Category: Ω Board Games

Ticket to Ride: Germany

Ticket to Ride: Germany

Ticket to Ride: Germany

Ticket to Ride: Germany is a standalone game in the Ticket to Ride series. Over the course of the game, players collect cards in order to then claim routes on the game board between two cities. Ideally the players create a network of routes that connect the cities showing on their secret ticket cards. Players score points both for claiming routes and for completing tickets, with incomplete tickets counting against a player’s score.

In addition to scoring points for tickets, whenever a player places a route on the board, they claim a passenger from the two cities that form the endpoints for that route (assuming that the passengers have not already been claimed). At the end of the game, whoever has the most passengers of each of the six colors scores 20 points for that color; whoever has the secondmost passengers in a color scores 10 points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.

Game Mechanics:

  • Hand Management
  • Network Building
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.76

Thrive

Thrive

Thrive

Thrive is a two-player abstract strategy game with incredibly simple rules that grows in complexity as you play.

You play as one of two lotus flowers, competing to control the pond. Be the first to capture all but one of your opponent’s seed pods and win this game of tactical decision making!

Each turn you move a piece, then add two additional pegs to any of your pieces, giving them more possibilities for movement on future turns.

Game Mechanics:

  • Abstract Strategy
  • Grid Movement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 Players
  • 20 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.56

Telestrations

Telestrations

Telestrations

Each player begins by sketching a TELESTRATIONS word dictated by the roll of a die. The old fashioned sand timer may limit the amount of time they get to execute their sketch, but it certainly doesn’t limit creativity! Time’s up! All players, all at the same time, pass their sketch to the next player, who must guess what’s been drawn. Players then simultaneously pass their guess — which hopefully matches the original word (or does it??) — to the next player who must try to draw the word they see — and so on.

Game Mechanics:

  • Paper and Pencil
  • Party Game

Game Specifications:

  • 4 – 8 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.08

Tapple

Tapple

Tapple

Each round in Tapple, one player draws a topic card, then starts the timer. In the next ten seconds, that player must give a single word answer that fits within the topic, press down the letter key in a special electronic device that corresponds to the first letter of that word, and restart the timer. The next player must then think of a word for the topic that starts with a different letter, press down that starting letter, and restart the timer. 

If a player runs out of time, she’s out for the round. If only one player remains in a round, she collects the topic card. If players manage to press down all of the letters before knocking all but one player out of a round, the players reset the device, draw a new topic card, then start the timer again, this time having to give two answers for the topic – each starting with a different letter – within the allotted time. Whoever collects the most topic cards wins!

Game Mechanics:

  • Memory
  • Party Game
  • Player Elimination
  • Word Game

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 10 Players
  • ~30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.04

Sushi Roll

Sushi Roll

Sushi Roll

Rice and dice! Roll with your favorite Sushi Go! characters in Sushi Roll, a dice-based version of the best-selling card game!

Load up the conveyor belts with savory sushi dice —­­­­ then pick one and pass the rest! Earn points for winning combos like two tempura or a set of sashimi. Grab a menu to re-roll your dice or use chopsticks to swap with an opponent. And be sure to save room for pudding at the end!

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 5 Players
  • ~20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.24

Sushi Go Party!

Sushi Go Party!

Sushi Go Party!

Sushi Go Party! expands Sushi Go! with a party platter of mega maki, super sashimi, and endless edamame. You still earn points by picking winning sushi combos, but now you can customize each game by choosing à la carte from a menu of more than twenty delectable dishes. What’s more, up to eight players can join in on the sushi-feast. Let the good times roll!

Game Mechanics:

  • Closed Drafting
  • Hand Management
  • Party Game
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • ~20 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.30

Survive: Escape from Atlantis!

Survive: Escape from Atlantis!

Survive: Escape from Atlantis!

Survive is a cutthroat game where players seek to evacuate their pieces from an island that is breaking up, while remembering where their highest-valued pieces are located to maximize their score.

An island made up of 40 hex-tiles is slowly sinking into the ocean (as the tiles are removed from the board). Each player controls ten people (valued from 1 to 6) that they try and move towards the safety of the surrounding islands before the main island finally blows up. Players can either swim or use boats to travel but must avoid sea serpents, whales and sharks on their way to safety.

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Bluffing
  • Dice Rolling
  • Grid Movement
  • Memory
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.70

Super Mario: Level Up!

Super Mario: Level Up!

Super Mario: Level Up!

In Super Mario Level Up! join Mario and his pals as you advance them up the Mushroom Kingdom while challenging other players to gather the most coins and reach the castle at the top.

Each player starts with a unique line-up of characters that they are trying to score the most points with. Players take turns moving any character up the board until a character gets to the top.

Once a character is advanced to the top board, players vote to see if the character stays or is kicked off the Mushroom Kingdom. It takes only one NO vote to get them off the board. And players should use the NO votes wisely as each player only has two NO votes in their hand. The round ends when the character is unanimously voted to stay at the top.

Score up your points and play another round. Game ends after three rounds.

Game Mechanics:

  • Bluffing
  • Deduction
  • Racing

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 6 Players
  • 10 – 30 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.25

Sunken Sailor

Sunken Sailor

Sunken Sailor

Sunken Sailor is a game of deceit, sailor stories and skillful drawing. Each player is a sailor, but only one is the Sunken Sailor – can you figure out who? Sailors collectively draw an object that recounts a rowdy adventure you all shared. BUT there is a sailor among you that cannot recall the adventure and doesn’t know what is being drawn – that is the Sunken Sailor. The Sunken Sailor wants to keep their identity from the other sailors and to try to piece together what everyone is drawing. Sailors win if they can figure out who the Sunken Sailor is. The Sunken Sailor wins if he or she can go undetected or figure out what is being drawn.

Game Mechanics:

  • Bluffing
  • Deduction
  • Line Drawing
  • Party Game

Game Specifications:

  • 3 – 8 Players
  • 20 – 40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.00