Yikes — the last couple of posts have been very weighty! Here’s the post that I had intended to publish a few weeks ago before all of the craziness happened. Enjoy!

That’s a wrap, folks! We all had a nice summer, but it’s officially getting too cold to spend every minute of every weekend outside. On the flipside, this means we can stay inside and play board games now without feeling guilty!

Here are a few games that I recommend for starting your own board gaming cult! Club. Whatever.

Pandemic

Pandemic is a collaborative game that is perfect for introducing friends to the world of board gaming.

In this game, everybody must work together to eradicate 4 deadly diseases before the diseases wipe out humanity. Additionally, each player is assigned a role that grants them unique abilities. For instance, the Medic is able to treat outbreaks more effectively than the other players, whereas the Dispatcher is able to move another player’s piece during their turn. In order for players to win, they must figure out how to best leverage each of their individual abilities.

Or, everybody gets sick and dies.

5 Flu Shots out of 5!

Secret Hitler

Secret Hitler is the perfect game for people who really don’t trust their friends that much.

Erm… I mean: Secret Hitler is a game about preventing a fascist government takeover. Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the members of the fascist party. Then, Secret Hitler is a game about subverting the government processes and instating fascism. In either case, everybody pretends that they hate fascism more than everybody else, lest somebody accuse them of being a fascist.

Also, somebody is Hitler.

(Ugh… I’m just gonna hold my tongue and avoid telling a political joke here.)

5 [JOKE REDACTED] out of 5!

BANG!

BANG! is the card game adaptation of a Spaghetti Western shootout.

Chaos has erupted in Dodge City, and everybody is shooting at everybody else. Who will be left standing when the dust settles? Team Sheriff? The outlaws? Or, maybe even a renegade Deputy that has plans to become the new Sheriff.

BANG! has game play elements that are similar to both Pandemic and Secret Hitler. Like Pandemic, each player is assigned a unique persona that grants them special abilities. Like Secret Hitler, nobody is really sure whether any of the other players are friend or foe. So you (the Sheriff!) might eliminate another player, only to discover that they were actually your favorite deputy.

Then again, they might have been the renegade who was colluding with the outlaws in the first place. So, pick better friends.

5 Meatballs out of 5!

(Get it? Spaghetti Western? Sigh… I should have told my political joke…)