Focus: FUCK yeah: Essentially a Monopoly rip-off, but it has 3D buildings and that made it awesome: And finally the Citizen Kane of games: the ORIGINAL Crossfire (not the gay late 80's version). You could detach the guns and shoot the ball bearings at each other's eye sockets if you felt like it, too. Ah, unsafe games, where did you go?
My roomates and I, along with some friends, still play board games every now and then. Of course these days playing board games involves large quantities of alcohol. We mostly play Clue and Skip-bo (which is more of a card game I guess). Sometimes they will play monopoly, which I refrain from. I am usually pretty laid back, but when it comes to that devil spawn of a game I am the sorest loser of all time. Also I suck at it. Most games of monopoly I play end with me getting pissed off and quitting like a whiny five year old. I'm also a big fan of Mad Gab, its a great drinking board/card game.
Fireball Island is the fucking shit!!! Also, you can't fuck with Crossbows and Catapults I also had a thing for this game when I was really young. Too obscure?
My son and I play regular epic battles of stratego, but the all-time, hands-down, desert island top ten list of childhood games is not complete without: Also, my parents went to Europe several times during my childhood...does anyone else remember playing the game called Husker Du?
Candyland was my earliest board game memory. I also remember watching the adults playing Monopoly, and my dad always had to have the car. Another favorite memory is my friend who was so good at useless trivia that when three of us (working together) tried to play her at Trivial Pursuit, she still won quite easily. Other fun ones: Scattergories, Pictionary, Pay Day, Trouble, Sorry, Life, Scrabble, hungry hippos, operation. A German friend taught me Rummikub, that one is pretty cool. I have two editions of Monopoly. UVAopoly (which I'm unlikely to play again) and a Star Wars edition we found at the thrift store - can't wait to play that one with my daughter.
My first job out of college involved an insane amount of not actually working while at my desk, so I played online scrabble CONSTANTLY. I dominate. I still know most of the 2 letter words and can work to get a bingo like nobody else (there's more strategy than luck, trust me.) I almost never lost 2 player games in real life, and I only lose 3 player games because my uncle is smarter than me before the game starts and situates himself to go right after my mom, meaning he will have every triple word score opened up to him after she gives up and goes "oh i don't know" and gives herself a 6pt word and fucks my game up. Stupid mom.
Big fan of Settlers of Catan, good for a game or 2 every so often. Right now, the guys I play games with are on a big Train game kick. Ticket to Ride is good, but Rail Road tycoon is better, same with Steam (Age of Steam as well). Played a little bit of a game called Aquire (buying/selling hotels, its a fun, short game). Just about any "German" style board game is good for a least a couple of play throughs.
I still play Scrabble and always want to play Monopoly but no one will play with me because I refuse to play unless we're going to finish the game. What lame ass version of Crossfire is that? I had this fucker: I was a big fan of Battleship too.
First game I thought about. There was nothing better than owning an opposing #1 rank (forgot the name) with your spy. This game was from a little earlier in my child hood. It gave my cousin and I a lot to do on rainy days.
Scrabble. My ex and I used to play it damn near every night. Somehow she'd gotten it in her mind that she could beat me, so have many other people. It ain't happening. I grew up playing Scrabble with my English teacher grandmother every night. I know so many obscure words it isn't even funny. If you have the 'J' look for an open 'O'. Jo is perfectly legitimate word that is found in the dictionary....it's a Scottish term for a girl. Thank my grandmother next time you use that little point getter. If you play Scrabble you will use it eventually.
Just when I was having trouble figuring out what to ask for Christmas this thread comes along. God bless you all. My personal favorite right now is taboo. It's usually best to pair up with someone you know well. It allows for so many loopholes around the words that are taboo. If you want to play a drinking game you can always designate an amount the opposing team has to take for each point you score. This can obliterate your mental facilities quickly, so maybe do a shot like every five points (very doable in one round).
I have like 4 different versions of Monopoly and still try to play them on a monthly basis. My favorite is the Star Wars (original trilogy) edition. The battles for Hoth are always epic despite its low income. One of my ex-roommates had a bunch of different versions of Risk too, including the most intense one ever: Lord of the Rings edition. Also, I just played Scattergories 3 nights ago with some friends. Good board games never get old.
I played Risk for the first time ever a few months ago. It was fun and I didn't get really shitted on. I don't collect them myself but my old roommate did and we used to have game nights pretty frequently. Mostly Apples to Apples, Trivial Pursuit, and Cranium. We had "Scene It?" but rarely played because any team I was on dominated almost entirely. I NEVER NEVER thought Scrabble was a fun game. Plus the fanatics, who carry around their own certified dictionary, have killed any appeal the game might have had otherwise.
I have an intensely competitive, older (7 years) brother. He ruined many childhood board games for me, and would incessantly sing "We are the champions" when he invariably won. In hindsight, upon checking rules, he was cheating his ass off. Risk was unplayable with him and Monopoly was futile. The first game I dominated was Trivial Pursuit. Line me up a green question and watch me go to town. My whole family would gang up on me and I'd still blitz them.
Jo is fuckin amateur hour, the real cash is in the X if you can land it on a multiplier. Ax, Ex, Ox Xi and, depending on the dictionary, Xu. But Xi is the fucking winner.
What the hell is wrong with you guys?... Two pages and no one mentions Connect Four Candyland was my childhood favorite but I haven't played it in about 20 years. I still have our original Monopoly game and we break it out maybe once a year.I am always, always the thimble. My brother and I play cards a lot too... his favorite is Uno and mine is Skip-bo. We're both really sore losers and if we think we can either get away with it, we cheat.