http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-board-games-that-ruined-it-everyone/

Yes, our favorite is on there.

My family and I actually made the switch they suggested many years ago, but I haven't played any of the others games mentioned as alternatives.  Anyone else have?

Settlers of Catan is fantastic, and they have five or six expansions for it if you like spending money. 

I've also played ticket to ride, and I really enjoyed it too. 

Settlers is pretty awesome. Carcassonne is pretty cool. There is a board and now on xbox live.

My other favorite website is:
http://www.boiteajeux.net

Where I can play Agricola.

While a lot of what the Cracked article says is true, it's definitely written from the perspective of an adult who plays games with adults. I wouldn't play most of his alternatives with anyone under age 8 because if you ever even managed to get the instructions explained, it would be a discouraging blood bath every time. Likewise, I wouldn't play the "bad example" games with anyone over the age of 8, because that's not who they are intended for.

As much as the repetition, simple counting, and completely luck based gameplay of games like Chutes-n-Ladders, Sorry, Hi-ho-Cherry-oh, Life, Battleship, et al can be a real soul-suck, they are the games the 8 and under crowd want to play. They're also a good introduction to sitting quietly at a table, taking turns, and following simple rules; and the gateway to more advanced table-top/family games.

From there you can move on to less horrible games like Clue, Mille Bornes, RISK, and Stratego until the kids hit pre-teen/teen. THEN you can use his alternates and the much vaster world of strategy card games like Munchkin, Small World, or whatever else. Such is the responsibility of being a parent in a gaming house.

PS - Oh, and if a table-top game of RISK is taking more than 2 or 3 hours (at the most), much less "days", then it's probably being played by someone who opened the box and threw away the cards.

PPS -- Monopoly sucks for all ages. The author was right about that one.

Cramchakle wrote:

While a lot of what the Cracked article says is true, it's definitely written from the perspective of an adult who plays games with adults. I wouldn't play most of his alternatives with anyone under age 8 because if you ever even managed to get the instructions explained, it would be a discouraging blood bath every time. Likewise, I wouldn't play the "bad example" games with anyone over the age of 8, because that's not who they are intended for.

As much as the repetition, simple counting, and completely luck based gameplay of games like Chutes-n-Ladders, Sorry, Hi-ho-Cherry-oh, Life, Battleship, et al can be a real soul-suck, they are the games the 8 and under crowd want to play. They're also a good introduction to sitting quietly at a table, taking turns, and following simple rules; and the gateway to more advanced table-top/family games.

From there you can move on to less horrible games like Clue, Mille Bornes, RISK, and Stratego until the kids hit pre-teen/teen. THEN you can use his alternates and the much vaster world of strategy card games like Munchkin, Small World, or whatever else. Such is the responsibility of being a parent in a gaming house.

 

PS - Oh, and if a table-top game of RISK is taking more than 2 or 3 hours (at the most), much less "days", then it's probably being played by someone who opened the box and threw away the cards.

PPS -- Monopoly sucks for all ages. The author was right about that one.

My son will pay Go with me.  Of course I have to give him a 15 stone handicap on a 9x9 board.  But he enjoys himself.

In my opinion the #1 thing that I'm looking for in a board game is a good handicap system.  Because playing kids without one is no fun for anyone.

And on risk, I know that a lot of people are imprinted on the classic board.  But I prefer most of the other boards that I see...

I *really* like Mille Bornes!

I also agree with most everything Cram said...weird, cus I thought Cram up and died on us.

weathertop wrote:

I also agree with most everything Cram said...weird, cus I thought Cram up and died on us.

I'm not as surprised that Cram decided to grace us with thoughts as I am that he did it without comparing anyone to Hitler.

Funny.  The Hitler comparisons are abundant these days.  I personally don't have a problem with it if the comparison is valid, but I've always been befuddled by comparisons of liberal politicians to Hitler (ie - Rand Paul's recent filibuster, although he didn't name Obama, but the implication was there as red meat to his base constituents; he was also incorrect about Hitler being elected to office - Hitler was named chancellor, assumed the presidency when Hindenberg stepped down and assumed dictatorial powers with the Enabling Act).  Anyone who has studied Hitler and fascism knows that ultra-conservatism and fascism are synonimous.

Anyway, I degress.  The post by Risky was for Cram.  I just felt like venting a bit.  ;)

Thingol wrote:

Funny.  The Hitler comparisons are abundant these days.  I personally don't have a problem with it if the comparison is valid, but I've always been befuddled by comparisons of liberal politicians to Hitler (ie - Rand Paul's recent filibuster, although he didn't name Obama, but the implication was there as red meat to his base constituents; he was also incorrect about Hitler being elected to office - Hitler was named chancellor, assumed the presidency when Hindenberg stepped down and assumed dictatorial powers with the Enabling Act).  Anyone who has studied Hitler and fascism knows that ultra-conservatism and fascism are synonimous.

 

Anyway, I degress.  The post by Risky was for Cram.  I just felt like venting a bit.  ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

itsnotatumor wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

Ugh.  That Mike Godwin guy is as bad as Stalin.

;)

But to answer Amidon's actual question, I've played some of what he suggests as alternates. I tend to prefer the elegance of strictly card games to anything with a board and a billion pieces -- not that I don't play those, too. I've somehow managed to never play Settlers of Catan; not really sure how.

Guillotine, Munchkin, and Gauntlet of Fools are some of my favorites due to games being easy to learn and relatively quick to play. It makes them good for social gatherings where you may have a couple of new folks who want to be able to just jump right in. That said, the game-play isn't especially deep and none of them will probably get you more than an hour or two before it's time to move on. (Gauntlet of Fools has a million tokens and shit, though, which I hate but put up with).

Small World and Pandemic are fun board games. I recommend them pretty highly.

I'm also giving this in the context that I don't need to mention Axis & Allies, Diplomacy, Risk, or other "classics." D&D is amazing, but not so much a bored game.

I gave up M:TG long, long ago. I'd need a second job to keep up with how fast they change the rules and expand the card pool. I don't want any part of such a colossaly whorific product as that one.

Other games that seem to be at every family/friendly gathering that I'd rather talk politics with my great aunt than play are Apples to Apples and its heir-apparent Cards Against Humanity. Maybe my friends suck, but those games always end up just being an avalanche of contrived dick and fart jokes. I can't wait till they're locked up with other party game horrors: pictionary and charades.

weathertop wrote:

I *really* like Mille Bornes!

I also agree with most everything Cram said...weird, cus I thought Cram up and died on us.

I played my first game of Mille Bornes almost 30 years ago, and can still sit down and play it. I can't really explain it, either. Just fun, I guess.

Nah, not dead. Just too busy IRL to spend a lot of time being a proper citizen of an online community. I haven't forgotten this place, though. I like to stop by and check in every so often.

Thanks for reminding me of Munchkin.  I bought Munchkin Quest off the shelf without knowing much about it a couple years ago - it's fun and the kids like it, but we have never finished a game.  I figured the earlier versions were better, but I haven't picked it up yet -

If you like Pandemic, Forbidden Island is a lot easier for non-gamer geeks to learn (and not die a million times). I tend to like the card ones also. Mama Mia, Bohnanza, and Modern Art are mainstays for me. Catan is not my favorite, but a lot of my friends enjoy it. Of the Carcossone series I like the 2-player Castle version best. Ticket to Ride is easy to teach other people but is broken for repeat play without the 1958 (or something) expansion. I played Ricochet Robots once and enjoyed it, but don't know how it would go over with mixed company.

Funy article too. Echoed some of my own thoughts about those games (although I have heard that chutes and ladders is good for developing a solid number sense in younger children).