NationStates Jolt Archive

Opinions please! We have a family game night every week and I need ideas for fun family games. The ones we have are getting old. It needs to be for ages 10 & up and for three or more players. We already have Scrabble, Life, Monopoly, Clue, Cranium "Cadoo" and a bunch of two-player games. Any ideas? Please help!


Here's the Poll!

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=454129se

"I got it! Let's play pin the tail on the donkey!"

"We haven't got a tail"

"Ok, then we'll play pin the saussage on the donkey."

"We haven't got a saussage either"

"Well what do we have?"

"Tape?"

"Fine. We'll play 'pin the piece of tape on the donkey'"

"We haven't got a donkey either."

"Fine! So now we're playing 'stick the piece of tape on the fridge.'"

*pins tape to fridge*

"I win. That wasn't very hard was it? What do I win?"

"Nothing."

"Great game."



:p i love Bottom (british tv show)

Backgammon.. fun, and also helpful paying the bills if you get good..

"I got it! Let's play pin the tail on the donkey!"

"We haven't got a tail"

"Ok, then we'll play pin the saussage on the donkey."

"We haven't got a saussage either"

"Well what do we have?"

"Tape?"

"Fine. We'll play 'pin the piece of tape on the donkey'"

"We haven't got a donkey either."

"Fine! So now we're playing 'stick the piece of tape on the fridge.'"

*pins tape to fridge*

"I win. That wasn't very hard was it? What do I win?"

"Nothing."

"Great game."



:p i love Bottom (british tv show)

Sounds like something my family would enjoy... oh wait that's what we do everyday! Cute. :)

Apples to Apples. Tremendously fun word game. Get it. You won't be sorry. Scum out. :p

Dungeon or Risk are fun. Alternately, Russian Roulette is fun for the whole family, and then the next night the two survivors can play Chess or Lion Heart.

Dungeon or Risk are fun. Alternately, Russian Roulette is fun for the whole family, and then the next night the two survivors can play Chess or Lion Heart.

Russian Roulette... yeah sure, but if I lose I have to clean up the bloddy friggin' mess! No thanks. I have considered Risk but I haven't seen Dungeon. Do you mean D&D or is there another game just called Dungeon? Sounds interesting.

Dungeon or Risk are fun.

Risk.. muhahahaha. Turn them into little generals... and prepare them for the real world by teaching them the meaning of betrayal, backstabbing, alliances, and the dreaded thought... "Wait... why are you putting your troops into Iceland? You promised you.... SONOFA...:headbang: "

Fun for all the family. :D

I have considered Risk but I haven't seen Dungeon. Do you mean D&D or is there another game just called Dungeon? Sounds interesting.
Apparently people don't make Dungeon anymore, meh. It was sort of related to D&D, but greatly simplified and turned into a Boardgame. The goal was to scoot around the board, collect about $20,000 worth of loot (generally by killing the monster who had it), and then haul butt to the exit before someone else did it first.
Shame it seems to have melted off the face of the Earth, it was pretty nifty. Taught me all I needed to know about racially mugging and oppurtunism.

Apples to Apples. Tremendously fun word game. Get it. You won't be sorry. Scum out. :p
I agree, it is super fun.

also

Phase 10 (http://thehouseofcards.com/retail/phase10.html)

Trivial Pursuit (they have easy pop culture versions now)

Mind Trap (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1923)

I'll have to look for this Apples to Apples. Maybe when I get enough ideas. I'll start a poll and let you guys decide which game will be my next purchase.

Why not Teeko? Fun game for the kids.. might be hard to find a Teeko board at a local store, but you can probably use checkers and paper..

Beyond a doubt risk! If only you bastards would reduce your troop build up in Quebec I could get the bonus re-enforcements and stop trying to invade Africa with two guys!

Bah.
You don’t need a family game night.
If you want to have a weekly activity that the kids can look forward to, make one night out of the week the one where you don’t send them to bed at seven o’clock without dinner.

I'll have to look for this Apples to Apples. Maybe when I get enough ideas. I'll start a poll and let you guys decide which game will be my next purchase.
It really is worth the money, we had our family play with people from 9-80 and nobody was at a disadvantage. It was great fun!!!

Apples to Apples (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JZKW/103-1573322-5590266)

also I noticed that you have cranium cadoo, how about regular cranium? It is slightly different and just as fun, I recently got the cranium family fun game, it is pretty cool too. :D

It really is worth the money, we had our family play with people from 9-80 and nobody was at a disadvantage. It was great fun!!!

Apples to Apples (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JZKW/103-1573322-5590266)

also I noticed that you have cranium cadoo, how about regular cranium? It is slightly different and just as fun, I recently got the cranium family fun game, it is pretty cool too. :D

Yeah, I just got Cadoo on Friday and realized it was fun, but a little too easy. I am considering getting regular Cranium, though.

munchkin. it's like a card-based, simplified D&D. great fun

Should I assume card games are out?

Because good ol four-person Euchre is fun for the entire family, and you can astound your friends with your knowledge of how to play a regional card game from Michigan. I could go on and on about how to play it if you like.

Or even Weits American (it's from French-speaking West Africa), which is best played with two decks and five or more players. Whenever somebody gets 100 points, they become a loser. Its a lot more complicated than Euchre, but can be more fun- since moe people can play.

I must say that Risk has a tendency to go on forever, so it could take as many as 7 or 8 game nights for a single round. Which is good.

Have you ever considered jigsaw puzzles. Get a card table set un in the corner, and your family can spend an entire week doing a 1000 peice puzzle. Then crack open a new one next week.

Or Trivial Pursuit, that's always a good one, and you can buy extra question cards if you don't like the prepackaged ones.

munchkin. it's like a card-based, simplified D&D. great fun
I forgot about that. Great stuff, but if you're the sort that is afraid of boobies, then some of the jokes might be too much (Stoned Golem, Lust Monster, etc.)

Should I assume card games are out?

Because good ol four-person Euchre is fun for the entire family, and you can astound your friends with your knowledge of how to play a regional card game from Michigan. I could go on and on about how to play it if you like.

Or even Weits American (it's from French-speaking West Africa), which is best played with two decks and five or more players. Whenever somebody gets 100 points, they become a loser. Its a lot more complicated than Euchre, but can be more fun- since moe people can play.

I must say that Risk has a tendency to go on forever, so it could take as many as 7 or 8 game nights for a single round. Which is good.

Have you ever considered jigsaw puzzles. Get a card table set un in the corner, and your family can spend an entire week doing a 1000 peice puzzle. Then crack open a new one next week.

Or Trivial Pursuit, that's always a good one, and you can buy extra question cards if you don't like the prepackaged ones.

Card games are definately not out of the question. I have also considered Skip-Bo.

I forgot about that. Great stuff, but if you're the sort that is afraid of boobies, then some of the jokes might be too much (Stoned Golem, Lust Monster, etc.)
don't forget about making your oppenent lose a battle by making him grow boobs and have his little friend drop off
(you could always take out those cards)

Because good ol four-person Euchre is fun for the entire family, and you can astound your friends with your knowledge of how to play a regional card game from Michigan. I could go on and on about how to play it if you like. Bad idea, kids hate Michigan...

Or even Weits American (it's from French-speaking West Africa), which is best played with two decks and five or more players. Whenever somebody gets 100 points, they become a loser. Its a lot more complicated than Euchre, but can be more fun- since moe people can play.Because kids love complicated

I must say that Risk has a tendency to go on forever, so it could take as many as 7 or 8 game nights for a single round. Which is good. Not if I'm playing! The trick is to drop one dice and you roll the other to get a six. ;)

Have you ever considered jigsaw puzzles. Get a card table set un in the corner, and your family can spend an entire week doing a 1000 piece puzzle. Then crack open a new one next week.Zzzzzzzzzz

Or Trivial Pursuit, that's always a good one, and you can buy extra question cards if you don't like the prepackaged ones.Or gnaw through your own arm...

Card games are definately not out of the question. I have also considered Skip-Bo.
oh. I forgot Skip-Bo!!!!!!!!!!!!:headbang: that is a good game to have, complete idiots can learn it in like 5 min (it took me 10 :p )

oh and Mexican Train Dominos (http://www.pagat.com/domino/train.html)

my 4 year old is good at that one.

and Gin Rummy, that is a good card game.

(if you can't tell, my family does family game nights too, I grew up with them)

don't forget about making your oppenent lose a battle by making him grow boobs and have his little friend drop off
Yeah, good stuff. Like most good games from my childhood (ok, teenagehood) it is completely immoral. Work together with your mates in the beginning to start getting the cool stuff, and then stab them in the back as soon as they start winning.

Or gnaw through your own arm...
that's a great idea, go for it :p

Yeah, good stuff. Like most good games from my childhood (ok, teenagehood) it is completely immoral. Work together with your mates in the beginning to start getting the cool stuff, and then stab them in the back as soon as they start winning.
You just sumed up my battle plan. Plus convinving them the don't need more then one troop on your mutual border because your allies...

that's a great idea, go for it :p
Your own arm, not mine...

Your own arm, not mine...
fine <raises arm> go ahead and do it before i sober up

Opinions please! We have a family game night every week and I need ideas for fun family games. The ones we have are getting old. It needs to be for ages 10 & up and for three or more players. We already have Scrabble, Life, Monopoly, Clue, Cranium "Cadoo" and a bunch of two-player games. Any ideas? Please help!
Ever try Jurrasic Park: Island Survival Game?

One player plays the dinosaur.

Based on how many familiy members:
Each members gets two people.
Each gets one.

-Whoever draws Eric gets him.

Every other Family Home Evening we play that. We try to change what we play a board game, but my brother loves Jurrasic Park. He is ruthless.

Spino can auto-kill if he gets Spino1 on the die.

What are you talking about? Kids LOVE Michigan because its so easy to find on a map during geography quizes. And we've got a 10 cent return on our bottles and cans.
AND since the UP and LP are raised in a classic karate pose, Michigan is clearly defending the United States from attack. Tuebor, bitches.

Grainne Ni Malley, do you want me to explain either of those card games?

http://www.twilightcreationsinc.com/zombies/

http://www.twilightcreationsinc.com/images/pgzombiesbox.jpg

Trust me, this is a hoot.

What are you talking about? Kids LOVE Michigan because its so easy to find on a map during geometry quizes.

maps in geometry?:confused:

Take them to a cyber cafe and sit on the NS forums.

Take them to a cyber cafe and sit on the NS forums.
i wouldn't suggest it for a 10 year old - not with people like me online

maps in geometry?:confused:

You darn well knew what I meant: geography. Don't blame me for being momentarily confused.

Well, if card games are not out of the question, and you have an open-minded family, I would recommend Grass (http://www.funagain.com/control/product/~product_id=004315).

If you want an idea of what the game is like, take Mille Bornes make it cutthroat. In my lifetime, I've worn out three decks.

You darn well knew what I meant: geography. Don't blame me for being momentarily confused.

haha.

You darn well knew what I meant: geography. Don't blame me for being momentarily confused.
yeah, but I do stuff like that all the time, and people jump all over me for it.

It felt good to be the jumper for once;)

Ever try Jurrasic Park: Island Survival Game?

One player plays the dinosaur.

Based on how many familiy members:
Each members gets two people.
Each gets one.

-Whoever draws Eric gets him.

Every other Family Home Evening we play that. We try to change what we play a board game, but my brother loves Jurrasic Park. He is ruthless.

Spino can auto-kill if he gets Spino1 on the die.

That's a good one, too. My kid loves Dinosaurs. Well, I can't get the poll up here so I'm going to have to do some maneuvering. Poll to follow.

Card games! There are so many different ones.

I learned to play poker at my Nana's knee when I was younger than your kids, and her lessons have served me well, in life as well as at the card table. ;)

Chess, checkers, and the like, are also good games. And there are 4 player variants that are fun. http://www.chessvariants.org/multiplayer.dir/4players.html

:p i love Bottom
(Sir) Richard Richard and Edward Elizabeth Hitler of Hammersmith. Spud Gun. Little Dave Hedgehog.

Shakespeare himself would've soiled himself laughing.

So now I'm going to start explaining Euchre. Get you reading comprehension caps on. Actual Euchre terminology will be italicized. If you have no interest in Euchre, skip this post and read something less interesting and enlightening. It's the ancestor of Bridge and Pinocle. It plays a little like Hearts, if you don't know those games.

There are four players, paired into partners who sit opposite eachother, so as not to see eachother's hands. The deck is split into two groups: the stupid cards which aren't used and the awesome cards that are.
Stupid:
2
3
4
6
7
8

Awesome:
Ace
King
Queen
Jack
10
9
5

The fives will be used for scorekeeping, this is important, since using other cards for scorekeeping will indicate that you are not, in fact, from Michigan. Games are played to 10 points, and hopefully it will be self-explanitory how to use the fives.

Now you've got your partners, deck, and scorekeeping sorted out. Shuffle. Pass five cards out to each player, there will be four cards left over. Now you can pass however you want, but tradition is to pass in alternating groups of two and three, in the usual direction (to the left).

The leftover cards are called the kitty. Flip over the top card and put the kitty in the center of the table (or floor or rock or whatever the four of you are playing around).

The card that you are now seeing is up to be Trump. Let's assume that it is a king of diamonds. In case you don't know, trump cards always win a trick over lesser suits. No matter if you play a nine of trump to beat an off-suit ace. Only higher trump can beat trump. The trump list is as follows, and is different from the standard list (see above for how a non-trump heirarchy would work). The jack is the highest card, with the other jack of the same color being second highest. We are still assuming that diamonds are turmp:
Jack of diamonds- the Right Bower
Jack of hearts - the left Bower
Ace of diamonds
King of diamonds
Queen of diamonds
10 of diamonds
9 of diamonds

Now you understand Trump, but its still up to the players to decide whether or not Diamonds will be trump. Starting with the player to the dealer's left, they will go in order to tell you whether or not to pick up the card. If you pick it up, that suit will be trump, and you will have one trump card in your hand. You would then select a card from your hand and put it facedown under the kitty, bringing you back down to five. You cannot put the card you just picked up back. Being the dealer has its advantages and disadvantages.

If all the players go around and decide to pass the decision on to the next player (accomplished by knocking on the table or saying "pass"), the dealer can chose to pick it up, or flip it over. If he flips it over, that suit can't be declared trump later in the hand. Now the players can call any of the three remaining suits as trump. If nobody has a good enough hand to call trump one of three things can happen:
1) Screw The Dealer: the dealer must call a trump suit if nobody calls a trump after a set number of times around, almost always once around.
2) It goes around forever until somebody gives in
3) Redeal- the coward's way out.
I highly recommend playing STD's, which means that you both Screw The Dealer and allows clever (sneaky) players to Steal The Deal.

Now you've decided trump, the hard part is over. It's time to review play procedure and how to score the game.

First, somebody might decide to have their partner put their cards down, because they're Going Alone. This is fun, because if you win all the tricks, you get four points, but if you only win a majority, you get only one point. Nobody's brave enough to do that right now. Unless they've got JJAKQ of trump. Then they can lay down all their cards and add four points to their score, since it's absolutely impossible to beat that hand.

For the first hand, the person to the left of the dealer leads. They play the first card, and everybody follows clockwise from there, dealer obviously going last. Whoever wins the first trick leads the second trick. And so on until you've played five tricks and need to score. Don't forget to collect the tricks you've won and turn over the cards so they're harder to count. Always follow the suit that is led, at risk of reniging. And don't forget that the jack of the same color is now trump, and no longer a member of its previous suit. If you honestly and truly don't have a card of that suit (quite likely), then you can play any card you like, including trump. But unless it's trump, it can't beat anything of the suit that was led. So your off-suit Ace of spaces won't beat a king of clubs when diamonds is trump. But a Nine of diamondss will.

If your team called up the trump, and you win a majority (3 or 4) of the tricks, you get 1 point

If your team called up trump and you get all five tricks, you get 2 points

If the opponents called it and you get a majority, you get 2 points. Congratulatoins, you've Euch'd the opponents. Rub it in their faces while you steal the deal.

If you go alone and get all five, you get 4 points, only a majority only 1 point.

If a person on the opposing team renigs, that is does not follow suit when he or she did indeed have a card of the correct suit, you get 2 points. Rub it in their faces again.

Other cases, such as Euchre Sweeps and Loner Euchres, are rare enough not to warrant attention here.

Unless you steal the deal, the person to the dealer's left deals next, with everything shifting one player accordingly. Don't be afraid to have fun, and remember to shuffle in the kitty. For more information, don't be afraid to search for actual, official rules.

Thanks Rupil, I copied the rules for Euchre so when I do get another deck of cards we'll try it out. :)