With the Internet, it is very easy today to find something to do. Watching a movie, a series on Netflix or playing video games alone or with friends has never been easier. But if you’re with your loved ones, why not take a break from the screens and play a board game?
Very involved in crowdfunding platforms, our advisor Nicolas Najac is a specialist and passionate about board games familiar with both classics and games that will make the news tomorrow. We asked him to share his favorite games with us to have a good time with the family, as a couple, or even alone. Here is our selection of the best board games, concocted with the help of our specialist:
1. Citadels, the best board game for everyone
Citadels
Now classic, Citadels is an excellent game of bluffing, diplomacy and strategy where 2 to 7 players compete to build the largest city there is. At each turn, players will be able to progress in the construction of new districts while performing actions according to the characters incarnated at the start of each turn, all with powers. These powers allow you to build faster, destroy a district, assassinate, steal gold, draw cards or even protect your city. To be discovered from the age of 10, the game lasts about an hour per game and will keep you busy for long nights thanks to intelligent and rich mechanics.
2. Time Bomb, best for family play (8+)
Timebomb
Based on the universe of Sherlock Holmes, Time Bomb is an excellent game that is very easy to access and fast (about 15 to 20 minutes per game) for 4 to 8 players aged 8 and over. It is for the Sherlock team, of which you will be part, to prevent Moriarty from blowing up the Big Ben clock. Problem: one of the players (sometimes more…) on your team is actually a traitor who, on the contrary, intends to carry out Moriarty’s macabre plan. To achieve your goals, you will have to draw the right cards in order to defuse the cables of the bomb one by one.
3. Cash’n Guns, the best game to mess with your friends
Cash ‘n Guns
Winner of several awards, this excellent ambiance and bluff game by Ludovic Maublanc, playable from 10 years old, will be excellent for your evenings with family or friends (from 4 to 8 players). Easy to access, very funny and a little noisy as it unleashes passions, Cash’n Guns is based on a rather original concept. The participants are robbers who must share a nice jackpot after a breakage. To win the game, which lasts about 30 minutes, you have to stay alive, of course… but also recover most of the loot, the players will therefore threaten each other with their foam guns in order to push some participants to give up their share of the loot.
4. Palm Island, the best solo or two-player game
Palm Island
A huge commercial and critical success, Palm Island is the perfect option for learning to play solo, even if it also works for two. Playable from 12 years old, each game will last about fifteen minutes. The concept is simple, you are on an island and have to find food, make tools and then houses to develop your civilization without destroying your environment. A very nice proposal from the publisher Nuts Publishing, signed by the game designer Jon Mietling.
5. Burger Quiz, the best board game for fun with adults
Burger Quiz
Do we really have to present Burger Quiz, the adaptation of the famous game show created by Alain Chabat and producer Kader Aoun in the early 2000s? The board game version of Burger Quiz is identical to the show in every way, and it will probably make you laugh as much! Although it is possible to play it with children from the age of 10, adults will undoubtedly be the ones who will benefit the most from this completely crazy question and answer game. No risk of being disappointed, whether you are 7 or only 2, even if the optimal configuration is 5 according to us. Playing time: 30 mins to 1 hour.
6. Roulapik, the best board game for the little ones
Roulapik
Perfect for little ones aged 4 and over, but also for the rest of the family, Roulapik is a game of dexterity much more subtle than it seems, consisting in a few words of rolling a small hedgehog ball to make him grab as much food as possible, crucial provisions to help him get home as soon as possible. Against each other or in cooperation, Roulapik can accommodate up to 4 participants, or even be played alone, for games not exceeding thirty minutes.
7. Terraforming Mars, the best game for real geeks
Terraforming Mars
Currently third in the Board Game Geek ranking, Terraforming Mars, released in 2016, is a strategy game by Jacob and Isaac Fryxelius reserved for experienced players. Alone or with others (5 maximum), it will be, as its name suggests, terraforming Mars in order to prepare the planet to welcome future generations. In this science fiction game which takes place in the 25th century, you embody one of the powerful corporations commissioned by the world government of the Earth to accomplish this complex task requiring to manage the temperature, the level of oxygen, or even the expanses oceans while developing the infrastructures of the red planet. Allow one to two hours per game.
8. Chronicles of crimes, the best “connected” board game
Chronicles Of Crime
Chronicles of Crime immerses you in criminal investigations in London. You will have to chat with characters, visit places and collect clues to scan with your smartphone to advance in the story because yes, the game works with a companion application. The immersion is therefore increased, especially since you can use the virtual reality glasses provided in the box to view the crime scene. The smartphone will pass from player to player (up to 4) so ​​that everyone can participate in solving the investigation with the same involvement. To try.
Bonuses. Pandemic, as a bonus for those who like irony…
Pandemic
Intended for occasional and experienced players, this board/strategy game by Matt Leacock and published by Z-Man Games in 2008 received the Tric Trac d’Argent and was voted best family game by Board Game Geek in 2009. his reputation is second to none. For approximately 45 minutes/1 hour, it will put you and 1 to 3 other people in the shoes of a team trying to stop the spread of four deadly diseases and develop the necessary remedies to save all of humanity. . A rich and very well designed game.
Did you know that France is the leading market for board games in Europe? And with no less than 20 million titles sold in 2018 for a turnover of 342 million euros according to an NPD study relayed by France 3, we can say that the market is doing very well, especially since these figures continue to grow year after year. But the consequence is that it is not necessarily easy to choose from the countless references available. Between games for children, for beginners or experienced adults and the different genres of games, there is clearly something to get lost in.
Our tips for choosing
Before buying a game, there are a number of questions to ask yourself, in order to find the game that best suits the profile of the players and their desires.
How old are the players?
This is obviously the first question to ask. There are games for absolutely all ages, from early learning games to those reserved exclusively for adults. As for a video game, it is advisable to refer on this point to the age recommendations listed on the boxes (and in the product sheets on e-commerce sites). But be aware that they are not always well established, and some titles may be suitable for younger players while others will require you to be a little older than stipulated. Do not hesitate to read customer reviews and watch videos on the Internet to fully understand the game mechanics.
How many are they ?
Another fundamental information to take into account is the number of players. The manufacturers also indicate on the packaging the minimum and maximum number of players to be able to start a game. Some work solo, others need to be relatively numerous, like the classic Werewolf for example. Attention, if it is advantageous for the manufacturers to display on the box the widest range, certain games will require to adapt their rules to the number of participants and could thus prove to be less good (or on the contrary better) according to the number of participants. Again, educate yourself as much as possible, read the rules, reviews, watch tests…
How long do you want to play?
Some games are designed so that the games are short, of the order of 5 to a few tens of minutes, others will take you on campaigns that can literally last months (the latter are often intended for experienced players). It is imperative that you know what you are getting into to avoid disappointments that could put you off the game. The duration of the games is not always indicated by the manufacturer, which is why we advise you to find the game that suits you. interested on the Board Game Geek site, the sheets are well done and always include this information.
Are the players beginners or experienced?
Yes, as with video games (again), board games also have a level of difficulty. While most so-called party games are designed to be accessible to all players and aim above all to make you have a good time with family or friends, others are more competitive, can adopt game mechanics (and therefore complex rules) and thus require a certain level of experience and investment. On this point, no choice, a tour by Board Game Geek is required.
What type, what genre, and what game theme?
There are many types (address, board, dice, cards…) and game genres (strategy, role, management, atmosphere, quiz…). Note that the genre of a game should not be confused with its theme (medieval, horror, science fiction, etc.). To make your choice on this point, it is obviously a question of personal taste. Just keep in mind that a strategy or role-playing game will (often but not always) require more personal investment from the players than a party game or a quiz, for example.
