BOARD GAMES TO RECREATE OUTDOORS… INDOORS
Since lockdown began, the nation’s been looking for things to occupy themselves in the house and the popularity of board games has exploded – becoming the perfect way to spend hours recreating the outside world we all love and miss…
TAVERNS OF TIEFNTHAL
After the clocks ‘sprung’ forward, leaving us with longer and warmer days, the absence of pubs has created a pork scratching-sized hole in the nation’s heart. In lieu of real alehouses, Taverns Of Tiefnthal [above] is a great way to practice your landlord game. Each player gets a bar that they can make their own – the challenge is to build the biggest and best. With five levels, you’ll always have something new to expand the playing experience.
FOG OF LOVE
Missing your Tinder dates and convinced that Facetime just won’t cut it? Well, now’s the time to try Fog Of Love, a game where players control the fate of a couple and guide them through the rollercoaster that is an early relationship. As the character’s personality traits are totally random, it can lead to some comical combinations; and as each player has their own secret agenda, which could include sabotaging the relationship, you never know what might happen.
SAGRADA
If you’re missing the tranquillity of your local cathedral during its lockdown closure, then this game is a great remedy. Players are charged with creating beautiful stained-glass windows with coloured dice and the winner is the player who, at the end of the game, has the most complete window and patterns. Inspired by La Sagrada Família – a Spanish cathedral that has been in construction for 150 years – the game’s simple aim, combined with the concentration it takes to win, makes this a fantastic pick.
SUSHI GO PARTY
With touching, especially around food, strictly off the cards, this game gives you the opportunity to re-create a sushi restaurant, food conveyor belt and all, in your front room. More fun than a Yo! Sushi half-price Monday, you’ll have the chance to create your dream menu of sashimi, maki, edamame and myriad other components, battling with other players to create top-tier dishes and winning combinations. The engaging concept, combined with bright and fun artwork, also makes it suitable for all ages and abilities.
CARCASSONNE
If you’re missing the great outdoors and just want to walk for hours through fields, along rivers, and down abandoned roads, then this game is for you. Inspired by the real French town of Carcassonne –a medieval time capsule with double-walled fortifications, a citadel and castle – the aim of the game is to create completed cities and roads and attract the most ‘meeple’ to your area. Fun to play in a pair, but suitable for up to five players, the straightforward premise alongside the familiar setting means the whole family can participate.
words ELOUISE HOBBS