Naturally, you’ll also want to start with the base game: the absolute simplest version of “Quacks” you can play. Host Deepa Fernandes and I spent over an hour on Zoom before it began to click for her - more time than it would take experienced players to finish a game. If you’re new to the hobby, budget the time to punch out cardboard pieces and see if you can recruit an experienced player to show you the ropes. However, my efforts to convey this delirious balance of risk and reward hit were stymied by the game’s intimidating set-up. “Quacks” turns me into a gambler, eager to chuck mushrooms, mandrake roots, and pumpkins into my pot, even as I know it only takes a few errant poppy flowers to blow me sky-high. I could count on one hand how many games of “Quacks” I’ve actually won, and I’ve lost to a 6-year-old more times than I care to admit.īut I just can’t help myself. I have to admit that I’ve been brewing badly for years.
"Quacks of Quedlinburg," along with its most recent expansion "The Alchemists." (James Mastromarino/Here & Now) “Quacks of Quedlinburg” isn’t about ducks - rather, the game casts you as inept potion-makers competing to cram the best components into your cauldrons without combusting.
“Scout” also deserves mention, which has you compete to pull off the grandest carnival acts (by way of collecting - you guessed it - numbered cards). The small-box curious should also consider the legendary “Love Letter,” which has numerous variants, but packs more strategy and drama into 16 cards than games many times its weight. The trick is, you won’t know which hats are worth points until the final turn, as you trade cards from a central board with an ever-shrinking hand.ĭon’t let the whimsical caps and cloches fool you: This game is all about numbers and subterfuge, and it rewards you for switching strategies at the drop of, well, a hat. Particularly, hat boxes! The new game “Hats” challenges players to collect the most stylish headgear at the Mad Hatter’s party. Here are our findings: Good things come in small boxes We tried some of the best games for new players (including some games that are hot off the presses!). Perhaps you want to deceive your friends - or better yet - catch them in a lie? “Secret Hitler,” “Avalon” and “One Night Ultimate Werewolf” offer all the social deduction mayhem you could ask for. Want to feel like a word wiz? “Codenames ,” “Decrypto” or “Letterjam” might be for you. Want a 30-minute game that’ll get everyone talking and laughing? Try “Monikers ,” the “Metagame” or “Wavelength.” (“Settlers of Catan,” I’m looking at you.) Today, the hobby bursts with unique games for every taste and season. (Courtesy of Bradley Herring)įor generations, when you thought of board games, you’d probably think of the same old titles: Household names like “Monopoly,” “Scrabble” or “Risk.”īut the market began to transform in the 1990s: Titles considered niche then are mainstream now.
Attendees at a board game convention in Washington, D.C.
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