List Of Exciting Board Games To Discover This Summer!

BRING THE GAME FROM INSIDE-OUT

This post is sponsored by Asmodee Canada. All opinions are our own.

Summer is just around the corner, and like you, we cannot wait to spend more time outside. So these are the top exciting board games my family will be enjoying and discovering during the hot summer night :

• Obscurio
• Citadels
• Love Letter
• Carcassonne -Hunter, and gatherers
• Pandemic – Rapid response
• Secrets

My name is Ella. I am the family dog of a blended family of 6. A blended family is when two families become one. Mine started in 2014 when my mom and her two sons, Benjamin and Nicholas, met my dad and his two sons Xavier and Jacob. Yes, you got it right…4 tween/teen boys between 12 and 16 years old. Finding activities suitable for the whole family can be difficult.

Over the last few years, board games became a way to spend quality time and brought so much joy and laughter to all of us. During summer we love to bring our board games from the kitchen table to the outside. We often do so around our fire pit. These board games can be enjoyed as much inside during the rainy days as outside during the beautiful weather.

Asmodee Canada publishes our favourite board games. They offer an amazing range of adventure and strategy-style games for all ages. We also love that they have many game options suitable for larger families like ours that can be played with 6 or more players. So, whether you are planning a camping trip or a staycation this summer, make sure to pack Asmodee’s most popular games. Here are the top board games my family will be discovering this upcoming summer.

Obscurio

How to play:

The whole family will enjoy this board game, especially Xavier, the oldest, and my mom Cecile. They both love anything to do with Wizards and sorcerers. Obscurio starts by choosing a person to act as a Grimoire who guides his team and gives clues from a magic book during the game.

Most players are Wizards and are trapped in the library of the sorcerer who is out to get them. The goal is to escape and get out of the creepy library. Among the players, there is also a traitor who will mislead the wizards to their doom. The traitor is unknown by the players.

The Grimoire is known by all players and is the only one who knows who the traitor is. However, during the game, he is not allowed to speak. He can only use the magic book to hand out clues to his team to help them exit as quickly as possible.  The Grimoire wins if the Wizards wins. I have an idea Xavier will be so excited to be the Grimoire and manage the game. He has so much imagination.

Age recommended:

This game is suitable for age 10 and up, but you can include children who cannot even read to be part of the game because it is an illustration-driven game. Of course, it would be more difficult for them to be a Grimoire or a traitor, but they can easily be added to the team.

How many players:

We love it when we find a board game that can be played with more than 6 players. Obscurio can be played with as few as 2 players and up to 8. We can even add our grandparents to play with us. How awesome is that?

Play time:

The game can last between 30-45 minutes which is perfect for younger kids. Nicholas, the youngest of our family, likes games that last between 20-35minutes, allowing us to play different board games in one night.

Citadels

How to play:

This game has been around for many years and will provide a unique adventure every time it’s played. Citadel is another great strategy card game that provides lots of twists, turns, and surprises. The goal of the game is to erect 7-8 buildings. You do so by paying gold or by using special abilities gained with the cards. Once the first person has completed their 7-8 buildings, all points are counted, and the player with the most points wins.

Roles :

9 different roles can be played throughout the game. What is unique about this game is that the role you will play changes after every round. Each of these 9 roles has its special ability and, when played properly, will help you gain an advantage, provide you with more gold, or even an extra building. The abilities are things such as the capability to steal from an opponent, sabotage an opponent, gain more gold, or even eliminate a player from playing his turn. I can already see the smile on Dad’s face as he steals or sabotages the rest of the family on his way to trying to win the game.

Since this is a turn-based game, everyone will get to play their actions in a predetermined order. This order will be based on the role everybody is randomly given for the round. Oh, by the way, nobody knows what roles the others have until it is time for them to play. Players start with several cards, and their actions will often be based on these. Because there are so many cards and these cards are handed out randomly, each game will feel unique. Because you get to play different roles with unique abilities and that the gameplay is never the same, this game will feel fresh and exciting for a long time.

Age recommended:

This game is suitable for ages 10 and up; however, with the amount of strategy involved, it may be best to team up with the younger ones for a few games before letting them play on their own. This way, it may be easier for them to understand the game fully, and they may not get discouraged as easily.

How many players:

With 2-8 players, it will be a game that we can all play. I presume that for the first couple of games, Nicholas will team up with Mom or Dad.

Play time:

One game lasts between 20 to 60 min. So the more people play, the longer it will last. It is also why it may be best for the older boys since they don’t get tired as fast.

Love Letter

How to play:

This game, Love Letter, will be part of our day trip or vacation bag. It is a lightweight card game with quick gameplay. The goal is to get your love letter to the princess while keeping all your opponent’s love letters away. It is a game of deduction and luck. You win when you collect enough token for each affection. My family will enjoy this game outside around the fire pit with snacks.  

Age recommended:

Suitable for 10-year-old and up.

How many players:

Once again, the whole family will be able to play together since this game can be played by 2 to 6 players.

Play time:

One game lasts between 15 to 30 min. Perfect for an after-supper game night during the week to spend some quality time together.

Carcassonne – Hunter and gatherers

How to play:

Okay! The original Carcassonne is one of my family’s favourite games. Carcassonne is a strategic tile-laying game where your goal is to build cities, monasteries, roads, and fields to score points. Jacob and my dad, Frank, always find ways to team up on lands to score points. It’s so much fun. No wonder more than a million copies of the original have been sold worldwide. Every game is unique because the medieval landscape changes every time. 

The all-new Carcassonne – Hunter, and gatherers have forests, rivers, lakes, and meadows instead of cities, roads, and farms. We cannot wait to try this game. This is a new way to rediscover and play Carcassonne.

Age recommended:

The age recommendation is 8 years and up. The rules can be a little overwhelming and long to explain (Trust me, it’s worth the wait). But, after a few games in, the kids will get the hang of it.

How many players:

Although my blended family of 6 cannot all play this game together since the maximum number of players is 5, this is one game that the 4 boys will enjoy playing together. The number of players is between 2 to 5. It is a fun game that my parents play when the kids are visiting their other parents.

Play time:

One game can last about 30-45 min. I guarantee you won’t be able to play just one game.

Pandemic – Rapid response

How to play:

Well, this game is quite relevant to how we are living at this moment. Pandemic – Rapid response is where a disaster has struck, and humanity needs your help. It’s a race against time. My mom will love this game since she is a nurse and loves to help others.

While the cities are in desperate need of food, water, vaccines, and supplies, you will roll of the dice to determine/create what you will be able to provide in life-saving aid. You will need to work together as a team to provide and deliver supply. If you succeed, your mission is completed, and you win the game.

Age recommended:

This game is recommended for age 8 and up. It’s a perfect way to show our children how hard it can be to manage a pandemic and how important it is to work together worldwide.

How many players:

This game can be played between 2 to 4 players. I’m sure my mom will be spending quality time with each of the boys playing this one.

Play time:

One game takes 15-30 mins. I imagine it can take longer if you are successful in your mission.

Secrets

How to play:

This game Secrets reminds me a little of a game my family plays a whole lot called Les Loups Garous. One of Benjamin’s favourites. They played this game an enormous number of times around the fire pit last summer. Secrets is a board game of hidden teams. You have no idea who is on your team and who is bluffing.

At the beginning of the game, each player gets a token only they get to see. This token will let them know if they are CIA, KGB, or Hippies. Next, players take their turns drawing 2 cards and showing them to everyone and then will offer one of them facedown to another player.  Then the player needs to choose if he accepts or rejects the facedown card.

Each card is worth a positive or negative point value and can also give you a course of action, such as revealing or peeking at another player’s token to find out what side they are working with.

A hippy works alone and independently, CIA and KGB work as a team. The tricky part is team affiliations can sometimes change during the game. The team or a Hippy that scores more points wins.

Age recommended:

Recommended for 10-year-old and up.

How many players:

They will all be able to play this game together since the number of players are between 4 to 8.

Play time:

Once again perfect time duration for a large family with 4 boys between 12- to 16-year-old. The game last around 15-30 min.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking to add these exciting board games to your library and want to discover them during the upcoming summer, click here to find a retailer or an online store near you. Let us know which one of these games you liked the best. We would also like to hear what games you play. We can’t wait to hear from you

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