Bring The Family Together With These New Top Board Games
The Covid pandemic of 2020 saw many of us spend far more time at home than we expected. For a lot of us, this was a blessing in disguise as it gave us the chance to enjoy more quality time with the family. With this came something of a revival in more traditional board games as we looked for new activities to keep us occupied. As this trend looks set to continue, we check out some of the hot new products to keep an eye out for.
Pandemic
You might be surprised to hear that a board game based around fictional pandemics became so popular during a real-life one, but hear us out. Pandemic has become one of the surprise hits of 2020, has been widely critically acclaimed, is easy to learn, and is a lot of fun to play. The age recommendation is suitable for kids aged eight and over so it’s a great choice for a family game night. Take control of a disease-fighting team of experts and work cooperatively to save the day. You can keep things fresh by introducing new cards and scenarios that up the difficulty level too.
Root: A Game of Woodland Right and Might
Paying homage to the classic children’s’ series of fantasy novels, Redwall, Root: A Game of Woodland Right and Might plunges you into a dramatic adventure as you battle for control over a vast woodland environment. Behind the cute characters and inviting art style lies an engaging tactical experience as you take command of various factions, including the charmingly named Marquise De Cat and a band of village mice. Each character has unique skills and capabilities that must be used at the right time to advance your territorial reach and win the game. Each game lasts around 90 minutes to two hours and is non-stop fun throughout.
Codenames
A fun, captivating, and sometimes complex word game, Codenames is a good choice if you’ve got older kids, and is perfect for those in their early teens. You’ll need to come up with single-word clues to guide your teammates into selecting the correct target cards in order to catch the spies on your opponent’s team. You need to get pretty creative at times, and know your teammates pretty well to make it far in his game.
Qwirkle
The perfect choice for younger kids, Qwirkle combines shapes, colors, dominoes, and scrabble to provide some fast-paced tactical fun. The rules are super easy to follow, and you can have a game up and running in minutes, making it an ideal choice for little ones and their short attention spans! Simply create lines by matching the various colors and shapes, with those managing to create a line with all available shapes or colors scoring a ‘Qwirkle’ for extra points.
Azul: Summer Pavilion
While some of you might be familiar with the original Azul, a game known for its curious and abstract strategy options, it underwent a bit of a revamp in 2020 in the form of Azul: Summer Pavilion. It’s an experience that can be a little difficult to describe for the uninitiated but is highly rewarding, and can even feel like you’re creating art once you get the hang of it. The premise has you in Portugal, playing the role of 16th Century artists commissioned to design a summer pavilion for the King. Players place colored tiles on their board, with points awarded for completing specific pattern sets. It’s certainly a unique experience, and one we highly recommend if you’re looking for something a little different.