The pandemic may have made it difficult to spend time with friends and families outside, but that doesn’t mean that people have stopped socializing at home. In fact, equipment needed for social activity—such as tabletop gaming—have seen a massive rise in sales over the past few months. Whether it’s classic titles like Scrabble or contemporary games like Ticket to Ride, these replayable games have become extremely popular when you’re looking for something fun to play to pass the time.
Below are some tabletop games that you can try:
Push Chess
Push chess is a chess variant that was invented by Fred Galvin in 1967. In addition to the regular chess rules, certain pieces (like the pawns and the queen) are also allowed to “push” their comrades at least one tile forward. No pieces are allowed to pull each other back and no piece can be pushed off the board. This extra set of rules adds an extra layer of strategy, making it a great pastime for people who are interested in logic and critical thinking games.
Truth Game
When people lie, it causes their fingers to sweat a little. The Lie Detector Toy uses this fact to lightly shock someone who it thinks is lying. If your friends are the type to initiate table bluffing games like Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever, this device is a neat thing to have in your arsenal. The game is also a great icebreaker if you’re playing with new people.
Poker
There are many poker variants that you can play, from a standard game of Texas Hold’em to a more exciting round of Omaha. The poker hands ranking chart you will need to refer to if you’re just starting out is the same for each one. So, although the variants differ slightly, the games are pretty easy to get the hang of. But if you want to start with the easiest one to play, we suggest you begin with the world famous Texas Hold’em as it is the most universally recognized.
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Elegant Black Diamond Poker Cards
Soccer Game
If you’ve ever played space hockey and pinball, this game is a combination of the two. Like any soccer game, the main objective is to score more goals than your opponent while protecting your own. However, the only mechanism that you’re allowed to move is the flippers located in front of your goal. Players are going to need a combination of timing and strategy to beat their opponent. Due to its casual yet competitive nature, it’s a great game for families with small children.
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Mini Table Soccer Game
Fast Sling Foosball
Fast sling foosball, also known as fast sling soccer, is an entirely different ball game from the previous item on this list, even though they use the same table. In a traditional foosball game, you control four rods to send the ball towards your opponents’ goal. But fast sling foosball involves flicking pucks using an elastic band and flicking it towards your opponents’ goal. Whoever runs out of pucks first wins.
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Fast Sling Puck Board Game
Time spent indoors doesn’t have to be boring if you have the right tabletop games. Think about the kind of people that you play with and choose the ones that you think they’ll enjoy the most.