The Board Game Collection

Reviews

Kites game box, sand timers and coordinating kite cards

Kites: Time to Fly is a cooperative, real-time board game that will have everyone on the edge of their seats, taking turns playing cards and flipping over the sand times and keeping their figurative kites in the air, by avoiding any of the timers running out. It’s definitely one that will get the group rowdy…

Sea Salt & Paper game box and deck of cards

Welcome to the world of Sea Salt and Paper with amazing origami artwork depicting folded paper depictions of creatures, ships, and other nautical characters. Come for the charming artwork, but stay for the interesting and tactical race they’ve managed to pack into this simple deck of cards…

el dorado game box

El Dorado is a deck-building board game designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Ravensburger in 2017. It was well received and gained positive reviews all around upon its release. It went on to be nominated for various international awards, including the Spiel des Jahres…

A game of Dragon's Breath in progress

Dragon’s Breath is a high-quality kids’ game where players take turns acting as a dragon breathing fire and melting a pillar of ice, releasing the unusual sparkling treasure frozen inside. Kids will get a kick out of roleplaying as the dragon and then removing rings and spilling stones…

game, board, catan

Board Games for 13-year-olds vary as much as the child does. Finally a teenager, this age comes with its own set of challenges, as their experiences grow, and their hormones change unexpectedly. Games at this age should be a mixture – encouraging communication, offering stability,..

Landmarks expansion game box and new landmark cards and tokens

Cascadia is a strategy game designed by Randy Flynn, illustrated by Beth Sobel, and published by Flatout Games in 2021. Upon its release, the game was met with critical success with reviewers praising its components, accessibility, and degree of strategy…

Disney Eye Found it box, featuring Mickey Mouse

Eye Found It is a series of games that has kids exploring different worlds and universes including Disney and Marvel looking for hidden objects. There are cooperative and competitive versions of the game, but either way, kids will enjoy looking through colorfully illustrated…

Zombie Kidz Evolution is a cooperative legacy game for younger players where they have to protect a school from a horde of attacking zombies. Designed by Annick Lobet and published in 2018 by Scorpion Masque and nominated for several awards including Children’s Game of the Year in 2020…

Magic Maze Kids is a cooperative game for 2-4 players, in which everyone works together to navigate a series of game boards and scenarios and collect a set of specific items. The game is designed to be accessible to young players, making Magic Maze accessible to children aged 5 and older…

First orchard box with a basket of wooden fruit

Looking for the perfect starter board game for toddlers? First Orchard might just be the perfect first board game. For 2-4 year olds, this classic toddler game is a gentle introduction to board gaming with simple cooperative play and color matching. It is a simpler version of the original Orchard game, 

Camel Up box

Camel Up was originally released back in 2014 by Pegasus Spiele and was designed by Dennis Lohausen. The game centers around players making bets on a camel race in a desert, with the player making the most money winning the game. With its mechanics, concept, and entertainment value…

Forbidden Island game tin

Forbidden Island is a cooperative game that was developed by Matt Leacock, a renowned cooperative game master, and published by Gamewright in 2010. It was received well, winning several awards upon release and being nominated for the Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) in 2011…

original version from 1986

Fireball Island was originally published in 1986 by Milton Bradley and designed by Bruce Lund and Chuck Kennedy. The adventure game saw players explore a tropical island, navigating winding paths around the island and dodging fireballs that rained down from the sky. This island was also home to an ancient idol…

My First Castle Panic game box

My First Castle Panic is a cooperative strategy game and the younger brother of ‘Castle Panic’, which was published in 2009 by Fireside Games. Castle Panic focuses on defending a castle from an invasion of goblins and orcs with players working together to repel them. This is done by using various…

Draftosaurus game box and components

Draftosaurus was released in 2019 by Ankama and was created by French designers Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc, and Theo Riviere. The light drafting game was well received and a year after its release, Draftosaurus was nominated for several international awards…

Our well loved copy of Sequence for Kids board game

Sequence for Kids (sometimes called Sequence Junior) is a kids version of the classic Sequence board game, designed specifically for young kids ages 3 and older and a great option for family game night. It features fun cartoon animals and straightforward gameplay that make it fun and easy to learn… 

Candyland board game box

Candyland. The family favorite, sweet adventures board game that parents love to hate. But say waht you will, it’s a classic game that kids adore and will continue to adore whether you like it or not.But should you play Candyland board game with your kids? It’s not a simple question…

Stuffed Fables game box

Stuffed Fables is an adventure game where players take on the roles of brave stuffies seeking to save the child they love from a scheming, evil mastermind. The game’s thrilling narrative is driven by the choices that players make as they navigate their way through a series of adventures… 

Sushi Go Game in progress featuring a hand of cards

Sushi Go is a fast-paced card game designed by Phil Walker-Harding and published by Gamewright Games in 2013. The game revolves around players collecting various kinds of Sushi and trying to score as many points as possible at the end of each round. Players aim to make…

Alhambra game box

Alhambra was created in 2003 and designed by Dirk Hen. Set in 14th-century Spain, the game focuses on the construction of the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Upon its release, Alhambra won numerous awards, including the ‘Spiel des Jahres’ (Game of the Year) award, and has seen numerous expansions..

Monza game box

Monza is a car racing board game where players participate in a big race, rolling colorful dice and moving their racing cars around a track. Players will need to make strategic (but light) decisions about how to best utilize their dice for maximum movement. Kids love the toy factor here…

My First Carcassonne Board Game Box, showing cartoon-like illustrations of children playing, with a castle in the background.

The board game Carcassonne stands as a modern classic in board gaming. Though the concept of laying tiles to construct the landscape of medieval France may seem simple, it has captivated a dedicated audience and inspired numerous expansions. While Carcassonne is family-friendly…

ecologies game in progress

If you enjoy a beautifully illustrated, engaging, and versatile card game to play with a partner, add Ecologies card game by Montrose Biology to your game shelf. This game takes inspiration from popular titles like Settlers of Catan, Agricola, and Dominion…

Castle Panic game box

The game involves drawing cards from the draw deck, discarding, and trading cards with other players to optimize their hand. Additionally, drawing monster tiles from the draw deck determines enemy movements and actions, adding an element of unpredictability to the game…

Unstable Unicorn game box

Unstable Unicorns was initially designed and illustrated by Ramy Badie and was funded through Kickstarter. Unstable Unicorns was officially released in 2017 through Unstable Games and has since gone on to see plenty of expansions or add-ons released to add to the gameplay experience…

king of tokyo box

King of Tokyo was released back in 2011 then re-released in 2016 and was created by Richard Garfield. Garfield is famous for creating many popular collectible card games in the nineties, including Magic: The Gathering, and is the great, great, grandson of former US president Andrew Garfield…hands up whoever was today years old when they learned that…

The box for the board game Dragomino. It features a purple dragon overlooking different terrain in squares, with baby dragons of the same colour in each. It’s a 3D cartoon style

If you’re in search of a family-friendly, light-hearted, and easy-to-play game, Dragomino is an excellent choice. Familiar with Dominoes? Then you already know the basics—except instead of matching numbers, you’ll be pairing elements like sand or ice. Plus, there’s the added excitement of possibly uncovering a dragon along the way…

The Ticket To Ride franchise started twenty years ago back in 2004. It was designed by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder. When released, the game was met with critical acclaim and to this day the original iteration has won over a dozen awards, sold over 10 million copies, and spawned more versions than both you and I can count on both hands together…

A red box with a single cat on the front. It read “Exploding Kittens: A Card Game for People who are into Kittens and explosions. And laser beams. And sometimes goats.

If you’re looking for a fun game that brings a little excitement, with a lot of giggles, (not to mention the opportunity to prevent your fellow players’ victory with a loud “NOPE”), you can do no wrong with Exploding Kittens. The wacky, Russian-roulette-style card game promises unpredictable outcomes, hilarious cards and actions, and minor explosions…

Catan Junior Game box

Catan Junior spawned from the worldwide success of the original Catan. Catan was originally developed in 1995 in Germany and came about by the creator (Klaus Teuber) being inspired by Viking Settlers, with the titular island being…

game, board game, dice

Picking the right board games for kids can be tricky. You have to consider what stories and themes will capture their interest, what style of game is going to best fit their needs, and also make sure you are at a level that challenges them…

Qwirkle board game box

Qwirkle is a tile-laying puzzle game that takes a lot of inspiration from dominoes but adds its own twist to gameplay. It has been awarded the ‘Major Fun Award’ and the ‘National Parenting Center’s Seal’, highlighting its recognition for quality…

The game box for Dixit, which reads “A picture is worth a thousand words!” and shows illustrated cards following through the sand, with a ship floating alongside.The style is whimsical.

The board game Dixit lures you in by simply offering a taste of its gorgeous artwork on the box – and then it delivers far more inside. Dixit is a lighthearted family game that uses illustrated cards to draw you into finding a story within surrealist…

Hoot Owl Hoot game box

Young Owlets have ventured out to explore the deep dark forest at night. They’ve had fun and games but now it’s time for all the owls get back to the nest before the sun comes up. Can you help all the owls fly home safely before the sun rises…

The box for Ticket to Ride, showing a train and various characters in 1900 style dress

Ticket to Ride has risen to the status of a modern classic in the gaming world, significantly impacting the board gaming community by showcasing the engaging and thematic elements of gameplay. It has ushered countless gamers deeper… 

The game box for Codenames, it’s a yellow centre with circles out transitioning to purple, with a male and female presenting silhouette with speech bubbles saying “Top Secret” and “Word Game” with Codenames written in white across the top.

Codenames challenges you to gauge how well you understand your friends, and when that understanding falls short – to rely on astute guessing. Recognized as a great party game, Codenames excels in bringing people together with its…

Patchwork Game Box, it shows a quilt of squares with a brown banner at the top and bottom, the top says Patchwork by Uwe Rosenberg, the bottom says For Two Players

Patchwork is an engaging tile-laying game where two players compete to strategically place varied pieces on their playerboard. The objective is to assemble the pieces in a manner that not only fits perfectly but also maximizes points…

Original Catan game box

Talk about a Modern Classic. This multi-award-winning, strategic co-op game is nearly thirty years old now and has seen success that very few board games achieve. Its unique and engaging gaming experience has made it a staple in the…

The box for Kingdomino, brightly coloued landscapes with square castles amidst squares of field, grass, and water.

There’s something that feels automatically familiar about Kingdomino, the tile laying board game. Perhaps it’s the illustrative artwork that reminds you of a children’s picture book, or perhaps it’s the reference to dominos, a game that has transcended through generations…

A brightly colored board game box for Azul, with patterned squares behind the Azul banner

There are some games that seem to appear on every gamer’s shelf, and the Azul Board Game is one of them. There’s something magnetic about this lovely game and the beautiful tiles that come with it, which, when paired with a gentle tile laying premise and straightforward rule set, it’s obvious…

Clue board game box

Looking to navigate the twists and turns of the Clue board game? Whether you’re a first-time player seeking the basics or an experienced detective aiming for victory, this guide breaks down the essentials of gameplay, advanced strategies….

monopoly, game, sociable

Love it or hate it, you’ve probably played Monopoly – either with your family on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or maybe it’s been a game night staple for you and your friends. For me, it was a childhood staple, but hasn’t hit the table in a while as I play more modern games. 

The box for the board game Dragomino. It features a purple dragon overlooking different terrain in squares, with baby dragons of the same colour in each. It’s a 3D cartoon style

If you’re in search of a family-friendly, light-hearted, and easy-to-play game, Dragomino is an excellent choice. Familiar with Dominoes? Then you already know the basics—except instead of matching numbers, you’ll be pairing elements like sand or ice. Plus, there’s the added excitement of possibly uncovering a dragon along the way…