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Pavel Ilyin, a constant author of Gambrine and "World of Fantasy"

Managed to break out of the matrix and see how different and interesting there are board games. He arranged a war on peasants in the fields under the casson and put admirals and presidents in prison. I went through games in real time, using only ingenuity and touchpad. Mathematician and engineer, in games primarily appreciates good mechanics and original gameplay.

Gamers have reviews in Steam , The filmmakers – Metacritic and "tomatoes", and whom to ask about the tables is incomprehensible. On specialized sites and blogs, they rarely remember games for beginners, so you have to rely on the opinion of consultants in stores.

Sellers' advice, to their honor, is more useful, but limited by the assortment of a particular outlet point. Therefore, I decided to write a full -fledged guide to choose a game suitable for your company. The final list includes twenty -four tables – simple and complex. All of them are transferred to Russian and are available in retail sale, so finding them easy.

But first – three important advice.

Three commandments of the tables

Do not believe franchise magic. You love Resident Evil, comics Marvel or, for example, " Metro-2033 ". Want to see in the game familiar characters? Alas, most likely, you will get a mediocre game. There are good and ordinary tables on the "Game of Thrones". Series Battlestar Galactica , On the contrary, very lucky. The quality of the table depends on the experience of the authors and the reputation of the publisher is much greater than on the loud name.

Think about who you will play with. Waste – social hobby. You will need at least one comrade, ready to spend from an hour to a whole day on mapping cards and moving figures. Honestly ask yourself: are your friends ready to plant beds in Agricol, whether everyone will like the game about zombies? Whether a crowd of those who wish to play a game that requires six participants will pick up? If there is no suitable company, even the coolest hillbox will collect dust on the shelf.

Be patient and stock up on time. You will have to figure out the rules and be ready to explain the nuances. Ask the rest to read about the game in advance, believe me. Do not believe the numbers on the package: for the first batch in a decent game you will take at least an hour more than the promised. If there is no time, limit yourself to simple games. In the rules of the tables to a large company, it is really possible to understand the go.

I myself sold board games and, during my time in the store, realized that there are certain requests from beginners that arise again and again. For these requests, I defeated recommendations into eight thematic blocks and in each block I recommend three games: simple, interesting and not the most expensive, suitable for a specific topic or company. The article is not rubber, so many significant games (" Colonialists "," Manchec ", Intercepted" Monopoly ») Will not be included in this list. I tried to include not the most famous, but good games that introduce popular mechanics and do not bother after a dozen parties.

Free associations: “code names”, “dixit”, “mysterium”

The game in riddles and "crocodile" we have known since childhood. Modern versions of these games, with the exception of a pair of nuances, do not differ from the classics: using a few words (or without them at all), you must convey to the rest a certain message. Not only cards with words (as in Activity And Alias ), but also chic illustrations. Games in associations equally enjoy both boys and girls and support many participants. If you are probing the soil and looking for new players in your company – grab the box for a party.

" Code names "

" Code names ". A square 5 × 5 of cards with words is laid out on the table, and the players are divided into two teams. The captains of the teams must, using short associations, tell a part of the words posted to their associates – before the rivals guess their. Errors and inaccuracies convey the move to the other side.

" Dixitis "

" Dixitis ". Incredibly beautiful French game with surreal illustrations. Players take turns giving associations for pictures and should strive to guess as few participants as possible (but at least one). The score goes on points, but the chip is not in victory, but in the process itself. The game has a pirate clone – "Imadzhinarium".

" Mysterium "

" Mysterium ". Very similar to "dixit", but more thematic. According to the plot, the ghost is trying to contact the mediums, who witnessed the murder. Details can be reported using association cards. The ghost is obliged to be silent, mediums can confer and should ultimately determine the place of crime, culprit and instrument of murder.

Instead of “mafia”: “resistance”, “find for a spy”, “citadel”

“Mafia” is always stormy emotions, disputes and a dramatic ending, but this popular game has its shortcomings. Important decisions (where to shoot, whom to check) have to be made, relying only on the nature of the participants and their behavior. The killed by the mafia is forced to miss the next party. There are games deprived of these shortcomings, but still reminiscent of the famous salon game in spirit. They are perfect for a large company at the festival and do not require a host. It is possible to shoot at “civilians”, based on actions, and not just words.

" Resistance"

" Resistance". The rebels fight the totalitarian empire, but spies are operating in its ranks. The team gathers for each mission with general vote. Then its members secretly choose the outcome of the mission. Government agents can fail a mission, or they can gain trust for the right to the next moves. For success, revolutionaries must successfully complete three tasks out of five.

" Find for a spy "

" Find for a spy ". All participants in the game are distributed by card. On all, except for one, some place is drawn: a hospital, a vegetable base or a space station. A spy is drawn on the last card. Then the players take turns asking each other any questions (“Do you smoke at work?"," How do you like our director?"). The task of "civilians" is to calculate the spy. The task of https://sister-site.org/i-wild-casino/ the spy is to understand where it is.

" Citadels "

" Citadels ". This is not quite a “mafia”, but there are also secret roles here. The purpose of the game is to build the richest quarters in the city, collecting the necessary amounts of coins and finding good cards with buildings in the deck. Each move players disassemble roles from the common deck and can pretty much attack each other: steal coins, deprive the course or demolish a quarter-two.

A little madness: “Epic fights of battle magicians”, “Tavern“ Red Dragon ”,“ Behind the Board ”

In this list – games, from the side, seeming a little inadequate. The whole party you will do immoral acts and not so much strive for victory as to interfere with the rest to achieve at least something. Suitable for both the drunken and sober company of cheerful and not touchy guys. It is not worth playing with children: there is black humor, alcohol, and blood-sly blood in all directions. The rules are already more complicated than in games above, but they can still be understood on the fly. In the booklet " Manchekina "(He also belongs to this category) and it is completely written: violate the rules until no one sees.

" Epic fights of battle magicians "

" Epic fights of battle magicians ". Briefly about the setting: animated series pro Hearthstone And Magic: The Gathering on the Adult Swim channel. Sorcerers collect spells from three parts, sharahat on each other with fileballs from babies and remove scalps. For combinations of the elements and successful throws of the cube, the sorcerers receive additional vitality charges and can adhere to artifacts of varying degrees of uselessness.

" Tavern "Red Dragon"

" Tavern "Red Dragon". Imagine the final of classical fantasy. Heroes defeated a terrible evil and take the earned gold in bags. What to do next? Of course, drink it in the tavern! Choose a character (semi-carrier, a brave paradise and other, and other, each with its strengths and weaknesses) and follow the state of health, the level of intoxication and coins in the wallet. The goal is to remain the last hero standing on the legs.

" Overboard"

" Overboard". After a shipwreck, you find yourself in the boat and, together with the same mucaminated, try to swim to the big ground, simultaneously stealing things from the common chest, fighting for water and the right to sit under an umbrella. In the game you can steal, blackmail the team, beat women and children, feed sharks and even eat objectionable comrades.

For two: "Carcasson", "Star Empires", "Steel Arena"

Not the most frequent, but regular request. All games are higher for a large company: from four people and more. And if you are only two? Some games allow you to play a five. The game together is always a game to win, albeit small, but competition. The account goes to glasses or until the destruction of the opponent’s forces. I deliberately did not include collectible card games and wargams here, although in terms of meaning they are in this category. It is the closest: a lot of games have not fitted here, because they can be difficult for beginners (for example, Netrunner or Mage Wars ).

" Carcasson "

" Carcasson ". Immortal hit about locks and peasants is best played together. The course by the progress, on the principle of dominoes, make a medieval landscape from the squares of the area, simultaneously occupying roads and buildings with your chips. For the completed objects you get glasses. It is possible and necessary to sabotage the construction of the enemy and try to share the most “delicious” castles with him.

" Star Empires "

" Star Empires ". Dynamic well -building game: Starting from the cards of simple fighters, you will collect more and more ships in the deck, attacking with them an opponent. Cards belong to four fractions: one attacks better, the other heals, the third allows you to get cards, the fourth – to get rid of unnecessary. With two boxes of the game, you can play against the Boss, controlled by a simple algorithm.

" Steel arena "

" Steel arena ". In the distant future, robots gather on a hexagonal landfill every Friday and find out who has a stronger titan. The details are lying everywhere: this is weapons, armor, and possibilities for cunning movements in the arena. Each module is a health point, and a successful attack deprives the enemy of part of the possibilities. Modules can overheat and fail. Complete rules exclude the influence of the random factor from the game: it all depends on your mind and cunning.

Card games: Berserk, Evolution, Pixel Tactics

If you like Hearthstone and "Guint" – You are already a fan of board games. Do not be too lazy to get acquainted with the classics (first of all Magic: The Gathering ). But now we are talking about non -complex games: there are interesting and complex mechanics in ordinary card. A significant part of them has never been translated into Russian, but there are pleasant exceptions. Most likely, you will need the same fan – playing with random people in card tables is simply boring.

" Berserk"

" Berserk". The deadly resting card game is still beautiful. No need to buy booster – on sale there are still sets with several finished decks. The game process resembles a fight King’s Bounty: moving in a small arena, blows, activation of abilities. The new incarnation of the collection "berserker" is a completely different game, a sort of desktop Hearthsthstone. It is also interesting, but it will not enter our list.

" Evolution"

" Evolution". The strongest survives! In this game you create animal populations and add useful properties to them – everything to survive the cold winter. The number of animals is limited to the size of the feed base and predators, which are created by the players themselves. And food eaten by your beasts turns into victorious glasses. Important! This game has two versions, and I strictly recommend playing the modified "Evolution. Natural selection " – it surpasses the first version of both design and mechanics.

Pixel Tactics

Pixel Tactics. Desktop jrpg in miniature. You place pixel men on the 3 × 3 field and attack the enemy leader to the victorious end. The game is placed in your pocket, but it is amazing. Each card can be played in five different ways: as a leader, as a fighter of the first row, flank or rear, or as a disposable event-order. The second set of Pixel Tactics 2 is completely independent and adds new fighters to the game.

European school: “Stone Age”, Ticket to Ride, “7 Miracles”

European (or German) style is, as a rule, an economic game where you cannot fight and generally harm enemies directly. During the party you get resources, change them to goods and victorious glasses, build houses. A neighbor’s garden will not work, but the competition in such games is very strong. IN " Agricole »The player even receives a fine if he does not plant all the cells with vegetables or does not build corns for cattle there.

Eurogras are usually decorated much more modest than American dimens, but more demanding on intellect. If you like urban planning simulators and strategies like Stronghold, Pay attention to these games.

" Stone Age"

" Stone Age" , or "100,000 BC" in the previous edition. You get five shaggy men. You can send them behind wood, clay and stones, and then build houses, sharpen tools and hunt mammoths, invent the wheel. And, of course, go to the hut together, and the three of them to go out. The game is very beautiful, especially the chips of resources – small gold bars, bricks and stones.

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride. On a huge map (most often Europe or the USA, but there are already a lot of them) you take turns laying out chains from trailers – or get the cards if you are not enough for the route. Routes demand to deliver passengers from Moscow to Rome, from Los Angeles to New York, but there will not be enough ways to all-you will have to put stations and say goodbye to part of the victorious points.

" 7 miracles "

" 7 miracles ". The main mechanics of this game is a draft. Three times per game you get a stack of cards with buildings, choose the best and pass the rest of the neighbor. Another neighbor gives you his stack. And so on. Buildings require resources, but during construction they are not spent: if you have a quarry, the stone does not end. You can go into science or military affairs and get additional glasses.

And if more complicated? “Generals: World War II”, “Dungeon”, “Kubarom in the Galaxy”

If you are confident in yourself and your friends, you can start immediately with serious games, but it is better to choose something fast. About once a year or two, a new game appears with all the advantages of large-scale “monsters”, only it can be decomposed in an hour and a half. Axis and Allies , Descent , Race for the Galaxy – Fascinating games, but I would not advise starting to get acquainted with the hunks by reading their rules. Games in the list below perfectly implement such mechanics, almost without losing in the depths. You will have to understand anyway, but after the first batch you will understand almost all the nuances.

" Generals: World War II "

" Generals: World War II ". Fast and at the same time very thoughtful game about the forties of the last century. Six sides of the conflict, each with a unique deck of action. The only negative is that all the fractions should be present in the game, so if there are fewer players, someone will have to think for two.

" Dungeon "

" Dungeon ". A series of adventure games. Characters grow in level, find valuable things and perform quests. Walking on a randomly generated map, they get points of glory and risk. The latter work against the player – rivals can send all sorts of troubles during the special phase. Unlike Manchek, this is not a random process: to take risks or not, the hero decides himself.

" Kubarim in the galaxy "

" Kubarim in the galaxy ". Available version of a complex card. Multi-colored workers can colonize worlds, promote improvements and trade rare goods, but need sensitive management. Success needs a clear plan and intuition: only one group of workers can be used in one move, and in order to use the rest, you will have to guess the enemy’s move.

Hardcore – means hardcore! "Game of Thrones", "Ancient Horror", "Dead Season"

Those who always choose the highest complexity in video games, desktops can offer real tests. Usually I do not recommend anyone to start with hardcore, but I know too many happy stories in which the “desktop” hobby began with the most difficult games. To plant newcomers for a game with a thirty -page booklet, of course, not the best idea, but some tables are better for this than others. All games in this group were tested by me on complete newcomers, and the “victims” always remained delighted.

" Game of Thrones "

" Game of Thrones ". A war of five kings is raging in the lands of Westeros! Lead one of the great houses and bring him to victory, taking seven fortresses in turn. There are no cubes in the game – you can rely only on calculation and diplomacy. Random events include the change of ruler on the iron throne, the invasion of the wild ones and the replenishment of the armies – just rpming the soldier will not work.

" Ancient horror "

" Ancient horror ". The best Lovecraft World Warm Cup, the modern version of the famous " Horror of Arkham ". Strange events take place around the world, and only a few understand that these are signs that foresee the phenomenon of ancient evil. You (together with other detectives) must solve three secrets and seal the gates between the two realities.

" Dead season"

" Dead season". Here are the "Walking Dead" in the format of the board game. You live in a freezing colony in a former prison, and every day is the fight against hunger, cold and thousands of living dead. The game has many scripts and random events that make each part of unlike the rest. You control not one survivor, but immediately by the group. There is the opportunity to play with the traitor.

Let this list not limit you. If you are interested in board games, look for sites where your like -minded people are found. First of all, it is Teser, the largest Russian -speaking community, and Boardgamegeek.COM is the main world portal about board games. On both sites there is a game rating, articles and information about new products, colorful descriptions of parties are constantly appearing. Of the blogs, I separately recommend Vladimir's notes from Latvia (foreign novelties) and “two chips” (family games and puzzles). Both authors have a great taste and wide horizons.

I have been playing board games for more than ten years and is convinced that this hobby is suitable, if not everyone, then very many – you just need to find your genre. Wastens are a sea of ​​fun, and I only outlined the route for your cruise. Happy path!

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