Top 10 Easy-to-Find Games of 2006

1. Clue DVD Game

View Full-Size Designed by Rob Daviau; published by Parker Brothers / Hasbro; 3 to 5 players; ages 10 and up; $30 (approximate) This is everything a DVD game should be. The 10 cases included on the DVD are terrific fun, while the one random case offers replay value. Everything is bigger than in original Clue: this game has 10 suspects (compared to six), 11 locations, 10 times (e.g. dawn and tea time), and 11 items. In each case, something has been stolen from Mr. Boddy's mansions by one of his own guests. Your job is to be the first to correctly identify the missing item, the thief, where it was stolen from, and when it was stolen. Publisher's SiteRead Review

2. HeroScape: Fortress of the Archkyrie

View Full-Size Designed by Craig Van Ness, Rob Daviau and Stephen Baker; published by Milton Bradley / Hasbro; 2 or more players; ages 8 and up; $30 (approximate) If it was just a one-piece castle that fit onto the HeroScape board, I would still recommend buying the Fortress of the Archkyrie expansion. But this is quite possibly the greatest game expansion ever produced -- and I don't make that claim lightly. If you enjoy HeroScape, the Fortress of the Valkyrie is a must-buy. This castle expansion is the most impressive addition of new terrain, by far, for the HeroScape game. It comes with 141 pieces. Publisher's SiteRead Review

3. Lost: The Game

This game, based on the hit television series "Lost," begins with players choosing a character. Strong characters like Sayid have drawbacks; weaker characters like Claire have benefits. The island is randomly constructed; the tiles are laid out face down, revealed as characters move to them. The goal is to become leader by gaining control of the other characters. Lost: The Game was developed by a fan of the show. If you're not a fan, you could still play the game. But I don't know why you would want to.

4. Desert Bazaar

In Desert Bazaar, players compete to build merchant tents on the board by using various resources (water, spice, silk and camels). Building a tent can be made significantly less expensive (or even free) through clever placement.

5. Blokus Trigon

The goal of Blokus Trigon, a follow-up to the beautiful abstract strategy game Blokus, is to place as many of your pieces onto the hexagonal board as possible. However, pieces of the same color must touch each other on at least one corner, and pieces of the same color can only touch each other at the corners. The game is extraordinarily simple to understand, but offers layers of complexity that make it a challenge every time it's played.

6. Banzai DVD Game

If you've never heard of the outrageous television show "Banzai" then you're probably in good company. It only aired briefly on network television in the U.S., and not much longer than that on cable. But it is a cult hit, encouraging viewers to bet on a variety of wacky stunts: How long, for example, will Kelsey Grammer allow his hand to be shaken by Mr. Shake Hands Man, a phony celebrity interviewer? The very fun DVD game takes the same approach. Players use plastic sushi to bet on the outcome of the stunts.

7. Battleship Command: Pirates of the Caribbean

This is more than just a themed edition of Battleship. Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship Command features a multi-level battle grid and several new variations on gameplay, including special ship powers. Fans of Battleship should pick up this excellent two-player game -- even if you don't like the movie on which it's based.

8. Luck of the Draw

Lock of the Draw is the drawing game for people who hate drawing games. If you've thrown your copy of Pictionary to the bottom of the closet, but you think you could like a drawing game if you didn't have to be so, well, artistic -- then give Luck of the Draw a shot. Players first pick a card and draw what's on that card for 45 seconds. Then they vote on whose drawing best fits a randomly chosen category (out of 100), such as "neatest," "squiggliest" or "most likely to hang on a refrigerator."

9. Pop 5

This game is all about pop culture. Each time it's your turn, you choose from five ways to get your team to guess what's on the card the other team has picked (each method is worth a different number of points, also determined by your opponents): acting, drawing, humming, using letter cubes, or sculpting clay. Free booster packs are available at the game's web site, and players can submit their own ideas as well.

10. Pirates Dice

Perhaps the ultimate bluffing game, Liar's Dice -- the game which inspired Pirates Dice -- challenges players to look into the eyes of their opponents and make outrageous claims with complete confidence. On a turn, a player predicts how many of a particular number has been rolled on all of the dice around the table -- but he only know what's on his own dice. The game played a pivotal role in the 2006 Pirates of the Caribbean movie; it has also entertained thousands of players around the world.