Top Ten Filler Games

Last time I posted a top ten around these parts, it was my top ten lunch games, games that can be played and taught comfortably within the confines of a lunch hour.

But what if your lunch hour is more like a lunch break? Or what about those times when you want to play another game, but you're waiting to mix up the players, and the other group is playing a game of Power Grid that simply will not end?

That, friends, is where the aptly named "filler" games come in--short games that can be used to open, close, or fill gaps within your game night.

What defines an ideal filler game? Here are my criteria:

Boom or Bust (a review of Can't Stop)

The board taunts you after each roll. Stop. If you stop, you'll be safe. Your opponents taunt you in the other direction. Just keep rolling. You're probably okay. And you're caught in the middle. If you quit now, you may open up opportunities for your opponents to steal the game from under you. But if you keep going, you might lose your progress and have to start over next turn.

But the game is aptly named. You just...can't...stop.

The Name on the Box Top: Bruno Faidutti

The board game hobby is indeed a fascinating one.  For those just introduced to it, and looking to delve further into its vast world, one of the more interesting facets is the “name on the box top.”  Just as individual authors, artists, and singers have their own recognizable style stamped upon their books, paintings, and songs, the same is true in the case of designers with their board games.  Our own @FarmerLenny has already looked at two designers in this series – Reiner Knizia and Carl Chudyk.  Today, I take a look at Bruno Faidutti.

Quest for Riches in the Ruins (a review of Incan Gold)

Playing games with kids can be a drag. You have to put up with the tantrums. You have to spend lots of time explaining and correcting. And, worst of all, most games for kids are just not fun for adults to play. Uno? Life? Even Clue? No thanks. This was primarily my reasoning behind trying Incan Gold, a 3-8 player party game based on Diamant (and this video review was what sealed the deal—those kids are great salespeople). I wanted a game to play with my niece and nephew that the adults could play without wanting to claw their brains out afterward. I just wasn't expecting to play Incan Gold so much when only adults were present.

FDQ: What Comes after 7 Wonders?

Here at iSlaytheDragon, we sometimes receive correspondence from our readers (which we love!). Usually we handle these letters on our own and no one's the wiser, but we thought this question would be a good one to bring to our readers. Gawie from South Africa writes:

I'm the only one in my circle of friends and family who REALLY REALLY enjoys board games. I'm always trying to twist their arm to join me for a game. 7 Wonders has really solved a lot of my problems because people actually don't mind playing with me, since it's fun and short. However, I agree with you that some variety is needed - not game after game of 7 wonders all the time. Is there another board game that's as family friendly as 7 wonders that you would recommend?

Help Gawie in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:

I'm surprised you say your family and friends don't enjoy games that much, yet you call 7 Wonders "family friendly." Your friends and family must be nearly there!

I don't know how many players you hope to get involved, but the games I've seen have the best success are Settlers of Catan (which I'm bored of, but it's popular for a reason) and Ticket to Ride. Settlers of Catan can play three or four (there's an expansion to accommodate up to six players, but really, I'd start with the three- or four-player game), and Ticket to Ride can play up to five. Personally, Ticket to Ride is my go-to game for nongamers because each turn players only have one choice to make, so the game moves along quickly. Every person can make progress on a turn (unlike Settlers, where bad dice rolls can work against you and bad initial placement can hamper you), and as people get more into the game, they can play more aggressively. These are both for smaller crowds, but they're great.

If you're looking for a game that can accommodate the same crowd as 7 Wonders, some great family games  are For Sale (up to six), Pit (up to eight), Incan Gold (up to eight), and Bohnanza (my family's favorite, and it can fit seven). For Sale, Pit, and Incan Gold are super quick, but everyone I've taught them to loves them. These games are not as deep as 7 Wonders, though, and people will probably tire of them quicker. Bohnanza is a bit longer, but it really is a great game with lots of interaction. And if my family is any indication, they can play this one over and over and not get tired of it.

@Futurewolfie answers:

I've had the most success with Ticket to Ride.  While my family is willing to try games that I bring, TtR is one of the few they've actually ASKED for.  Kill Dr. Lucky was also a success, and that game holds up to 7 players - but it can last 1-1.5 hours.


The Resistance is another game popular with my family.  It takes up to 10 players, plays very short (about 30mins), doesn't have a lot of rules to remember, and is one of the few games that can be played leisurely around a living room instead of at a table.  (Leisurely in the sense that people can sit back in a comfortable chair).  It takes a bit for people to get used to the concept, but once they do it's easy for everyone to stay involved.


Other than that, it's almost more of an art than a science getting your family to play games. Just remember that not everyone has to be a gamer to enjoy games, and not everyone will enjoy your favorite games.  Getting your family to play requires patience.  You've got to regularly bring up the idea of trying new games but not be overly pushy - people are a lot less likely to enjoy a game if they're forced into it.  When introducing a new game, focus more on helping them enjoy the game than trying to win - crushing defeats discourage repeat plays.  Even if you have to sacrifice some of your fun the first few times, in the long run it will work out better for you when your family can enjoy a wider variety of games.

My Year in Games

Apparently I played a lot of 7 Wonders this year...

I'm something of an archivist and always have been. I enjoy documenting and tracking both collections and the things I do. For several years I've kept a logbook of every book I've read throughout the year. Around April 2011, I began tracking my board game plays on Board Game Geek. Since that time, here are my "nickels and dimes," games I've played 5+ and 10+ times:

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.

Christmas Gift Guide 2011

Even dragons love Christmastime.

Christmas is right around the corner, and this means that gift-buying season is in full swing. Rather than giving those special someones on your list another sweater or novelty Monopoly set (Monopoly: The Tacky Christmas Tie Edition!), why not try giving them something they'll really enjoy? Look below as @Futurewolfie and I make gaming suggestions for the people on your Christmas shopping list. If you'd like more details about any of these games, we've linked to our reviews, or you can ask us questions in the comments. If we haven't covered someone on your list, post a comment, and we'll recommend something fresh. It's that simple.

(Oh, and so you know, we're not the only ones doing this. Check out other great lists on Dice Hate Me, Gamer Chris, Games and Grub, The Board Game Family, The Game Aisle, and of course, Board Game Geek. Their lists differ significantly from ours, but they have good suggestions, too.)

Cause for Giving Thanks

This weekend my wife and I traveled all across the state of Indiana to visit our families for Thanksgiving. We caught up with family members, ate great food, and of course, played some games. Here's a recap of the games I played and what I thought about them.

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.

Explore further! Explore Further! Go back to Camp! (First impressions of Incan Gold)

I had an excellent evening this past friday night, playing games with a large group of friends.  Since we're talking about board games and not teen partying, 'large' is 7 people, too many to play certain games like Catan, Smallworld, or Dominion.  However we did pull out some old favorites - Falling and the Great Dalmuti - and one new game - Incan Gold.  Falling was a blast as always, and I was surprised how well it worked even with 6 "goblins" falling at once.  Space gets a little tight when everyone's trying to reach over each other, but I think a big crowd makes it all the more entertaining.  Dalmuti is a casual classic, a good finisher to any game night as rounds are fast and you can play as long as you like without requiring much energy.
Incan Gold, however, was a new experience, and I thought I might as well share my impressions.