Jim Silver Editor in Chief TimetoPlayMag com Selects Top Games
NEW YORK--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Nothing compares to playing games with friends and family. People of all ages can play together, it is quality time well spent and in addition to fostering bonding, it's just plain fun. Most of us don't play games with the intention of learning more about each other, but it's amazing what you accidentally learn about friends or kids when playing, and the bonds that you discover that you didn't know existed.
During these tougher economic times, for hours of fun there is no more affordable form of great entertainment than Game Night. Jim Silver, editor-in-chief TimetoPlayMag.com, has created a list of great games for Game Night and while there are hundreds of games to choose from, Silver has chosen his favorites and explains the reasoning for each choice.
One of the most highly trafficked family-friendly websites, www.TimetoPlayMag.com is a playful destination website which provides adults with information, entertainment, and services on what's fun for children and their families. Jim Silver is recognized as one of the preeminent experts in the toy, licensing, and family entertainment industries.
From a young age, Silver has been a game player. His first memory of games is the nightly games of Milles Bornes he would play against his mother. From there, he became a big time board game player. Playing regular Monopoly and Risk games as a teen. He still yearns for Skittle Bowl with the wooden pins, Rebound with the long orangey board and Masterpiece which was the closest he would get to an art museum. After Silver married, the games continued. Hosting "How to Host a Murder" parties with friends and playing Scattegories, Pictionary and Scene It! with his three daughters.
Many games are timeless. Look in your basement - how many games do you have? How many of them are from years past? These games can still feel new when you play, precisely because you're playing then now.
Plan a Game Night, gather with the kids and/or friends, and pull out some games. You'll be amazed how much fun you can have and how rich and exciting the time you spend together can be.
Following in his own words are Silver's suggested games for Game Night. You may notice a few crowd favorites missing. For example, Scrabble is Mrs. Silver's favorite game, but not Jim's first choice for Game Night. Life and Clue are also excluded from the list - they are great games but Silver chose a unique variety of games including lesser known titles like Wits n Wagers. Games are listed in order of when the first edition was launched. For extended reviews and more information on each game, visit www.TimetoPlayMag.com
Tripoley Deluxe Special Edition (1932)
By Cadaco
This game is for the card lovers/card sharks who can multi-task or multi think. Essentially, you're playing Michigan Rummy, Hearts, and Poker at the same time. It really solves a dilemma when everyone wants to play a different card game because this is three games in one!
Monopoly Here & Now World Edition (1935)
By Hasbro Games
Monopoly is probably the most famous game ever invented. But the question is: What edition is best? The classic, if you love dealing out those dollars. Star Wars, Disney or any of the special editions for those die-hard fans. I like Monopoly Here & Now because the spaces on the board have more meaning to me. St James Place, Pacific Avenue or the Reading Railroad-and Depression Era Atlantic City-don't have the same meaning today to me than features from cities like London, Shanghai, and New York. The old energy sources have been replaced by modern versions, like wind and power. The houses and hotels are also updated to reflect today. The biggest change to this version is the electronic money management bank. The unit makes transactions easy, and if you want to take a break, your information is stored. However, if your kids like technology and you want the feel of modern times while playing Monopoly, this edition is reflects today's world.
Yahtzee (1956)
By Hasbro Games
If you played this dice game before, then you've probably seen a "Yahtzee Dance" at some point. It's like scoring a touchdown in football, in that you often get a celebratory dance. Though spiking the dice is optional. This dice game is easy to play, and plays best with from two to five people. What I like best about this is that it's a fast play and people generally want to play several times. There's a great balance of strategy and chance, and it's easy for people of all ages to play together so it's ideal for the family.
Million Dollar Password (1963)
By Endless Games
Million Dollar Password is based on the game show hosted by Regis. (He doesn't need a last name!) This is a game that needs to be played by four people-two teams of two. Quite simply, you give one word clues to a partner to have them guess a particular word. It's that easy to play, but being clever and strategic is the key to winning. When playing this game, you'll learn who's on the same wavelength as you.
Uno Flash (1971)
By Mattel
Who hasn't played the card game UNO? This fast-paced game of drawing and discarding has enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes-and laughing. But it is hilarious good fun-and simple enough that everyone can get it and enjoy it. However, if the classic version doesn't give you enough chaos and unpredictability, there's UNO Flash. The electronic version picks who plays next, so you need to pay attention. UNO is easy to play, as all you need to know is numbers and colors, but UNO Flash make takes UNO to a frantic level.
Phase 10 (1982)
By Fundex
Phase 10 is a rummy type card game that is based on Liverpool Rummy. It's called Phase 10 because there are 10 different phases you must complete before winning. The phases get harder as you go along, but it really gets interesting when you have different people trying for different phases. Best for three to six players
Pictionary (1985)
By Hasbro Games
Playing Pictionary is like playing charades, but on paper. You draw your clues instead of acting them out. The best part is you can be a lousy artist and still win (yours truly!) It's about imagination, being clever, and having a quick pencil. Virtually anything is allowed ... except letters numbers or symbols. This is another game that will astonish you on how smart you kids are and give you insight into how well you communicate. This game plays best with four to eight people.
Scattegories (1988)
By Hasbro Games
Scattegories is a Silver family favorite. The name Scattegories is for the different categories, but when we play it's for the bodies scattered all of the carpet with our lists ready to write. It's easy: You get a list of twelve categories, and you then have to write a word that fits into each category that begins with the letter you rolled on a special die. You then have three minutes to come up with your answers. But the trick is you can't have the same answer as anyone else in the room, or else it gets crossed off. Which means, if you're playing with your spouse, you're doing a lot of crossing off! Games are quick, you can play with someone young as a team, and it's a load of fun.
Taboo (1990)
By Hasbro Games
This game can be played with four people, but it's even more fun with six people, so get a gang together and get playing. You draw a card and have to get someone to say the word on the card without saying any of the Taboo words, which are also on the card. You then have to see how many cards you can get right before the timer runs out. There's no board here, so you can play anywhere, and it's a fun interactive game where everyone can be relaxed, but you need to be sharp to win. (If you haven't noticed, playing the games is fun, but I like winning also!)
Rummikub (1995)
By Pressman Games
This game is another great game for those who love card games. It's easy to play, and the strategy is the same as with Rummy; you're either building lines of numbers or colors. There are two jokers involved, and that really can change the game. The game starts slowly, but as the tiles get placed, it gets faster and more strategic. The key here is to be patient. In this game, the tortoise usually beats the hare. Best for three or four players.
Apples to Apples (1998)
By Mattel
This game is all about comparisons of things, and you'll often be amazed, shocked and amused on how people think. There is a different judge on every round. Everyone gets dealt cards with nouns on them, and then the judge draws a green card with an adjective for all to see. The other player then chooses their noun, which they think best describes the green card. The judge then chooses which they think is the most appropriate; which makes it a little bit like dealing with the judges of figure skating or gymnastics in competitions because you wonder at times what they're seeing or thinking!
Battle of the Sexes 2nd Edition (1998)
By Imagination Entertainment
This is the 2nd Edition, and I recommend it clearly over the first as the questions and rules are a little clearer. Essentially, it's a game the pits men against women in a trivia showdown, and you get to see how little the opposite sex knows about "stereotypical" male and female subjects. We've found that this plays best with at least two members of each gender.
Cranium Family Edition (1998)
By Hasbro Games
This new edition of Cranium is a great way for parents to compete against their kids (and parents should get used to losing). The four basics of Cranium are still here in 16 different brain-stretching activities: Star Performer, Creative Cat, Data Head, and Word Worm, but you get to flip some frogs and sculpture some clay in challenges. Cranium has always been a family favorite, but with a shorter playing time (about 40 minutes at the maximum), this game moves quickly. The other thing we love about this game is that the emphasis is on cooperative play so it puts all members of the family on a level playing field.
Blokus (2000)
By Mattel
My 18-year-old-daughter calls this "Best Game Ever!" And she's right: This is probably the best game you never heard of. In 2003, it was voted Europe's Game of the Year. It's really easy to play: Each player must begin at one of the corners of the board, The order of play is blue, yellow, red, green, Each new piece that is placed on the board must touch another piece of the same color, but it can only touch at the corners, never along the sides. If you can't play a tile, you miss a turn. When you run out of tiles, you win. There is so much strategy, yet it's so simple to play. You'll be amazed at how engrossed kids get in this game that's basically so simple. You will, too. While you can play with fewer than four people, this game is best when played by four.
I Spy Eagle Eye (2000)
By Briarpatch
I Spy games are great for kids five and older. There's no reading, but you really have to search to find what you're looking for. It's really easy; everyone looks for an object, first to find it rings the bell, and you get that card. I like this with kids in the 5-9 age category. Easy to play, and fun. There are more than 10 different I Spy games, but this is my favorite.
Scene It! (Various Editions) (2002)
By Mattel and Screen Life
Scene It! is a trivia board game brought to life through movie and television clips. There are trivia questions, but the real fun is the "my play" and "all play" questions coming from the footage from the enclosed DVD. The other great thing about Scene It! is that you don't have to sit around a table, but you can all lounge around in one room. This game is great for four people or a party.
Wig Out (2003)
By Gamewright
This is a frantic card game that plays best with four to six people. Best part is everyone plays at the same time. You have to match different hairstyles. Once you get rid of all your cards, you yell "WIG OUT" and you win. The game play is that easy, but with everyone playing at the same time, you have to be ready and focused. If you don't like quick-pace hectic game play, this probably isn't for you. However, if you like frantic, you will love this card game.
Tip of the Tongue (2004)
By Fundex
This game is a blast! The questions are fairly easy, such as: What's the hard candy that has a hole in the middle? But the tough part is you only have two seconds to come up with the answer, and if you hesitate, the buzzer goes off. You can alternate games, rounds or who is the question reader. The crazy answers you get in two seconds are pretty wild because it's all about what's on the tip of your tongue.
Bananagrams Set with Banana Leaf Score Pad (2006)
By Bananagrams
It's a word game that centers on anagrams, with some similarities to Scrabble. The difference are that there is no board, no special bonus squares, and you don't get slowed down when you play with those who don't have patience (moi!). You are basically making your own crossword (you don't have to share!), and are rewarded for speed. And you can bend the rules; create handicaps so the game will even out when playing with kids.
Big Brain Academy Game (2007)
By University Games
This is a game for those who think they are "smarter than everyone else," or at least smarter than everyone else in the room! If it sounds familiar, it was inspired by the Nintendo DS game. It's all about answering the most questions correctly in five different categories: Analyze Compute, Identify, Memorize and Think. But it's not just getting the right answer, speed is key. This game is the ultimate brain test.
Sorry Sliders (2008)
By Hasbro Games
This game is new, and I'll sum it up in a few words. Imagine playing Shuffleboard but with oversized Sorry pieces, with up to four people each having their own runway, and scoring based on the original Sorry. This game reminds me a little of Rebound with the pieces on sliders, but there is quite a bit of skill involved. It's easy to play, you can master it, but then someone can knock you off. This is a great skill and action game that makes a nice complement to the other games on this list.
Texas Hold Em Poker Set in Aluminum Case
By Cardinal Games
Poker for kids? Absolutely. Kids love playing poker. It's a card game with chips, clear winners and losers, and full of luck and strategy-and you get to bluff. There are tons of board games that have a betting/chance element, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're promoting gambling. Sit down with a group of five to nine people and play poker for fun. The kids will love it! When playing with the kids, we'd offer a prize for the winner, whether it would be a couple of bucks, or a special candy treat. This set includes poker rack, felt layout, 200 quality poker chips, one deck of poker playing cards, dealer button and easy instructions.
