Family Board Games - Why You Should Try a Strategy Board Game

Do you remember Gary Kasporov? What about Bobby Fisher?

These are giants in the world of Chess. This game is at the extreme complex end of board games. It doesn't take long to learn, but it takes a lifetime to master. At the extrememe end of the standard board games are Monopoly and Risk. These again are simple games, they take a while to play, and if you learn them, the skills can serve you well.

The modern board games, also known as a eurogame, or designer game, are for adults. They land somewhere between Monopoly and Chess. They are more than just a way to pass a brainless afternoon, but they are less complex than chess. The best part is they are lots of fun.

If you are new to these types of games, you should start with are Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassonne. These are called "gateway game".

You might hear these games called "German Style" games, but the publishers, and the games, are not always German. Even better, many of these games are similar to games you already know and enjoy, so don't be turned off by foreign titles.

If you really want to get a solid feel for these types of games, we suggest you check out the games published by Rio Grande Games. They work to import the best German games.

So, why are they called "designer" games?

These games, like other designer items, tend to have the game developer's name featured on the box. The look and feel of these games is usually very attractive. They tend to have wooden pieces and textured boxes or cards.

Some quality designers to look for:

• Klaus Tueber - Settlers of Catan


• Alan R. Moon - Ticket To Ride


• Andreas Seyfarth - Puerto Rico and Thurn & Taxis

They are usually multiplayer and learned easily. They don't require a lot of time to play (about an hour or so on averagewhich means you can actually play them several times in a gaming session.

You can expect these games to be a social event, unlike strategy games like chess. SSSSHHHH! I'm trying to think!

If the game happens to have a board, it is more likely to look like Risk, rather than Monopoly. They even tend to have random elements, like changeable tiles. There is also usually a change of tactics throughout the game, and have an opening-game, middle-game, and late game.

One element that really makes these games family friendly is that combat is typically not part of the game (unless you are playing a wargame, of course). Conflict usually comes from competing for a scarce resource or some other indirect manner.

Games like chess and backgammon don't really have a theme. They are abstract and not really about anything. Designer games usually have a theme, at least the suggestion of one.

Some sample themes:

• Carcassonne - build a medieval town around the French city of Carcassonne. This landscape includes road, fields, monasteries, and walled cities.


• Puerto Rico - Build a colony in the new world. You are the governor of the island Puerto Rico.

In the strip, the short story is that their power went out and they decided to play board games. They had several that got some face time. These included the standard Monopoly and Scrabble. Much to my surprise, the comic strip decided to take a step towards these modern board games, and feature Ticket to Ride. Way to go, Sally!

View this edition of the comic
Select Feb. 6, 2008 in the archives.