Just Don’t Panic: A Retrospective on Catch Phrase
January 25, 2010 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
A simple concept sometimes goes a long way.
I’m a fan of good party games. You’ve caught on to this already being the intellectual readers that you are. I’m ready to talk about yet another fantastic game to break out when friends and family come to visit. Time for Catch Phrase.
Like Capture The Flag With Bombs: A Stratego Retrospective
January 15, 2010 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
I like to imagine world leaders looking like this man while they play Stretego.
So chess is a classic game of strategy and checkers is a classic game of “I Wish I Were Chess.” I was always good at chess (checkers, not so much), but there was another game I was addicted to beyond those two: Stratego. Have you played Stratego? You really should. Don’t believe me? Oh ye of little faith. Follow me then. It’s time for a history lesson.
Things and Stuff: A Review of The Game of Things
January 12, 2010 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
A deceptively conservative box. What could the contents include?
I’ll be downright honest here and let you in on a little secret: Before I got The Game Of Things for Christmas I had never heard of it before. Does that make me a bad person? Probably not. What it did manage to do is make me feel kind of stupid since there’s a pretty decent game here for parties with the right group of people. Let’s get into this review then.
All Out War: A Risk Retrospective
December 2, 2009 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
Someday I'm going to run this world while atop a noble steed and then we'll see who's laughing!
I am not very good at Risk. Ever lost Risk in two turns? I have. I’ve seen friendships nearly break up as a result of Risk games going bad. It’s even worse than Monopoly with the amount of hate you seen thrown about. Regardless, never let your friends dissuade you from utter conquest of Asia or Europe, as you can’t take over the world without them. They’re impossible to hold onto, but still.
“Ain’t” Is Not a Word: A Scrabble Guide for the Lazy
November 25, 2009 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
Delightful fun for the English major in all of us.
Few games take advantage of an overactive vocabulary the way Scrabble does. In fact, Scrabble is all about knowing difficult words in the hopes of showing up your family with a massive triple word score for something with a Z in it. Apparently, Scrabble is also the proud owner of a sordid past, but let’s not get too hasty! Okay, we can get hasty. Let’s learn about Scrabble!
Victory Never Tasted So Sweet: A Candy Land Retrospective
November 19, 2009 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
I still plan to live here some day.
I’ve been talking about board games a lot lately but I’ve been too caught up with the serious world of competition to remember some of the most classic and wonderful games of our youth (or in some cases our present if that’s how you roll). Two words for you here: Candy and Land. Put those together and you have Candy Land, a game that requires no skill but demands you enjoy it and when the game revolves around a land made of sugary treats, how can I say no?
That Cluedo That You Do: A Retrospective on Clue the Board Game
November 16, 2009 by Chris Pranger
Filed under Board Games
As classic as they come.
Have you ever played Cluedo? I bet you have, but you might have just called it Clue. Surprised to learn that Clue isn’t originally from the US? Yup, first came from the UK and was called Cluedo, (pronounced like Clu Du). The classic murder mystery game is always a smart and sophisticated option for individuals looking for a game to play as a group. Also, it works wonders to reveal which of your friends are actually idiots.