Board games | Games to discover

Some suggestions for board games to play alone, with family or with friends!

Cat in the Box

Do you know the principle of the trick game? This is the same one that is used in several card games such as 500. However, this game designed by the Japanese Muneyuki Yakouchi pushes the limits of this mechanic. Here, players only know the color of their card when they play it. However, there are special rules to respect, in particular that of not being able to play cards of the same color and the same value twice during a round. It seems easy, but it’s a damn headache that can be expensive. Because anyone who finds themselves unable to respect this rule will lose all the points they thought they had accumulated. A clever game, easy to assimilate, with quality hardware in its “deluxe” version. Who says better ?

For 2 to 5 players aged 10 or over. Duration: 30 minutes. Price: $36

Stéphanie Morin, The Press

Nautilus Island

Your crew has been stranded on a desert island, but you have spotted the wreck of a submarine on the opposite shore, the Nautilus. Since it’s an individual device, you have to be the first to find the right parts and equipment to put it back together. To achieve this, you must build collections of different types of objects, which can be associated with various types of bonuses depending on whether you decide to be the first to complete a collection or whether you choose to build one. a more important one. Also, the players have in turn the choice of installing their pawns in the tail of the submarine, which allows them to play first, but which limits their research or collection actions, unlike players who have placed their pawns at the front. In this sense, the level of strategy seems a little complex for 8 year old children; the game is definitely more suitable for children over 10 years old.

For 2 to 4 players aged 8 or over. Duration: 30 minutes. Price: $35

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Now!

Fans of speed games will delight in this still hot game co-signed by Quebec publishers Randolph and Scorpion Masqué. Numbered cards with small score bars make up all the material for this party game. Here you have to know how to take risks to try to recover the cards in the center of the table. Do you think you have the right number to stock up on points? Shout “Now” and you will force your opponents to rush their decision. But be careful, the cards that make up your hand can quickly disappear… It’s extremely simple, but in this little box there is everything you need for frantic games. A perfect title to break the ice before a big game night.

For 3 to 8 players aged 8 and over. Duration: 15 minutes. Price: $20

Stéphanie Morin, The Press

Accomplices

Two expert burglars attempt to carry out increasingly daring attacks. To achieve this, they managed to find special glasses allowing them to detect the lasers which arm the alarm systems of the mansion, the casino, the museum and the lunar base. The problem is that they only have one pair of glasses to see each type of laser, red or blue. The accomplices must therefore work as a team, communicating only by voice. The thieves have 30 seconds to observe the room and discuss strategy and only have 2 minutes to steal as much loot as possible before running out the exit. The mechanics are simple, you trace your path on the map of the room using an erasable pencil; We lose points when we touch the lasers or when we fail to reach the exit in time. As we have to successfully complete the first scenes before moving on to the others, we have to carefully adjust our communication strategy – the duo we formed with our young teenage tester was caught red-handed before leaving the casino. But we promised to get back together!

For 2 or 4 players aged 10 or over. Duration: 20 minutes. Price: $38

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press