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Like clockwork each winter when the weather turns cold, I get the urge to gather my family around the dining room table (sometimes against their will) for board gaming. Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about our habits and preferences, which have led me to some great options if you’ve got kids and want to share some time away from the television.
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Options for young, competitive gamers
My regular board gaming pal is my son, Paul. He’s six, has an active imagination, and adds color to whatever he’s playing to make each move part of an epic tale.
I’ve aggressively cultivated his desire to learn new games and identify those he loves the most. One of the biggest hits in the house right now is King of Tokyo, by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield.
It’s a quick-playing, accessible game that includes dice rolls, decision making, and giant monsters. The base game is fairly rudimentary, with each monster working identically.
I recommend opting for the Power Up expansion, which gives each of the beasts unique evolutions that make choosing one at the outset much more meaningful. The rules are extremely straightforward with no “fiddling,” and games are over in about 20 minutes.
The goal is to whittle your opponents' life totals down to zero or score 20 victory points. Occupying Tokyo earns you victory points, but you also can't heal there. You'll need to know when to hold your ground and when to give up the prime real estate. Dice rolls determine how much health you gain, damage you inflict, and energy (currency) you earn each turn.
Reading is required, but less important if you are just playing the base game, as all the cards are played exposed. There is strategy involved, but just enough that the game serves as a good primer for young people that want to become masters of the dining room table.
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Another competitive game that has caught my son’s eye (and our attention) is Golem Arcana by Harebrained Schemes. I’ve always been enamored of miniature games.
I played Heroclix from Wizkids and I have some of Fantasy Flight’s X-Wing miniatures. We keep coming back to Golem Arcana because of its integration with a mobile app via bluetooth and microdot technology.
The figures look great and the objectives are varied enough to keep things fresh. Most importantly, we don’t have to remember to increase ability costs, accurately calculate movement, or even roll dice (though that is an option).
I suspect my son will grow into Golem Arcana’s more sophisticated strategic elements, but for now, it’s great to have a tabletop miniatures game that doesn’t require painting and assembly. The map tiles also eliminate questions of line of sight and obstructions.
The figures offer varied thematic elements, and Harebrained Schemes is adding to the line-up with additional lore, app revisions that allow custom scenarios, and tournament play. For my son, who adores Skylanders and Disney Infinity, this was a natural next step.
Read on for a game that teams the family up to fight monsters.
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