Screw Colonizing the New World. I Want to F*ck Something. [A Geeklist Containing Excellent Dexterity Games]
United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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Don't get me wrong. I enjoy colonizing the new world, European imperialism, constructing medieval monuments, corporate takeovers, ancient Egypt, German politics, the Cold War, and Mediterranean civilizations just as much as the next gamer. Participating in a contest of wits with a group of adults can be very stimulating (and even enjoyable).
However, in certain situations, stuffy adult games and mature themes just won't cut it. In part, gaming is a form of escapism. I game to forget about that annoying coworker, the mortgage payment, tedious yardwork, looming deadlines, overdue credit card bills, and automobile maintenance. It is fun to discard the heavy mantle of adulthood and regress every now and then.
Think back to your childhood. Did you ever use the term suboptimal play, suffer from analysis paralysis, or debate the differences between strategy and tactics? No. Did you worry about seating order bias, prefer games with little downtime, or have a least-favorite mechanism? No.
Here on the geek, many of the most popular games are disguised as adult activities. Games are structured, processional, and analytical. As children, play was a lively, carefree activity that was largely experiential. As a kid, play was fun. Yes, play was rollicking, boisterous, jocular, carefree, uproarious fun. How often can you say that about your weekly session of Puerto Rico or Caylus?
This list is dedicated to dexterity games that have the ability to make even the most hardened, stoic adult gamers approach play with a child-like wonder and naivety. So,
Screw Colonizing the New World. I Want to Flick Something.
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Fun for young and old, and probably even the dead. It's *that* good."
"If I leave it set up for people to play, it will go nonstop for the entire gaming session."
"it is *very* easy to sit down to a game and still be "filliping" 4-5 hours later!"
"If you don't like it you have no soul."
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Fenômeno
United States
Fitchburg
Wisconsin
Button Soccer
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"The most perfect simulation of football."
"The best dexterity game! In Brazil it is a sport, with organized leagues and regular championships."
The BGG pictures make no justice to how beautiful this game looks. The comments give the sense of how tight the rules are and how big it is in Brazil.
What is unwritten is this game's capacity of attracting people to play it. Whenever there was a table in a "party-like" situation, we were able to put exciting tournaments together with a lot of tension and cheering.
I have an official table at my house and my friends here are always asking to play.
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3.
Board Game: Zopp
[Average Rating:7.45 Overall Rank:1626]
United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"This one has provided many hours of enjoyable family play over the years."
"...the pieces fly like magic..."
"There are so many great shots you can make with this one, it's bound to be a hit..."
"Indoor soccer on glass dust."
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Joe Veen
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"This might actually be the game that fired Descent!"
"Very quick to pick up and play. Catacombs has a wonderfully fast pace that keeps everyone in the action. I really enjoy this one."
"Wow--Descent meets Pitchcar. Seriously, this is the type of game that I've been looking for. Fun, conflict based action game. I wanted to play it again as soon as I tried it. Would be perfect to play with family--bridges age gaps perfectly."
"Pure brilliance. Crokinole meets a dungeon crawl, and the abilities of the heroes translate into different mechanics for how you flick their tokens at the monsters, that totally work and are well themed.
One of the most innovative games in a long time. Combines great dungeon crawl theme with a dexterity game."
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Captures the feel of a tennis match perfectly!"
"It has monkeys playing tennis. That's all I know; that's all I *need* to know."
"Best two player tennis game, high dexterity skills required and surprising amount of strategy once both players develop their shots."
"Highly recommended!"
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Takes Jenga to the next level adding a level of strategy to the game. The pieces could have been done much better, but for a small indie publisher it's a really well done game. The value you get for this game is quite high. If you like a little strategy with your dexterity games this is the one for you."
"lots of laughing and tense moments. An intriguing mix of strategy and dexterity."
"Excellent strategy game. Seductively simple idea but as you play you begin to quickly see how strategy makes or breaks your opponent. Love the game as do my friends and my brother."
"Block building game very similar to Die Aufsteiger. Dice are used to pick the piece you place and then you move your meeple as high as they can go. Movement is restricted several ways including height, color and a clear path. Has a little bit of a Jenga feel also."
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8.
Board Game: Chapayev
[Average Rating:7.25 Unranked]
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This is a pretty cool and fast-playing flicking game that you probably already own.
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"...Reminded me of shooting wax-filled bottlecaps as a youth."
"... my dad got really into it, and was whooping and hollering when he won the race."
"Livens up a room when you play it!"
"... hooting ... hollering ... love it"
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Ian Cooper
United States
Austin
Texas
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Taktika is a game of medieval style battles that can be played on almost any smooth tabletop.
Play is similar to Crokinole or Carrom in that you are flicking wooden discs. However, Taktika adds different unit types (Archers, Infantry, and Cavalry) that must each move and attack differently.
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11.
Board Game: Venison
[Average Rating:7.16 Unranked]
Sean Ross
Canada
North Vancouver
British Columbia
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Quote: Santa has only five houses left to deliver gifts to this Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, the town is rife with hunters that only want one thing for Christmas--venison! Will Santa be able to deliver all the toys to the good little boys and girls before the hunters shoot all of his reindeer down?
Venison is a flicking game with one player assuming the role of the hunter and the other of the reindeer. The reindeer player's goal is to deliver gifts to all five houses by flicking his reindeer pieces into them. The hunter's goal is to kill all of the reindeer using pieces representing claw traps and bullets.
"Cool game, I like the way that it appears that the Hunter starts at a disadvantage, but as the game progresses it becomes more difficult for the Reindeer to survive." - James Smith
"A player that is too good at the Reindeer leaves nothing for the hunters.
I'd like to see this become a bit more difficult -- more obstacles, multiple goals, movement where the pieces stay where they are for next round (flicking deer from where they last were positioned).
Needs a Santa instant Christmas death variant, scrapped rounds and shored up rules. Still this is a great start (rated higher for potential)." - Morgan Dontanville
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Nathan Beeler
United States
Seattle
Washington
Really? Hovertext? Whatever.
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Another one of my favorite dexterity games - this one involves rolling metal balls down a ramp, trying to knock a soccer ball into your opponent's goal. Loud, messy, exciting, and quick. The only downside is the space it requires (which is why I don't own it).
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Simply perfect for what it is! Dice clattering, laughter inspiring pure fun!"
"Hootin' & hollarin' fun."
"The game in my collection that is most likely to have players burst into spontaneous cheering."
"This is a must buy if you like to hang with nongamers and drink beers. This is more fun than darts."
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Lotsa fun in a small package. A must buy for me"
"Essentially a cross between lawn bowling (rules) and Crokinole. The designer described it to me as 'poor man's crokinole'.
"The game plays well and the rules are flexible enough to cover a variety of play surfaces. ... Cute, simple and expected to be cheap. This is a clever twist on Crokinole and I'm sure many will go 'Why didn't I think of that!?'"
"Fun simple flicking game. Like the idea its works on any table..."
"Not quite as cool as Crokinole, but most of the fun for a fraction of the expense, and much more portable."
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15.
Board Game: Carrom
[Average Rating:7.03 Overall Rank:608]
RUSH May 21st 2011
England
York
North Yorkshire
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The Daddy of flicking games. Very very tricky and very fast.
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Yep, you can get the adults to play this for ages, too!"
"If you don't like this game then you're either fooling yourself or you don't have a heart. Sure, it's a kid's game and sure it's as mindless as can be, BUT damnit if it isn't fun as hell. Louie giveth and Louie taketh away. Be at zen with the chicken and maybe you too will see why this game demands the following it does. All praise the biplane god!"
"Loads of fun and laughs. Brilliant!!!"
"Great fun! Everybody laughing, priceless."
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"...My friend Ben and I would play it for hours 'til our flicking fingers bled..."
"My first Love !!!"
"...simply the best game ever made by humans..."
"...Too bad that fat aunts and jealous cousins always manage to walk on most of the players..."
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bob weaver
Estonia
tallinn
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owning half of the games on this list so far there are two that are worth mentioning.
First finally tracked a copy of this HABA game> OOP and not the easiest to track down but it is simple enough to make your own I suppose.
"guaranteed to make you laugh and make all stress disappear"
"Possibly the greatest dexterity game yet. An excitiing and utterky stupid game that will leave wondering how something so simple can possibly generate so many laughs! "
"What a blast! Completely silly and completely pointless, but a great dexterity game that makes you lunge and dive and generally make a fool of yourself."
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"this game always makes me laugh histerically. It doesn't feel too serious and can be played with a wide rage of people, including non gamers."
"Wow, I had fun. The Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things approves."
"There is an element of hope for almost every play. For example, I have landed and seen pieces landed on towers that I thought were for sure going to topple. It is at that moment - after you land it - when you feel a major rush of fun."
"I swear I`ve seen physically impossible buildings!"
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Jason Matthews
United States
Alexandria
Virginia
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OK, here is another great one for kids and adults alike. You will be amazed at what subtle pick pockets your children might make.
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"This brings always fun in a gaming company. There is no strategy nor tactics. Just playing and laughing."
"Really great game to introduce new players or to get the attention of bystanders."
"The magnetic mechanism is very clever."
"A superb alternative to Foosball or airhockey."
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Michelle Z
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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This gem from Haba is probably my all-time favorite dexterity game. The animals are adorable, and the game is as silly as any dexterity game, but there's an element of strategy that's not always apparent the first couple of times you play. It's not just about getting your own animals up there -- it's also about making it as difficult as possible for the next guy to get his on the pile!
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"It's tiddlywinks battle galore!"
"Sure its a simple premise and a goofy dexterity game, but it is lots of fun and is good for a laugh."
"I cannot help it, I just love it :-)"
"For me, boardgame perfection. Skill-driven dexterity game....but with a touch of chaos as your luck varies with each shot; sometimes you'll make the most amazing cross-board shot, and sometimes you'll fumble hitting the enemy adjacent to you."
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United States
Lexington
Kentucky
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"Has to be played to be believed. Lots of "ooohs", "aaahs", and "no WAYS" after some of the shots."
"Just one more time!"
"This is the best table-top skill game out there, bar none."
"What a hoot!"
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Jason Matthews
United States
Alexandria
Virginia
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If its dexterity you want, you'd be hard pressed to do better than this little title by Zoch. As demonstrated in this photo, you will be shocked at how weak gravity really is.
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, even though we have (and I love) crokinole.
Let's just be grateful that no one mistook the "vulture's eggs" for beer nuts!
