Acquire is a classic business strategy board game that has been going strong since 1962. Using nothing but your wealth and wits, you must vie against other business magnates in this game of mergers and acquisitions – buying, trading, and selling stocks in the world’s biggest hotel chains in order to get the greatest return on your investments.

Acquire was designed by Sid Sackson in 1962, and has been among the most popular board games in its many versions since those days. Part of its long-lasting appeal is its simplicity and the ease in learning how to play it. The game comes with just a board, tiles, company counters, stock cards and cash. And the gameplay all boils down to just two actions: placing tiles and buying shares.

Although the basics of Acquire are pretty simple, there is a fair amount of challenge in deciding where you place your tiles and which shares you buy. Since there are other players trying to make their millions as well, you have to be very strategic in your decisions to ensure you profit from them much more than your competitors do. It wouldn’t be in your best interests to hand another player a cool grand!

Placing tiles is how you start, grow and merge hotel companies in Acquire. And the board is a representation of the “business playing field”, where you can see how each hotel chain can grow and merge. When you create a group of 2 or more adjacent tiles, you are in essence starting a new company. When you place a new tile next to an existing company, you are growing that company. When the tile you place connects 2 separate companies, you have merged those 2 companies.  Read more... (720 words, 1 image, estimated 2:53 mins reading time)

An easy board game is referred as ludo. It is a game for two, three or four players. The game is very popular all around the world. It is termed as “Ludi” in Caribbean and “fia” in Sweden. In 6th century it was originated in India by pachisi. It is depicted on the walls of the Ajanta caves and earlier it was played by mughal emperors. The ludo game was original as patent 14636. In Germany the game is termed as “Mensch ärgere dich nicht” which in English translation means “Man, don’t get mad”. There is an other descend of Ludo called Uckers. Ludo is the modern classic children’s version of the ancient game Pachisi. Board is made in colorful pastel shades. It is a beautiful game with bright colors that will appeal to youngsters.

It is square with a model in the shape crosswise, each arm being segregate into three adjacent columns of eight squares. The center squares form the house line for each color and can’t land ahead by other colors. The center of the cross forms a big square which is the ‘house’ area and which is separated into 4 house triangles, each with one color. At each corner, disconnect to the main circuit are colored squares where the piece are placed to start on. Counters set up their circuit one square in from the ending of the arm and adjoining to the starting circle. The initial square, the first circle, the home triangle and all the house column squares are colored to go with the matching pieces. Each player opt one of the 4 colors.  Read more... (476 words, 1 image, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

Gaming sites list countless strategies for winning at the Settlers of Catan board game. Rather than worry about a host of complicated (and often contradictory) strategies, here are five general tips to get you started and keep it fun.

Build carefully- The setup phase sets the foundation for the entire game. A wrong move here can leave you trapped with limited resources. On the other hand, some well-placed settlements can lead to victory. Be sure to take your time and make wise decisions. If the bricks aren’t coming but the ore is, buy some development cards, upgrade to cities. Just like in life, in the Settlers of Catan board game, you need to adapt to the opportunities you get. Use what’s in your hand- You may be saving the ore for an upgrade, but if you’re far from it and have the resources to get a development card, get it. Make trades to get rid of resources you don’t need. If you’re too insistent on holding those cards, you risk losing out when the robber comes around. Have Fun- There are those that are so serious about the Settlers of Catan board game that they forget that it is first and foremost a game. Whether it’s a group of casual players or hard core fanatics, have fun. The whole point of a board game is to get together and enjoy each other’s company. Have Fun- There are those that are so serious about the Settlers of Catan board game that they forget that it is first and foremost a game. Whether it’s a group of casual players or hard core fanatics, have fun. The whole point of a board game is to get together and enjoy each other’s company.  Read more... (295 words, 1 image, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

If you are looking for a different type of family board game, I’m going to share one with you that you might not have heard of.  Maybe I’m just not “with it” but I just discovered this game this past Christmas when I was searching for a family type game that would be fun for adults, yet easy enough for an 8 year old kid.

The name of the game is Wits and Wagers by the maker North Star Games.  They are known for making games that are quick to learn, that keep all players involved all the time, and for keeping the games short (about 20 minutes).

Here’s a quick introduction.

Basically everyone contributes a numerical answer, which are then spread across the board with corresponding payout odds for each answer.  All players then have 30 seconds to place a wager on the answer they feel is correct (or closest to without going over).  Seven rounds are played to complete one game.  The person with the most chips wins.

Strategy 1: If you don’t have the slightest clue as to what the answer might be, ride with the person you think probably knows the answer.  In other words, place your bets where that person placed his/her bet(s).  If it is a football question, copy the person who you think is knowledgeable in football.  Read more... (581 words, 1 image, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

Agricola is an agricultural farming board game designed by Uwe Rosenberg, in the vein of the German-style strategy board games. Players control a plot of farmland, and compete to create the most balanced farm consisting of various types of vegetables and animals.

Agricola took the gaming world by storm when it was released at the Spiel convention in 2007, and won the Spiel des Jahres award for Best Complex Game in 2008. It has been consistently popular since then, and is still the second most popular board game out there, as measured by the popular board game website BoardGameGeek. It has even managed to take the number one spot away from Puerto Rico for a while.

The objective in Agricola is to build the best and most-balanced farm after 14 turns. You score the most points for having a farm with a big family and sturdy buildings, and efficiently using all your available farmland to plant vegetables and raise animals. This is not quite that simple to achieve however, since you start with just a farmer and his wife, with only a 2-room farmhouse, and there will be other players who are going to try to grab the resources to improve their own farms too!

In the 14 turns of gameplay, there are a number of actions that you can do to grow your farm. You can grab supplies of resources such as wood and clay, and agricultural resources such as vegetables, fish and animals to lay the foundations of your farm. You can also plough and sow your fields, or fence them up, or bake some bread to feed your family. You can also grow your family when the time is right.  Read more... (794 words, 1 image, estimated 3:11 mins reading time)