Our staff reviews games to help your family find new games to play that are worth your time and money! Please see our review policy for more information.
Lost Ruins of Arnak isn’t kidding when it says it’s for players 12+. The decision-making space is probably too much for kids much younger than that. But it’s a great game for teens and parents alike.
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Tile-laying games are special to me because they were my first introduction to the wider world of board games beyond the Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers games of my youth. They promise more intriguing replay because it’s nearly impossible to build the same board twice.
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Arr, mateys! We be pirates, sailing the high seas in search of Loot. We play cards to capture or defend merchant ships. Loot is one of the earliest games from designer Reiner Knizia. It’s been available in the United States since 2005 from publisher GameWright, but the newest version has updated artwork and comes in a metal tin.
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Living in the Midwest, there are no ocean waves. But surfing is on my bucket list of things to try someday. In the meantime, I’ll try the next best thing; running a surfboard shop right at my kitchen table.
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I enjoy logical deduction, and the beauty and simplicity of Logic & Lore hooked me from the very first time I played.
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Lightning Dice is a competitive dice-rolling game that rewards both quick reflexes and quick thinking. It’s one of those pick-up-and-play types of games that’s approachable for both gaming groups and families.
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It’s not often that these two interests of mine intersect. Barbecue and board games? I’ve never seen it before.
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If you remember the video game Shadow Of The Colossus, this is like that – but as a cooperative board game with a happier ending.
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Let Them Eat Shrimp is a game for two to five fish. Players will swim, spawn and eat shrimp while trying to avoid sharks on the way to a sea worthy victory. During the game players will place fish tiles to collect sets of different types of fish to score points at the end of the game. The game is
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In Leaf, players become the wind, strategically placing leaf tiles to grow mushrooms, help animals, and advance the season.
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Leaders fits into the same niche as chess – a tight duel where nothing is hidden except your opponent’s plans.
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Although I did have a fraternity brother nicknamed Mackerel, I can’t say I’ve played a board game with mackerel in it before this.
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Lanterns Dice is a forgiving roll-and-write that is a spiritual sequel to the laid-back tile-laying game Lanterns: The Harvest Festival. Does it inspire fireworks?
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Step right up, step right up! We got an incredible amusement park here! You might even call it an AMAZEMENT park! Lands of Amazement is a solo game by Scott Almes, published by Button Shy Games. As with most Button Shy titles, Lands of Amazement is just 18 cards in a small wallet, and a full game takes 20-30 minutes.
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Land vs. Sea takes the foundations built by Carcassonne and carries the torch forward to create a new modern classic.
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This meaty game by Gerard Ascensi and Ferran Renalias allows up to four players to work to recreate Mozart’s life and finish his Requiem.
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Farming might not be the most exciting theme for young kids, but it went over well with my teenager. The art style drew her in, and the simple turn actions kept her engaged.
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In the game Koi by Bill Lasek, you’ll compete with other koi fish to stay well-fed. As the pond changes with new features, whoever can eat the most over seven days will win – and maybe have a chance to become a dragon one day!
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Whether it’s the intricate twists and corners, the woven patterns, or the unbroken strands, Celtic knots capture the imagination. Now you can build beautiful Celtic knot designs with Knot Dice, from Black Oak Games.
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The king has challenged all the local guilds to clear the monsters out of the forest. Manage your resources, coins, and time, to win glory in Kingswood!
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