 PM on December 28, 2015
Once Upon a Time, the fairytale storytelling card game. Kids can and routinely do trounce adults, without it being dull for grown-ups.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:39 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:39 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Carcassonne!
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:40 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:40 PM on December 28, 2015
KerPlunk, which has been reissued, though the 1960s packaging is cooler. Basically, it's a strangely compelling riff on pick up sticks with marbles on top, and little kids sometimes prove to be much better at it than big ones.
posted by Scram at 4:52 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by Scram at 4:52 PM on December 28, 2015
Nth'ing jigsaw puzzles. They can be collaborative, there's no competition, you can just leave them around all weekend and pick at them when you feel like it.... Puzzles are awesome at cabins. Have a good variety of size/difficulty. I highly recommend White Mountain collage puzzles.
posted by Etrigan at 5:05 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 5:05 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Great Dalmuti is fabulous for 5+, and ages 9+. Ideally, it involves funny hats.
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 5:31 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by Jasper Fnorde at 5:31 PM on December 28, 2015
Seconding Sequence - and I generally don't like board games!
posted by summerstorm at 5:38 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by summerstorm at 5:38 PM on December 28, 2015
If you want to stock anything for preschoolers, Haba options are all good in my experience. Crazy Cats was a favorite of my kids'.
posted by metasarah at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by metasarah at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2015
Seconding Carcassonne!
posted by stripesandplaid at 7:02 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by stripesandplaid at 7:02 PM on December 28, 2015
Tile/domino games are great for playing outdoors on the patio -- they don't blow around in a light breeze and can be played by just two or a whole group. So make sure you have dominoes, rummikub ... and maybe a Mexican Train setup.
posted by peakcomm at 7:25 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by peakcomm at 7:25 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
A pinochle deck, if you're in an area where people play it. Can also be used to play Euchre.
posted by fiercekitten at 8:45 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by fiercekitten at 8:45 PM on December 28, 2015
Settlers of Catan is a new one I like....a great solo game is Shutbox.
posted by irish01 at 3:22 AM on December 29, 2015
posted by irish01 at 3:22 AM on December 29, 2015
If you are going to have any kids around, I recommend any of the Gamewright card games, particularly Sleeping Queens.
Oh, and Set.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 8:05 AM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, and Set.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 8:05 AM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Apples to Apples
Carcossonne
Monopoly Deal
Pandemic
posted by like_neon at 8:44 AM on December 29, 2015
Carcossonne
Monopoly Deal
Pandemic
posted by like_neon at 8:44 AM on December 29, 2015
We play Zingo as a whole family (ages 4 to 75) on our shore trips. It's like Bingo, but has pictures instead of numbers so everyone can play.
Except my dad.
He totally cheats.
posted by NoraCharles at 2:38 PM on December 29, 2015
Except my dad.
He totally cheats.
posted by NoraCharles at 2:38 PM on December 29, 2015
I don't think you can legally call it a cabin until there's a cribbage board in it.
posted by lampoil at 9:22 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lampoil at 9:22 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Connect Four
Checkers
posted by mochapickle at 3:08 PM on December 28, 2015