Our board games are stored in on a shelf of our coffee table, so we like to find games that look good. Our current favorite right now is the Scrabble, Onyx edition, but we took a look around to see what else we could find in the fun and cool category.
• 1 Scrabble, Onyx edition, $59.05 at Amazon.com
• 2 Apples to Apples, Party Crate edition, $39 at Amazon.com
• 3 Monopoly 1935, Deluxe Wood edition, $89.95 at Amazon.com
• 4 Uno Deluxe card game, $13.49 at Amazon.com
• 5 Yahtzee, $8.99 at Amazon.com. (We think the original looks better than the other versions out there.)
• 6 Chess set by Elise Berthier, $95 at Unicahome
• 7 Graphics memory game by a4 studio for Maharam, $36 at Unicahome
• 8 House of Cards by Charles and Ray Eames, $25 at Unicahome
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Ah, the board game; the return of quality fun family time and harmless competition. To this day I am a sucker for Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders. I love the colors. It was fun to learn to count and learn colors on these games and it was fun to teach my own daughter with them (sigh....nostalgia...).
Oh man apples to apples is SO fun.
My all-time favorite board game is Acquire. They recently revamped it:
http://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Hill-HAS22192-Acquire-Game/dp/B001AQNW2G/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in
choosing board games that are "fun to look at" takes your aesthetic obsession a bit too far.
Tic tac Ku - a fun twist on tic-tac-toe. And it looks great. I'm keeping mine on the coffee table.
Qwirkle or Dizios (or pretty much anything from Mindware)
Oh this reminds me of a great game that my friends and I played on a cruise a couple years back...
...It's like 3D Tic-Tac-Toe - So much fun!
http://www.amazon.com/Gobblet-Classic-Deluxe-Limited/dp/B0031BEVRS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266434673&sr=8-6
Mille Bornes is probably my favorite to look at: http://www.nervousmusic.net/mille_bornes.jpg
I could so find some of these games cheaper.
ouija boards have always "looked" cool to me. ask me to play, and i'll instantly get spooked!
I've gotta say I love "Operation" and "Perfection", but I am not sure I would say they add to my living room's decor...
The game of "go" is my personal obsession. Boards and playing pieces (stones) can be very beautiful and sets can be as wildly expensive as you like. To check some out see: http://www.ymimports.com/c-48-go.aspx
@ChrisGal --
Of course you can find a Scrabble or Monopoly game or Chess set with the cardboard playing surface and hollow plastic pieces for $12.99 at the local Walmart - Everyone can.
The point Lindsay is making is that the pricier/limited editions are more interesting to look at due to their special boards and pieces and are things that could possibly be used as decorative items.
Reminds me of the late 60's/early 70's when it seemed like everyone "fashionable" had an elaborate chess set with hand-carved pieces on display in their living room...
...I wonder if that was due to the infamous chess/love scene between Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in the original 1968 film "Thomas Crown Affair" - or the internationally televised chess matches that were aired back then?
Check out www.boardgamegeek.com for board games that are more hardcore than your average Monopoly/Candy Land. Not only will they look great on your shelf, you'll actually want to play them as an adult.
The Hasbro Vintage Wood Book Editions are my favorite.
They are the classic games, encased to look like vintage books!
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/179-3320036-4238830?asin=B000OKW1CG&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B000OKW1CG&CPNG=movies&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
They seem to be Target Exclusive, but some show up on Amazon as well. I find them on sale for $18 and fit in on my bookshelf! :)
I was so excited--I thought this was going to be a post about collecting vintage board games and displaying the boards as art.
Instead, it's about packaging.
Mancala! we have a larger solid-wood (not folding) board with these colored glass "lumps" for pieces. it's fun to play for any age and looks inviting/nice. (could also switch out the glass baubles for smooth pebbles, etc. depending on the look of your room...
I also go for a good game of Cribbage--there are some nice boards out there, or maybe you know a good woodworker who could make one for you ;)
Ahh board games, the sport of kings! I love board games, I have a group of friends and we play nearly every friday or saturday night. Our current favorite is Agricola (17th century farming), it's so much fun. I own close to 50 games now, they're all stored in my kitchen cupboards (I only need one shelf for my dishes). I get most of them at thrift stores for cheap.
I am seconding "Aquire" (espeically if you can get the sweet older versions) and also boardgamegeek.com
And can we please for the mention Settlers of Catan? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Settlers_of_Catan
Its quality as a game will overshadow how extremely unbearably nerdy it will look on your shelves.
I think you think I think was one of the most absurdly fun games that I can remember and I love the look. http://cgi.ebay.com/1988-I-THINK-YOU-THINK-I-THINK-Board-Game-BY-TSR-GUC!!!_W0QQitemZ120525777301QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100202?IMSfp=TL100202201010r38368