Boardgame Recommendations For Xmas?

Thanks to GamerDad for their article discussing recommended board games to buy or play this Christmas. The writer argues: "Particularly in the last ten years, board games have evolved and changed, so that they are a far cry from the games of old", and goes on to recommend anything from the Lord Of The Rings board game ("one of the most unique board games of recent years"), to Dvonn ("A game that could best be compared to the abstract strategy of checkers.") What are you going to be buying novice board gamer relatives this Xmas?

Comments

My Recommendation:

[jxa00]

Settlers of Catan.

Re:My Recommendation:

[smoondog]

Yup and Puerto Rico. Both great games.

-Sean

Cranium

[Dormous]

Cranium is one of the most fun board games I have ever played. I got it for christmas last year and we played it on christmas day. Most fun we've ever had. Some of the things you have to do in that game are an absolute riot. It is best described as Pictionary combined with Trivial Pursuit, combined with Charades, combined with Name that Tune.

Warning!!! Brain Required

Re:Cranium

[bigbigbison]

i played it once and it just was not fun to us. we got about half way through and everyone went home.

for family play

[timothy]

a) ignore age recommendations, generally -- they're mostly nonsense :)

b) Get games that require creativity in some form. Monopoly could be seen as requiring financial creativity at least, but many games are nothing but throw-the-die-on-your-turn. Win, Lose or Draw, Pictionary, Cranium (if the players are all prepared for it) ... these games make you solve a problem visually or physically, communicate with the other players.

c) Avoid games with complex pieces, or that require batteries to power whatzitz or doohickeys. They will get lost, or break.