Growth of the Game Group

I've made passing mention of the fellow on BGG who got in contact with me to start up a game group here in town.  I wanted to take some time to talk about the group and some of the things I've learned through the early growing process.

We started the group in mid-September, so I think 3 months is a good time to expound upon what I've learned.  Things started really small, usually only 3 or 4 people, but we had a good time.  The storeowner got behind us, and continues to promote it to his customers which is a great boost.  We've had a few people join us through that, and others through meetup.  As a group, we have a lot of different tastes in games, so finding something that works for everyone can be a challenge.  I've taken the approach of "I'll play anything at least once."  It helps ease tensions when you have a group of people who are open to anything.  The downside of that, no one wants to be the one to make a decision.  Since I'm the "leader" (I use leader loosely, I just try to organize things, and make sure people are having fun.) I tend to suggest games and try to keep things moving.  It usually works well, but sometimes you just have to be flexible.

Game selection and variety are big keys to success.  I have a very nice Costco tote bag full of games that I bring to game night.  Currently it has the following games in it: Seasons, Ticket to Ride, High Society, For Sale, Incan Gold, Tsuro, Fleet, No Thanks, Coloretto, Martian Dice, Lost Cities, and 7 Wonders.  It's a good blend of short and long games, a good player range 2-8, and a good mix of themes and mechanics.  I'm always open to playing games other people bring, but these present some reliable options for people to enjoy.

Another important aspect is splitting up the group.  This past week we had 11 people, so the group had to split into 3.  There were 5 of us who wanted to play Airlines Europe, so we did, and then the other 6 split into 4 and 2 to play Last Night on Earth and the Star Trek Deckbuilding game.  Due to the timing of these games, we never got a chance to mix the groups, but there's always future meetings.  Other times we've had 7, so that means 4-3 unless you want a big game of 7 Wonders.  When that happens it's all about being flexible, and making sure people have a good time.

I've been talking with the store owner to try to get more people involved, so we'll see what happens.  Just by being there, we get people walking by and watching what's going on.  As you look to build a public gaming group, have patience.  It takes time to get the word out.  Work with your local game stores to drive up attendance.  Be flexible with the games you play, and be willing to play just about anything once.  If you try it and don't like it, that's ok.  Stay positive, and try to bring in your friends and family if at all possible.  Most of all, have fun and be positive.  A smile goes a long way towards making people feel welcome.

What's in a Design?

Over the past several days I've been searching for something to write about.  I'm making up prototypes for my game design to send to some friends for beta testing, so game design is on my mind.  It lead to me to think, "what goes in to designing a game?"  I'm by no means an expert, but I thought I'd share my thoughts.

The first thing is the idea.
Maybe it's a theme, a mechanic, a twist on an existing game, or something else.  All game designs start with some idea.  Now here's where you say something like "well duh, of course there's an idea."  So let me elaborate.  Ideas come in many forms, but there's always some form of inspiration.  Maybe it's a TV show, maybe a mundane task like house chores, or something completely random.  All those things serve as a basis for ideas.  Maybe you're playing a game like Dominion, and you love the deckbuilding aspect, but you want to do something totally different with it. Great, go for it.  Or maybe it's something even more simple than all of that.  Maybe you want a game you can play with your friends, so you figure out a fun theme, some neat mechanics, and you go for it.  With any of those things, an idea happened.  Something sparked and an idea was born.

Now, ideas are plentiful and cheap.  So the next step is developing gameplay.
In order for a game to be fun, it has to be playable.  Now, I'm not saying that a game is going to be great out of the gate, but it does need a basic structure.  I like to start with how the game is won.  This gives me a framework to follow.  All player choices should be geared towards accomplishing the winning conditions.  If the condition is earning the most points, then player actions should be things that get them points directly, or lead to points being scored in the future.  Designers should be careful to avoid the optimal route.  If there are things that players must do in order to win, the game is less enjoyable.  Sure, there may be things players have to do in order to actually win the game, but there should be multiple ways to win the game.  Let me use Catan as an example.  In order to win a game of Catan, players have to build things.  Additional settlements and cities are good things to have, but players can also go after development cards, largest army, longest road, etc.  There are multiple ways to score points in Catan, and players can use any or all of those ways to win games.  There is no single "right" way to win a game.

Limiting player options.
This is the unintuitive step at first for any designer.  Thoughts along the lines of "wouldn't it be great if players could do whatever they want" sound good in theory, but they make for terrible games.  Good games thrive on players having important choices to make.  Usually this is accomplished by having several good things that a player can do, but only allowing them to do a few of them.  Not being able to do certain things prevents some of the runaway leader problems.  Even if players are faced with a variety of bad options, they have to try to figure out which option hurts them the least, or which might help them in the future.

Incorporate Theme
Some people will disagree with me here, but I feel that a hallmark to good games is how well the theme fits in.  How much theme immersion exists depends on the theme as well as the players.  If you have a mystery game, players should feel like their solving a puzzle, searching for clues, etc.  If you have a sports game, the game should play at a fast pace and have a tense feel to it.

Play and Talk
Many times, things sound great in your head, but they don't quite work in an actual game.  This can happen for a number of reasons, so many that it just is prudent to go in to all of them.  This is why you have to play the game.  The more you play, the more you see what works and what doesn't work.  The second part of playtesting is talking about it.  I find that it's good to spend 5-20 minutes talking about the game afterwards.  Find out what people liked, what they didn't like, what strategies they were trying, did they feel like they could win throughout the game, do they think they'd do better if they played it again, etc.  It might help to have some of these questions written down so you can talk about them.  Also open it up to the players, see what they have to say.  Most people have something to say about a game after they play it, so listen to what they have to say.

Make Revisions
After you've played, go back and tweak things.  Most of the time there are only small changes that need to be made.  Maybe it's something in the presentation, maybe an area of the board being unclear or too cluttered, maybe it's the distribution of cards in a deck.  Whatever it is, monkey around with it for a bit and then play again.  Don't be afraid of the major revisions.  My design has already been through a complete overhaul, and a major map modification.  There are always ways to improve a design, so try and see how it works.

What is in a design?  Ideas, solid gameplay, theme incorporation, a lot of playtesting, and a lot of trial and error.  The creative process isn't an easy one, and often takes months or even years.  Don't get discouraged if your first N ideas fail. It might just be the (N+1) idea that works really well.

1 Year Anniversary

1 Year in the world of boardgame blogging is a bit of an accomplishment.  Sure, I'm still the new guy on the block, but I've been at this a year, with more to come.  It hasn't always been easy, nor has it always been consistent, but it has been fun.  I've enjoyed being able to share my thoughts on specific games, as well as the world of boardgames.  I know it's a hobby, and I know I'm biased to say it's one of the best, but boardgames have meant a lot to me for the last 6 years.

Anniversaries are a time for celebrating.  They're a time to look at the good things in the past, and a time to look ahead to the growth of the relationship.  While I don't know what the future holds, I do know that games will be a part of my life for as long as I live.  As for the looking back, I give you my top 7 articles written in the last year.  These have been determined by you and your pageviews.

#7 Top 7 Games that I want to Play, but not Buy
This article took a bit of flak on BGG, and I never really understood why.  To me, these are good games.  They just have some little part that makes me not want to own them.  Could be the lack of opponents for the game, or the storage required, or the investment cost.

#6 Forbidden Island vs Pandemic
Two really good co-op games by the same designer thrown into an arena and only one can come out.  Perhaps I need to do more face-off reviews?

#5 Playing to Win?
This is a look at playing games to have fun, while trying to win, but not getting caught up in the winning.  It's important to do your best, and to have fun.

#4 Ticket to Ride Review
It's only fitting that Ticket would make an appearance here.  I've had so many fun moments with Ticket to Ride, and I'm glad that you all have enjoyed reading my thoughts on a great game.

#3 Dominion Dark Ages
Part review, part in depth look at every card in the expansion.  This article took me many hours to compose, but I'm glad I took the time to do it.  I've been meaning to write more on Dominion, and I think that will be a series coming sometime in 2013.

#2 Why We Play
A look at the various reasons people have for playing games.

#1 Collection Building: 2 Player Games
A bit funny that this would be my top article considering how rarely I play 2-player games.  Still, it's nice to know that this article, and the collection building series in general, have been well received.

So that's where we stand after one year. 123 posts, 15,817 views. Not the biggest of numbers, but more than I ever dreamed possible in the span of 1 year.

From the top and bottom of my heart, thank-you all for reading.  I couldn't do it without each of you.

November 2012 Recap

Welcome to December, the month of holidays, family gatherings, far too many desserts, parties, and snow.  Also, Happy Birthday to the blog. It was one year ago today that BoBG came to exist.  Though the first article wasn't published until December 2nd, the first moments happened on the 1st.

November was a great month for games.  I was able to go to a meetup about an hour away, as well as continue the local meetup Monday nights.  Throw in some good weekend gaming, and a lot of games around Thanksgiving, and life is good.  

What got playing in November?

• Flash Point: Fire Rescue x6
• X-Wing x6
• Tsuro x5
• Incan Gold x4
• Archaeology: The Card Game x2
• For Sale x2
• No Thanks x2
• Scary Tales x2
• Solar Circuit Racing x2
• Black Friday x1
• Cosmic Encounter x1
• Dominion: Dark Ages x1
• Fauna x1
• Fleet x1
• Roll Through the Ages x1
• Small World x1
• Smash Up x1
• Ticket to Ride: Europe x1

Total 40 plays

That brings the YTD total to 275, which is right on pace for 300.  Knowing how December goes, I'm hopeful to surpass 300 right around Christmas, and let New Years Eve bring it over the top.

I acquired 1 new game in November, Black Friday.  It's a few years old, but I got a chance to play it at game night, and I just knew it was a game for me.  Helps that I was able to win it in a BGG auction for a pretty good price.  I've held back because secret santa is right around the corner, and I want to be able to enjoy those games/expansions.

November was a slower month for posts, but I think there was some good quality.

I got out 3 reviews, Incan Gold, Looting London, and X-Wing.  That accounts for the end of my review series of the bookshelf games, at least for now.  I was going to review Birds on a Wire, but I decided not to.

There were 2 additions to the Collection Building Series, Card Games and Animal Games.  

Finally, there was the Christmas Game Guide which was even referenced on Board Game Geek's guide under "Other Resources."  Seeing that made me really excited, and it's great to know that hard work does get rewarded.

Looking ahead to December, I'm not really sure what's going to happen on the blog.  I'll likely do something fun for our 1 year anniversary.  At some point I hope to report that the Secret Santa packages have arrived, though the contents will remain a mystery until Christmas.

Game wise, I am looking forward to my first X-Wing tournament.  The local shop is doing a Kessel Run Event (Yes, in 12 Parsecs) on the 15th, so we get to preview the new ships, and hopefully I'll be walking away with 2 (I get one for being a Tournament Organizer).

If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG facebook page and vote there.  

Also, if you have any suggestions for 2013 goals, those would be great to hear.

Thank-you everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles. 

Collection Building: Animal Games

This is a departure from the other Collection Building articles.  Today the focus is on the theme of animals rather than a game mechanic or a situation in which a game can be used.  Animals tend to fascinate many children.  There is so much to learn about the fellow inhabitants of planet earth.  There is a wide variety of animal games, and many more games that I don't know about than I do know about.  As such, this is not a comprehensive list, but a guide to my experiences with animal games, and hopefully it will guide your journey into the animal kingdom.

Zooloretto
The 2007 German Game of the Year (SDJ) winner for good reason.  Zooloretto allows players to take control of their own zoo.  This means that they must acquire animals and kiosks for their zoo while balancing limited funds and restricted space.  Animals include Elephants, Monkeys, Cheetahs, and Zebras.  The game plays in around an hour and works for 3-5 players. I wouldn't play with kids much younger than 8 since there is some strategy to learn.

Aquaretto
The sequel to Zooloretto, except now players are in charge of a marine park.  Animals include Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, Polar Bears, and Sea Turtles.  This was a great game for my sister since she loves dolphins.  The scoring rules are a little more complicated than Zooloretto, since the performing animals act differently than normal ones, but it isn't too much more to learn.  Acquaretto plays in around an hour and works for 3-5 players.

Fauna
A fun and educational game all about animal trivia.  Wait, it's not that boring.  Sure, the game does require thought, but it's not that hard.  Here's how the game works.  The top half of a card is displayed with a picture of an animal, the genus and species name, as well as how many areas the animal is found in.  Players then take turns placing marker cubes on the board in areas they think the animal is in, as well as ranges for weight, height/length, and tail length.  After all players place their cubes or pass, then the card is pulled and the right answers are awarded points.  If you're wrong, but you happen to be adjacent to a right answer, you get some points.  The game goes until a certain point level is reached, or for a certain number of rounds, depends on how you want to play it.  I was able to play this on Thanksgiving night with one of my uncles, a cousin, my dad and my sister.  My uncle, who does not play games, really enjoyed it.  It helps that he's a HS science teacher, but he asked to play it again for Christmas, which is a really good sign.  Fauna plays in around 30-45 minutes with 2-6 players, though I find it best with 4-5.

Botswana
This is a card game with an animal theme.  There are some really cool animal figures, but the theme doesn't shine through.  Still, kids will have fun with a simple card game, especially since there are animals around.  There is some strategy, but also a good amount of luck.  Botswana plays in around 30 minutes with 2-5 players, best with 3-4.

Price Wars

Botswana is really the best bang for your buck.  I can't speak to the replayability, but it seems high to me.  If you want a more immersive experience, go with Zooloretto or Aquaretto.  If you have kids that just love everything animal, go with Fauna.

My overall pick, Botswana.  It likely appeals to the most people, and has a lower price point.

Top 7 Games to take on Holiday

As American Thanksgiving approaches, and the December holidays grow ever closer, I wanted to talk about good games to take with you to family gatherings.  Most family gatherings won't consist of "gamers" but they may consist of people who are willing to play games.  As such, it's good to have some short games to play, games that are really easy to learn, and maybe even some games where it doesn't matter if people come in and out since it's a busy time.

#7 No Thanks
Plays with 3-5 players. No Thanks takes around 15 minutes to play.  It's all about knowing when to pass, and when to take cards.  It's quick to explain, really simple choices, and doesn't require full attention from all players at all times.

#6 For Sale
Plays with 3-6 players. A quick auction game.  Players bid on houses, then use the houses to earn money.  It's a fast auction game, good for a few laughs with the various artwork on the houses, and good for gamers and newbies alike.

#5 Tsuro
Plays with 2-8 players.  A game of last man standing.  Players play tiles to move their marker on the board.  If you run off the board or into another player, you're out.  Really simple to learn and do well in from your first play.

#4 Dixit
Depending on the version you have, plays 3-6 or 3-12 players.  Dixit is a storytelling game with quick play and amazing artwork.  When you're the storyteller, you give a clue about your card, then put it in the center.  All other players then put a card in.  All cards are revealed and players try to pick which card belongs to the storyteller.  It's a great game for kids of all ages, especially ones with vivid imaginations, but adults will get a kick out of it too.

#3 Wits and Wagers Party
Plays with 4+ players. If you have a large group, break into teams.  Wits and Wagers is a trivia game where you don't need to know the answers, just have a ballpark idea.  The questions are things that most people won't know, but might have a reasonable guess about.  7 rounds keeps the game short but interesting, and the questions may spark some conversation.

#2 Ticket to Ride
Plays with 3-5 players.  Ticket is the most complicated game on the list, but that's not a bad thing.  It's probably not great for little kids, but for the teenager and up, the game makes sense.  There's only 3 things you can do on your turn: draw cards, play cards, get more tickets.  You really only have to decide between the first two most turns.  The game takes around an hour, but it's a great game to introduce the family into the world of boardgames.

#1 Incan Gold
Plays 3-8 players.  Incan Gold is a push your luck game.  With each card, you must decide if you want to take what you have and run, or risk it and try to find more treasure.  The game plays for 5 rounds, so even if you don't do well in a round or two, you still have a chance.  Incan Gold takes a play to see it work, but most people say "let's play again" after they learn.  It's a great game for a larger group, and a lot of collective emotion as cards come out.

2012 Christmas Game Guide

As a reviewer, I'm frequently talking about different games.  I give my opinions on games, and try to give you ideas of what to buy for yourself or others.  So why a Christmas shopping list?  Well, a few thoughts.  First, it's nice to have a set of recommendations in one place.  Second, it's a lot easier to point people to a list rather than a blog and say read reviews.

These are my thoughts, with the help of some friends, especially Nick, Rose, and BGG user stevepwalker.

Formatting note, each category has 5 games in it, except for the Personal Favorites.  Those games are ordered alphabetically, not in an order of preference.  There are no repeats on the list, but there are games that would work in more than one category.

Personal Favorites
These are games that are great in a variety of situations.  They're things that most casual gamers should have in their collection.  They are games I've enjoyed, and they work for a lot of different people and situations.

• 7 Wonders - A card driven civilization building game.  Many different paths to take in the game: Merchant, Science, Warfare, Buildings.  Plays in around 45 minutes, less as you play more.
• Dominion - The grandfather of deckbuilding games.  Play cards to gain more cards, and ultimately victory points.  Plays in roughly 30 minutes, depends on the set of cards.
• For Sale - Quick auction game.  Bid on properties, use those properties to gain checks, try to make the most money. 
• Incan Gold - Push your luck game with a great sense of adventure.  Knowing when to run is key in the game.  Lots of fun for all ages and all types of players.
• Settlers of Catan - One of the classics of modern gaming.  Compete to gather resources, build roads, settlements, and cities.  Be the first to 10 points and you win.  Lots of luck, good amount of skill.
• Ticket to Ride - Another classic of modern gaming.  Build routes on the map to complete tickets.  Have a network of trains to complete lots of tickets.  Easy to learn, quick to play.

Family Games for Young Children
These are primarily meant as games that young children can play with their siblings and/or parents.  I don't have much experience here, but I thought some ideas on this category would be helpful.

• Animal Upon Animal - A simple game of stacking animals on each other.  It's hard to do well, but simple to play and understand.
• Botswana - A card game about gathering animals.
• Forbidden Island - A co-op game(everyone works together) about gathering treasure on a sinking island.
• Loopin' Louie - Perhaps more of a toy with a game connected. Players try to make the plane land in someone else's farm.  The plane steals chickens until only one player has chickens left.
• Sorry Sliders - Players slide pawns down a track, trying to score points in the center area.  Somewhat similar to Curling, but with much simpler scoring.

Family Games for Older Children
As kids get older, they're able to play more complicated games.  Here are some games that are fun for kids and adults.  These games offer a challenge, but are also light enough that people won't be upset.  The themes are also kid friendly.

• The Adventurers - Ever wanted to feel like Indiana Jones? This really is the game for you. Avoid the walls closing in, the giant boulder running you down, lava pits, a rapid river and a rickety bridge.
• Castle Panic - A Co-op tower defense game.  Work together as a team to defeat goblins, trolls, and other fantasy evils.
• Say Anything Family - Ever wonder which boy band is the best, or which Disney princess in your dad's favorite.  This is a great way to find out.  Lots of fun questions, and players can write anything they want as an answer.
• Word on the Street - A tug-of-war of words.  Work in teams to spell long words that fit the category.  
• Zooloretto - Ever wonder what it might be like to run your own zoo?  Zooloretto gives each player a chance to see how well they'd do as a zookeeper. 

Games for all Ages
These are games for families, for kids, for adults, basically, whoever plays games.  They're not the most complex, but they are fun, and fairly short.

• Can't Stop - A push-your-luck dice game.  You roll 4 dice, combine 2 dice to make numbers, and then move that marker up. You only get 3 markers each round, and if you don't roll your numbers you lose. You can freeze after any roll, so there is an interesting choice to be made.
• Flash Point: Fire Rescue - Save people, and pets, from a burning building.  It's a great theme, a good challenge, and has good replayability.  
• King of Tokyo - A game of King of the Hill with all the randomness of a Godzilla movie.  Players are trying to destroy each other and the city of Tokyo.  
• Shadows Over Camelot - A Co-op game in the times of King Arthur.  Work together to fight the forces of evil, defeat the black night, find Excalibur and the Holy Grail, hold off the Picts and Saxons.  And if that wasn't hard enough, there might be a traitor amongst you.
• Smash Up - A faction card game with minions and actions.  Minions are played to bases to earn points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.  There are fun combinations of decks, like Ninja Dinosaurs, Alien Wizards, and Pirate Zombies.  Each faction plays differently, and each combination of two makes for an interesting game.

Stocking Stuffers
These are relatively inexpensive games, I believe all are under $20, perhaps even $10. They're quick to play, and work in various situations.

• 6 Nimmt/Category 5 - A quick card game involving numbers.  Play is fast, everyone is gathering cards but trying to keep their totals low.
• Bananagrams - A different take on the classic Scrabble.  Awesome carrying pouch, and no letter points make the game play faster and easier.
• Mr. Jack Pocket - A simplified card version of Mr. Jack. Jack tries to stay hidden as long as he can, while the inspector hunts him down.  Good for 2 players.
• No Thanks! - A quick card game with numbers. Players use chips to pass on cards or take cards.  Cards are points at the end of the game, but like golf, the low score wins.  Chips are negative, and when you take a card with chips, you gain the chips as well.  Make a run of cards and only the lowest card in that run scores.
• The Resistance - An interesting deduction/find the traitor game.  Plays quickly and doesn't feature player elimination like Werewolf/Mafia does.

Games for Teenagers/Young Adults
I'm thinking of games I was able to play in High School and College, plus some new games that would have been great for those groups.  A lot of the family games would work here as well.  The biggest thing for this category is theme.  13-25 is a time of life where most people, guys especially, want some theme in their games.  Theme helps draw people in.  These are all games with fun themes and good gameplay to back it up.

• Battlestar Galactica - Amazing theme incorporation, often a tense game, superb with 5 players.
• Munchkin - A fun card game. Very random, fairly light. If players don't take it too serious, it's a fun game.
• Risk Legacy - This is THE GAME to buy for someone who loves Risk.  It's such a different game experience while holding on to the same mechanics.  It's still dice rolling and armies all over the place, but the game will end.  It's a matter of points and objectives not just take over the world.
• Small World - A fairly quick (~45-60 minutes) combat game. Players use combinations of fantasy races and powers to stay on the map and earn points.  Eventually all good things must come to an end, but new things come out.  Combat is simple, turns are quick, but choices are meaningful.
• Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game - If you have a son/father/brother/nephew/husband/fiancè/etc. who loves Star Wars, buy this for them.  They will love it.  This is Star Wars space battles in a box.  There's a lot of room to expand, but this is a great place for anyone to start.

Couples games
These are all 2-player games. They come recommended to me by several couples.  I will say that I am not an expert, or even a novice here.  Really, Games with Two is your best resource for couples games in general.

• Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - I haven't played this, but the wonderful people over at Games With Two did a fantastic review.  Here's the Link.
• Lost Cities - An adventure game using numbers to gain points on various trips.  You have to play cards in ascending order, and once you skip something you can never go back.  Several interesting choices in the game.
• Hive - A tile game where each piece type has a different power associated with it.  I've only played it on the iOS, but it's a challenging game, and a good battle of wits.
• Kahuna - Players use cards to place or remove bridges from various islands.  If you gain the majority around an island, you take control of that island and remove your opponent's bridges to that island.  That action might cause them to lose a majority on another island, and the ripple effect ensues.
• Mr. Jack - A deduction game that uses special character abilities.  Jack the Ripper assumes a hidden identity which the inspector attempts to uncover.  Jack tries to escape under the cover of darkness, or last 8 turns, in either case he wins.

Games for the Non-Gamer
These are some ideas for games to get someone who isn't already a gamer.  They may never become a hardcore gamer, but these are some fun games that are easy to learn, play in under 30 minutes, and work for a variety of people.

• Beyond Balderdash - A hilarious game about making things up while trying to sound like the official answer.  Balderdash is just definitions of words, Beyond Balderdash extends that to dates, places, and all kinds of other things.
• Blokus - A great game for visual spacial people.  The puzzle pieces are tricky to get in the board, and other players often mess you up, but it's a great challenge.
• Ingenious - This is a big matching game. The challenge comes as space gets tighter and your options decrease.  There's a lot of planning, but also choices to be made each turn.
• Qwirkle - Place tiles in rows and columns with either the same color or the same shape, just no doubles.  Gain extra points for making a Qwirkle (all 6 pieces in a row/column)
• Take it Easy - Similar to Bingo, but all skill instead of the random luck of numbers.  It's a puzzle game, and no direct interaction, but a true challenge of a game.

Games for the Zombie/Horror Enthusiast

I am not personally one of these people, but I know Zombies are a big thing lately, and there are several games that use the theme to varying degrees of success. The same goes for the horror genre, though I've played some of those games.  

• Arkham Horror - This is the biggest game for the category.  It's a mega co-op game.  There are bunches of cards and even more tokens.  There are also around a dozen expansions.  It's a fantastic game for Lovecraft fans, and a solid game for people looking for a deep co-op experience.
• Elder Sign - Set in the Arkham Horror universe, Elder Sign is a co-op dice game.  The challenge is to collect Elder Signs before an evil one awakens, wreaking all kinds of havoc.  Players use cards, strategy, and lots of luck to complete quests and earn items crucial to their success.  This is by no means easy, but it is a good challenge.
• Give Me the Brain - Ever wonder what would happen if a bunch of Zombies ran a fast food restaurant? Well, this game gives you the opportunity to find out.  It's a fairly quick card game where you try to get rid of your cards as quickly as you can.
• Last Night on Earth - A team game of humans versus zombies.  Humans are trying to escape/survive/kill zombies based on the scenario.  Gameplay is simple, lots of dice, and some fun to be had.
• Mansions of Madness - An investigation game where players much seek out clues, avoid monsters, and try to escape with their sanity intact.  

Party Games
These are games that work for a large group of people.  They're meant to be loud and energetic games with a lot of laughs.

• Bang - A wild west shoot the bad guy game.  The sheriff is known to all players, but all other players are hidden.  The outlaws try to kill the sheriff while the good guys try to kill all the outlaws.
• Dixit Odyssey - Any Dixit works, Odyssey plays with the most people.  Dixit has amazing artwork, and draws on players imagination and story-telling abilities.  Even if you're not a good storyteller, or a creative person in general, this game is still a lot of fun.
• Mafia/Werewolf - A hidden identity and player role game.  The werewolves/Mafia know who each other are, but the "regular" people have no clue who is who.  The "bad" guys get a kill every night, and then the group as a whole can take someone out during the day for suspicions of being the "bad" guy.  It's an interesting exercise in group think
• Telestrations / Eat Poop You Cat - Words into a picture or a picture into words.  The game is a hilarious example of how bad communication is amongst people, especially when you can't draw.  There are no real winners or losers here, just a great way to spend time and recount things at the end.
• Wits and Wagers Party - A trivia game where you don't really have to know anything.  Sure, having an idea about things is good, but these questions are set-up so that you don't have to know it exactly in order to do well.  The game plays fast, but there's room for discussion and chat.  It also helps to know those around you, so when that random movie question comes up, you know to bet on the movie "expert." Or when the science question comes up, you bet on the guy who's taught HS science for 20 years. The better version of Trivial Pursuit.

Games Released in 2012 that are Worth a Look, Even Though We Haven't Played Them Much or At All.

• Descent 2.0 - An update to the dungeon crawl game Descent.  The game is designed for fast play, has an optional campaign mode, streamlined combat.  
• Love Letter - A game of risk, deduction, and luck. You're trying to deliver a letter to the Princess, and stop others from doing the same.  You have to balance powerful and weak cards to not be too much of a target, but not so weak that you can't deliver the letter.
• Mice and Mystics - A dungeon adventure for intrepid mice. Yes mice, not men, well, mice who were once men who are trying to become men again.  Here, rats, roaches and the dreaded cat are the dangers that lurk in the castle.  This game has a unique twist on the dungeon adventure and a great family friendly theme.
• Seasons - Like the name might suggest, this is a game played over several seasons, which each season affecting players in different ways.  There is a lot of card drafting, a good mix of luck and skill, and adapting to new challenges.
• Suburbia - In a way, this is Sim City the boardgame.  Then the game launches in new ways that truly make it a boardgame.  

Games for Gamers

There's a lot of variety in games that gamers will like. What this category attempts to do is give some games, both new and old, that should appeal to a wide variety of gamers

• Agricola - A classic Euro style game with a lot of replayability.  Players act as a farmer, balancing growing crops, raising animals, procuring resources for the home, and feeding their family.  There are a lot of choices to be made here, and not everything can always be done.
• Black Friday - A Stock Market manipulation game.  There are a lot of ways to adjust the market, a lot of back and forth, fighting to increase the value of a good so you can sell it for more, or lower it, so your opponent's stash is less valuable.  The game can get a bit mathy, but it's money, so not too bad.
• Cosmic Encounter - The grandfather of variable player powers.  Cosmic is a negotiation game with a streamlined combat system.  There's a ton of chaos, but it's mostly controlled chaos.
• Power Grid - Another economic game with a twist.  Players purchase power plants to power cities and buy resources to power the power plants. Power plants involve an auction, purchasing resources is done from a market so that the player who is "losing" pays the least for resources.
• Twilight Struggle - A political game that recreates the cold war.  Twilight Struggle is tense, has a lot going on, and will actually teach you a thing or two about the cold war era.  

Where to actually buy the games.
There are several places to buy these games.  Target, Toys R Us and Barnes & Nobles carry some of these games, but not all.  Amazon has just about every game listed here but can often be a little expensive.
I personally recommend these online sites

• boardsandbits.com
• coolstuffinc.com
• funagain.com
• gateplay.com
• miniaturemarket.com

I hope these give you some great ideas for games to buy for those around you.
61 games should give you some ideas.  For some other thoughts and opinions, check out Games with Two's list which you can find on their blog http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-christmas-gift-guide-with-two.html

My Best of the Best Games to Buy This Holiday Season

1. Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures
2. Incan Gold
3. Ticket to Ride
4. Dixit
5. Flash Point Fire Rescue

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. May your days be spent with the ones you love.