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As much as I carry on as a day trading, South Central representing, motorcycle riding, hard living, loose moral bad-ass, the truth is I am a nerdy board game loving family man. Like many Mormons, I learned to love board games during our ritual Family Home Evening Activities each Monday night. Board games are awesome! Many of the Finderson's best friends are those with whom we play board games, an activity that we try to schedule a couple of times a month, and which takes up a full day (at least eight hours) whenever we do it.
Mormons have been pretty good for the Board Game industry, which is evidenced by one of the annual best-selling board games:
Settlers of Zarahemla is a close knockoff of Settlers of Catan, which was the first European style board game to make it big in the United States during the most recent wave of board game mania (in case you didn't know, we are in the middle of the second major serious board game renaissance, the first having taken place during the 70's and 80's when Avalon Hill and 3M were producing great Bookshelf games).
Settlers is a wonderful game. It is unfortunate that for many Mormons Settlers of Catan/Zarahemla is the ONLY European style board game that they know about. This is sort of the equivalent of someone discovering Merlot and then deciding that they like it so much that they will never try any other kind of wine. There are better games! Here are a few:
Ticket to Ride:
Ticket to Ride is a great next step into the world of European style board games. The game mechanics are simple enough for anyone to learn, and it is a lot of fun for beginners and old hats alike. In T2R, each player draws a hand of secret train routes. For example, one player might need to complete a route between Duluth and Miami. A different player might need to complete a SLC to Los Angeles connection. Longer routes are worth more points than shorter routes. This one is great for the whole family if your kids are older than 10. Our boy is a smart nine, and can keep up with us.
Puerto Rico:
Puerto Rico is a fun resource management game. Players start off with empty plantations, and must manage them, growing Corn, Indigo, Coffee and Sugar. As with most resource management games, the winner is typically the person who creates the most efficient economic engine, getting his crops to market at their peak value, etc. This one is super fun, and only slightly more complicated than Catan. This would be a great choice for table-top strategists looking for a bit more depth than can be found in Catan.
San Juan:
San Juan is a card game based on Puerto Rico. It is less expensive, takes up less space in the trunk, and has most of the game play of Puerto Rico. Faith and I are always looking for good 2-player games, and this one certainly fits the bill.
Mormons have been pretty good for the Board Game industry, which is evidenced by one of the annual best-selling board games:
Settlers of Zarahemla is a close knockoff of Settlers of Catan, which was the first European style board game to make it big in the United States during the most recent wave of board game mania (in case you didn't know, we are in the middle of the second major serious board game renaissance, the first having taken place during the 70's and 80's when Avalon Hill and 3M were producing great Bookshelf games).
Settlers is a wonderful game. It is unfortunate that for many Mormons Settlers of Catan/Zarahemla is the ONLY European style board game that they know about. This is sort of the equivalent of someone discovering Merlot and then deciding that they like it so much that they will never try any other kind of wine. There are better games! Here are a few:
Ticket to Ride:
Ticket to Ride is a great next step into the world of European style board games. The game mechanics are simple enough for anyone to learn, and it is a lot of fun for beginners and old hats alike. In T2R, each player draws a hand of secret train routes. For example, one player might need to complete a route between Duluth and Miami. A different player might need to complete a SLC to Los Angeles connection. Longer routes are worth more points than shorter routes. This one is great for the whole family if your kids are older than 10. Our boy is a smart nine, and can keep up with us.
Puerto Rico:
Puerto Rico is a fun resource management game. Players start off with empty plantations, and must manage them, growing Corn, Indigo, Coffee and Sugar. As with most resource management games, the winner is typically the person who creates the most efficient economic engine, getting his crops to market at their peak value, etc. This one is super fun, and only slightly more complicated than Catan. This would be a great choice for table-top strategists looking for a bit more depth than can be found in Catan.
San Juan:
San Juan is a card game based on Puerto Rico. It is less expensive, takes up less space in the trunk, and has most of the game play of Puerto Rico. Faith and I are always looking for good 2-player games, and this one certainly fits the bill.
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