We need a really good board game - any ideas?

[higgle]

I think Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Headbands etc. have lost their allure through over- use. We will be staking our chocolate money on pontoon and poker but it would be good to have a new board game which will keep me and DH + sons aged 20 and 17, girlfriend 16, and odd visitors happily occupied. We don't mind being silly if there is anything aimed at a much younger age group that might have us ROFL.

there is a kids version of articulate, which is not frustratingly easy for adults to play too. DD had it a couple of years ago (aged 7), and has loved playing it since. 6 adults also enjoyed playing it Christmas night once the DC were in bed - and we were glad it was not the adult version as alcohol had been consumed!

Mexican Train. An over complicated dominoes game but we love it. Our 6 yr old can do it.

Fluxx is a good pick up and play card game, a good mix of randomness and skill.

I love playing board games at Christmas but no-one will play with me!

PandaG thank you. I think I will order the kids version and, as a bonus, whilst searching on Amazon for it, also found Pass the Bomb junior for anyone who is interested....

sorry, forgot we'd got Pass the Bomb junior too!

Yet another vote for Scattergories - we took it on a week long holiday with extended family and lots of alcohol and it was massively popular. I like it because it's quite competitive but also hilarious.

Think we'll invest in something new this year, thanks for the inspiration.

Out of interest, any recommendations for 2 player games? DH and I have the odd Trivial Pursuit night but he always beats me so something new would be good!

Abalone is really simple to learn but v. addictive!

Taboo definitely, easy to play with any number and brilliant fun!

Cranium, 20 questions, outburst, spite, pictionary man, scattegories, chronology.

My house us like a woolworths!

ingenious is good for 2, but you can also play it with 3 or 4 players (as long as you buy the 4 player version - there is a 2 player travel version. We like it as it is equally good for 2,3 or 4 players, the area of board you play on is increased if you play with more than 2, so the game is equally difficult. DH and I often play it together, but we do play with the DC too - our 9 and 11 yos regularly beat us!

our house is like a games store - as is my parents'. I am just so glad DH was brought up playing games too -is what we love to do as a family, and always have at least 1 new game every Christmas, usually several.

We love whose in the bag and what's in the bag. Think you can get where too
Really simple portable word guessing game with variations for ages within game
Mine is about 10 years old
It's utter genius and you play in teams so hugely reduces tension or competitiveness (I point blank refuse to play any board games with my siblings )

Thanks Panda :)

Who's in the bag
Rummikub
UNO

Apples to Apples is a great game, especially if you have a bunch of people who don't know each other very well, it gets everyone talking.

One Christmas we pulled out a charades set that I had rotting in a box and we played in teams. We ended up playing for about 4 hours and I have honestly never laughed so much in my life. Having a set of cards takes the faffing out of it and it's a great game.

Another vote for Uno Extreme here. Also, shut-the-box is a good game for big groups as the chat can go on around the game IYSWIM.

My son loves the Game of Life just recently!

Sheep rustling- Its a Shaun the sheep one. really good fun for all the fam.

Another vote for Scattergories (sp?)

Cranium Junior is great.

DD got it for her 6th birthday and my 8 yo niece loves it too. We sometimes play in teams to make it easier, but once the child can read it's pretty much ok.

I'd second Cranium, we had it in a villa we stayed in over the summer, and got totally addicited to it. i'm buying it for the friends we stayed with, and I have a sneaky feeling they will buy it for us too.

Is Game Of Life still around? I loved that as a kid....