Thanksgiving is a time for gathering family together, being thankful for what we have, and playing board games, right?  That’s my approach at least.  I had the very good fortune of getting to play 22 games over Thanksgiving week with family, and it was a blast with a lot of good games hitting the table!

Thanksgiving is Coming | Sunday – Monday, Nov. 19-20

With Thanksgiving planning well underway and 12 family members imminently descending upon us, my partner and I took a little time out on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to relax and play a couple new-to-us board games.

First, we stopped by the local public library and checked out Cascadia, which I’d been meaning to try for over a year now.  Then we swung by the local game store Labyrinth to pick up my pre-order of Tokaido Duo, which had just arrived.

Cascadia was a really pleasant surprise.  I had heard at a convention last year that it was very light, but it had more interesting and engaging decisions than I expected.  I enjoyed the thought process of picking a tile/animal combination each turn, and I liked seeing the different ways that my and my partner’s areas developed over the course of the game.  I also liked the different feel of each animal’s scoring conditions, which clearly had thematic connections baked in (like the salmon runs, bear cubs, and solitary hawks).

Tokaido Duo was not quite as interesting as Cascadia, but it was an unexpected twist on the roll-and-move genre that involves dice drafting via a two-player snake draft.  I am intrigued by the variety of scoring paths and the various end game triggers, so I am looking forward to playing more and seeing how those unfold.  It’s a gorgeous game, so I’m hoping that the underlying decisions hold my interest through repeated plays.

The next day we snuck in another play of Cascadia to make sure we liked it enough to order it before we had to return it to the library.  We used all different animal scoring cards, and it proved to be another fascinating tile-laying experience with tough decisions throughout.  I think Cascadia was the pleasant surprise of the week.

Thanksgiving Eve | Wednesday, Nov. 22

My brothers and their families had arrived, including a four-year old cousin, so it was time to break out some lighter fare.  We had taught the extended family Cheeky Monkey a few months back at a milestone birthday gathering, so we started by bringing Cheeky Monkey back to the table.  It remains an absolute hit, not least because players pass around a stuffed monkey and pull chits from its rear.  I hate seeing when the little ones bust or get stolen from, but the glee they get from successful turns is a real joy.

Next up was another monkey-themed game with Coconuts, in which the players use plastic monkeys to fling coconuts across the table and into cups (or more likely all over the floor).  Coconuts is always a blast, even if aiming your coconuts to land in those tiny cups is a real challenge.  Maybe next time I’ll get out some mixing bowls for the kids to aim for instead…

Lastly, after the littlest ones were asleep, we broke out Wits & Wagers, which is one of my eight-year old’s favorites, and which I’ve been bringing to family get-togethers since 2006.  I keep thinking that maybe I should get a new copy, given how dated the 2005 questions have become, but it’s kind of an amusing part of the charm at this point how out of date some of the questions are.  And that fairly busted 17 year old copy is a recurring family favorite (especially given how much they enjoy how bankrupt I usually am by the end).

The Day Itself | Thursday, Nov. 23

I was very pleasantly surprised how many games made it to the table on Thanksgiving day itself, given that the games have to compete with parades, dog shows, football games, and food galore.  But this year saw 7 different games get played on Thanksgiving day!

First up was Dixit Odyssey, which wonderfully accommodates up to 12 players (as compared to the 6 players that fit into original Dixit).  Dixit was possibly the biggest hit of the week with most family members.  There’s just something about this 2008 classic that really tickles the fancy of non-gamers more than most games.  It’s such an accessible and beautiful experience with a lot of laughable communal moments that are entertaining and memorable.  I highly recommend Dixit for anyone looking for a game to bring to family events.

Before breaking up into smaller groups, we played one more big game, which was the Button Shy card game In Vino Morte.  I’d gotten this one a while back but never had a chance to play it.  The setting made this the right choice rather than The Resistance, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, or Coup – all of which I enjoy.  In Vino Morte worked remarkably well, although the quick first round player elimination distressed some folks, given that the next couple rounds took some time with the chatty thoughtful remaining players.  If trying In Vino Morte with family, you may want to preface that some people will be out very quickly to avoid unpleasant surprises.

In smaller groups throughout the afternoon, four more games got played.  I played team Crokinole with my siblings.  My son taught Tiny Ninjas to his uncle.  I showed Magic Mountain to my niece, which she adored.  And I played Men at Work with various family members.  Wow, I love Men at Work as just such a great dexterity stacking game with wonderfully chunky components and lovely rules (except for those frustrating little red bricks that I usually leave out).  I don’t understand the appeal of Tiny Ninjas, but it definitely seems to be a favorite of my eight-year old.

At the end of the night, after most folks had gone to sleep, my sister-in-law spotted Castles of Mad King Ludwig on the shelf and really wanted to learn it.  I warned that it was a significantly more involved game, but she was really struck by the name, box, and art.  So we played a late night game of Castles with her and my brother.  Much to my surprise, she ended up really enjoying it.  This was great fun because I got to play a more involved strategy game that has interesting pricing and purchasing decisions throughout.  Ultimately, a wonderful conclusion to a great day!

Too Full to Move | Friday, Nov. 24

The day after Thanksgiving saw five different games hit the table, including three requested repeats.  The morning started off with another game of Cheeky Monkey that was won by the 2.5 year old and her vast collection of zebras.  Afterwards, I convinced my mom (who loves Bridge) to learn Fox in the Forest despite her general aversion to learning new games, and I think she enjoyed it (or maybe just spending time together).  I certainly adore Fox in the Forest as the pinnacle of two-player trick taking.

Later in the day, my brothers were looking for something to play, so I taught everyone Scout, which turned out to be another hit that we played twice in a row (with more players called over for the second game).  I do really find great pleasure in Scout – deciding which way to orient my hand at the start, when to scout cards to improve my hand, and when to use the ever-so-valuable clown car to scout and show in a single turn… which reminds me of my 2007 GeekList: Patience isn’t Always a Virtue (given that I’m prone to ending a round without using my so-very-powerful clown car at all, much to my dismay and everyone else’s enjoyment).

In the evening, the family (including grandparents and grandchildren) asked to play In Vino Morte again, so we played that two more times.  In all three games, different people won, so that was nice to see.  I also drank the poison in all three plays, so I think folks liked seeing the resident “game expert” fail.  We closed out the night with another game of Castles of Mad King Ludwig at my sister-in-law’s request.  Yay for engaging strategy games with difficult, interesting, and meaningful decisions! We even used the towers and moats in this second play. I do like a good moat.

A Day of Rest | Sunday, Nov. 26

With a dozen family members leaving town, it was time to rest and unwind (and clean).  Fortunately, my partner and I snuck in two two-player games during this quiet day (in which the house suddenly seemed inordinately empty).  First, we played our new copy of Cascadia, which was a lovely way to close out a week that began with Cascadia.  We tend to play the same game a bunch in the first couple weeks, which I enjoy.  For example, we played Apiary six times in just nine days when it arrived in early November.  This helps us really learn a game well and explore it more fully.  I’m looking forward to more plays of Cascadia (and Apiary) in December hopefully.

Lastly, we checked out Queendomino from the local public library and gave that a try.  We didn’t care for it.  The buildings and dragon and queen figure and tax collectors and towers all seemed to add a ton of rules overhead for minimal upside (as compared to the streamlined simplicity of Kingdomino).  While I may have rated Queendomino a 3 and promptly returned it to the library, I had an incredible week with family, food, and thankfully 22 board games!