Any women here who like board games?

[kavalkada]

So, I have a confession to make. Pandemic made me a board game addict. I always loved board games, but I haven't played them for a really long time. So when lockdown started I bought few to play with my six year old son and husband. Unfortunately, it turned out that I'm the only one in my house who really likes them, the two of them could happily never ever to play again.

I know there are solo games, but I like to play with other people. Luckily, my husband's best friend likes to play them, so I play when he comes along. I'm still gathering courage to play in the public board games playroom (and it is a little bit hard to find time with one year old).

So, any more like me? And important question - how do you persuade your family to play with you?

Me! My husband and I have an extensive collection. We’re slowly converting friends to join us but covid hasn’t made it easy.

Before I met my DH I joined a board game group (found on meet up) we used to play at various locations was really good fun

Yes but I also don't have anyone to play with so I have become obsessed with jigsaws especially Wasgij ones.

What are your favourite board games OP?

Me!

I play the iPad versions of Agricola, Carcassonne and Pandemic. (It still counts as a board game if you own it but can’t get it out as the table is covered with wfh debris?)

Me! Luckily DH loves them too and actually introduced me to them, we've found smaller easier games are a good way to get people into it after dinner for example, something like the resistance, bang, zombie dice etc once people realise there's more to life than monopoly they can usually be persuaded. Pre lockdown we would have game nights with a few friends and pre baby they were fairly frequent. We played pandemic legacy with another couple we are friends with and it was brilliant.

@Mochachoco

What are your favourite board games OP?

I have just started but I like scrabble, qwirkle, ticket to ride europe, carcassone, kingdomino, labyrinth, rummikub, pandemic, chess, catan, splendor, pictionary, alias, saboteur.

On my Christmas list I have Village, Betrayal on the house on hill and Murder at the abbey (if I manage to find it).

I would like to play more complex games, but there is nobody to play them with.

We have a boardgame cafe in town, I didn't realise there were so many board games!! The staff are really helpful, I do find the instructions difficult.

-Ticket to ride
-exploding kittens
-cards against humanity.
-monopoly
-game of life

@Mochachoco

Yes but I also don't have anyone to play with so I have become obsessed with jigsaws especially Wasgij ones.

Same here. I have one at the table at this very moment.

Play on board game arena?

And Forbidden Island is also on the list. It looks great.

I play a couple over Zoom with others. When we aren’t in a pandemic most areas also have board game group meet ups

I love board games. We have a board game night regularly me and my husband

We are currently re playing the battle of Hogwarts game with the expansion.

One of my children loves them too, the other isn’t as fussed but sometimes will play. I’m not sure there’s much you can do if someone isn’t interested.

Can we swap? The kids love board games. I hate them. Comes from a childhood with a father who thought it was best for us if he “let” us win by dumbing down his game, so we never, ever won.

I love them. DH doesn't. Kids are 2&5, so I'm trying to indoctrinate them. 🤞🏻

Risk is a favourite on our house at the moment.

Our local independent game shop runs board game clubs so it's worth looking into that when things are back to normal

I do enjoy ticket to ride and the jnr games of Catan, Dixit, codenames, oceanos. My kids are ages 22 down 1 yr and I mostly play with them.
On the subject of rules we now watch youtube "how to play __" videos to learn a new game as otherwise noone really listens when we read out the instructions.

Me. DH loves a board game too so we play together. We like quite geeky strategy games but I also love card games like dominion!

Ooh yes I love board games, luckily so do others in the family. Would love a new one for Christmas. Favourites here include:

Ticket to Ride
Dominion (best game ever)
Carcassonne

Not sure how you can get people to play with you. Maybe get the 1yo in training while young!

Ooh betrayal at the house on the Hill is fun but you need 3 players minimum.

I like board games. DH likes them but not as much as me so I get to play sometimes. Before the pandemic I went to a monthly board game night at a local community centre (DH stayed home with baby!) Maybe look for something like thst when things are more normal!
Hoping to convert DD when she's old enough bit she isn't 2 yet so I have a while to wait! UK Games Expo is fun to attend if you like board games and get to it (hopefully will be on next year as it isnt till june I think!) Some of my friends go too, one of them spends one of the days running D&D sessions

We have a local board game meet up, might be worth checking if you area does once Covid is over? I also second checking out board game arena, I use this to play with a friend who lives in America, but it can also match you up against other people.

If you do get Forbidden Island and enjoy it I would also recommend checking out Forbidden Desert, which is the follow up game (and I think slightly better).

we are a family who love boardgames and play them extensively. today we have a gaming day scheduled and will be doing one long game (either Star Trek Ascendancy or Terraforming Mars probably) and a few shorter games.

other recommendations to add to your wish list:
Azul
Imhotep
Santorini
Isle of Skye
Photosynthesis

I also play remotely via zoom. i don't play anonymously with strangers on public platforms much. I have tried it but it's just not nearly as enjoyable if there's no human contact. With a zoom chat in one window and a board game online site in another it becomes a properly 3Dimensional experience (well maybe 2.8 as not quite as good as the real thing)

I'm an avid gamer, have been since uni! Pandemic is very good. My other favourites are the game of thrones board game, something called Sidereal Confluence (what a mouthful) and a lighter board game called Evolution... Evolution could definitely be suitable for a six year old if he were given a little help, and it has beautiful colourful animal pictures which might help.

I'm very fortunate to have a group of friends with the same hobby, and we've even managed to play remotely throughout covid thanks to something called Tabletop Simulator.

The old adage goes "it's easier to turn gamers into friends than friends into gamers", and it's probably true. While I think you should, by all means, introduce friends to a few of your favourites, if there's not much interest then I'd move on to trying to find a local group. Your local game shop can definitely advise you there. It will probably have to wait till after the pandemic though :(

Oh, I plan to train one year old while she is young.

We also have local board game meet up, but I was scared to go alone. I'll have to persuade somebody to come first time with me, and after that I can go alone. It's not that I'm shy, but it always looks like everybody knows everybody in those places and I'm afraid nobody would want to play with me.

How to get your family to play with you...

The internet goes "down"
The power goes "out"
Bribery- cook a phenomenal dessert and have an early dinner with plenty of time to have dessert and a game before bed.
Invite kids friends and parents over for a game night.
Ask for a new "family" game for birthday/ mother's day/ Christmas. Insist that teaching you how to play it and having a game (or 4) with you is part of the gift.
Have "game day" as a day each school holidays. We also have puzzle day and new book day too.

We love them! Catan is my absolute favourite, but we'll give any board-game a try. Had quite a few family tournaments in lockdown.