Party Games for Jan 1
For newcomers to the 2010 New Year's Day Board Game Party, I thought it might make sense to review my collection of board games. Take a few minutes to look over this list and find something you're especially keen to play. I strongly encourage you to check out games that are new to you! This entry will focus on...
PARTY GAMES
WITS AND WAGERS - Trivia like you've never played it! This fast paced 7-question game where all the answers are numbers is surprisingly addictive. Everyone answers a question then wagers on which is closest to the correct answer. (3-7 players, or teams, 20 minutes)
BALDERDASH - A game for all word maker uppers (word makers upper?). (3-6 players, 60 minutes)
APPLES TO APPLES - It's the party game that almost everyone loves! Every round features a new judge to be impressed by your word-relating skills. (4-10 players, 30 minutes)
WEREWOLF (possibly known to you as MAFIA) - This party game requires a large number of players and can be surprisingly fun. Someone please remind me to place a sign-up sheet on the fridge, so we can play a big game around 9pm. Two people are werewolves and at least half a dozen people are villagers. There are two phases to this game - night and day. At night everyone starts with closed eyes, the werewolves open their eyes and identify each other. Then they slaughter a villager! During the day everyone talks openly, trying to reach a consensus about who among them is secretly a werewolf. The villagers then decide on someone to hang. As the week progresses, there are fewer and fewer people actively playing the game. A winning team is declared once the villagers kill all the werewolves or the werewolves kill enough villagers to reach parity. Oh, and for those who are into mystical awareness, there's a seer who can detect the hint of lycanthropy! (8-24 players, 45 minutes)
DIXIT - This is a storytelling game based on beautiful card images. In his list of 2009 Good Gift Games Matthew Baldwin describes the objective "for the Storyteller...to craft a description cryptic enough to fool someone, but not everyone." I think it plays a little like APPLES TO APPLES but also a little like CLUZZLE with a bit of BALDERDASH thrown in for good measure. I've played a handful of times and I'm positively enthralled. Also, the little bits you get to move around are wooden bunnies. Can you resist the cuteness? (3-6 players, 30 minutes)
LIAR'S DICE (aka PERUDO) - Can you bluff and lie and con your way into capturing everyone's dice? If so, add your name to the winner's board. (2-6 players, 15 minutes)
SCATTERGORIES - A few years ago a rather beat up version of this game was added to my collection. I'm missing the giant letter covered die, but little scraps of paper do an adequate job. This is a party favorite that never fails to disappoint. The last time I played I had to vigorously defend "krumping" as a kind of dance. (2-6 players, 30 minutes)
CLUZZLE - Fun clay sculpting and hilarious interaction! This one is always a hit and as I promised in this year's party invite, I'm going to find new clay. (3-6 players, 45 minutes)
TUMBLIN-DICE - This fast paced game has competitors shooting dice down a four-tiered board. The more high-numbered dice you can land on the smaller pads at the bottom, the higher your score. Be warned - very simple math skills are required. Also, I like to play with a slight variation that adds more randomness to the game. (2-4 players, 15 minutes)
