Board Games | Six games that fit in a suitcase

With the beautiful days come the long-awaited holidays. Here are some games that we can easily slip into our suitcases, perfect for clearing our minds after a long day on the road!

Cartaventura

It’s hard to find a better combination than a clever game that tells us a good story. This is what this cooperative narrative game that fits in one hand (but requires a good table to unfold) offers. Here, the player(s) (the game is played very well solo) are required to complete a mission by following the instructions on the cards. Simple ? Yes, but you have to choose carefully the actions to perform to succeed (a bit like in the good old books of which you are the hero!). Four games are offered, each planted in a different universe, notably in that of the Vikings or on the Silk Road. For each title, five different finals are possible. So we can’t play Cartaventura indefinitely, but we enjoy the time that the adventure lasts…

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Number of players: from 1 to 6 players

Age: 10+

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $21

Zero to 100

A clever variation on the knowledge game theme, Zero to 100 invites players to aim as close as possible to the answer, which lies, you guessed it, between zero and 100. In short, all you need is the best possible estimate to get rid of your cards, the ultimate goal being to have only one in front of you. The game is played in three teams – or one against one if playing with two players; initially, each team has six asked question cards in front of them and must place the one whose answer is closest to the initial target of 50. The furthest answer becomes the next target, and the unfortunate team that revealed it must draw an additional card. Note that the cards are numbered from 1 to 158, so that you can use them in order, so you can play with new cards each time.

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Number of players: from 2 to 12 players

Age: 12+

Duration: 15 minutes

Price: $20

Avignon

A game so small that it fits not in a suitcase, but in a card holder? It’s hard to find a format more suitable for travel than Matagot’s Microgames. Three games from the collection are currently offered in Quebec, including Avignon, a card-moving game for two players (kind of a rope souk, but on the table!) that we were able to test. And where we quickly discovered that each strategic error is costly… Also available: Stew and Circle the Wagons (yes, the games are in French despite the untranslated titles…). Each of them offers a different game mechanic. The first is a mood game; the second, a game of placement which, it is said, poses serious dilemmas to the players. These games obviously offer more fun than their small format might suggest!

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Number of players: two players

Age: 12+

Duration: 15 minutes

Price: $13

Kluster

Very simple game that is distinguished by the fact that it is not a card game! It suffices here to place its magnets inside an area delimited by a cord. The first player to place all their magnets wins. If it is forbidden to touch the magnets in place, the shape of the playing area can be changed by modifying the perimeter of the cord. The bravest can also try to make the pieces move using the magnetism of the stones, but it is frankly stressful to try such a maneuver. Because if pieces stick together, our tour stops and we recover all the stones thus magnetized. Can be played with younger children under adult supervision.

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Number of players: from 1 to 4 players

Age: 14+

Duration: 10 minutes

Price: $40

Nature challenges – Missing animals

If your kids aren’t familiar with Bioviva’s line of Nature Challenge games, summer might be a good time to introduce them to these wildly popular titles. The principle is simple and is similar to the good old game of battle. But instead of comparing an 8 of clubs and a 3 of hearts, players compare the characteristics of two animals, such as weight or height. In this new box, Bioviva has brought together 36 animals that have disappeared from the surface of the globe. This is an opportunity to learn more about the dodo, the Mexican grizzly or the quagga while having fun. Namely: the Défis nature collection includes more than fifty titles whose theme is always focused on biodiversity.

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Number of players: from 2 to 6 players

Age: 7 years and up

Duration: 20 minutes

Price: $14

Unstable Unicorns

Another easy-to-carry and easy-to-play card game. The idea here is to gather an army of more or less stable unicorns, some “standard” and others with powers that can help you in your conquest. Other cards are sometimes used to protect or improve our stable, sometimes to attack those of other players. Magic cards allow you to benefit from immediate effects, while Illico cards can be played at any time, even when it is not your turn. It’s as much fun to play as it is to read the wacky descriptions of unicorns, whether it’s a unicorn, a mother hen unicorn or a sleek narwhal cousin. The game can get a tad redundant over time, but there are enough suggestions here to alternate and keep the interest alive! Good holidays !

Pierre-Marc Durivage, The Press

Number of 2 to 8 players

Age: 8 years and up

Duration: 30 to 60 minutes

Price: $30