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

RoboRally

[pardey]

RoboRally. Simple enough for all my relatives (and that's pretty simple), but still enough stratigery to make it fun.

Definitely somethin in the Catan series

[hrbrmstr]

Settlers of Catan and it's siblings/children are all worthy of family battle - er -gaming time.

We play them as a family (a wide range of ages) and it's great fun. At times, it can get fairly heated, but overall it's great, especially with the expansions.

Re:Cranium

[hseikaly]

Cranium rocks!!! I really don't anyone who doesn't like this game.. Really I don't. In fact, the only time i've heard anyone talk badly about cranium is on slashdot. Who knew?

Its just total fun with lots of people. The questions are easy enough that you don't have to be rocket scientist to get them. That makes the game accessible. There is word games, drawing, drawing with your eyes closed, humming, charades, even sculpting with clay. So there is always some in your team that can do one of those things well...

Now, I can't even play pictionary or trivial pursuit... i just find those games boring.

I highly highly recommend cranium...

Re:So many games.... so little money

[Saige]

Civilization: The Board Game - Not a direct translation of CIV III but provides players an opportunity for intense military, political and economic strategy. 2-6 players (standard and advanced rules)

How funny... the computer game was highly inspired by Avalon Hill's Civilization/Advanced Civilization board games. Then the computer game gets made back into a board game - it's come full circle. :)