One of the questions we get asked most often is, “How can I get into board gaming?” Below is my Top Five games to try if you have never played a hobby board game.
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If you have ever been interested in playing a table top war game X-Wing is a great place to start. Not only is it set in a world that most everyone is familiar with the game mechanics require no measuring, very little stat management and can be learned quickly. The miniatures that come with the game are prepainted and look beautiful. If you fall in love with the game there are expansions coming out on a regular basis, including the much loved Millennium Falcon. If you are interested in a war game but want to try one based in history you might check out Memoir ’44.
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If card games catch your fancy Fluxx is an easy to play, infinitely repeatable game with one simple rule, Draw One, Play One. As cards are played the rules, goals and mechanics of the game change. There are many versions of the game with themes ranging from Zombies, to Space to Monty Python. Want to try something a little less chaotic but equally zany? Try Munchkin.
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Looking to join up with friends on an epic quest to save the world? You can find no better co-op game than Pandemic. You play a team of medics and researchers desperately trying to save the world from multiple disease outbreaks. As you race to find the cures the diseases spread across the globe making every session an intense team experience. If you like the idea of co-op but would like to try something a bit more welcoming try Castle Panic or Forbidden Island.
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The Settlers of Catan may very well be the granddaddy of all Hobby Board Games. The game has you set on a newly discovered island where you work to build your community by collecting resources. As you gather your resources you can expand your network of roads and villages, you can trade with your neighbors and even build an army. Because the board is randomly generated and resources gathering is determined by a role of the dice the game has a ton of replay value.
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There are more great games out there than anyone could hope to play in a lifetime but I believe the very best is Ticket to Ride. While some might call the game overly simplistic I think it is the simple Rummy based mechanic of the game that makes it so wonderful. Players gather train cards of various colors in an attempt to match tracks on the board and connect cities. The game can be simple enough for a child to play or cutthroat enough for high level tournament play depending on how you and your friends choose to craft your experience. The original version of the game is set in the United States but there are many expansions and maps for you to try. If you only play one hobby game Ticket to Ride should be that one.