One of the first board games, modern chess, was played more than 650 years ago, and though many table-top games have evolved since the Renaissance, there really are few things more enjoyable than sitting around with friends and engaging in a game that demands a passion for strategy, and the patience to wait for a chance to win.
Janice Welker, a member of the Boardgame Players Association, nevertheless reminds players that board games are meant to be enjoyed with a group, as a pastime where you can spend time chatting while having a little fun.
“That’s the most important thing — have fun,” she says. “If you win while having fun, that’s just icing on the cake.”
If you want a few tips on winning at your favorite board games, take a peek below.
Monopoly
Though Monopoly seems largely like a game of luck, there is a little mathematical strategy involved. Welker says most players make a complete lap around the board in five turns, and “Illinois Avenue” is the most-often landed-on square. “B&O Railroad” and “Go” are second and third.
The trio of orange properties is an excellent monopoly to own because of their proximity to Jail. A roll of 6 or 8 (two of the most common rolls) from “Jail” puts you on an orange.
Railroads are better to own than utilities, but forget “Short Line” — it’s the least-often visited square. Get out of jail quickly early in the game, even if you have to pay the $50. Later, when the board is a bit more dangerous, stay in jail as long as you can.
Try to build at least three houses on your properties, as the rent rises significantly from two to three houses. And even if you’re stuck with the lousy properties — like those purple and powder blue babies — build houses to create a building shortage, hurting other players’ chances to build.
Buy properties, especially those on the back end of the board, to stop opponents from creating a monopoly.
Risk
Welker says the roll of the dice means a lot in Risk, but so does strategy. Australia is a good continent to control at the beginning of the game, because of the ease with which it is to hold. South America, with only two points of attack, also is a good place to defend
Don’t bother conquering an entire continent unless you think you can hold it for a full turn.
Always attack with overwhelming force.
Hold on to wild cards as long as possible at any point in the game. Risk is not a team game, and alliances are always temporary. Don’t spread yourself too thin — it’s easy for other players to capture one-army countries.
Clue
There are six suspects, six weapons and nine rooms in this “whodunit,” resulting in more than 300 possible combinations to unlock. Eliminating those possibilities takes some luck, and a little deduction, Welker says.
Keep track of your own cards as well as those of others playing the game.
Remember the cards that you show each player. If a player forgets and asks you for the same card twice, show them the card you previously showed them.
Make Agatha Christie proud — keep your cool, and be a little mysterious about which cards you hold and don’t hold.
Scrabble
Even if you’re not an English major, you can still spell your opponents under the table.
See what’s on the board before making a move, and recognize which letters still are in play. There’s nothing worse than trying to spell “werewolf” and finding out all the “Es” are missing.
Plan ahead to create long words, and try to use all the tiles on your rack at one turn, thus earning bonus points.
Know your words. If you have a lot of consonants, there are legitimate words without vowels, such as “myrrh” and “rhythm,” which can be played. Two-letter words are useful in lots of situations, and words using Q, X and Z and words with lots of vowels are life-savers.
Avoid giving other players easy access to bonus-point squares.
