Last week we went over the concept of gateway games as well as some excellent word games to try out, which you can read about here. However, word games are merely the first scrape of butter out of a freshly purchased tub; let’s talk about the next two scrapes.

Party Games

Most board games are designed to be played by three to five people, however, as the group playing games gets larger the number of games available for play begins to dwindle. Welcome to party game territory. These lighthearted and usually simple games are enticing to beginners because losing doesn’t feel like losing when everyone is having a blast. And who knows, they might win, but that’s besides the point: in the world of party games, winning doesn’t matter.

Telestrations is an excellent game to start out with because it is easy to understand and play, and also because it carries that oh-so sought after value of being able to make people laugh. At the start every player is given a dry erase booklet and a marker. Each player is then given a secret word to write in their book, which is then passed to the player on their right whom is tasked with illustrating that secret word into a picture. The booklet is passed again, but this time the player receiving the booklet has to try and decipher the picture into a word. If you have ever played the telephone game, this concept should be immediately familiar.

Hidden Role Games

Beware the light of the full moon…

Admittedly, many hidden role games are in fact party games. Games such as Werewolf — where everybody is given a secret identity and must suss out the werewolves hiding among their group, or if you’re a werewolf, remain hidden and slaughter the town at night. There are, however, games such as Coup, in which you and up to five others deceive, lie, and connive your way into a position of power within the corrupt government. Or perhaps you’d prefer Love Letter, a game all about getting your love letter to the princess? If lying to your friends sounds like a fun way to spend your evening, grab a hidden role game crack it open (just make sure its not a werewolf first).

Once bitten…

There’s a game out there for everyone. Maybe you have tried a game with some of your friends, because one of them insisted that it’s fun and easy, but in your experience, it was quite the opposite! Don’t let that discourage you from trying something new. Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The most important thing to remember when playing games is to have fun and share a laugh with friends or family. As long as you can do that, the real winner is you. And the person who won.