Fun Games for International TableTop Day – 11th April 2015

This coming Saturday is International Tabletop Day – a day when fans and games shops organise special events for all the family all over the world. Made popular by Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher from Star Trek) and Felicia Day (The Guild), over the last three years, the popularity of tabletop games has soared.

My family had a huge selection of board games but card games were more traditional games like Rummy or Sevens. Cold has introduced me to more modern card games and we have great fun trying to beat each other. He does have an unfair advantage though – he knows the games from years of playing whereas I need to keep the rulebook handy!

Munchkin – Fun Family Card Game

I love this game! It takes a few rounds to get the hang of it but once you do, it can get very silly, very quickly! My favorite element is making a move during someone else’s turn – you don’t have to wait just for your turn, you can mess up another player by helping a monster or you can help them by adding your bonus cards to theirs. The aim is to get to level 10 before anyone else by beating monsters and stealing their stuff and you get to fight or flee on each turn. The rules are fairly straightforward but beware of your fellow players – they can gang up to thwart your race to victory.

Munchkin DeluxeCheck Price

The other great thing about Munchkin is that it is available in multiple versions – you can start your collection with any themed set, you don’t need to have the original. Each version plays the same way but with themed cards and characters as well as themed monsters and races.

Munchkin ZombiesCheck Price Munchkin CthulhuCheck Price Star MunchkinCheck Price

Fluxx by Looney Labs – More Great Family Tabletop Game Fun

Fluxx is another great family fun card game that Cold introduced me too. This one is a pure card game where the initial rules are pick one card, play one card but the rules constantly change based on which cards are played! There are new Rule cards, new Goal cards as well as object or place cards. As you play, the rules change and the end goal changes too – hence the name of the game – Fluxx!

Fluxx 5.0 Card GameCheck Price

Fluxx is another game that has multiple themed versions, we have Cthulhu Fluxx where all the cards are related to the Cthulhu mythos – there are a couple of extra types of cards in this version – Ungoals and Creepers but they just add to the overall feel of the Cthulhu environment! If you love Zombies or Pirates or any of the other myriad themes, then there’s probably a Fluxx version for you too.

Zombie FluxxCheck Price Cthulhu FluxxCheck Price Pirate FluxxCheck Price

More TableTop Games for all the Family

Blokus is another game that I really enjoy – it’s not a card game but a board game for upto four players. It’s a great game for two players and even works well for three so there’s no reason to wait until you have an even number of people to play! Each person chooses a color and has to place one shaped piece each turn. The pieces are sort of like Tetris pieces but instead of trying to fit them closely together to make a solid line, you have to place them corner to corner. The aim is to block your opponent from making their move and the winner is the one with the least number of pices left at the end.

Lunch Money is another card game based on fights during recess. The aim is to beat up the other players and trash talk is not only encouraged, it’s a vital part of the game! That’s where I struggle with this one – I’m too nice to know how to trash talk well! I haven’t played Settlers of Catan but it’s on our shopping list and always has good reviews from other tabletop gamers.

Blokus GameCheck Price Lunch MoneyCheck Price The Settlers of CatanCheck Price

Tabletop Games for Adults

Not all tabletop games need to be innocent family games and these three are definitely not for kids! Stoner Fluxx is another variation of the Fluxx game mentioned above but I’d guess most parents wouldn’t want their kids playing this version! Cards Against Humanity is one of those games that you really need to play with like minded people! I’ve not played but I have seen a few games played online and it’s not for the faint of heart or easily offended. Add in some alcohol for a really fun, friendly abuse filled evening!

I’ve included Lovers’opoly for those gaming couples out there. I kind of expected it to be an explicit game but the reviews on Amazon seem to suggest that it’s more than just sex and alcohol game play! It’s based on the traditional Monopoly board game but with a more romantic or sensual theme.

Lovers’opoly Adult GameCheck Price Cards Against HumanityCheck Price Stoner FluxxCheck Price

Have you played any of these games yourself? We’d love to hear what your favorite tabletop games are as we’re always looking for recommendations. If you’d like to see more game suggestions, check out two of Cold’s post on his blog – Top 10 Board Games and his Top 5 Tabletop Card Games. If Monopoly is more your style then check out our Monopoly Geeky Themes post.

If you’re having a problem coming up with gift ideas for a gamer or geek, let us help you. You can leave a comment below (or on any post actually!) or you can find us on Facebook on our Gifts for Gamers and Geeks Facebook page. Until next time, have fun!