by Michael Buh, Tara Tea, Phil Canada, Kelsey Low, and Harry Huberty

Some of you may be artists. Others are masters of strategy. Maybe you’re just looking for a thrill or a quick distraction. Heck, maybe you’re just curious. We’ll try our best to give you a few suggestions to get you started on your journey through the tabletop. Here’s a few of our favorite gateway games.

For the Art Lover – Tokaido

Tara: If your friends are lovers of minimalistic artwork set against the backdrop of historic Kyoto this game is for you. I find that this game is a lot less stressful than some of the other games on this list,so if you’re really looking for something a bit more casual give this a shot. I imagine this might be something you would want to play while sipping a glass of wine or even some sake.

In Tokaido, Players embark on a leisurely stroll thru Japan as they make their way thru temples, hot springs, and villages collecting items and meeting travelers along the way. Throughout the game, players may choose which locations to visit to make specific combos that will gain them points for the end scoring.

Of all the games in my collection, Tokaido is at the top for best art work. Game designer Antoine Bauza (Here’s our review of his most recent game, Samurai Spirit) really knows how to make clever, simple, and beautiful games.

For the Horror Fan – Betrayal at House on the Hill

Michael: The horror genre is just as prevalent in board games as it is in literature and movies. For fans of the classic “haunted house” trope, Betrayal at House on the Hill will be right up your alley. The game can be played in about an hour, and it’s cohesive rules make it ideal for beginners and veterans alike.

Each player will choose a character and take turns exploring the house, collecting items and omens (read as: sweet loot,) and preparing for the inevitable betrayal. A betrayal – known as a haunt in game terms – is triggered when the amount of omens that players have collected exceed a dice roll. The haunt targets a player and turns them against everyone else. Players must band together against their former compatriot and risk their lives to escape. Whether it’s vampires, zombies, or just plain old insanity, there’s a scenario for just about every genre of horror.



For the Sci-Fi Fan – Gravwell: Escape from the Ninth Dimension



Tara: I love games where you think you have it all figured out only to have a wrench thrown in your plans by someone else. In this space-themed racing game, players frantically try to reach the warp gate or forever be lost in the black hole. Players move their ships around the board by using “gravity” or by playing off of the ship closest to them. If the closest ship is ahead of you, it’s an opportunity to slingshot forward to the finish line, if not, you get pulled closer to the black hole.

This game really keeps you on your toes because of the simultaneous movement reveal. Each round, players must predetermine the moves they will make based on the cards they have, then everyone simultaneously reveals their card. The element of surprise really makes this game a must-have for fans of all experience levels, it’s simple, it’s quick, and it brings out the competition in people.

For the Deck Builder – Dominion

Harry: Dominion is the game responsible for popularizing the “deckbuilding” game concept, which has become quite the thing lately. And for good reason–it’s easy to learn, quick to play, and marries the joy of discovery with the satisfaction of watching a creation slowly take shape.

Each player starts with a ten-card personal deck. They take turns drawing hands and playing cards, using their money cards to buy more goodies for their deck from a smorgasbord of possible selections. Newly acquired cards are gradually shuffled back into the deck, to be drawn and used on later turns. These cards are used for a variety of actions: they draw more cards, let you play more cards, gank cards from your friends, and so on.

It sounds confusing trying to decide which of ten possible action cards to buy (plus more money cards, plus victory point cards, too). The trick about Dominion—and what makes it such a great game for beginners—is that even though you have a lot of choices, they’re all good. Each new card is a new thing you couldn’t do before. Your options are always increasing, so you always feel more powerful–and all the while your deck is morphing into giant Rube Goldberg engine of victory, each card one new cog in the gears.

Games take about ten minutes, but it’s impossible to play just one. The base game has twenty-five total action cards, so there are millions of possible combinations to try. If you and your friends ever get bored of that, there are dozens of expansions, all interchangeable with the base game. If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, give it a shot. How hard could it be?

For the the Snake in the Grass – Coup

Phil: My blood begins to rush when the others are on my scent, they know there is a liar in their ranks. I must keep a stone faced mask, and not tip my hand or they‘ll know that I am secretly working against them. I think bluffing games are my favorite subsection of board games. They run the gambit from one liar in the group to a table of people lying to each other. The bluffing game I want to play the most and think is the best is, by far, Coup.

Each player is given two roles face down, these also count as your lives and keep you in the game. Players can take coins in varying amounts and a variety of places (the common pool or other players) depending on their roles. You can pay coins to remove one of another player’s role, this represents staging a coup. You are encouraged to lie and call others on lies but at the risk of losing your own role cards.

Coup is delightfully simple and quick to play. Making it a perfect filler game between longer games at game night. Warning, playing multiple games in one night can scar friendships and make you question relationships all together.

For the Strategist – Smallworld

Kelsey: Smallworld is a game produced by Days of Wonder, the makers of Ticket to Ride. It’s a civilization based game where players vie for conquest and control of the world. The game is designed for two to five players, and has four maps available for various numbers of players. Each player picks a combination of randomly selected fantasy races (dwarves, halflings, humans), and special powers (commando, pillaging, peaceful). Players use these troops to occupy territory and conquer lands.

What makes Smallworld amazing is that it’s relatively easy to pick up and play with veterans of board games and newcomers alike. It has a series of mini-expansions that add new races and powers to the base game and one full expansion that allows you change the world, and play various other game modes. If you’re feeling a little frugal or on a tight budget but still want to experience Smallworld, Days of Wonder has released an online version called Smallworld 2 which is available on Steam, iOS and Android devices. It plays exactly like the physical counterpart, and even has some of the mini-expansions digitized as well. If you enjoy strategy games give Smallworld a try.

The Team Player- Pandemic

Phil: I am with Brad Brockway when it comes to Pandemic. It is an essential for any collection. Pandemic is game that can make a team out of any group of friends. I can get this game to the table with every group of people I play games with. One reason for that is how each game plays out differently. For example this past weekend, we had a new player that had never played Pandemic before. We ended up losing the game in about 4 turns, it was simply bad luck. Rather than being turned off by the game (one unusually bad game at that), our new player was able to see past it. He quickly asked if we could play another game. We could see the hunger in his eyes and the want to beat these diseases. The next game we were able to win but only because of teamwork. The diseases that beat us so ruthlessly last game quickly fell through the power of effective teamwork.

For many people, it’s hard to believe the breadth of the board game industry. The good news is that there’s just about something for everyone. That bad news is that there’s a lot titles to get lost in. Lucky for you, we’re here to help you on your journey