One of the unique aspects of Settlers of Catan is the board setup changes each time you play, as the pieces fit together randomly. MELISSA VANDERLINDEN/Courtesy
Not sure what to do once all the presents are open and dinner is done? These games make for great family fun time.
Settlers of CatanThis indie game is already popular in a lot of circles, so if you’re still unfamiliar with it, take the word of millions of fans worldwide: This game is brilliant. The basic setup will cost you about $35. If you want to try it before you buy it, check out
Covenant Store at 1660 E. 71st St. Suite D. They will set up a game and teach you how to play free of cost. If you want to walk out of the store with the game, they offer it for about what you’d pay on Amazon.
Each player (up to four can play, or a $15 expansion pack will let two more players in the game) is basically populating an island: gathering resources; building roads, settlements and cities; and investing in “development.” For all of these activities, you gain a certain number of points – the winner is the first to 10.
The game is at its heart dependent on dice-rolling – that’s how you get the resources you’ll need to build and invest. It’s a great leveler for people who aren’t confident in their strategic abilities. Even seasoned players can be stymied if the dice rolls don’t go their way. But the best part of the game is that it builds in the notion of trading. No one can really do anything without the players bartering resources among one another, and this is where it gets fun, especially when it’s your family members you’re trying to cajole into a making a deal. The games can last anywhere from 20 minutes (for non first-time players) to nearly an hour, depending on how many are playing and what their strategies are, as well as how the dice are falling.
A quick note: There are lots of little pieces to this game, so if you've got tiny tykes running around, Settlers might not be a good idea.
Phrase PartyYou have heard of the game Catchphrase, no doubt, but this iPhone app takes the need for equipment out of the equation. If you've never played, here's a basic idea of how it works: Everyone sits in a circle, and every other person is on a team together. One person starts with the phone in their hand, and the game starts when the first clue appears. You say anything (except the words in the clue) to get your team to guess it. When they do, you pass to the next player, who gets a new clue. During the guessing, the phone will beep to indicate when time is running out. The last person stuck holding the phone when time expires has to give a point to the other team.
The app includes as many categories as the device sold in stores (stuff like Food, Places, Science) and, bonus, you can even create your own categories and input whatever clues you like. Sure, it takes some time, but I’m just nerdy enough to spend a half hour creating a custom category called TV Characters so that I can gleefully say “He’s a mad man with a box” when trying to get my team to guess Doctor Who.
Salad bowlThis game has to be the closest to my heart, and the great thing is you don’t have to buy anything to play! You’ll need lots of small pieces of paper (I tear scrap 8½-by-11 sheets into eight parts), pens, a big bowl and at least six people to play. Break up into two or more teams of at least three, and choose a letter. Then everyone writes two or three clues on the pieces of paper, and the clues have to start with that letter. That’s the only rule: Clues can be anything—people, places, things, or simply made-up phrases. If the letter were T, your clue could be something simple like “tiny bubbles” or as complex as “Tina Turner dancing in a fountain outside the Luxor casino.” The clues get folded up and mixed together in the salad bowl, and then it’s time to play.
Salad bowl has three rounds. Each person gets one minute to get their team to guess as many of the clues as possible, and each round goes on until the salad bowl is empty. The first round, one person tries to get his or her team to guess the clue, and they can say anything to help them guess (but you may not use any words from the clue). Think of that old game Million-Dollar Password. After both teams have exhausted the clues, tally up the points and then put all the clues back in the bowl. Time for round two. This time each player may use only ONE WORD to get their team to guess the clue. It sounds hard, but you’ve already heard all the clues once. By round three, which is simple charades, you should have all the clues memorized—which helps when someone draws “Tina Turner dancing in a fountain…”
