Five board games to discover

Five tested (and approved!) board games to liven up your evenings with friends or family

Turing Machine

“Codes are like puzzles. A game, like any other game,” mathematician Alan Turing said in the film. Imitation Game. Inspired by the genius of this extraordinary man, Fabien Gridel and Yoann Levet imagined a deduction game where everyone must discover three-digit codes from a series of verifiers. The answer is revealed in dribs and drabs by holey cards, like the computers of yesteryear. The rules of the game include 20 problems to solve, but there are more than 7 million codes online to decipher! Quebec publisher Scorpion Masqué produces this addictive game that is so clever that our brains explode just thinking about the amount of work that the development of this title must have represented. The games can be played competitively or collaboratively and a solo mode is also available. Good to know: Turing Machine was shortlisted for the prestigious Ace d’or award (in the insider games category) at the Cannes International Games Festival.

For one to four players aged 14 and over. Duration: 20 minutes. Price: $50.

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Harry Potter: Rise of the Death Eaters

We embody here one of the three factions which fight in collaboration against He-whose-we-must-not-pronounce-the-name and his Death Eaters. Dumbledore’s Army, the Order of the Phoenix, and members of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry attempt to swell their ranks by recruiting wizards to the Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley, or Hogsmeade. Be careful though, Death Eaters can also hide there and when Voldemort turns towards this district, their spells are triggered, injuring all the wizards present in addition to gradually corrupting the place. Our youngest tester said he felt transported to the Harry Potter universe, noting, however, that the mechanic could be a tad redundant if Voldemort revealed himself late in the game – that’s when he appears that we can fight him directly, if we have previously defeated enough Death Eaters. Still, the game is fascinating for fans of Harry Potter – we obviously plead guilty.

For 2 to 4 wizards aged 11 and over. Duration: 60 minutes. Price: $60.

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

velonimo

The prolific (and still brilliant) French author Bruno Cathala produces this easy to assimilate and oh so enjoyable card game. Here, funny animals race on two wheels. Like the Tour de France, the game is divided into several stages (or rounds, if you prefer). To collect maximum points, players must discard all their cards by making combinations of numbers or colors. However, the more the game progresses, the more the quantity of points to collect increases. Result: no player is dropped along the way and the suspense remains intact until the end. A family game par excellence, which delighted our testers aged 11 and 8, as did the adults around the table. To know: several shops are out of stock, but a new arrival is expected within two weeks.

For 2 to 5 players aged 7 and over. Duration: between 30 and 40 minutes. Price: $20.

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Kamon

Kamon is a simple strategy game that takes its name from the heraldic insignia used by samurai clans to recognize each other on the battlefield. Three ways to win here: you join two opposite sides of the same colors, you completely surround your opponent’s piece, or you prevent him from playing. Because you always have to be able to place a token on a Kamon of the same color or the same symbol. The originality of the game comes from the fact that the composition of the board is always different, the kamons being randomly placed at the start of each game. We obviously have to think several moves in advance, we also paid the price for our negligence against our teenage tester, still undefeated. As the games are very short, however, it is extremely tempting to take revenge immediately, “or to organize small tournaments”, as our unbeatable tester suggested.

For 2 players aged 8 and over. Duration: 10 minutes. Price: $40.

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

bag of crisps

Newly arrived in stores, the Quebec adaptation of this successful French game is perfect for an aperitif or to start an evening of games. Here, players must make harrowing choices to try to collect the most points possible according to the kinds of chips which are drawn from the bag. What goals to focus on? Which should you give up? These choices will have a major impact: if a chips so X is added, it’s the jackpot. Otherwise, it’s a downfall. Above all, we should not err on the side of greed… Admittedly, chance plays a big role, but the game mechanics remain attractive enough to keep players on the end of their chairs. Better, the rules can be learned in three minutes, the games are short and the pleasure is immediate.

For 2 to 5 players aged 8 and over. Duration: 20 minutes. Price: $18.

Stephanie Morin, The Press