Let's Have Some Fun!

With ample family time on the horizon during the holidays, it’s time to stock up on a few new games. Not only do tabletop games bring the family together and foster connection, but they also strain the brain—in a good way! Did you know that they aid in decision-making skills, memory and strategic planning? Our friends at Modern Games break down their list of favorites this holiday season.

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Elementary

Castle Panic
1-6 players, 45 minutes, Cooperative

Everyone works together to defend the castle from a constant incoming horde of monsters.

Pros: It’s cooperative! Everyone wins together or loses together. The rules are quick to learn and with the random way monsters appear, every game is different.

Cons: Cooperative games can lead to one person trying to control everybody’s turns. It can take extra effort for a dominant personality to let everyone make their own decisions.

Gateway Island

varied player count, 15-45 minutes, Something for Everyone

This one is 21 different games in one box! Each game highlights a different mechanism in an easy to learn, approachable game.

Pros: A great way to find out what type of game your family enjoys. Each game has a suggestion of where to go next if you like that mechanism.

Cons: Each game in this box is basic. It is meant to be a fun introduction to modern board games and a stepping stone to your next family favorite.

Chicken!

2-8 players, 10-20 minutes, Casual Competition

In this dice game, you push your luck and try to hatch as many chickens as possible—but be careful. As you increase your number of dice, you increase your chances to roll foxes!

Pros: Small container that can easily be taken anywhere. A very easy to learn press-your-luck game that always leads to stress and laughter in a quick play time.

Cons: This game is nearly all luck based. The strategy is simply down to deciding whether to roll again.

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Middle School

Forbidden Desert

2-5 players, 45 minutes, Cooperative

We have crash-landed in a vast desert and must uncover parts for our flying machine to escape. Shifting sands and impending dehydration will make it a tough task, but it can be done if everyone works together.

Pros: It’s cooperative, but more strategic. Every player has a power that makes them special, and winning is only possible if you work together and make good decisions.

Cons: You will lose more often than you win, so be prepared for that.

Cascadia

1-4 players, 30-45 minutes, Casual Competition

Draft tiles and tokens to build the largest habitat of each type and meet each animal’s scoring criteria.

Pros: Though this is a competitive game, it is not aggressive at all. Each player will be working on their own habitat. This is a great choice for a logic puzzle lover!

Cons: This is a very casual experience. If you are wanting to affect other players with your actions, this will not work for you.

Small World

2-5 players, 40-80 minutes, Aggressive Competition

Use the best combination of race and unique power to attempt to conquer the land. When you spread your army too thin, simply throw them into decline and pick a new race and begin again.

Pros: It has all the aggression of Risk in a faster fantasy game. The board varies in size, depending on player count, to force conflict faster. The races and powers are separate pieces and randomized, so each game feels different.

Cons: This is a cute-looking war game with the goal to take out everyone else. It’s a great choice for those seeking an aggressive game.

Credit: Submitted

High School

Sky Team

2 players, 20 minutes, Cooperative

Work together as copilots to land your plane safely. You must be strategic as each airport presents a different challenge, and once the dice are cast, there is no more talking.

Pros: 2024’s Game of the Year. Once again, a cooperative experience, but with the most strategy of them all. The game offers a campaign-like experience as you fly (and hopefully land) all over the world together, working your way through the different scenarios.

Cons: This is a 2-player only game.

Canvas

1-5 players, 30 minutes, Casual Competition

Combine transparent cards to “paint” the perfect painting and win the most ribbons.

Pros: It is a beautiful game that offers a very relaxing experience. There are a bunch of goal cards in the game, allowing for a different experience every time.

Cons: The goal of the game is to score the most points, not necessarily to make the most beautiful painting. This is a surprising challenge for some players and could be frustrating.

A War of Whispers

2-4 players, 60 minutes, Aggressive Competition

Each player takes on the role of a member of a secret organization who controls power behind the scenes. Everyone has their own agenda that they are trying to enact, while trying to hinder other players. In this war game, you do not control an army; you manipulate them all.

Pros: Incredibly clever take on a war game. This game will take some effort to learn, but if the idea appeals to you, it is worth the effort.

Cons: Everyone’s agenda is secret, so you may try to hinder the person in the lead and learn later that they were rooting for the same goal you were. It is hard to deliver a “take that” moment in this game, given its secretive nature.

Modern Games has been Bend’s premier destination for tabletop gaming since 2015. They take pride in helping the Central Oregon community discover games that best suit their families.

This article appears in BendNest Winter 2024.