Something Chris and I have loved doing throughout the entirety of our relationship is playing a board game together. To the surprise of some, we are intensely competitive with each other! But it’s fun and it’s a great way to hang out together away from screens, and also great for double-dates or big group catch-ups. And you learn a lot of strategy and logic along the way, so it’s a win-win! Some of our regular favourites include:

Ticket to Ride: a long time favourite of ours, we’ve been playing this one even before we were officially dating. A maximum of 5 players (although we’ve played it with 10 players where people play in pairs) and with many variations of the board, we’ve mostly played the Europe board. It’s a good fun game and usually goes for no longer than an hour – and always has me dreaming of where in Europe I want to visit next!

Sequence: Another one we’ve been playing for most of our relationship, this game can be unbelievably frustrating because of the two-eyed and one-eyed Jack cards at play, but we keep coming back to it because it’s such fun. I remember playing this in the cafe of our hotel on our honeymoon, and some people came up to us asking if we could use it after them (thinking it belonged to the hotel) because they saw us having so much fun.

Heck Meck: this quirky and seriously addictive game was introduced to me in England by my in-laws, and has been a favourite ever since. The component of stealing other peoples tiles creates for some healthy competition and next-level bonding.

Yahtzee: This one is probably the most similar to Heck Meck, but still quite different. We go in phases of this game where we’ll play it nearly every night, and then won’t play it for months, but we’ve had some great laughs playing Yahtzee.

Bananagrams: Chris’ family call this game “Take Two” which is fair enough, but this is a word making game quite similar to Scrabble. I am thorough and have (and will) go to the dictionary to verify words being used in this game. This game always comes down to the wire, and is a great game to really think, be creative, and keep calm under pressure.

Uno: So, I guess Uno isn’t exactly a board game, but it can be added to this list right? I’m a sucker for the original version – Uno Flip does my head in! A versatile game and easy to play at home or in a busy location, and easy to take on holidays. Always a winner!

Monopoly Deal: Again, not exactly a board game, but a game nonetheless. Similar to Uno, Chris and I haven’t had as much opportunity to play this gem, but when we play we have a fun time. A much quicker, and in my opinion, preferable, alternative to the board game. Your hand can change super quick in this game!

Chess: good old chess, right?! No game frustrates me more when I lose, and no game makes me feel as thrilled to win when it’s my night! I’d love to learn more strategy and deeper methods of approach to playing this game, but all in good time. There is also so much research into the cognitive benefits of playing chess, and it’s a great opportunity to hop off your phone and concentrate for a little while.

I’m sure as the years continue we’ll find more board games to play and enjoy. Anyone have any good suggestions for any games not listed here?

Nahum 1:7: The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him.

Love, Gracie