How to find the best board game for families of all ages

Ben Shantz, general manage of GameKnight in Winnipeg, poses in front of a wall of games people are able to rent. Shantz says modern board games are more diverse and creative than ever. (Charles Lefebvre/CTV News Winnipeg)

Monopoly, Scrabble, and Clue are just a few of the classic games that became staples in people's homes or cottages over the years, but the new era of the board game industry is pushing the envelope with what is being offered.

Game shop owners in Winnipeg say we are in an era where board games have never been more creative, diverse, and acceptable than ever.

"We're truly in a golden age of gaming," said Brian Mitchell, co-owner of A Muse N Games in Winnipeg. "Every year, people iterate and build on what other people have learned. People become passionate with their own ideas, and they want to share them."

Ben Shantz, general manager of GameKnight on Osborne Street, has also seen how the industry has evolved.

"I think today, games have expanded into such a more diverse rule set and themes and appeal to different demographics," he said. "There is a huge diversity, and that's something that you wouldn't have gotten with more classic board games. Classic games still have their place. We still have shelves devoted to them. People love them. That's great, but there is really new stuff, and it's so much more engaging."

Olaf Pyttlik co-owns Across The Board Game Café, which recently celebrated 10 years in business. He said the magic of games today is how they bring people together.

"Either you play games to have a laugh together, or you play games to do a cooperative solving of a puzzle, or you play games just to be together," he said.

With the evolution of the board game industry, CTV News Winnipeg asked Shantz, Pyttlik, and Mitchell to share their recommendations of what people should try.

What makes a good game?

An easy-to-understand instruction manual is valuable for Shantz, as not learning the rules can ruin an experience.

"Instruction guides are really hard to write because you have to convey how to play a game without being able to talk and correct the person, the player," he said. "We've seen games that have terrible instruction guides and then some that have phenomenal instruction guides. They really do make a difference."

Mitchell said he likes games that satisfy all the people he is playing with.

"A good game is something that has a mechanic that resonates with all the players and makes them want to play it again, makes them think, and inspires them," he said.

Pyttlik said he enjoys games with a "middle-of-the-road complexity" and said a good game makes him want to play it again once finished.

"Usually, good games are the ones that encourage people to come back to (them) because it was just so much fun or so much of a challenge that they want to try it again," he said.

Games for young children

If you're looking for a new game for your young children to play, there are a few more options aside from Candy Land or Monopoly Junior.

Qwirkle, a tile-laying game similar to Scrabble, was among the Shantz's first choices for a new game for kids. However, instead of letters, players lay down coloured shapes in lines.

"In any given line of consecutive tiles, there can only be a single characteristic shared, never two, so either shape or colour," he said.

Shantz added Dimension, a sphere-stacking game, as another choice for young children and said he has donated the games to schools in the city.

"The beautiful thing about this is the difficulty can be adjusted," he said. "You could play with two or three, and then it's just a simple activity game. You play with six, which is the normal baseline, and it's a challenge for anyone."

Mitchell suggested Dragon's Breath, a game where players try to collect sparkling gems from a layer of ice, as a game kids would enjoy.

"Playtime is under 15 minutes, and all it takes is the ability to recognize colours," he said.

Rhino Hero, described as 'reverse Jenga' by Mitchell, was another game he recommended.

Pyttlik said he enjoys Concept Kids, a children's version of the adult game. The game makes people guess words by placing tokens next to different pictures, and the combination becomes the word.

"I think that is a very fantastic recommendation for any parent, partly because the parents themselves really enjoy it for their own sake," he said. "When they play with kids, you don't have to dumb down the rules or anything."

Games for Teenagers

Colours and simple play may suit younger kids, but what do you do when your kids become teenagers?

Pyttlik recommended Anomia, a card game popular with teenagers. In Anomia, players place category cards down and name the first response that comes to their heads.

"There's a little bit of a speed aspect, and that seems to be particularly interesting for teenagers," he said.

Both Shantz and Mitchell recommended Mysterium. In this game, one player assumes the role of a murdered ghost who can only communicate through pictures on cards. The other players try to solve the murder based on the cards drawn.

"The ghosts can't talk, so that player can't talk, but the other players can," Mitchell said. "So, how do you manage that communication game? It's a game about communication through different means."

Games for Adults

For adults looking for a challenge, Mitchell suggested Root, where you play as a different faction trying to control the woodlands. He said each faction plays differently, and multiple outcomes are possible in the game.

For something less complex, Hues and Cues has been a popular game at A Muse N Games. Each player gets a colour handed to them on a card, and they try to use a word to get players to guess the colour on a large board.

"It's something that went viral last year on TikTok at Christmas, and its popularity has not waned," Mitchell said. "It's one of our top sellers for the last year."

Just One was a suggestion from Shantz, which he said he'd be willing to play with anybody. In the game, which won the 2019 Spiel de Jahres (Game of the Year in Germany), a player tries to guess a secret word based on clues given by other players. However, before the player can see the clues, duplicates are removed.

"It's incredibly fun, and there is near infinite replayability," he said. "I've never had the same game twice. This is a blast that even non-gamers buy copies of because it's so fun."

Pyttlik said Ticket to Ride is a good bet for those looking to ease their way into the new generation of board games. The 2004 Spiel de Jahres winner sees players try to make train routes through North America and collect points.

"Ticket to Ride is, I think, an extremely elegant game that is extremely easy to learn for any age group," he said. "You can play with kids as young as six or seven if you want, and you can play it with any generation."

Pyttlik also recommended cooperative games, where players team up against the game for a new experience. Among the titles he recommended was Sky Team, in which players work to land a plane.

Try before you buy

There are options for those still hesitant to add a new game to their collection.

A Muse N Games has experts who can help, and people can come to the store to try out games.

GameKnight also allows people to try games in-store and has several copies of games people can rent for a few days.

Across The Board allows guests to play as many games as they want for $10 per adult and $6 per child.