We are now MommyMall.com games! Please let us know if you have trouble finding anything while we are in the process of moving the files over.
Continuing on with our Christmas recommendations, I'm not talking about your basic game of Spades, Poker, or Rummy. Our favorite card games may be themed, adventure related, or simply just a lot of fun for the whole family. Check out the Gamers Cafe selections below and see what you think!
 One of the most challenging and interesting two player games we've played recently has to be Lost Cities. There are five, colored expeditions for each player and only one set of ten numbered cards for each expedition. The goal is to attain 20 points in your expedition, but if your opponent outscores you, you could be in for some trouble as you'll miss your goal. It's a game of timing and strategy.
Another great family pleaser is the Clue Card Game. This version is actually more fun that the board game, especially with three or more players. Instead of marching around the board, players make accusations based on where they are in the country, and from peeking at other players' cards as events come up during play.
We also enjoy a series of thinkers that employ some brain power. Wizard is a great variation of the classic game of Spades, with a "Wizard" card that overpowers aces. It creates some interesting strategic decisions. Also try Phase 10, a terrific game for many people. There are ten phases, each with a different requirement to fulfill (a set of 3, a run of 7, etc). It's easy to get left behind if you can't satisfy your phase! Think of Set as an advanced form of Memory, where you match cards. In Set, there are many ways to match that will keep your gears spinning and your mind sharp! Don't miss Quiddler, another game by the makers of Set and Wizard. Players build words and try to outscore their oppononets. It's a bit like Scrabble, in a faster paced format.
A personal favorite of mine is a game called Citadels. In this game, players build cities for points. Each round, cards are dealt to players that contain personalities with special powers. Some characters disable others, some double your money income, and others allow you to take another player's city buildings. It involves some degree of planning to outwit your opponent(s).
Last year, I purchased Poison since we often find ourselves with three people. Players attempt to fill three cauldrons with numbered cards until a threshold is reached. The player that overflows the cauldron has to take the cards. Avoid the poison vials and score the least points to claim victory!
All of these are some of our favorites! So instead of playing Rummy and War with standard cards, check these out! They are all excellent games.
Over the past couple of years, I've made a point of purchasing a new tabletop game for the family to enjoy at Christmas time. They range from short, 2-player games, to longer, multiplayer (4 or more) games. We play a wide range of types - from adventures and strategy, to thinkers and puzzle games. Below is a short list of some of our favorites. I am happy to say that ToysRUs.com has an excellent selection - much more than they have in the retail stores! Others are available at Amazon (use our links to get you right there!)
 This one pretty much started the board game craze for us: The Settlers of Catan Board Game. It's a great mix of strategy, resource management, and empire building. It's not too complex and the design provides an extremely high replay value. Check out my Catan links for more information on all Catan games. If you are already a Catan fan, you might enjoy a more challenging version - Cities & Knights of Catan. We've also thoroughly enjoyed the space version, which focuses a little more on exploration. It's called Starfarers of Catan! All of them are board game classics! Over a year ago, I wrote a full review of the basic games!
The next two series are for those long, winter nights where it's just too cold to go out! Even if you don't live in colder areas, they are perfect for a night of family gaming.
Our first love in this arena is easily the Lord of The Rings Board Game. It's a very interesting game of cooperation. Up to five people take the role of the hobbits and try to make it to Mount Doom to destroy the ring! Two expansions came out for this one and both are excellent. My son's favorite is the Sauron expansion, where one player takes the role of Sauron and attempts to defeat the Fellowship! The other is called Friends and Foes. This one works in conjunction with the other two and adds more help for both sides (good and evil).
The second game could be considered as "D&D Lite". It's called Descent: Journeys in the Dark. It's a giant dungeon crawler where people play the heroes and someone plays the Dungeon Master, who controls all of the creators in the dungeon! The basic game comes with a ton of plastic monsters and a lot of board pieces, and a good set of scenarios and quests to get you started. Advanced players can create their own adventures! Heroes level up as they complete quests. Both dice and cards are used to supplement the quality game design.
This last one is an older game, but it's a classic. It's called
Acquire and it's available at KBtoys.com. It's an excellent mix of strategy, empire building, and smart trading. This one's been a crowd pleaser for many years. It's definitely on our top ten of all time! Acquire is one of those "easy to learn, difficult to master" types.
There are certainly many more out there, and many more than we own. Check out these and we'll be back with more suggestions tomorrow!
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It's here. It's live! World of Warcraft 2.0.1 "Before the Storm" - the last major content update before The Burning Crusade expansion - is up! There's a good amount of excellent new features in the latest patch. Among the favorites are the new Looking For Group interface, PVP (player verus player) arenas, and a completely new honor points system. The new LFG panel allows you to search and advertise your goals to other people. Looking to finish a specific quest or start an instance? The LFG tool makes it a lot easier; no more spamming the LFG channel! There's no longer a need to "grind" out PVP honor. With the new points system, PVP enthusiasts can now buy items and goodies directly with the points earned. The new arenas allow for teamed play, in groups of 2, 3 or 5 people. Consider them a type of PVP deathmatch!
What? You're not playing World of Warcraft? We are - all of us! It's great family fun for teens and up! It's a great time to get into the game, just before the new expansion is released in January!
