I need new board game...

[ChateauMargaux]

We haven't seen family for 2 years so will have quarantine to come to the UK and quarantine when we get home.. we are calling it lockdown and need some entertainment. Kids aged 17, 14 and 12 and 2 adults. 17 always wins games, loves strategy but doesn't see the benefit of playing so everyone has fun. 14 year old always loses, would prefer there was no winner but everyone achieved in their own way and could be happy. 12 year old thinks he is the last in line for everything and has to loose to competitive older brother and also loose to highly sensitive older sister.

We are a tough crowd.

We already have lots of games, ticket to ride, carcason, pandemic fall of Rome, another Rome game I can't remember..

Hit me with your recommendations!

Terraforming Mars is an excellent game with a family combination like yours because there's loads of different strategy options and its possible to genuinely enjoy pursuing your particular "projects" even if you aren't winning. There are various expansions which add further complexity eg colonies, politics & intrigue etc. You can expect a game to last about 4 hours which will help while away lockdown very effectively.

Spirit Island might also work for you. Like Pandemic, it is cooperative in that the whole group of players either wins or loses corporately. However there's a lot more individual strategy and tactical thinking for each player to make their own decisions to use their strengths and skills for each character. Takes a while to get to grips with it.

A seriously time-consuming game for a boardgamer family in lockdown would be Twilight Imperium. Each player is a species struggling to take over the galaxy after the fall of the great Galactic Empire. Our first attempt to play literally took over 7 hours but it doesn't take quite so long now that we kind of know what we are doing.

Love Letter. Just make sure you get the new version because it's for up to six players — the original was only for gour.

There is strategy, but quite a lot of luck based on the cards you have too. You play multiple rounds, so even if you're out early in one it doesn't put you out overall. It's also extremely portable for after quarantine.

If you want to try Codenames, you can play online here. Some of your family could join you over Zoom too. To be honest, it's much less of a faff than the physical game — you don't have to keep laying out cards, and awkwardly arranging yourself around a table so people can see!

@TimeIhadaNameChange

221B Baker Street is fantastic, but I wouldn't recommend it as the 12 yo woukd be at a disadvantage. (Some of the clues are obvious, but others are things like Bible quotations. I bought it at about 14 and needed some occasional help despite being bright and well-read.)

I love Dobble and Uno.

It's also not very good if you're getting to the age you need reading glasses. The clue booklet has absolutely tiny printing!

Qwirkle Cubes

I just Googled Quacks if Quedlingberg off the back of this thread and am gutted that it’s not about ducks. Have added Dixit to our Amazon wishlist though - a five year old being able to play bodes well!

For older DC we’ve enjoyed playing Zombicide - a co-op so not too brutal if someone does badly but lots of opportunity to build your own character and shine. Not going to lie, after the last 15 months I never want to play Pandemic again!

Lords of Waterdeep is another popular one here along with the Harry Potter deck builder Hogwarts Battle although the base is for four so you’d need the expansion too. HB is co-op again too and beautifully designed by people who clearly love the books.

how about card games- there are some where you pay in pairs- so both competitive and cooperative - eg 500 /bridge

Also mexican train dominoes!

Exploding kittens
Labyrinth

A fantastic complex card game is Dominion. There are loads of expansions too, if you get into it. It seemed really complicated at first, but now I can’t imagine how I struggled with the concept!
We have two DCs aged 13 and 19 and they both really enjoy it. The 10yo quite often wins without any help from us at all.

Other games we like:
Exploding Kittens
King of Tokyo
Unstable Unicorns
Dixit

Cranium is great for kids to play in pairs / groups. Everyone can do something to their skill set - knowledge, spelling, drawing and acting. But the way the game is set up, it can turn in an instant.

If you like taskmaster (or not) that game is hysterical and my kids love it. Utterly stupid tasks like make the smallest sandwich is hysterical!

@AdaThorne

I just Googled Quacks if Quedlingberg off the back of this thread and am gutted that it’s not about ducks. Have added Dixit to our Amazon wishlist though - a five year old being able to play bodes well!

For older DC we’ve enjoyed playing Zombicide - a co-op so not too brutal if someone does badly but lots of opportunity to build your own character and shine. Not going to lie, after the last 15 months I never want to play Pandemic again!

Lords of Waterdeep is another popular one here along with the Harry Potter deck builder Hogwarts Battle although the base is for four so you’d need the expansion too. HB is co-op again too and beautifully designed by people who clearly love the books.

Noooo quacks is referring to doctors/potion aspect I think It’s a really great game though!

We bought and loved 221 Baker Street... a few difficult moments when the usual winner didn't... and when we used someone else's guess to correct our own... but overall, a success.

We also played CastQuest which is a bit like Articulate and was lots of fun.

World War 3 nearly broke out over Articulate and another similar one which was at the house we were staying in.

All goodwill was restored when we arrived at Grandma and Grandad's and played vintage Alley Cats and Game of Life from the early 1980's. Maybe it's just that we are all better behaved around others!

Forbidden Island
Forbidden Sky
Shot in the Dark

if you like pandemic then try either Horrified or the Captain is dead. Pandemic legacy games are amazing but only designed for four players (i guess you could just play as four characters and work together) and Pandemic Rapid Reponse is fun too.

Munchkins is nice and easy

sushi go/sushi party always goes down well here.

The Crew is a cooperative trick taking game for up to five. Each round is fast, so no time to hold grudges!

7 Wonders is great, and for up to 7 players.

We really enjoy Azul and Splendor, but both are 2-4 players.

Pandemic Iberia is beautiful and fun, and for 2-5 players.

Sub terra is good, another cooperative game. (This is a mix between, forbidden Island, carcassonne and another game which I can't remember). Very popular with DC, bit complicated to start.

Carcassonne, labyrinth and catan are popular here too.

Throw throw burrito is silly fun.

I like the great game of Britain, and another vote for fluxx, as well as sushi go (I think the version I played was party or deluxe). Dobble is also small and good fun!

Most of my other favourites are also on your list. Apparently there's a Dutch equivalent to pandemic about flooding which I've had recommended, I'll see if I can find it.

Cooperative games sound ideal for your set up - everyone wins or loses together! Some of the ones we have and love (caveat: you’d need to check how many players each one can accommodate) include: Forbidden Island; Forbidden Sky; Codenames (teams rather than completely cooperative); Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters (yes, really!); the Unlock’d! series; Zombie Kidz Evolution; Pandemic; Kosmos Adventure Games series; The Crew; Bandido; Mysterium. Two other coop games I really want to buy at some point are Harry Potter - Hogwarts Battle and the Time Stories series.

Rising tide*

I remember ages ago we used to play a game called Ratrace, you had to buy status symbols and move up the board. Would love to play an updated version.
We regularly play qwirkle, codenames, drama llama and five second rule.

Taskmaster
Crystal Maze

Apples to Apples

boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/74/apples-apples

And Chameleon

boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/227072/chameleon

Are both my family's favourites, always great and not traditional type board games

Dinosaur Island. It is the best game in the entire world. Expensive but worth it. If you get the totally liquid expansion it adds loads of modules so it can be a bit different every time. Each time you play you have different plot twists and objectives too.

Monopoly Deal is the current favourite with my two teenagers 13 and 15.

‘Sorry’ is great.

We like Blokus
And Rummikub
Got Ticket to Ride when we were quarantined due to Dh and I having covid and it was a bit of a flop due to Ds 9 Being colour blind