With school holidays underway in states and territories across the country, retailers are expecting to see a boom in board games, as the cooler months kick in and inspire people to stay cosy – and entertained – indoors.
Here are some of EducationDaily’s suggestions (from Big Potato Games and Exploding Kittens), aimed at attracting older kids to get together with friends and family to help create conversations away from digital devices. These games require some general and pop culture knowledge and are designed to be played in groups of three-10 people. Perfect for a school holiday sleepover or gathering the extended family around the dinner table.
- Herd Mentality – RRP: $29.95. Voted as “the best party game ever created” by TechRadar in 2022, “Herd Mentality is guaranteed to have you in stitches… a fabulous game to play with families”. It bills itself as the game where you need to think like the crowd to win.
- Block Party – RRP: $39.95. This game combines artistry with building skills and challenges players to create things off their ‘build card’ with ‘the guesser’ having to correctly identify what they have built using their coloured blocks.
- Dumb Questions to Ask Your Friends – RRP: $39.95. This year’s ultimate party starter, players have to guess which question their friend has answered from their answer. With 400 dumb questions to ask, this is a fun way to find out more about your nearest and dearest.
- You Can’t Say Umm – RRP: $39.95. This noisy party game has a simple mission – avoid saying “umm” at all costs. Two teams race to navigate their way to victory by describing bizarre things from random cards. The pressure mounts because every “umm” triggers the bell. And as teams approach the finish line, the stakes rise to more frantic levels as more sounds become off-limits.
- Get the Ick – RRP: $24.99. This is a perfect party game that encourages the forming of new friendships by revealing a mutual hatred for ick (or at least a bit of bonding over the shared shame of being guilty of one!). If you feel triggered by people who eat with their mouths open and want to share your ‘ick’, this is the game for you.
- Throw Throw Burrito – RRP: $39.99. Think of it as a cross between a card game and a rousing game of dodgeball. The aim is to collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging, and throwing squishy airborne burritos. Just be sure to pack the breakables away first.
- Exploding Kittens – RRP: $34.00. A card game for people who like kittens and explosions, for a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten and loses the game.
- Zombie Kittens – RRP: $39.95. Zombie Kittens is a new version of Exploding Kittens, doubling as an expansion for any deck. Featuring fresh artwork and cards, Zombie Kittens injects new life into your gameplay and asks: Are you ready to rise from the undead and conquer the apocalypse?
- Let’s Hit Each Other with Fake Swords – RRP: $49.95. It’s the world’s first sword-fighting card game. Determine the winner by collecting cards and engaging in clever sword-fighting duels.
But whether it’s card-based games, or just a session with your own old childhood Snakes & Ladders set, for families looking for ways to get children of all ages away from social media and getting more social in the real world, rediscovering board games
