There and Back Again: A Farmer's Tale

This is my first post in a while. Sorry about the silence from my end; I've been traveling all over creation to celebrate Christmas with family. And I've come back with a tale or two about what I played...

My bags were packed with fun games—both for under the tree and for general consumption. I brought some old favorites and some new, and here were the results.

FDQ: What Is the Best Party Game?

You're at a party, and someone suggests a game. That person brings out...Trivial Pursuit, an occasion that might merit the "Nooooooooooo!" edited into the Star Wars Blu-ray. (Too soon?) This, or similar situations, sparks today's FDQ: what is a good alternate party game suggestion? Or, really, what is the best party game? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
Call me old-fashioned, but I might suggest a game of Pit. Pit is riotous fun for players, is easy to learn, and even though players typically start out underwhelmed, by the end of the night they are laughing hysterically. Another good option is Wits & Wagers, the trivia game for people who don't know anything. I love bidding/betting games, and playing with whiteboards, so this is another favorite. I also enjoy The Game of Things, though I've never played the official version. More recently, The Resistance has gone to the top of my go-to list as well. There are plenty of other options. All this to say: friends don't let friends play Apples to Apples.

@Futurewolfie answers:
I haven't played a lot of party games recently. I enjoy Apples to Apples, but it can be pretty exclusionary. I've never played Wits & Wagers (I know, a travesty!). Of games I've played, The Resistance is pretty high on the list but has a limited number of players (ten sounds high...until you're actually at an actual party...). Catch Phrase usually works well with all ages and skill levels (I have some great memories of my 85-year-old grandma). The Great Dalmuti is a pretty enjoyable card game with large groups, and you can play a variant of it (President or Scum, anyone?) with a normal deck of playing cards. Pit is good if your people don't mind a lot of yelling...at least where my family comes from. I can't imagine a quiet game of Pit, anyways.

On the Beaten Path: General Market Games

It's so hard to find a happy medium in life. And we know that what's true in life is also true in board games.

I've noticed that many in the board game hobby, in order to distance themselves as far as possible from Monopoly, have completely eschewed general-market (read: readily available) games. While it's true that a good Euro is hard to find on the shelves of your local Target store, this doesn't mean that what's there is all bad. True, I might steer clear of Monopoly, Risk, and and Candyland, but there are plenty of other options, whether you're looking for a good card, strategy, word, or party game. Below is my list of games I enjoy that are readily available. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

Things I Learned This Weekend...

This past weekend I traveled to be with my family and to meet my new niece. This doesn't sound like a recipe for gaming, but here are a few things I learned:

• From Wits & Wagers I learned that I didn't pay enough attention in history class. And my school's "knowing dates is not important" philosophy did not help me along the path to victory.
• From The Resistance I learned that my wife will throw me under the bus whenever the first hint of doubt is cast on me.
• From Money I learned that my mild-mannered mother should join in currency trading and exchange.
• From Money I learned that I should not.
• From Incan Gold I learned that I'm the dead guy Indiana Jones would learn from in order to leave with the treasure.
• From my two-year-old niece I learned that a cat piano and an "angry face" are all that's necessary for a good time--games are not always required.