Don’t get bored—Get board games

Culture | November 14th, 2018

by Henry Beach
gamegiantfargo@gmail.com

I’ve been playing board games ever since I can remember. I grew up with 3 brothers playing games whenever we had any free time and to keep ourselves busy on long car rides from Kentucky to Grand Forks. Over the years, my enthusiasm grew and I challenged myself with deeper games. In the early 2010s, there was a revolution in the board gaming industry and the variety of board games exploded. For the upcoming holiday season, I thought I would share my top four for picks from different genres and skill levels.

“Azul” is a great game for entry skill level players. In “Azul,” players develop a palace floor by laying down tiles to try to create patterns. Each tile gives a specific action, such as moving another tile. The game is simple enough to teach in five minutes and only require a half hour playtime. “Azul” just won game of the year from Speil des Jahres, beating out “Luxor” and “The Mind.”
Skill Level: Light $$

One of the great innovations of the last 10 years of tabletop gaming has been cooperative games. Instead of players fighting against each other, they work together to defeat challenges in the game. “Betrayal at the House on the Hill” takes a further twist on the idea by combining it with famous horror motifs. Players explore the house until one betrays the rest, and the horror begins. Each scenario is unique; players could be victims of a werewolf or inflected by an alien disease. The storytelling of this game guarantees it will be played over and over again.
Skill Level: Moderate $$

“Scythe” is the premier big box game of the moment but already feels like a beloved classic. The steampunk-themed game boasts an enormous box full of beautifully detailed components and a gorgeous map. The gameplay focuses on developing resources and building up an economy to spread across the map. A great twist is the setting in a historical WWI arena but has dystopian machines mixed in. This is a long game, with a gameplay of an estimated two hours.
Skill Level: Moderate-Heavy $$$

“Keyforge” premiered on November 15th and has already made a tremendous splash. This game is the first in a new genre: Unique Deck Game. Player focus on using their creatures to gather amber and forge keys. “KeyForge” was created by Richard Garfield, best known for the decades-long classic, Magic the Gathering. I’m particularly excited for the tournament style play that this game will lend itself to.
Skill Level: Moderate $

[Editor’s note: Henry Beach is a 24 year old board game expert at Game Giant in Fargo.]

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