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Wall of Shame: The 50 'best' Boardgames According to The Independent
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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The 50 best board games according to te Independent Newspaper from the UK. "From family fun with old favourites to devilishly difficult number-crunching quizzes, Kate Watson-Smyth selects the table-top pastimes to while away those rainy days" http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activit...I've quoted some reviews of the games in question from BGG to contrast what the reporter has said. Enjoy!
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Posted Sat Nov 7, 2009 12:12 pm
Edited Sun Nov 8, 2009 12:43 pm
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
The Indepedent Says:
"The joy of this is that the rules and aims are so simple that a seven-year-old can play, but the tricks are in the strategies employed to out-think your opponent, so it's fun for all ages and abilities. Basically, you have to surround the white discs and turn them black or vice versa. You never know who's going to win until the very end."
BGG Says:
SoccerGeeks F.C.
Australia
West Wodonga
Victoria
"Othello comes from that classic mould of abstract strategy games that offer limitless options and variable play. The game can be learned in 2 minutes but never be mastered. Highly appealing to those players that enjoy Chess, Checkers, Backgammon and other abstract games."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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Pictureka! Flipper Game
ALL THE FAMILY
The Independent Says:
"Another deceptively simple game that's great for all the family. It's surprisingly hard to spot the picture on the card and, no, you can't memorise the boards because the game allows for them to be swapped around and turned over at regular intervals. Updated this year to include a 3D penguin who throws the cards out for you to find."
BGG Says:
"This game is so awesome its unreviewed and un commented.
Blurb on the Back:
"Pictureka! Flipper is the instantly accessible, Penguin enabled, picture-hunting game, that pulls the whole family together with constantly engaging, edge-of-your-seat, frenetic fun. PICTUREKA! FLIPPER incorporates the same find it fast, find it first fun of PICTUREKA! Standing tall in the center of the table, the 3-D penguin frantically flips small game tiles from its rotating base in a circular pattern onto the game table. Players then race to try and find the wacky drawings on the tiles that match the “mission cards” before the penguin “quacks” and places more tiles on the table. Easy to learn and easy to play, PICTUREKA! FLIPPER offers zany fun for the entire family."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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UNDER-EIGHTS
The Independent Says:
"Obviously, this is a classic but it's also one of the relatively few board games that the little ones can play. This is a copy of the original board as designed by Jaques, the company that invented this, and Happy Families, among others. Makes a great present - hence the price."
BGG Says:
Niall O'Gorman
Ireland
Dublin 14
"Overall I despise this game but you probably guessed this by now. There are so many better things to do with you kids than play this.
It is difficult to rate children’s games but funnily enough I don’t have a problem with this one a clear 2."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent Says:
"This edition of the old favourite comes with blank paper and cards and a CD-Rom and, with the aid of a colour printer, you simply invent your own board to suit your family. There is another version that can be customised for £80."
BGG Says:
Scott Woods
United States
Columbus
Ohio
"All in all, if you like Monopoly, you'll dig this, though it IS NOT MONOPOLY. If you want Monopoly, buy Monopoly; it's cheaper than this. If instead you'd like to manipulate it a little, maybe create some slightly different rules or themes, this kit makes it extremely easy to do. I'm working on my third kit, and designing it is as fun as playing it."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
The Independent Says:
"A game with attitude. The game spinner is, of course, the Axis of Evil, and it's full of war, suicide bombers and kidnapping. Everyone starts with great intentions until you realise that your neighbour has more oil than you and away you go. The question is whether you will fund or fight terrorism."
BGG Says:
Kenneth Bailey
United States
Ypsilanti
Michigan
"Overall, I enjoyed this game. Sure it's mechanics aren't as tight as some of the Eurogames, but then I don't think this is a game about the mechanics. This is a game to have fun."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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The Logo Game
The Independent Says:
"New out this year, this game taps into the fact that we are surrounded by stuff and it's all branded and asks us to recognise what's what. Categories include TV Ads, brand names and animals. You will definitely learn something new from this game. "
BGG Says:
Unlisted
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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UNDER-EIGHTS
The Independent Says:
"A perfect first board game for the youngest members of the family. It consists simply of six wooden snails and a track and players have to bet which two will win and lose. Helps with colours, counting and taking turns."
BGG Says:
"This one gets played a lot at my 4 year-old son's day care centre!"
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent Says:
"The new edition of that perennial favourite has just come out in team form. Now you can opt for multiple choice, name six and other subcategories and gain credit for being partially right or being correct on the second attempt. "
BGG Says:
"I get suckered into playing this game all the time. I hate it, my friends know I hate it, but they all like it, so I play."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
The Independent Says:
"The idea is simple - search the labyrinth for the magical objects and get back to the start taking the shortest possible route. It's one of those games where it's best to just set up and get going and it all becomes clear."
BGG Says:
"This deceptively simple game is, in a word, outstanding. A hidden gem if ever there was one."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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ALL THE FAMILY
The Independent Says:
"This combines Cluedo with Mastermind so one person hides the killer, the weapon, the motive and the place and the other has to guess the right combination in under 12 moves. Easy enough for the little ones to understand."
BGG Says:
Michael Denman
United States
Katy
Texas
"I think it insults Mastermind to say this is just the same. This game has no positional decision and you know each of your four answers comes from a specific set. For kids? Yes. Mastermind? In a lobotomized way."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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UNDER-EIGHTS
The Independent Says:
"A rather lovely and gentle fairytale game in which players have to search under the trees for a list of treasures including Cinderella's glass slipper and Puss's boots. And you're allowed to use magic if you throw a double."
BGG Says:
JessA (aka BOB bot2)
United States
Southwestern
Michigan
"Impression: Yuk.
I feel that this game is worse than the ordinary roll and move because of the dreaded memory mechanic. The memory games that I enjoy are ones that play fast and don’t require you to remember things for very long. This game relies so heavily on memory with players having to remember the locations of all the items over a long period of time. Although memory can be the great equalizer when playing games between adults and kids, there isn’t a need for that in this game because there is very little strategy. Your moves are all luck of the dice."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent Says:
"This is a smaller version of an old favourite, which takes a little less time. That's right, you can take over Europe in your lunch hour and go back to work. It's better this way."
BGG Says:
Keith Pottage
United Kingdom
Nr Wakefield
West Yorkshire
"RISK:BALANCE OF POWER is a very good addition to the Risk series and one the designer, Rob Daviau, can be proud of. The two versions, various set-ups and different objectives mean a lot of replayability, and being for two players it could have considerably more appeal than other versions which only play at their best with four or five players. It deserves to be a success, and we think it will be."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
The Independent Says:
"The aim is to get five marbles in a row, but the board divides into four trays, which turn around so when you think you have lined up four, your opponent spins your tray round and you're nowhere."
BGG Says:
Tom Vasel
Korea
Uijongbu
Unspecified
"Pentago is one of the simplest abstract strategy games that I've ever taught yet offers enough depth and fun, not to mention an extremely short playing time, that I'll be glad to play it dozens of times in the future."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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ALL THE FAMILY
The Independent Says:
"So obviously this is for all the family and works from about the age of six up. Do the parents know which school Harry Potter goes to - yes, yes that's easy butwhat instrument does Squidward play?"
BGG Says:
"Too awesome to be reviewed"
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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The Bad-Tempered Ladybird (AKA Social Conditioning: The Game)
UNDER-EIGHTS
The Indepedent Says:
Here, the ladybird needs to move around the board collecting bugs for tea but only if she says please. If the other players have to remind her of her manners, they get the food. Perfect for aged three and up.
BGG Says:
Unlisted
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent says:
"A great way for the beginners among us to get into the game with cards that tell you who goes where."
BGG Says:
That Steve Guy
United States
Allen Park
Michigan
"I can’t recommend this game. I really disliked it from the word go. I played several games and each one seemed more agonizing than the one before.
I am not a chess purist, but I found this game frustrating in the extreme even though I played and won a half-dozen times. I think the problem is that the cards just don’t allow any strategy at all to work. You can make moves that are completely nonsensical in real chess (based on hoping the other player can’t move the piece) and sometimes you can capture your opponents king (or lose your own) with ridiculous ease.
I don’t think the actual game does a good job of teaching chess since it allows those odd moves. I don’t think it is a good game in it’s own right either because it is too random. The most use I’ve gotten from it is letting my wife keep the cards in front of her as I’m trying to teach her chess so she can see how the pieces move."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
Independent Says:
"Myfavourite game of all time. It has exactly the right balance of skill with a tiny bit of luck - there are dice involved after all - to make each game interesting."
BGG Says:
Dylan Birtolo
United States
Lynnwood
Washington
"Backgammon is a very classic gambling game. If you approach it as a gambling game rather than a board game, I think you will get much more out of it. The key to the strategy element is the doubling cube. Without that, the strategy is very limited. Yes, there are options, considerations, risk/reward scenarios to run through your head. But, most of those are things that are not terribly complex and relatively easy for a player to get a handle on after several games. However, the doubling cube is something that takes a completely different level and type of strategy to master. This game is a staple, and one I will always pull out with certain friends, but it very rarely makes an appearance at game night."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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ALL THE FAMILY
The Independent Says:
"I'm slightly against board games that require batteries just on principle, but we can make the odd exception for a good one. It's uproarious and rather fun."
BGG Says:
Tom Vasel
Korea
Uijongbu
Unspecified
"Buffalo Games has made some tremendous party games - Faces being one of my favorites. However, this one simply doesn’t cut it; there is too much thinking being crammed into too short of a time. In some rule sets, this can make for a hilarious game, this one just comes across as an annoying activity that everyone can't wait until it's over. With no distinguishing characteristics and a lack of fun, my "Last Word" is "negative".
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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UNDER EIGHTS
The Independent Says:
"This beautifully produced game from German company Haba has lovely wooden pieces and gorgeous drawings. Fun for four players from five upwards."
BGG Says:
Rebekah B
United States
Colorado
Unique game that is truly cooperative. Not only is everybody working towards the same goal (as in most cooperative games), but everybody is working at the same time. This requires good communication, as players give and receive directions to try to build three towers. The timer is a little fast for my kids (about 45 seconds), but we substitute a longer timer for now.
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent Says:
"The aim here is to describe as many words as possible to your team in 30 seconds without saying 'rhymes' or 'sounds like'. Best for aged about 12 and up."
BGG Says:
"Despite its flaws, I think that Articulate is more enjoyable than Trivial Pursuit, due to its relatively low randomness, intelligent word choice, and limited duration. Smarter players, or teams with better groupthink will get ahead, yet there's enough leader bashing potential that no-one need despair."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
The Independent Says:
"This might be a good one to take on holiday as up to 12 people can play and it's basically a card game with a board, which will appeal to many as well. It's a lot more addictive than it might appear at first."
BGG Says:
Mark is in da house
Canada
Caledon
Ontario
"Know your target game group and SEQUENCE could be right for you. Just take the 'EXCITING game of STRATEGY' with a grain of salt."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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ALL THE FAMILY
The independent Says:
"This appeals to the younger ones as they don't have to wait their turn - they can just shout out the answer when you think you know it as the list of 10 clues are read out. Also, parents don't have to spend hours reading rules."
BGG Says:
Will Knight
United States
Brandon
Mississippi
"With 8 people, the game was a blast, and as I said previously, it immediately garnered several requests - nay, demands - for a replay. All-in-all, a game only took about 30 minutes, if that, to play, and I'd venture to guess that it could be played in 20 minutes or less with a smaller, less inebriated, crowd.
I highly recommend this sleeper-hit as a very fun twist on your traditional party trivia game."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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UNDER EIGHTS
The Independent Says:
"Another one from Haba that comes in a lovely solid case. It's a memory game, which sees Percy Pilferer nicking stuff from the secret compartment of the suitcase and the detectives having to work out what's missing from the overlapping silhouette shapes."
BGG Says:
Tom Vasel
Korea
Uijongbu
Unspecified
"A great kids' game, a good way to utilize a box and shadows."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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OLD FAVOURITES
The Independent Says:
"The idea here is to create runs of numbers. The key is that you can steal from the other players and even re-arrange their efforts, which is great fun and increases - technical term this - playability. Easy to learn and even the younger ones can play too."
BGG Says:
Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
"The more I play the game the less I like it. At first I found it very clever, an 8. Then a few more plays and the weaknesses of two player became apparent. We shorten two player by removing the 1-3 tiles ahead of time. This helps, but there's still a great deal of passing. I rate this game a 6 with 2-3 players. With four players, it can be a seven.
To my wife, it really works for her. Nice tactile components, actual manipulation of the game board, and a puzzle-like component. It's here 10."
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Jon Day
United Kingdom
LONDON
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STRATEGY
the Independent Says:
"Another version of the ever popular trivia games where you must work out anagrams, solve equations, and get through the maze while challenging opponents to duels. Will appeal to crossword fans and lovers of Trivial Pursuit."
BGG Says:
Michael Fox
United Kingdom
Milton Keynes
Bucks
"Having played a few games of PXC:TBG, I've found it enjoyable enough, but not much of a challenge. A group of us were playing this at the CubeFest 06 event a few weeks ago, and had a fine old time mocking each other's lack of knowledge after a pint or two, but now the game feels a little limited as thanks to a few regular plays, especialy with bigger groups, we've now sped through most of the questions - hopefully Mind Candy will see fit to produce expansion question packs with some tougher challenges; perhaps even a set of simpler questions for a younger playing group? It certainly screams "after dinner game", as you can get one finished in well under an hour (even with 4 people playing), but for the first attempt at making a board game, Mind Candy have done pretty well."
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Posted Sat Nov 7, 2009 12:11 pm
and am beaten time and time again by my 3 and 4 year old 
