Weeknight Gaming
You are probably thinking, “Can’t any game be played on any day, at any time?”, and you would be correct. So what is a “weeknight” game? This is what I like to call the games that can be learned, or relearned, quickly and take 30 minutes or less to play. Not everyone is the same, but I would bet that most people don’t want to play a heavy 60-120 minute game on the weeknight after work or taking care of the family or both. So we reserve playing board games for the weekend. It doesn’t have to be that way. This is a list of a few games for Monday - Thursday to keep our board game cravings in check while we wait for the heavier games during the weekend. Of course, these can be played during the weekend too.
Arboretum
Let’s start out by talking about how gorgeous this game looks. The artwork on the cards is so well done and they look great on the table as you play the game. Each tree is illustrated so detailed and colorful that you will catch yourself just staring at them in your hand. Looking past the artwork what we find is a simple card game that will have you banging your head against the table (in a good way) for about 30 minutes. Arboretum pushes hand management to the limits by forcing you to clutter your hand with cards your opponent needs. Of course, this means less room for the cards you actually need to win the game. It is hard to think of a card game as defensive, but that is exactly what Arboretum is. Trying to hold for as long as possible to wait for an opportunity to present itself. The beautiful part about the game is you really have no idea who is going to win at the end. The scoring keeps the anticipation on edge until final scoring is revealed and for us that is one of the best attributes in a great game. If you are looking for a relaxing game perhaps steer clear of Arboretum, but if you are willing to endure the tough decisions for 20-30 minutes I highly recommend picking this one up.
Draftosaurus
A quick, fun game about placing different species of dinosaurs in your zoo. Draftosaurus is a drafting game, hence the name. Drafting is a game mechanism that normally involves cards and is a function of many modern board games. Each player is presented with an equal number of an item, in this case dinosaurs instead of cards, the players choose one of the dinosaurs to keep and passes the rest of them to the player next to them. In Draftosaurs you are placing those dinosaurs on your board in order to score points. The game is simple to learn and because all of the play is simultaneous it plays very quickly. This one is great for families and should be playable by some of the younger gamers. If you are looking for a nice relaxing game to play after a busy day this is your go-to-game.
Cat Lady
We are dog lovers in this house, but this little game about cats has won us over. The theme works great and plays into the humor of “the cat lady” as players try to collect as many cats, toys, costumes, and food as possible. The artwork is cute and the creative names of the cats add to it. The rules are very simple and, after a short review of how scoring works, most could pick up how to play this one in about 10 minutes. Another relaxing game without too many though decisions. Every time we play this one we are reminded just how good it is. Whether you like dogs or cats give this one a try. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Also want to point out that there are two versions of this game out there. The only difference is the box, cardboard vs tin, and upgraded pieces for the resources. The tin version has the upgraded pieces, but certainly are not required for the game.
Fantasy Realms
The other games on this list so far have been examples of how modern board games have evolved to be beautiful works of art on top of great games. Fantasy Realms doesn’t have the same “curb appeal” as those games. However, it makes up for it with fantastic gameplay. Being just a small card game it packs a huge punch of strategy with just a tiny bit of luck. The game is built around creating a hand of cards that will score you the most points. The cards in the game have a base point value, but also provide bonuses or penalties based on the other cards in your hand. Building out the combos in your hand in Fantasy Realms is so satisfying and while there are some very tough decisions the end result, when totaling your score, is worth it. Speaking of scoring, it will probably take longer to score this game than it does to play it. Don’t let that discourage you though. This is one game that when we play it we rarely only play once. Very highly recommended.
Illusion
Another small card game with simple rules that could be played as an activity as well as a game. The object of Illusion is to place cards in order of the percentage of a certain color on each card. The unique artwork on the cards makes this very difficult to do. Every time we play this game it ends up in a group effort, where everyone gives their own opinion, good or not, on where in the line of cards the next one should go. You can always decide to challenge the line of cards, instead of placing, if you think something is out of place. This is one game that no matter their age anyone can play and be involved. Whether you keep score or not this a fun way to spend a weeknight with the family.
