In Eight Games different board gamers share the eight games they’d select in eight different situations. The links are given to Board Game Geek listings for you to find out more.
This month Adele Pember shares her Eight Games. Adele is a dog loving entrepreneur with a waggy tail for board games. When she’s not busy playing board games, you can usually find her sniffing out dog friendly places (including board game cafes) with travel platform Dog Furiendly. You can connect with her through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
1: A game to take to granny’s house:
A family friendly afternoon.
Tiny Towns
BGG Listing
This was a tough one! There’s so many incredible games out there to bring the family closer together (or tear the family apart, we see you Monopoly). With a whisker between them, our choice has to be Tiny Towns though Ticket To Ride came close second.
Tiny Towns is an easy game to play for up to six players. You each play the Mayor of your own tiny town in a forest. You must collect resources and build your own tiny town. It’s family friendly with easy to understand rules.
The game itself doesn’t take too long, so it won’t get boring for any family members with a short attention span.
Different card combinations offers a different game every time. You can also play it with different rules and play the game solo once everyone else has thrown their tiny towns out of the pram.
2: A game to take to a restaurant:
Play around the drinks and cutlery.
Exploding Kittens
BGG Listing
We always have Exploding Kittens on hand for all our dog friendly adventures. It’s compact and not too energetic so you can avoid drink spillages!
This game is a kitty-powered card game, and your challenge? To avoid an exploding kitten. The game is just a deck of cards. In the deck you can find different power ups, to help you avoid the explosion!
3: A game to take to a reunion:
Some people you want to chat to, others… not so much.
Codenames
BGG Listing
Codenames is a great little party game. It requires very little talking, so you can team up with people you like.
Awkward silences can be filled with “thinking” because the whole purpose is to solve a puzzle!
This game is divided into two teams and the team leader has to lead their team to the final victory with clues that line up with their words on the board.
4: A game to take to a primary school:
Arm yourself with multiple copies and take over a whole classroom.
Dobble
BGG Listing
Dobble is a simple game for people of all ages. It’s a quick game that packs a big punch and plenty of fun. The game levels the playing field with children of all abilities being able to pick up the game and win! It only takes a couple of minutes to explain, my four year old niece picked it up in no time.
Dobble is has 55 cards each with 8 different symbols. Every single card has one matching symbol. All you have to do is be the first to spot the symbol and shout it out!
This game is also compact in a small tin, so you can take it with you anywhere!
5: A game to take to a youth club:
Hook in the next generation of board gamers.
Herd Mentality
BGG Listing
Perfect game to inspire a new generation of gamers. We love Big Potato, they always deliver fun games that are quick and easy to play.
The aim of the game is simple – you need to think like the herd with every question. For example “What is the worst pizza topping?”, you might want to pick Pineapple to be in the majority!
Gamers are given a few seconds to write down their answers. Then they one by one each answer is read aloud. Those in the majority win the round. It’s simple for young people to pick up, fun to keep them entertained and a little bit bonkers.
6: A game to take to a job interview:
Demonstrate your best qualities and answer questions while you play? (This really should be a thing)
Pandemic
BGG Listing
Now this is a game to really show off your skills and fitting given the circumstances. The game is completely co-op, so while playing with your potential employer, you can show them how you best work in a team.
Each person has a unique role in the game, and together you must plan a strategy to conquer the diseases. If the disease spreads beyond recovery everyone will lose. If you cure the disease together, you win together!
7: A game to take to a hospital:
No brain-power needed.
Canine Kleptomaniacs
BGG Listing
I had to fit a dog-related game in there somewhere! Canine Kleptomaniacs is a simple, silly, addictive, card game celebrating our furry companions.
To play the game, you don’t need to have an in-depth strategy. You just need to collect Pooch Points by thieving and hiding underwear, socks, slippers! It’s so much fun and endlessly re-playable.
Easy compact game to take to the hospital, and play with family and friends during visiting hours.
8: A game to take to a cabin in the woods:
You have lots of time and lots of space.
Disney Villainous
BGG Listing
This game is PERFECT for playing in a cabin in the woods! Disney Villainous puts you in command of some of Disneys most evil characters, Maleficent, Ursula, Prince John, Jafar, Captain Hook, and the Queen of Hearts!
Each player essentially has their own board game, and their own objective to win. For example Maleficent needs to put four curses on the Kingdom.
You’ll need to intervine with everyone else’s plans to make sure you can achieve your goal first, by dropping do gooders and heroes on their board.
It can be quite complex, and takes a while to get your head around it. However, you have plenty of time to learn the rules and the perfect location to do it! Once you understand the game, you’ll be hooked. Essentially you have several board games in one, so every time you play brings a different adventure.
If you’d like to submit your own Eight Games blog we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch.