We have been playing board games a fair bit this year. I thought I would update game reviews...
We are a family with 2 kids, now 12 and 14.
These games sit at the front of the cabinet or near the family room game playing area in easy reach:
Ticket to ride - EVERYONE loves / votes for this when we can't agree on another.
Rumikub / Tile Rummy
Puerto Rico --a trading / build your own island town / ship goods game. This one is fast becoming a preferred game for everyone, the more we play the more the kids get into it. Very well balanced, rules easy to understand like Settlers, but has some good complexity in strategy if you like that.
Settlers of Catan -- we played it so much, it has been temporarily retired... we need an expansion pack to perk it up now..
Entdekker -- good exploration themed tile game, with a bit of luck thrown in at the end so the winner can shift suddenly.
Urban Sprawl -- Like SimCity original, as a boardgame... ADULT 12+ as it is very complex (too complex) and long until you know the rules and / or have a fast playing crowd. We played 3 times before playing to the end. It is fun even if you stop halfway or based on the clock. there is an element of luck that true strategy gamers don't like, but it twists and turns the game into unexpected directions.
Agricola Very good game, well executed visuals and pieces, but not yet a favorite as it has some complexity to it that we need to play it more to learn better. NOT for young kids. 14 yr old does not like to think through the strategy, and prefers games with more chance elements than this one. Played again last night and 12 yo had an amazing time playing out his strategy.
Other games
Quiddler card game -- excellent travel word game, short rounds, cards easy to play, good for airports, stuck in car for 6 hours will waiting for road to clear... etc.
Clue -- kids need to be 10 or older to understand how to give truthful responses/ not get confused. Very disappointing when someone forgets that they are supposed to show you a card when they say they have none.
Monopoly (I hate, kids LOVE) Way too simple to win based on just a couple of rule and a couple of lucky dice throws in the first half hour... then it takes forever to play out.
Yahtzee and variations -- what can I say? Dice Game great for all ages and very good with drinks. Good math skills for 8 year olds, etc.
Apples to Apples -- kids love it, but you need the right group to play to get it going for adults, then it can be fun and fast party game. Two seconds to learn to play and good for a group, where people can join / drop out as they like.
Cranium -- like pictionary, charades and word / trivia games in one, great party game if played with teams of mixed ages.
Game of Life and Trouble easy for younger kids, as no strategy and lots going on to keep you entertained.
Games I (still) like that no one else will play with me often: Scrabble, Careers, most card games (Euchre, Hearts, spoons, etc)
Games others love: Go (Go is better than Chess IMO) and Chess, Manicola, Axis and Allies (I have an agressive dislike for this one, although Risk is oK. I want to try Pandemic next...it sounds like the exact opposite of the slow torture of playing Axis and Allies.)
No one seems to like Trival pursuit type and trivia games anymore. -- the "Big Bang Theory" game for example, was a big bust. Bought second hand and going right back as donation.