5 Board Games You Need to Play
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If you’re a massive nerd, that is.
The last few years have been full of cool and interesting board games. From strategy to straight up luck, here are our top picks for board games!
Axis and Allies – Think Risk but better. There are a few different versions of this strategy world conquest game. From WW1 to WW2, take control of the world’s biggest powers and conquer continents to your content. I played as the Axis on my first game by myself, and managed to seize London and Moscow to win the game. To win the game you must capture two of the enemy’s capital cities before you are taken over. The game comes with some pretty cool models, and some dice too, although you’ll probably need more than the four provided. Really solid strategy and is relatively easy to learn.
XCOM – Yeah, they made a board game of this hell. The premise is the same as the video game; you have to fight off alien invaders while managing resources and troops, whilst also researching new tech and equipment. The game comes with an app that acts as your command centre basically. It gives you important information and the game cannot be played without it. But the way the app synergises with the game is great.
Sheriff of Nottingham – If you can’t take lying with a pinch of salt, don’t play this. The game revolves around you running a market stall, and you importing certain items for profit. But, the Sheriff is out to catch any contraband, so you either stay honest, or deceive and lie to get as much through as possible. It’s incredibly fun to role-play, nothing makes a group laugh more than when the Sheriff is wrong, and has to pay up for the inconvenience. A remarkable game for pretty much anyone.
Secret Hitler – Taking some inspiration from the above, this kick-started politician simulator was made by the creators of Card Against Humanity, and is a fantastic game for screwing over people you don’t like. You play as either a fascist or a liberal. Your job as a liberal is to work out who Hitler is, and shoot him. The fascist players have to keep him from being killed, and each player takes a turn as governor. But here’s the thing. You are not allowed to tell people that you’re either fascist or liberal. A wonderful lying simulator. Just don’t take it personally.
Star Wars: X-Wing – Launched in 2012, by Fantasy Flight Games, these amazingly designed ships have snowballed into a brilliant and compelling spaceflight board game. The ships are incredibly detailed, and while they might be expensive, you get your money’s worth. These aren’t throwaway figures. You slowly build a force you can rely on, and once you have them, you don’t need to buy anything else for them. It’s really cool, and worth every penny.
And there we have it. If you’re sick of the slog of AAA titles being pumped out by greedy game companies, turn to a board game! Socialise!