11 exciting board games for the New Year holidays
NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAYS - A GOOD REASON FOR CALLING FRIENDS TO THE GUEST and, while everyone has a lot of free time, go through a couple of board games. For those who want to surprise their friends with something new or trust in proven classics, we have collected eleven beautiful and exciting games.
Text: Dmitry Vesnin
Azul
To suit:Those who want to play the best game of the year
Number of players: 2-4 players, better together
Batch length: 30-45 minutes
Price: 2900 rub.
“Azul” is a beautiful and deep strategic game with simple rules, that is, an ideal option for those who get to board games only on holidays. This year, Azul won the prestigious German award "Spiel des Jahres" ("Game of the Year"), and this is not only a charming design - first of all, it is the merit of game mechanics, which each player poses a difficult choice. The visual style of the game is inspired by Azulejos - the Portuguese style of painting square clay tiles, and in the game itself you will need to take turns ordering this tile from the suppliers in order to collect the patterns that will bring the most points.
Sagrada
To suit: Those who like to play solitaire
Number of players: 1-4 players, better together
Batch length: 30-45 minutes
Price: 2290 rub.
Sagrada is a strategic game in which the one who assembles a stained glass window worthy of the Sagrada Familia will win. Each turn, players choose translucent cubes and arrange them in a special order, taking into account the rules described in the cards. “Sagrada” will not make difficult decisions, and its measured pace rather resembles solitaire for two. This game is not good luck - Sagrada encourages thoughtful planning and will suit those who love puzzles.
Concordia
To suit: Those who like to negotiate and make plans
Number of players: 2-5 players, better four
Batch length: 2 hours
Price: 3300 rub.
Concordia is a peaceful economic strategy named after the goddess of consent. In it, in order to increase the influence of the Roman Empire, players will need to rely not on the die roll, but on the ability to negotiate and make plans. By themselves, the construction and establishment of trade routes follow fairly simple rules, but together they form an elegant game mechanism that provides interesting choices and takes you a couple of hours.
Photosynthesis
To suit: Those who do not give up their place in the sun
Number of players: 2-4 players, better than three
Batch length: 1 hour
Price: 2790 rub.
"Photosynthesis" is a forest strategy in which you need to carefully decide where to plant and grow your trees in order to capture as much sunlight as possible. Thanks to the natural theme, this game feels more like a joint session of meditation than an aggressive battle for resources, but don't let its appearance deceive you - in fact, this is a ruthless battle in which there is no place for luck. The best part is that after each batch you will have an unusual beautiful forest in your room.
Sickle
To suit: Those who want to set up the production of robots
Number of players: 1-5 players, better four
Batch length: 3 hours
Price: 5900 rub.
“Sickle” is a large-scale strategy, which takes place in the alternative Europe of the 1920s, where huge combat robots rise above the wheat fields. Each game session is felt as a serious historical event in which you will raise the economy of the nation, set up production chains and take territory from opponents. The game does not encourage violence and open conflicts, so the real production strategist will win. One party in “Sickle” is unlikely to take all day, but it is better to leave more free time to clarify the rules and, perhaps, even a short break.
Patchwork
To suit: Those who do not have time to play
Number of players: 2 players
Batch length: 15 minutes
Price: 890 rub.
"Patchwork" - a puzzle for two, in which each player collects his quilt to score as many points as possible. It feels like a game like a paper tetris, in which there are unexpectedly many strategies and tactics. Simple rules and fifteen-minute sessions made Patchwork a hit in which you can play between tasks, rejoice and go do something else.
Jaipur
To suit: Those who like to bargain
Number of players: 2 players
Batch length: 15 minutes
Price: 1890 rub.
"Jaipur" is a dynamic card game for two, in which only the most skilled trader will win. Each turn, you will choose products on the market, then to combine them into sets and sell at exorbitant prices. Most of the game goes closed, which does not relax and often leads to tense moments for which this game is loved. Jaipur is a mixture of luck, risk and strategy, so the game is suitable for those who like to compete.
Carcassonne. Royal gift
To suit: Those who need a time-tested option
Number of players: 2-5 players, better together
Batch length: 1 hour
Price: 2490 rub.
Carcassonne is an absolute classic and one of the most important modern board games. In it, participants collect a medieval map, build cities and seize territory in order to get more points than rivals. The game was released back in 2000, and, unlike many of the brothers of that time, it is excellent. Even the most devoted fans laugh at the number of additions that have come out in eighteen years, so there are only four of them in the Russian edition of Carcassonne. The Royal Gift. Not too much to get lost in the rules, but it is enough that the game was an order of magnitude more interesting than the original.
Pandemic
To suit: For those who like to play together
Number of players: 2-4 players, better four
Batch length: 1 hour
Price: 1970 rub.
Pandemic is a cooperative strategy game in which companies of friends need to combine skills and efforts to save humanity from a global epidemic. A few years ago, the “Pandemic” had a large-scale Heritage expansion supplement with a deep plot and more serious mechanics, but if you have only an hour to save the planet on holidays, then it’s better to take the original version. For a well-coordinated team, "Pandemic" may seem too simple, but if you still do not know who in your get-together is inclined to make decisions for others, then this game will help you get to know your friends better.
Train ticket: Europe
To suit: Those who are going to risk and be greedy
Number of players: 2-5 players, better four
Batch length: 1 hour
Price: 2990 rub.
"Train ticket" is a game about which elegant rules are legendary. As the author jokes, the rules are so simple that they even fit on a train ticket: every turn, the player either takes more cards, builds a route, or opens additional destinations. From simple rules and a huge beautiful card the game about greed, risk and fear of loss unfolds. The “train ticket” is made so well that even the most seasoned players, who have long had enough of the classic games, will not be opposed to decomposing a game or two during the holidays.
Dominion
To suit: For those who love card games
Number of players: 2-5 players, better than three
Batch length: 45 minutes
Price: 2490 rub.
The game is so big that it will go for two. In the first - card fights, where players compete with their decks, and in the second - resource management, which are the cards themselves. Unlike collectible card games, all five hundred cards that are needed for the game are already in the box, and there will be enough for dozens, if not hundreds of matches with a variety of strategies and styles. This is a great option for those who want to enjoy a well-thought-out card game, but are not ready to devote all their free time to Magic: The Gathering.
Photo: Amazon (1, 2, 3, Floodgate Games, Stonemaier Games, Yandex Market (1, 2), Lifestyle, Everything else, Days of Wonder, Tango and Cash, Nataliya Dvukhimenna - stock.adobe.com