brab wrote:
How about you? What would be the games you would take for one year if you had limited space (let's say a moving box)?
Here's my list, more or less in the order I'd add them:
A pack of cards & a copy of Hoyle's- These are very compact, but provide dozens of good games with varied length and complexity. A pack of cards is versatile enough to be used with kids, adults, or even by yourself. If I could only take one game, this would be it.
A big handful of dice & Knizia's book of dice games- Also very compact and versatile. Most of the more interesting dice games require pencil and paper, but I assume I'll have access to those at my destination.
Quiddler- All the fun of a word game without the bulk of a board and clunky pieces. It's easy to shorten this game without changing how it plays, which might be useful depending on where I'm headed. And you can play a few other games with the cards, for variety.
Scattergories- Not the whole thing, though! Just the lists, letter die, and timer. I've already got access to paper and pencil, remember, so I don't need anything else. And the timer could be used for any other game that needs one.
That would about fill up a shoe box, which might be all the extra space I have. In addition to containing fun games, this combination gives me access to a variety of components (cards and dice, both number and letter, and a timer) that could be combined into other games in case I get bored. For example, I could use the dice as markers to play a version of No Thanks with the cards (yeah, it was a
really big handful), and I'm sure there's some interesting way to combine the letter die and letter cards. And don't you think rummy would be more exciting with a timer buzzing away? Well, maybe not. :) But with a whole year to work with, I might have time to invent something interesting.
So, what if I have more than a shoebox to fill? With a whole moving box at my disposal, these games would also be coming along:
The Klutz Book of Classic Board Games- Includes my favorite abstract, Fandango, and a dozen other two-player games in less space than a standard checkers set. Plus, I could use the pieces for markers in games like "No Thanks" so I wouldn't have to pack quite as many dice. :)
Carcassonne- My favorite of the three German games that I own. I'd throw the expansion in with the rest of the set- it'll all fit in the one box- and then it could be played with anywhere from 2 to 6 players.
An extra deck or two of cards- that way, I can set one aside to get beat up at Slapjacks and Go Fish, and keep the others nice and unmarked.
Risk- This would only fit if the packing box is the right shape. It's the only "war game" that I own (unless you count Stratego). Since I have the version with soldier, horse, and cannon pieces, I'd print out a copy of the Viktory II rules so I could try using that battle system on the Risk board, as well as playing regular Risk.
Pictionary- I'd just pack the card deck, since I already have everything else I need. The cards could also be used to play variations of other party games, like Taboo.
Miniature Chess set- Mine is small enough to fit in a cargo pocket, and includes boards and pieces for Chess, Checkers, and Chinese Checkers. The Checkers are redundant, since there's a bigger board & pieces in the Klutz book, but there's no space to be saved by leaving them out. And I could use the Chess and Chinese Checkers pawns as missiles for Nuclear Risk.
The packing box is filling up, but there might be room for a couple more games, in which case I'd stuff in the following (gently and carefully, of course):
Dutch Blitz- You could play a version of this with four decks of playing cards, but the cards get worn out
fast, so it would be better to use the special decks. And the game is pretty small, especially without the packaging.
San Juan- It's not as variable as many of the other games, but it's fun, and also unique from the games that are already in the packing box. Leaving out the pencil, box, and score pad (which I haven't ever used) would cut the size by over 50%, making it much more space efficient.
Bohnanza- We haven't managed to complete a full game of this yet (due to time constraints, not apathy), so I'd bring it along to try and get in a game. Like San Juan, it seems both fun to play and unique from everything else.
Monopoly- OK, OK, I'm kidding. :) But I
might bring along the paper money in a bundle, for use with other games. (And come to think of it, the houses & hotels would be handy for playing Viktory or other such games.)
Posted Tue Nov 27,2007 04:43 pm
