Many of us are staying home more often due to the epidemic and looking for new interests and activities to pass the time. That’s why board games are a must-have at home. You can invite a large group or simply have a few close friends around to play. Not sure which board games to get? Check out this shopping guide!

Selection Criteria

1. Choose according to the age of the players

• For kids: Easy and fast games (10 minutes or less). As kids have a short attention span and are easily distracted, activities that don’t take too long to finish are ideal. These include handicrafts, drawing and building blocks. In fact, simple and straightforward board games allow kids to understand rules easily and make playing fun. Board games also educate and stimulate a child’s creativity.
• For adults: Choose board games that take longer to play such as 20 minutes or more. Board games that finish quickly are not challenging for adults and do not allow time for chatting during play. Adults have a longer concentration span and are less likely to get distracted.
• For both children and adults: When playing together as a family, choose a board game according to the age of the kids so parents can play with them throughout.

2. Choose a board game by genre

• Logical reasoning board games: Require players to find clues and deduce results to achieve victory. They offer a high level of difficulty and requires strong reasoning skills.
• Eye-hand coordination board games: Test each player's dexterity and physical co-ordination. Calm and collected players are likely to win, as they are better able to control the pace of the game.
• Co-operation board games: These encourage teamwork and rely on mutual trust which leads to victory. Players’ confidence is essential as well. If you do not trust the other players, the whole team will not win.
• Puzzles and brain board games: Puzzles are all about intelligence and thinking. The require a lot of thought and attention to detail to win within the rules. Each move each player makes is crucial. They are a great way to improve patience and precision which helps to develop a good character.

Five Popular Board Games

1. Broadway Toys Don Eskridge’s Quest

• How to play: In Quest, all will show their true colours as Good and Evil struggle for the future of civilisation. Hidden amongst King Arthur’s loyal servants are Mordred’s unscrupulous minions. Good wins by successfully carrying out three missions or by correctly identifying Evil in the final mission. Evil wins by sabotaging the mission three times and avoiding identification. Alternatively, Evil can win by identifying a specific character during the hunt.
• Number of players: 4-10 (aged 15+)
• Estimated play time: 30 minutes
• Genre: Logic and reasoning board game
• Highlight: Implement a variety of strategies to trick your friends
• Note: A game that tests friendships

2. E Square Studio Dice Flick

• How to play: Simply open the box, take out two dice from the bag and flick them onto the board to score points. There are other special coloured dice for players to score. There is no prep work beforehand as the game starts straight away. Winning requires luck and a deft hand.
• Number of players: 2-4 (aged 8+)
• Estimated play time: 15-25 minutes
• Genre: Party board game
• Highlight: Simple to play, no preparation work required to start the game
• Note: Winning requires luck and some skills

3. Broadway Toys Codenames

• How to play: Set against the backdrop of a spy organisation, players divide into two teams of spies trying to work faster than the other team. The leader gives hints to find out informants from the other team. You will be amazed that word association games could be so much fun!
• Number of players: 2-8 (aged 10+)
• Estimated play time: 15 minutes
• Genre: Co-operative board game
• Highlight: Use hints and word association to win
• Note: May be misled by spy members

4. Broadway Toys 6 nimmt

• How to play: The object is to NOT to take cards. Each bull's head on every card you get gives you negative points. At the end of the round, the player with the most points loses and the player with the least points wins.
• Number of players: 2-6 (ages 8+)
• Estimated play time: 25 minutes
• Genre: Educational and brain-teasing board game
• Highlight: Exciting, clever game with both simple and complex versions with many variations
• Note: Results are unpredictable

5. Broadway Toys The Genus Square

• How to play: The aim is to complete the square using the nine coloured shapes, once the seven ‘blockers’ have been positioned. The total number of possible combinations is 62,208!
• Number of players: 2 (age 6+)
• Estimated play time: 10 minutes
• Genre: Educational and brain-teasing game
• Highlight: Use your ingenuity to create new combinations
• Note: The fastest of two players wins