Libertarian Librarian

Not sure why, perhaps because my children are starting to get interested in board games, but at any rate, I decided to make a list of my favorite games of all time. Then I decided that was too broad-- card games, board games, video games... way too large of a sample. So, I narrowed it down to board games. I have probably missed some gems from my youth, and there are tons of games I have never played, but I think the list is pretty good nonetheless:

25) Mousetrap. The actual game is... limited, shall we say, but there is that endless fascination to build that crazy, crazy trap.
24) Star Reporter. Want to play a roving journalist without a political agenda? No, it's not fantasy-- you can do it in this fun game. If you can find it.
23) Checkers. There's quite a lot more strategy to checkers than most people think. Especially if you throw in the Chinese version of the game.
22) Scotland Yard. Very cool game, with an innovative premise.
21) Sorry. A game where one of the primary objectives is to smack your opponets all the way back to start is... cool. The Disney version is even just a bit cooler.
20) Mah Jong. Yes, there's actually a game that goes along with those tiles besides matching them on your computer. And it's pretty good.
19) Life. Not a lot of strategy, and I don't like the new version, with the funky LIFE cards, as much as the old, but it's still fun to go from high school to retirment in under an hour. Or from a young Padawan to a Jedi Knight.
18) Strat-o-Matic Pro Basketball. This would be quite a bit higher except that it, well, isn't really much of a board game. I mean, there's a board, but it's mostly just a place to put the cards. But it's really fun. So, I included it anyway.
17) Diplomacy. This game may deserve to be higher, but I only played it once, so I don't remember it all that well.
16) Junta! Be a despot in charge of your own Banana Republic-- just watch out for the coups!
15) Road to the Whitehouse. Run for President-- without having to have your entire life up for examination!
14) Trivial Pursuit. But then, my brain is a repository for lots and lots of useless crap no one cares about-- so this game works for me.
13) Acquire. Not nearly as well-known as its property acquisition big brother, Monopoly, but a lot of fun, with a reasonable degree of skill.
12) Formula De. Open wheel racing isn't all that much fun to watch on TV, but it's a blast when you get to be behind the wheel... so to speak.
11) Monopoly. Strategy, luck, and you get to play as a hat. What a combination!
10) RoboRally. Likely most of you haven't played this bizarre little game, but until you've randomized someone else's robot onto the conveyor belt to oblivion, you really haven't lived.
9) Scrabble. Of course, I like spelling. Probably a bit lower on the list if you're functionally illiterate.
8) Talisman. A bit long, but good fun-- dungeons and dragons in a board/card game. Yes, yes, I know my geekiness is showing.
7) Stratego. I have to teach this game to my kids soon-- my wife won't play it with me.
6) The Godfather Game. Terrific strategy game where you try to take over various neighborhoods and run different rackets. You can try bootlegging, racketeering, extortion-- this game was a blast, and involved quite a bit of strategy.
5) Eurorails. And all the various assorted other rail building games.
4) Clue. It's elementary my dear... errr... whoever the heck you are.
3) Risk. Strategy, luck, world conquest.
2) 1830. You need about three weeks to finish a game, but for pure cut-throat strategy, this game has no peer.
1) Chess. The only downside to chess is that you can only play it with two people.

Hmm... no bikini clad babes. Sorry, I'l try to do better next week.

Labels: Lists