Winter Games 2019
Do you like sliding stones along paths? Shaking big bags of tiles? Shouting gibberish at friends? Unearthing dark secrets? Us too.
It’s the season for staying warm, hanging out, and playing games of chance and skill. Take a look at what we’re playing, and email us if you’re interested in being part of one of our game nights!
Tsuro
The “Game of the Path” has been around for a while, but we just started playing it as a group. It’s fun, fast (individual games rarely push past 20 minutes), easy to learn, and good for multiple players. The object is maddeningly simple: keep your stone on the board’s ever-changing paths and be the last one standing.
Spaceteam
It’s the Jenga of card games — you’re trying to build something (a spaceship) that’s falling apart as you go. We’ll be honest: Spaceteam is incredibly stressful (shouting may be involved) but also silly and thankfully quite brief (5–10 minutes per game), and a perfect appetizer for game night. App version also available.
Azul
This beautiful, engaging strategy game evolves quite rapidly as you progress, since you can see what other players are doing and respond accordingly. On the surface, Azul is about completing a Moorish-style tile wall before your opponents. But, the gameplay takes you in surprising directions, both abstract and tactile.
Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes
Keep Talking is a fun, fast-paced way of revealing the strengths and weaknesses of how we work and communicate with each other. The feeling of accomplishment when you successfully defuse the bomb together is addictive, while the failure to do so instantly makes you want to vindicate yourself. Also, the PlayStation VR version makes you feel like you’re in the room.
Tetris Effect
A stunning take on the classic. It’s amazing how Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Enhance Experience took one of the most played (and played-out) games in history and created an immersive, psychedelic, French disco star voyage. You should play it, today.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
The Animal Crossing series started 18 years ago (!) but remains the gold standard in hangout games. When diving back into Pocket Camp recently, it was nice to see more time-sensitive goals and so many rare items that you can collect. Overall, there’s more to do in the app, and it’s more exciting and akin to the original Nintendo DS version.
Wingspan
What will tide over the ornithologist in your household during these bird-deficient winter months? Wingspan is a new game we think will be hot this year. The art is spectacular, a call-back to the golden age of mid-century nature flashcards. You pay for unique birds then place them within ecosystems on the board, building up points (and habitats). Plus, the gameplay involves a mini-birdhouse.
Hot Seat
On its surface, the “Adult Party Game” sounds a little more ribald than it actually is. (Sample question: “When I’m sent to hell what song will be playing on repeat?” Recommended answer: “Wings’ Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”). But, it works nicely as both an icebreaker or nightcap. One drawback: you have to connect submitted answers to the person who wrote them, which means handwriting can be a dead giveaway (we came up with some fixes).
