help

Account

Free Shipping Over $75 in US

Spot It!: The Family Game of Matching

Spot it! is a card game for 2 to 8 players, but can be played with up to 13. Super unlucky number, I know…

Spot It! has 55 circular cards each of which contains eight symbols varying by shape and color. One card will contain all the symbols matching in either shape or color (or both), while the other card will show something different; this is what you are matching.

Spot It! requires speed, observation skills, and pattern recognition to find matches between pairs of cards as quickly as possible and get rid of your hand before everyone else. The winner is the player who gets rid of their cards first and has collected the fewest cards at that point; ties go to the player with more sets.

This card game was created in 2008 by Blue Orange Games, an American game publisher that offers an array of card games, board games, puzzle toys, and party games. The game was the winner of Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Active Play Games Award in 2011, among many other awards.

Spot It! has also earned the Specialty Retailers’ 2012 Game Of The Year Award as well as multiple Teachers’ Choice Awards for its educational value.

Some card games may last up to 30 minutes or so but Spot it! can be finished much faster than that since each hand usually lasts only a few minutes. This card game is perfect for a family night where everyone will have fun matching symbols while competing against one another at the same time!

The Many Versions of Spot It!

Spot It! comes in several versions, including Holiday Spot it!, Disney Princess, Frozen Fever, Halloween, and Harry Potter. Disney Spot it! also comes in a Disney Villains version, and Frozen Fever has a second version with alternate symbols to play the game with.

Holiday Spot it! was the first expansion to this card game, released in 2012. This version features Christmas-related symbols such as Santa Claus, wreaths, Christmas trees, and candy canes.

Disney Princess Spot It! was released in 2013 as part of the Spot it! Challenge expansions. It includes various princesses from Disney movies such as Pocahontas and Rapunzel as well as other characters like Belle and Tiana. The symbols used on cards are different than those found in Holiday Spot it! and each card contains two character images instead of one.

Frozen Fever was the second Spot it! Challenge expansion, released in 2015. Like its predecessor, Disney Princess, it uses a different set of symbols than Holiday Spot it! and each card contains two images instead of one. However, Frozen Fever has characters from both the Frozen movie as well as characters from Disney’s short film Frozen Fever such as Anna and Elsa.

The Harry Potter expansions were also expansions to the Spot it! Challenge expansions and was released in September 2016 along with Disney Villains. The symbols used on cards are different than those found in Holiday Spot it!, Disney Princess, and Frozen Fever; each card contains two images instead of one just like all other expansions/variations of this game. There are five sets: “Heroes,” “Alumni,” “Romance,” “Action Shots,” and “Magical Places.”

The expansions mentioned above are not the only expansions to Spot it! This card game comes in various expansions you can add on or purchase separately from one another. These expansions as include Marvel Super Heroes, Star Wars Ep. 1-6, and many more.

Family Game Night With Spot It!

Spot It! will make a fantastic addition to any family game night. It is perfect for ages 7 and up. Compete as a family, and play as a family.

With Spot it!, you’ll enjoy seeing the happy expressions on family member’s faces as everyone works together at finding matching symbols before time runs out! Matching cards is both fun and educational for kids (and adults)!

So what are you waiting for? Prepare your family game night, and get ready to play Spot It! Buy Spot It! from Fantastic Games today.

 

Guess Who: The Game that Teaches Logical Deduction

Guess Who is a board game that most everyone remembers playing as a kid. I say most because there are some of us that never have heard of the game. In Guess Who, players take turns asking “yes” or “no” questions about the other player’s randomly chosen character in order to determine who they are. As a player guesses, they remove the a pool of characters from otheir own board until there is only one remaining. The first player to figure out that one character wins the game. This game of greatness has been around “forever,” and it’s a great way to introduce your kids to the process of logical deduction.

What Makes the Game Great (and Some Boaring Stuff)

Deduction is a kind of logical reasoning or inference that starts with a generalization (a premise or claim that is accepted as true) and, through the process of elimination of some sort or another, narrows that generalizaiton into a specific conclusion.

The word Logic is derived from the Greek word Logicos, meaning “reason.” Logic is a branch of philosophy concerned with reasoning and arguing. Logic and Deduction are closely related and rely on well-established rules in order to form sound conclusions.  Rules that a kiddo automatically starts to use when playing Guess Who. With a little help, your kiddo can easily learn the prociss of logci and deduction.

The word Deduction comes from Latin: deducere , meaning “to lead or bring.” There are two main types of deduction:  1) Mathematical Deduction which refers to the process of deriving logical conclusions from mathematical axioms.  2) Logic & Deduction which refers to the process of drawing valid conclusions based on presented evidence or given information.

What makes Logic and Deduction very useful, is that it can be applied in all areas of life! Whether you are dueling with your siblings, shopping for a new car, or presenting to the board of directors for your company Logic and Deduction is there to help you make good decisions. Logic and Deduction can be very helpful in everyday life.

A Popular Family Game

Guess Who can be played by players of all ages and it’s a great way to spend quality time with the family. The only requirement is the ability to point and’or talk. Guess Who will provide hours of entertainment while sharpening your skills in deductive reasoning!

The actual Guess Who board game is strictly a two player game. Each card features a character from various walks of life, such as sports players or other characters that you come across in your daily life.

“Does your character have glasses?” Yes! or No?

If your opponent answers yes then, then you can remove all the characters from yoru pool of posibilities that do not have glasses.

The first person to correctly identify the opponent’s chosen character wins! Games are fast paced and exciting so it makes a great family game night option!

It is fun to play and riviting to watch.

Stay Social and Stay Together

This game will give players a chance to learn how to concentrate and think in order to make it through each question. Logic is a very important skill that we often take for granted! Guess Who will get your kids thinking logically while they have fun at the same time!

Board games are great for the family because they give parents a chance to teach their kids valuable skills like logic and deduction. This is one of the reasons Fantastic Games exists.

Board games encourage social interaction and they’re a great way to bond with your kids! Board games are also educational and that’s why it’s so important for parents to play board games with their children. Board games like Guess Who encourage players to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions through logic.

Board games bring people together, teach valuable skills and get kids thinking logically! Board games are a great way to learn while having fun!

Buy Guess Who today from Fantastic Games!

 

Dixit: The Surrealist Party Game

If surrealist art is your thing, then Dixit is the perfect party game for you. This fun and wacky game forces you to tap into your creative side to find the perfect clues for the images in front of you. Whether you’re the king of using your imagination or you’re more in touch with the logical side of your brain, Dixit is an incredibly fun card game that will bring out your playful side.

It’s Storytime!

Dixit is an excellent party card game that can be played in several fun-filled rounds. Every player gets a hand of six cards, each of which includes a single abstract picture without any text. On every round, a different player is designated the Storyteller. The Storyteller is tasked with choosing one of their cards and giving a clue about it before placing it facedown on the table. The clue can be either a word or a sentence.

Once the clue has been given, the other players will each choose one of their own cards that best match that clue. They’ll then place that card facedown on the table along with the Storyteller’s card. The cards are shuffled and then revealed face up on the table for everyone to see. The goal of each player is to try and guess which card was in fact the Storyteller’s card.

One of the best parts of the card game Dixit is the fact that it comes with large, beautifully illustrated cards. These abstract illustrations include things like ticking timepieces, unicorns and rainbow bridges, a sea of umbrellas, and fearsome dragons. All of the cards in the game are family-friendly, so you can easily enjoy the game with little kids or teenagers.

Making Guesses

The clue that the Storyteller gives is meant to be indicative of the picture on the card, but it shouldn’t be too direct. This is because the Storyteller wants at least one player to guess their card, while not wanting everyone to correctly guess it. The Storyteller will earn zero points if either everybody or nobody guesses their card. However, if one or more players guess their card, then both the Storyteller and the guesser will earn three points.

Players can also earn points in the event that another player guesses their card instead of the Storyteller’s. Once all of the guesses have been made and the points have been tallied, the next person in the circle becomes the Storyteller and the game continues. The game ends either when all of the cards in the deck have been played or when a player earns 30 points. If all of the cards are played, then the player with the most points wins.

Points are scored with a game board that comes with little rabbit tokens. Players will move their tokens around a track at the bottom of the game box as they earn points, watching their bunnies inch closer and closer to victory.

Dixit Expansions

Dixit comes with a couple of expansions and standalone games that take the simplicity of Dixit and expand it into something much more whimsical. Dixit: Journey allows your clue to take the form of a story, a song, or a movement that is associated with the card. Fortune favors the brave with this card game expansion, as you’ll have to put aside your stage fright and put on your dancing shoes to make your clue really stand out!

Dixit: Odyssey works as both a standalone game and expansion that features the same gameplay as the original Dixit in addition to 84 new cards. This expansion includes additional rabbit storing tokens, allowing up to 12 players to play.

Let the Art Do the Talking with Dixit

Dixit is playable by 3-6 players, so it’s a good party card game for small groups of people. However, if you forego the scoring board and simply keep track of the points manually, then you can accommodate more players. It’s also suitable for ages 8 and up, as it’s very family-friendly and easy to follow. Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, so you can easily fit in a round or two before dinner.

Buy Dixit today and let your imagination run wild!

 

Llamas Unleashed: One Baaa’d Move Can Make All The Difference!

Llamas Unleashed is a card game that traffics primarily in puns. Its cards are illustrated with delightfully wacky characters such as The Fearsome Alligoater or the Adorable Alpaca that add a bit of silliness and fantasy to this goofy card game. You’ll find yourself laughing till your sides hurt as you try to avoid making any Baaa’d moves and having to Alpaca Your Bags!

Building Your Field

The goal of Llamas Unleashed is to be the first player to collect seven different Animal cards in your field. Players will go in turns clockwise around the table, with each turn consisting of several different phases. You’ll start out by drawing one card from the deck. Then, you can either play one of your cards from your hand or draw an additional card from the deck. At the end of your turn, you’ll discard any cards you have that go over the hand limit of seven cards.

Animal cards are split into three different categories. Baby Animal cards can only enter your field from the nursery, while you can add Basic Animal cards to your hand during your turn. Basic Animal cards have no special effects, they do come with funny characterizations of what it means to be “basic”. For example, that Basic Goat card may be just what you need for your field, but do you really have to put up with his endless chatter on the phone?

Magical Animal cards have special powers that can either help or hinder you. You can play these cards in your own field or in your rival’s field depending on what’s the most helpful. For example, the Magical Ramicorn may be just what you need to add more Rams to your field, while the Bahama Llama might be a powerful way of forcing your neighbor to get rid of one of his cards and lose a turn.

Instant, Upgrade, Downgrade, Magic

There are five different types of cards in Llamas Unleashed. The first type is an Instant card, which you can play anytime that another player plays one of theirs. This can be anything from a Surprise Emu Attack that destroys another player’s Animal card to Spit Happens, which forces the player to discard their card. If someone plays an Instant card against you, however, you can counter with your own, going back and forth until the first person runs out of Instant cards.

Upgrade cards will give you positive effects such as the Venti Alpacchiato, which allows you to draw an extra card. Downgrade cards, on the other hand, will hinder you. These can be played against other players, such as the Berserk Llama syndrome that forces them to sacrifice one of their Animal cards.

Magic cards are where the game gets truly cutthroat. Whereas Upgrade and Downgrade cards will not take effect until the beginning of the player’s next turn, Magic cards have one-time effects that take place immediately. Everyone will have to watch out for cards like the Alpacalypse that rain down horror upon the group and force everyone to sacrifice one of their Animal cards.

The Elusive Herd Bonus

While the goal of Llamas Unleashed is to collect seven animal cards, you get a special Herd Bonus for collecting three or more of one type. Animal cards include Llamas, Alpacas, Goats, and Rams, and having three or more of the same variation lets you use the Herd Bonus on the back of your Reference card. This can be just the thing you need to steal a card from another player or destroy one of their precious Animal cards.

Keep An Eye On Your Herd with Llamas Unleashed

Llamas Unleashed is playable by 2-8 players, which makes it an excellent card game for a party or a quick round between friends. It’s suitable for ages 14 and up, as the mechanics are pretty simple but the humor might be a bit much for younger players. Playing time lasts around 30-45 minutes, which is pretty middle of the road for a card game. 

As far as card games go, Llamas Unleashed is a memorable and silly adventure that will add a little levity to your life. Say Neigh to bad vibes and buy Llamas Unleashed today!

 

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition (Yep, for the Little Ones)

If you’ve ever played a round or two of Cards Against Humanity at a party, then you’re well aware of how hilarious it can be to play around with absurd wordplay. The adult humor of the game combined with its competitive nature has made Cards Against Humanity a hit all around the world. But while this game is certainly one of the funniest party games on the market, it’s definitely not fit for younger players.

Luckily the creators of the original game have decided to create a brand new game for kids and adults alike. Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is a family-friendly party game that keeps all of the same wackiness and humor of the first game without losing any of the fun. If you’re looking for a party game the whole family can enjoy, look no further than Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition.

Fill-In-The-Blank

Just like the original Cards Against Humanity, Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is a fill-in-the-blank party game. Each player will collect seven white cards for their hand, which are all populated with silly phrases like “Squirty cheese” or “A big wet kiss from Great Aunt Sharon”. Then, the game goes in turns where each person gets a chance to be the judge of who’s the funniest.

Each turn, one person will pull a black card, which will have on it a fill-in-the-blank sentence. These include phrases such as “Foolish child! Did you think you could escape from _____?” The fun of the game comes from filling in the blanks with one of the goofy white card responses. Each of the players (with the exception of the one who pulled the black card) will play one of their white cards to try and get their card picked as the funniest.

This is where it pays to read the room. While you may think that “The dentist” is the funniest response to that question, the judge might be inclined to go with something silly like “Filling my butt with spaghetti.”  You’ll have to know the sense of humor of whoever that round’s judge is if you want to collect the most black cards and win the game.

One of the best parts of Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is that, for the most part, it doesn’t really matter who wins. You’ll be sure to spend the game cracking up over the wacky combinations that your friends and family manage to come up with. Even if your card doesn’t get picked as the winner, you can still rest happy knowing you made everyone laugh.

Consulting The Experts

Cards Against Humanity is known for being a party game with some seriously adult humor. When crafting Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition, the creators of the game didn’t just go through the original and remove all of the adult references. They wrote the game from scratch, consulting child development experts to make sure the humor was age-appropriate but no less funny than the original.

The creators of Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition also playtested the game with thousands of families to ensure that it was a hit. The game has been a major success, allowing kids and adults to engage in absurd wordplay and share a laugh at cards like “Climbing into a cow’s butt.”

Cards Against Humanity Family Expansions

Cards Against Humanity has been known to release many expansions that can be added to the original set to expand the humor and keep the jokes rolling. While Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition does not currently have any expansions, the creators have announced plans to release one soon.

Get The Kids Cracking Up With Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is playable by anywhere from 4-30 players, so it can accommodate parties or family gatherings of all sizes. It’s suitable for ages 8 and up, which means that kids of all ages can take part in the fun. The playing time lasts around 30 minutes, although you can always extend it with a few more rounds. Buy Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition and get ready to laugh until you cry!

 

Monopoly: Relive the House Rules and More

If you grew up playing board games, chances are you own a copy of Monopoly. The colored money, ruthless landlords, and “Go to Jail” cards are a fixture of almost every household. But Monopoly has proven to be a lasting and wildly popular game for a reason, as it requires a great deal of strategy and negotiation to win the game and run everyone else off the board. Anyone looking to relive the classics will love the nostalgia of Monopoly, as well as the flexibility of its rules.

Rolling the Dice

During each turn of Monopoly, a player will roll two die and then move that number of spaces around the board. Each space either represents a property or forces you to draw a card. These cards can require you to do anything from pay taxes, collect income, or go straight to jail.

If you land on an unowned piece of property, you can either buy it or you can allow the bank to auction it out to the highest bidder. Buying property allows you to charge rent to anyone who lands on that space in the future, supplementing your income and helping you bankrupt the other players.

If you land on a piece of property owned by another player, you have to pay them rent. Once a player has collected all the spaces in a certain color group, they can build houses and hotels to charge players higher rent and bankrupt them even faster.

Going To Jail

Players can be sent to jail for several reasons. One reason is by landing on the “Go to Jail” space. Drawing a “Go to Jail” card is another. When rolling the dice, rolling doubles allows you to roll again immediately after. If you roll doubles three times in a row, however, you get “caught speeding” and are sent to the brig.

Landing in jail moves you to the Jail space and ends your turn. The only way to get out of jail is to pay a fine of $50, use a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, or successfully roll doubles on the dice. While jail isn’t the end of the road, it can be an unwelcome wrench in the works that can derail real estate transactions and push you closer to bankruptcy.

House Rules

Monopoly has been around for so many years and has been played by so many people that players have developed their own house rules to make the game either easier or more complex. The “Free Parking jackpot rule” gives each player the opportunity to win a bundle of cash just for landing on the Free Parking space, which can make the game last even longer. Whether you’re new to Monopoly or you’ve been playing the game since childhood, house rules can keep the game feeling fresh and upend strategies left and right.

Monopoly Expansions

Monopoly has seen several expansions that can either be played as stand-alone games or combined with the base game for additional fun. The Get Out of Jail mini-game gives you an additional way to escape prison by using a spade to flick out colored prisoners. Free Parking is another fun add-on that gives you the optional Taxi Challenge, allowing you to move anywhere you want on the board if you win.

Monopoly: The Landlord’s Game

Monopoly is the ultimate family game, playable by 2-8 players. Whether you’re an only child or you’re playing with extended family, Monopoly can accommodate families of all sizes. It’s also suitable for ages 8 and up, so younger children can easily get involved and keep up with the adults.

Playing time lasts between one to three hours, although certain house rules have been known to keep the game going all night. Monopoly isn’t the kind of game that you can cram a quick round in between the appetizers and the main course. If you’re playing Monopoly, it’s going to be an experience all of its own. The best part of the game is that, with so many different house rules that you can bring to it, you will rarely ever play the same game of Monopoly twice!

Now it’s time to go out and make your fortune!

 

 

Agricola: Enjoy The Simple Things In Life

Do you ever wish you could go back to the 17th century, when all you had to worry about was your crops and your livestock?  Agricola brings back the simple pleasures of life on the farm, casting you in the role of farmer as you build the most beautiful and prosperous farm in the land.  It’s not all peaceful pastures, however, as you’ll have to outmaneuver your fellow farmers if you want to feed your family and earn enough victory points to win the game.  With quaint little wooden pieces and a gorgeously drawn game board, Agricola is a family-friendly game that celebrates the little things in life.

Growing Your Household

Agricola begins with each player being given a farming couple and their own little two-roomed hut.  As players take their turns throughout the 14 rounds of the game, they will move family members around to different actions space in order to acquire resources and build their household.  These actions will be any of the simple duties of running the farm, from building fences that keep out predators to collecting firewood.

The more family members you have, the more you actions you can take, so having kids can definitely help you build a more prosperous farm.  However, more kids means more mouths to feed, so you’ll have to plan your family carefully if you want to stay above water!

Only one family member is allowed to occupy an action space at a time, so you’ll need to develop a strategy to block your competitors from getting the resources they need while ensuring your own farm’s growth.  The 14 rounds of the game are divided into six harvests, during which you’ll grow more food and breed more animals.  The better fed you keep your family, the more victory points you’ll win.

Occupations and Minor Improvements

Agricola comes with optional Occupations and Minor Improvements cards for a more advanced play.  While younger kids will usually forego these cards entirely, more advanced players can use three different levels of these cards to make each game much more varied.  Playing these cards will win you extra resources and special bonuses, while giving you a more fixed strategy to follow in order to win the game.

There are a great number of strategies you can use to win the game, which will depend on what cards you hold in your hand.  You may find that focusing on building your farm is all you need to succeed, while sometimes sabotaging your opponent is necessary to keep them from having too plentiful a harvest.

Agricola Later Editions

The Revised edition of Agricola features an updated rulebook and gameplay that bring the game into the 21st century.  It also uses differently shaped wooden pieces to represent the resources that you’ll grow, as well as a more balanced deck for streamlined gameplay.

The All Creatures Big And Small edition of Agricola brings the game down to only two players while emphasizing the animal aspect of the game.  This edition casts you as an animal breeder in charge of growing your livestock into a happy and bustling pasture.  There’s also an Agricola expansion that makes the game playable by up to 6 players.  This expansion features additional room tiles, occupations, and major improvements that revitalize Agricola and make it perfect for family gatherings.

Live Long And Prosper With Agricola

Agricola is playable by anywhere from 1-5 players, so it can be enjoyed by the whole family or just on your own.  Playing time depends on whether or not you choose to include the optional Occupations and Minor Improvements cards, so it can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two and a half hours.  Agricola is definitely the kind of game that can be the centerpiece of family game night.

Agricola is suitable for ages 12 and up, so parents and kids can easily enjoy playing the game together.  If mom and dad are looking for a more advanced game on their own, they can add on the optional cards for some extra competition.  All in all, Agricola is a fun strategy game that makes the most out of its vintage agricultural theme.

But it today!

 

 

Here is How you Play Agricola

Catan: Explore a Whole New World

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be Christopher Columbus and discover a new land full of untapped potential?  While there may not be much of the Earth we have yet to discover, that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the experience of the early settlers.  If you’re an explorer at heart, you’ll love the exciting setup of Catan, a board game that pits players against each other in the race to build a lasting society.  

Formerly known as The Settlers of Catan, this board game uses dice, cards, and strategy to provide you with up to two hours of fun.  The game begins with your ship washing ashore a brand new land, brimming with unspoiled possibility.  But not so fast—you’re not the only one to land on Catan’s shores!  Several other seafarers have arrived at the same time with the exact same desire to colonize.  You’ll have to battle the other players in order to gain dominance and win the game.

 

Building Settlements

Catan uses a game board that is set up with hexagonal terrain tiles.  Each player begins their settlement with two small houses on the spaces where three of these terrain hexes meet.  Then, by rolling the dice, players accumulate different resources and barter with each other in order to turn their settlement into a prosperous city.  The more settlements and cities you build, the more victory points you accumulate.  Once you reach 10 victory points, you are officially the winner of Catan.

But how do you go about bartering resources and building settlements?  This is where Catan gets interesting.  Strategy is a huge part of the game as you trade your resources at ports and with other players to give away what you have too much of in order to collect what you need.  But be sure to trade smartly, as you don’t want to give away something that will give the other player the upper hand.  Sometimes theft is necessary, as rolling a 7 on the dice can allow you to steal the resource card you need from other players.

Catan Expansion Packs

Catan has been around for decades, as it was originally released in 1995.  Catan is suitable for ages 10 and up, and gameplay usually lasts between one and two hours.  While the base game serves 3-4 players, the extension allows you to incorporate 5-6 players.  With so many people vying to win, you can fill an entire evening with a game of Catan!

Catan also comes with several expansion packs, which allows you to enjoy a whole new chapter.  The Seafarers expansion adds ships that serve as roads over the water, allowing you to explore the sea and settle on an uninhabited archipelago of islands.  In addition to ships, the Seafarers expansion also includes pirates, which will steal resources from ships and even prevent them from being built in the first place.

Catan: Cities and Knights adds new Knights that can be used to attack other players as well as defend Catan from barbarian invaders.  These barbarian invaders will occasionally attack Catan, forcing the warring settlements to work together to fend them off and continue the game.  This expansion also includes additional resources to be produced and traded, which include paper, cloth, and coin.  Catan: Cities and Knights can be combined with the Seafarers expansion for an even more complex game.

Build A New World With Catan

Catan is arguably one of the most popular board games ever invented, with countless spin-offs, film/television adaptations, and even tournaments.  Its popularity is likely due to the fact that this game appeals to almost everyone.  Whether you’re a family looking for a casual game to add into the mix or you’re a hard-core gamer looking to relive the nostalgia of a classic, Catan has something for everyone.

While the base game is simple enough for children to enjoy, it’s the expansions that really make Catan a versatile game.  You won’t ever get bored of Catan, and no collection of board games will ever be complete without this classic multiplayer board game.  Indulge your imagination and get in touch with your inner settler with Catan!

 

 

How to Play Catan

Pandemic: The Perfect Board Game For 2020

With the current COVID-19 pandemic on everyone’s minds, what better time is there to step into the shoes of our front line heroes and battle your very own fictional pandemic?  The board game Pandemic has been a favorite of countless players since it was first released in 2008.  A delightful mix of strategy, cunning, and luck, Pandemic offers countless hours of fun for both families and friend groups.

The World Of Pandemic

In the world of Pandemic, you’re not just dealing with one crisis.  Multiple virulent diseases are breaking out at the same time all across the globe, causing a worldwide pandemic that’s up to your little group to solve.  You and the other players are specialists from the CDC who are tasked with treating hotspots of disease while at the same time racing to find a cure for these four viruses.

Pandemic uses a game board that portrays 48 major population centers on the globe.  Players begin the game at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, with each person being assigned a random role and several Player cards.  Each turn you take you get to choose up to four actions, some of which will require cards that you pull from the deck.  

Depending on the card you select, you can build a research station, discover a cure for one of the viruses, travel from one city to another, or treat the infected.  Be careful, however, as the deck also contains special “Epidemic!” cards that will only worsen the spread of the diseases. 

Roles In Pandemic

One of the most fun aspects of the game is the different role that each player gets assigned at the beginning of the game.  This is where luck meets strategy, as your strategy depends on the strength of your specialist.  Roles such as the Containment Specialist or Operations Expert contain powerful abilities to treat infection, while the Contingency Planner and Pilot are much weaker roles.

Whether you succeed in treating the infections and averting a worldwide meltdown depends on how well you play the role you’re given.  This is part of what makes Pandemic such an excellent game for repeat playing, as you may find yourself handicapped with a weaker role that makes gameplay much more challenging.

Unlike most board games, Pandemic requires players to work together in order for everyone to win.  Your biggest competitor is the disease itself, rather than the person sitting across from you.  Work together to keep the diseases from spreading too far by sharing cards and preventing Outbreaks.  This isn’t the kind of game where you shut people out and clinch the victory for yourself.

Pandemic Expansions And Spinoffs

Pandemic comes with several expansions that expand gameplay to include new threats and additional roles.  The first official expansion “On the Brink” was released in 2009, which came with additional roles and Special Event cards.  Since then, there have been two more expansions that allow you to do things like research cures in a laboratory.  One even adds a fifth disease, an incurable Superbug that makes the game much more difficult.

Spinoffs of Pandemic add new features such as dice to the game, which introduces an additional element of chance.  One unique spinoff called Pandemic: Contagion flips the script entirely, putting players in the role of the diseases and forcing you to work towards the eradication of the entire human race!  And if you’re into mythical monsters and H.P. Lovecraft, you’ll love Pandemic: Reign Of Cthulu, which pits you against occultists who are trying to summon the legendary monster.

Save The World From Pandemic

Pandemic is a perfect game for families, as it accommodates 2-4 players from ages 8 and up.  It’s not too difficult to get the hang of, but it’s also challenging enough that you won’t get bored of it after a few plays.  The additional expansion packs are a creative way to extend gameplay and get a few additional years out of this classic.  But above all, Pandemic stands apart from other games because of its focus on cooperation.  If you can get kids to work together to rid the world of disease, there’s nothing you can’t do!

 

 

How to Play Pandemic

Villainous: Make the Villains the Heroes of Their Own Story

If you’ve ever watched a Disney film and felt that Maleficent was unfairly vilified, you’re not alone. Villainous is an enchanting card game that takes six iconic Disney Villains and turns them into playable characters. Meddle in other Villain’s objectives while pursuing your own malevolent desires. You’ll have a wicked good time with this card game that was made for the Disney lover in all of us.

How It is Played

Each player gets their own villain deck, fate deck, player board and sculpted Villain character. Take turns playing cards that either fulfill your own win condition or mess with other players on their boards. True to its name, Villainous is a game meant for the ruthless; the more you’re willing to stab your fellow players in the back, the truer you are to your character.

Villainous is meant for ages 10 and up, so it’s a great game for either families or parties. Anyone who’s grown up watching Disney films (and really, didn’t all of us?) can enjoy this fun card game. This game is particularly awesome because of the unique twist in making the Villains the playable characters of the game. We all know what it’s like to root for Ariel to get her voice back from Ursula, but what if you’re suddenly Ursula and your main objective is to rule the seas? Indulge your darker side and see how it feels to be Villainous for a change—you may never go back!

If this sounds like something to take your fancy, buy it before someone falls asleep for good…

 

Qwirkle: Find the Pattern and Lay Down the Line

Qwirkle is an abstract tile-playing game that takes the concept of Scrabble and turns it on its head.  Instead of forcing you to spell out difficult words with tiles that will send your friends and family scrambling to the dictionary, Qwirkle is played with tiles bearing colorful shapes that you have to arrange in a line.  No game board is required with this simple and creative game—all you need is a flat surface and a yearning for a little competition.

High Quality Wooden Game Pieces

As opposed to the bland little brown tile pieces you use in Scrabble, Qwirkle comes with 108 shiny black tiles featuring colorful patterns in various intricate shapes.  The delightful game pieces are often one of the most memorable parts of any board game, and Qwirkle delivers in spades.  From the whimsical clover to the dynamic eight-point star, Qwirkle’s quirky tiles will be sure to build a beautiful pattern by the end of the game.  

Laying The Tiles

Gameplay begins with mixing all of the tiles in the bag and having each player draw 6 tiles at random.  Every turn, each player will place one or more tiles on the table to form a row.  The rows need to each share one attribute of either color or shape, but not both.  For example, one row can consist of clover tiles in different colors, while a different row may be each of the shapes in the color red.

Unlike Scrabble, which forces you to play with the tiles you’ve got before drawing new ones, Qwirkle allows you to spend your turn exchanging the tiles in your hand for new ones.  This can end up making the game way more dynamic instead of saddling you with a dud hand for the rest of the game.

Scoring Points

Every time you place a tile in a line, you score one point for each tile within that line.  If you complete the line with the sixth and final tile, congratulations!  You win a 6-point bonus that can jettison you into the lead.  An additional 6-point bonus is given to the first person to play all of their tiles once the bag has run out, which is just enough of a boost to keep things competitive until the very last second.

Qwirkle is simple to learn, but definitely gives plenty of opportunity to employ strategy.  Blocking other people from continuing a pattern can be just as effective as plotting out your own high score combination.  However, the luck-based element of the game will throw a wrench into even the most carefully laid plans.  This combination of luck and strategy will keep you coming back to Qwirkle time and time again.

Fun For Families And Non-Gamers

Qwirkle is the perfect game for families and kids of all ages.  It’s an excellent game to use to teach younger children about concepts like shape and color matching and counting, while older kids can learn concepts like strategy and planning.  Suitable for ages 6 and up, Qwirkle is incredibly easy to learn and will having you playing like an expert within minutes.  But just because it’s so simple doesn’t mean that it’s boring—Qwirkle leaves plenty of room for more advanced players to play the long game while novices can enjoy it at the basic level.

Qwirkle is also much more accessible to non-gamers than hardcore games like Catan.  Because the rules are so simple, even people who don’t normally enjoy board games can find themselves drawn in for a 30-40 minute game.  This dynamic game can join together serious and casual gamers, serving as a gateway game towards more advanced board games.

Walk The Line With Qwirkle

Qwirkle is a simple game with an abstract concept that can appeal to a wide variety of gamers.  Its accessibility is where it truly shines, even if that removes a little bit of the complexity of the game for people who are looking for something with a greater challenge.  Still, if you’re a visual gamer who likes building intricate patterns and playing with beautiful wooden game pieces, you’ll love the quality that Qwirkle has to offer.

 

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Continue Shopping