Board games have been around for thousands of years and have long been a favourite type of family game. People of all ages can enjoy sitting down playing a good board game.
There are many types of board games - ranging from ancient strategic games like Chess and Mahjongg, traditional "family" games like Monopoly, Cludeo and Risk, "party games", like Pictionary and Cranium and a new breed of strategic board games, often called Eurogames, like Settlers of the Catan, Puerto Rico and Carcasonne.
All offer unique playing styles and differing levels of depth and difficulty, but with the vast number of games available, everyone will be able to find a game they like.
Invented in 1904, and orignally called The Landlord's Game, Monopoly was based on the fashionable economic ideas of Henry George.
The game rules emulates economic acticity, like buying, selling and renting property and the winner is the player who ends the game owning all the property on the board. The immense popularity and longevity of Monopoly have ensured it is the largest selling board game the world has ever seen.
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One of the most popular board games of the last 10 years is Cranium, considered by many to be the archetypal party game.
The gameplay mechanic encourages players to test their skills at a multitude of different areas - from drawing and making clay models to to word puzzles, mime and impressions.
This game is an excellent choice for casual gamers who like to play with lots of people, and is fun for adults or children.
One of the new breed of "Eurogames", Puerto Rico offers a unique gameplay rich in depth and low on chance.
The game revolves around the colonisation of the island of Puerto Rico during colonial times. Each player has to ensure their colony is more properous than those of his/her opponents. Like other "Euro" style games, no players get eliminated during play ensuring all players remain interested until the end of the game.
The game is relatively easy to pick up and has an enormous depth to it's dynamic and strategic gameplay.
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