The holiday season is here, and you are no doubt up to your elbows planning celebrations, feasts, get-togethers, and all manner of social occasions. To help make your planning easier, may we suggest a simple fix: board games. Board games are a great way to band together with friends and family toward a cooperative goal, or they can be fun-filled competitions that spark conversation. Here are some of our recommendations for must-haves this holiday season.
Villainous
Good for ages 10 and up, this competitive game features the villains you know and love (to hate) from classic Disney films. You can be Jafar, Maleficent, Ursula, and more. Use your unique abilities to backstab your opponents on your way to becoming the worst villain of them all!
Pandemic
Pandemic is a very difficult board game, so it may not be suitable for younger kids. The idea is simple: you and your companions work for the Centers for Disease Control and are tasked with eliminating four viruses before they spread throughout the world. A cooperative game, you work together, using all of your characters’ unique abilities to conquer the game before it’s too late.
Root
A game that began as a Kickstarter campaign, Root is the perfect game for anyone who loves the Redwall series of books. In this complex, asymmetric board game, you and your friends each represent a different group of animals trying to conquer the local woods. The Marquise de Cat, the Eyrie Dynasties, the Woodland Alliance, and the Vagabond are all included in the base game, and each has a unique way to dominate the game board. This one is good for ages 10 and up, and it requires some serious thinking in order to perfect your strategy.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Technically more of a card game, One Night Ultimate Werewolf captures the imagination of adults and kids alike. Each person draws a card that tells them their role: villager, mason, seer, werewolf, etc. Then, everyone closes their eyes to represent night in the village. Once everyone has performed their nightly action, the group opens their eyes and must decide who the werewolves are. If they are caught, the werewolves lose. If they are not caught, they win and everyone else loses. This is a timed game that is perfect for parties, as each game only lasts a handful of minutes and everyone is sure to be left in stitches from laughter.
Let us know your favorite games to play at Christmas parties in the comments below. If you have any issues or questions, contact our office.