Buying Advice for Board Games and Card Games
By Erik Arneson, About.com Guide
- Award-Winning Games
- Best Games of the Year
- Childen's Game Reviews
- Party Game Reviews
- Strategy Game Reviews
- Top Picks Lists
- 5-Star Board Games and Card Games
- 4-Star Board Games and Card Games
- Where to Buy Games
- Game Collections
Award-Winning Games
The games which have won these awards are all excellent and deserving of your consideration.
Best Games of the Year
One of the great things about board games and card games is that a game which is great today will still be great a decade from now. These "best of the year" lists are filled with wonderful games.
- Top 10 Board Games of 2010
- Top 10 Card Games of 2010
- Top 10 Easy-to-Find Games of 2010
- Top 10 Board Games of 2009
- Top 10 Card Games of 2009
- Top 10 Easy-to-Find Games of 2009
- Top 10 Board Games of 2008
- Top 10 Card Games of 2008
- Top 10 Easy-to-Find Games of 2008
- Top 10 Board Games of 2007
- Top 10 Card Games of 2007
Childen's Game Reviews
These games are designed specifically to be played by children, but when reviewing them I also consider whether parents can enjoy them.
- At Full Throttle
- Balloon Lagoon
- Boggle Jr.
- Bumparena
- Cariboo
- Casino Hot Dog
- Castle Keep
- Chateau Roquefort
- Chicken Cha Cha Cha
- Clue Jr.
- Daddy Cool
- Dish It Up!
- Duck Duck Bruce
- Enchanted Forest
- Gulo Gulo
- Klondike
- North Pole
- Suitcase Detectives, The
- Top Trumps
- Zingo
Party Game Reviews
Party games are great for social get-togethers when the real goal is just to have fun.
Strategy Game Reviews
If you prefer your games to have some strategic depth, these should do the trick. Some are much heavier than others in terms of the strategy, but they all reward good play.
Top Picks Lists
Here's my collection of top picks for a wide variety of categories -- the best party games, best award-winning games, best family games, and many more.
- Top 10 Must-Have Games
- Best Archeology Games
- Best Auction Games
- Best Bluffing Games
- Best Dexterity Games
- Best Dice Games
- Best Drawing and Sculpting Games
- Best Economic Games
- Best Family Games
- Best Free Games
- Best Games for 7 or More Players
- Best Political Games
- Best Race Games
- Best Solitaire Card Games
- Best Spy Games
- Best Word Games
5-Star Board Games and Card Games
These are truly excellent board games and card games which have earned my highest rating -- 5 stars out of 5.
4-Star Board Games and Card Games
These excellent board games and card games have earned an excellent rating -- 4 or 4.5 stars out of 5.
- Barons
- Break the Safe
- Harry's Grand Slam Baseball Game
- Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
- Marvel HeroScape
- Mystery of the Abbey
- Odin's Ravens
- Pandemic
- Pizzaro & Co.
- Risk 2210 AD
- Scene It?
- Smarty Party
- Star Wars Epic Duels
- Talkin' Tango
- Thingamajig
- To Court the King
- Voltage
- Wits & Wagers
Where to Buy Games
Thanks to the Internet, it is relatively easy to find games these days, whether you're looking for brand new releases or decades-old classics. Here are some great places to shop for board games and card games.
- Best Places to Buy Used Games - My Picks
- Best Places to Buy Used Games - User Comments
- How to Find Game Rules
- How to Locate Hard-to-Find Games
Game Collections
Collecting board games can be a wonderful hobby. There are an almost infinite number of ways to set up your collection, so it can reflect your personality and tastes.