Shogunate is a fast-paced, friendly, but competitive card game that can't be taken too seriously. In Shogunate, six powers are competing for the title of Shogun. You are not these powers. Instead, you have two hidden allegiance cards -- these cards declare your loyalty.
At some point, the number of board games and card games released for Rick & Morty is going to eclipse the number of episodes. Go to ThinkGeek and you can buy your very own Rick & Morty-themed Clue, Monopoly, or (of course) Munchkin. Luckily, most of the Rick & Morty games are decently good -- and approach different themes in interesting ways. The Ricks Must Be Crazy is a solid game, but it may be more thematic than good.
Maybe your dad is already into board games, but he still needs to build up his collection. Maybe you just have no idea what he's interested in to begin with -- lawn care? Technology? Fishing? What does he do with his time? Regardless, a board game can be the opportunity to give your dad the gift that he really wants: more time with his family. Presumably. You might all be terrible. We don't know.
Starting from scratch is difficult, but there are a few all-around games that can be fun for any family.
There's a reason why "solo mode" is being tacked onto games: it sells. One of the biggest complaints board gamers have is that they can't get together enough players for a game. If you've tried to organize an event recently, you know: people are flaky and difficult to manage. So why not just play games alone?
There are hundreds of games with a solo mode, but not all of these games are good at being played solo. Here's what you need to know to get started in the world of solo board games.
An asymmetrical tile-matching game set in a world of superheroes and robots, Lightning & Bolt is a small box of whimsical fun. Initially intended as a two-player game that a parent could play with their child, Lighting & Bolt hit the three-player stretch goal during its Make 100 campaign. And though it is intended for children, it's also a solid introductory game for those who don't play a lot of games.
From Scythe to Splendor, Asmodee has been steadily moving the board gaming library to a digital library. And its about to take it even further. Asmodee recently announced that it would be moving Carcassonne to the Nintendo Switch this winter, with more titles soon to follow.
A friend of mine has been running D&D events in places like local libraries. These events are often kid-centric -- after all, what kid in 2018 doesn't want to get into Stranger Things-like hijinks with their multi-cultural friends? In my day, we were chased down flickering, blood-soaked halls by brutal and otherworldly monsters on the way to buy a Crystal Pepsi for 5 cents at the malt shop.
Though I've never played Carcassonne before, I've watched it played at least a dozen times. Not having played Carcassonne is a lot like never having played Catan; it can happen, but it's not normal. Carcassonne is a simple tile-based strategy game, in which players are attempting to complete map features to score points. First published in 2000, Carcassonne has won multiple awards for its simplicity and elegance. Though it's not a very detailed game, some interesting things happened while playing it.
A filler game is a light game that can be setup and played within about 30 minutes. Filler games are simple enough that you can reliably learn them on the first playthrough, but may allow for more complex strategies the more you play them. And though they can have a bad reputation ("filler game" itself sounds dismissive), they're actually fairly versatile. A filler game can be played at the beginning of a session, at the end, or as a palette cleanser. If someone only has a few games, they are likely to be filler games.
Kickstarter is the largest venue for board game publishing. Even companies that already have their own funding and an established following are publishing their new games on Kickstarter. Large IPs use Kickstarter to gauge public interest and to obtain funding before the development of their project. Consequently, it's no wonder that problems arise -- such as the failure of the Evil Dead 2 game.
