45 Josh's 5 Essential Board Games (guest post)

Hey, guys! It's Josh, Kelli's husband. She told me I could write a guest post on her blog this week. Nice to meet you. Expect to hear from me from time to time!

I am a huge fan of board games. We try out a new board game every chance we get - it's one of my favorite ways to fellowship with friends and family. I have always loved the way a good board game creates so many “Oh man, remember that game when...” conversations- months, or even years, later.

It has come to my attention in the last couple of years that there are a lot more board games available than simply what Wal-Mart or Target happen to carry. The following list is for those of you who may be interested in discovering board games that go a little deeper than titles like Clue, or The Game of Life, or Monopoly (All great games, mind you!)- but may not be quite sure where to start. Here are five essential board games that every household ought to own (in no particular order).

PANDEMIC

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OVERVIEW: 
This game falls into a category of board games that you may not be aware exists- cooperative. Everyone playing Pandemic wins or loses together- you are all trying to beat the board. Four deadly viruses are spreading across the globe, and it is up to you and your teammates to treat the ill and discover cures before the world succumbs to the pandemic. Each member of the team has a specific role to play in fighting the viruses, and everyone must work together in order to have a chance at victory.

WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL: 
This is some of the most fun you will have playing a board game, hands down. It works so well because the theme is so rich. The tension builds as more and more cities become infected, creating chain reactions of outbreaks that become increasingly difficult to treat- all this while also trying to discover cures in order to win the game.

We have played this one countless times and have only beaten the virus once- but we keep coming back for more. My brother Jordan isn't much of a board game player, but he jumps at the chance to play Pandemic because it trades competitive strategy and cutthroat moves for cooperation. Everyone playing is looking for the same outcome, and even when you lose, the journey makes it well worth the effort.

SETTLERS OF CATAN

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OVERVIEW:
In Settlers of Catan, players attempt to collect resources in order to stake their claim on the small island of Catan. You build settlements, cities, and roads along the way in an effort to collect ten victory points and claim victory. Along the way, you will need to trade precious resources with other players while trying to ensure you are not harming yourself by helping your competition. Which settler will be be the first to ten victory points on the island of Catan?

WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL: 
Catan is one of the most popular and influential board games of the last couple of decades. If you only play one game on this list, play Catan. This is the game that rekindled my love for board games. It is not the deepest or most strategic game to ever come along, but it is one of the best all-around board games to ever be produced. It has a little of everything- resource management, trading/cooperation, road building, etc. The individual resource hexes that make up the game board are arranged randomly every game- ensuring that each trip to Catan is never the same as the last. If you have not played Catan, play Catan.

THE RESISTANCE

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OVERVIEW: 
Are you a spy or a member of the Resistance? That is the question you will be asking of your fellow players over and over again as you play Resistance. The job for the Resistance is simple- go on missions and complete them successfully. But spies are lying in wait, gaining trust and hoping to be placed on missions in order to sabotage the Resistance. Will the Resistance successfully complete three missions to win, or will the spies thwart the Resistance's efforts three times in order to ensure their own victory?

WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL:
This is one of my absolute favorite games, and I try to get a round going every chance I get. I love games with intrigue and shifting loyalties- games wherein you are never sure exactly who you can trust. This game has all of that in spades. It is open enough that you can play with custom variants to the rules or perhaps even customized roles. This is a quick-playing game that's over almost as quick as it starts, and one round is never enough.

ULTIMATE WEREWOLF

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OVERVIEW: 
Will you survive the lynching? This game transforms an otherwise friendly group of friends into an angry mob, as everyone tries to discover who among them is not who they say they are. Everyone claims to be an innocent bystander, but there are werewolves present- and the sooner the villagers can discover who they are, the better.

WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL:
You do not need to purchase Ultimate Werewolf to play this game- in fact, a lot of people grew up calling it “Mafia,” and played it with a deck of regular playing cards. I know I did! But this set of character cards is so fun, it warrants a purchase. Suffice it to say, there are many other roles to play other than villagers and werewolves- too many to list here (It's expandable up to sixty-eight players.). If you enjoy “Mafia,” pick up Ultimate Werewolf. This is how the game was meant to be played.

TICKET TO RIDE

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OVERVIEW: 
This game is all about building railways to various populous cities across America. Can you build the longest? Can you connect all of your Destination Cards for extra points at the end of the game, or be forced to deduct that same number of points?

WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL: 
Ticket to Ride is an incredibly simple game to learn, and an absolute blast to play. Like Catan, it functions as a gateway game that may lead you to deeper and more strategic games later. Of all of the titles on this list, this one probably has the biggest “Let's play that again” factor. It is one of the most successful board games of the last few years for a reason.

That's my list! What about you guys? Which board games are essential to your game nights?