Reddit mentions of Calliope Tsuro - The Game of The Path - A Family Strategy Board Game

Uhhhh. Pandemic is a good game if you want to lose horribly. I'd recommend Forbidden Desert instead. Many similar mechanics. A lot faster. Fewer "Welp, we lose in 5 turns and there is nothing we can do to stop it" issues. And it doesn't suffer as badly from the "Table Captain" problems. It still HAS them but not as badly.

My personal recommendation for a fun competitive game that's relatively easy to learn and doesn't suffer "You fucked me over!" annoyances? 7 Wonders. Another good choice in this theme would be Ticket to Ride. This also has the benefit of actually being available at Target or Walmart, so you don't have to try and find a hobbyist store or order it online. King of Tokyo and Tsuro are both fun, easy-to-learn games as well. I've seen all of these at Barnes and Noble, so depending on what you have locally, they can be easily found.

It's like the board game Tsuro! But for cities :D

I would suggest Tsuro since the only pieces are the tiles and the little wooden guys, and it's a fun, straightforward game.

There's also Chinese Checkers which is similar to the one you described, where you move the marbles around.

Also, there's Labyrinth, which has cards, but you only use them for reference and mostly just move the tiles.

Finally, when I was little, my grandpa made me a card stand like this to hold cards, that might work for your grandpa too.

A few games I like that would probably fit the bill:

Spot It. Super fun game, easy to learn and quick to play. Not the deepest game but it's lots of fun for all ages and a nice quick game to play when you want something short or as a break between longer games. Good for any number of players.

Dixit. A storytelling game. Each turn one of you is the "storyteller" and tells a short story (one word to a sentence) about it. Everyone else picks a card from their hand that they think fits the story. The cards are mixed up and everyone guesses which one the Storyteller had. The interesting scoring mechanic is the storyteller only gets points if some people don't guess right. If everyone or no one guesses right, the storyteller gets no points and everyone else gets points. Plus, if it's not your turn but someone votes for your card, you get points. The cards can be somewhat crazy and surreal but are definitely safe for a 9 year old. The game is a fun casual game.

Ticket to Ride. Fun game where you lay out train routes. You can block people's routes and you will be angry at whoever does that to you. Only takes 5 people though.

Tsuro. Another somewhat shorter game. You take turns laying tiles and moving your Dragon along the path they create trying to stay on the board. Near the end of the game it gets hectic and you might end up knocking each other off.

TransAmerica. A train game like Ticket to Ride but faster and a little less complex. Rounds go quickly and it has an interesting scoring mechanic. Each round you lose points if you don't connect to your cities and the game ends when someone is at zero. The winner is whoever lost the least points.

7 Wonders. A fun game that involves playing cards that you draw from a hand you pass around. Takes up to 7 people but might be slightly too complex for the 9 year old.

Shadow Hunters. A hidden roles game where you will be on teams but you won't know who's on your team. Throughout the game you try to figure that out and it can get very competitive. Again might be slightly too complex for the 9 year old but maybe not.

Castle Panic. This game is slightly different because it is a cooperative game. All of you play against the game itself to try and defend your castle and defeat all the monsters. It's a pretty fun game.

There are a ton of other good games but I'll stop for now since I've probably listed too many as it is. Two things I'd recommend to try to find new games that your family might like beyond these. First, see if there's a board game store near you. A lot of them will have board game libraries where you can go in and try out the games at no charge. Most (in my experience) are pretty friendly to newer players. Second, check out TableTop. It's a show hosted by Wil Wheaton where he explains games and then plays through them. My wife and I used it as a good way to see new games that we might be interested in without having to buy them sight unseen, since boardgames can be expensive. The demo part of the show has sold us on a bunch of games (several of which are listed above). Hope this helps and enjoy the family game nights.

If you like this game, I recommend Tsuro. It's a board game that is almost identical to this flash game. It has won a handful of awards and is short, easy to teach, and awesome. I can even play it with in-laws who are pretty board game averse. It can handle up to eight players though the most I've ever played with was six. More players can be an absolute blast.

It's even pretty inexpensive so it might make a good wish list item as the holidays are approaching, etc.

I don't mean to hawk stuff. I'm completely unaffiliated with the game and I'm not linking an Amazon resale or anything like that. I just was surprised that nobody had pointed this out for people yet and thought that I might try to help you all find a nice little ~$20 gift idea. Come to think of it...

My list would include a variation of games

Code Names - $16

Sushi Go - $10

7 Wonders - $26

Tsuro - $19

Castles of Burgundy - $27

Total: $98

Explanations:

First, I want to preface these selections: our play group varies in size from week to week with anywhere from 4-10 players averaging 5-6. So, we often get caught "splitting the party." That's fine at times, but sometimes, we all want to jump in on one game together because splitting up feels bad man^TM since we're all there to socialize in addition to playing games.

As such, I wanted to include games that ran the gamut and for the most part games that scaled well from 2-X players.

First, Code Names. Now, we've played this game so many times, we actually purchased the expansion Code Names Deep Cover which is a fun variant which adds tons of more playability. This is the go-to "party" game as, for our group, Cards Against Humanity has grown a bit stale. At least it hits the table much less frequently than in years past. Code Names is easy to teach, easy to understand and difficult enough for some of your more entrenched board gamers. In general, I find this a great starter to transition from your Milton Bradley games everyone knows (and hates) into board games that offer sustenance.

Secondly, I offer Sushi Go (cheating a bit here as you'll probably have to buy a couple copies for larger groups or just get Sushi Go Party). Sushi Go is our groups go-to game to introduce games that use a drafting mechanic and to teach that board games can be cute, fun, and delightful while also requiring strategy, maths, and a bit of hope (our group tends to dislike dice-rolling games so for the most part, we stick to games where we can mostly "control" our own fates - YMMV). This game is super quick, so you don't get bogged down at the table for hours. I feel for new board gamers, quicker games are a MUST as many people may not be able to handle the length many of our Beloveds require.

7 Wonders comes next. We tend to introduce this game right after Sushi Go as the mechanics are super similar and the newer players feel like they already know what's going on for the most part. There will be questions, there will be some confusion and oversight, but this game follows easily and feels like a natural step up from Sushi Go and gets players right into the mix of heartier board games. Oh, and I could personally play 7 Wonders every week, especially with all the options offered through the expansions Cities, Leaders, and Tower. The interchangeability of these expansions has kept this game on our table long past many others and continues to bring it back. Again though, YMMV as we all have different tastes.

Tsuro, our board game palatte cleanser. This is another quick game which offers a lot of replayabiliity with minimal rules learning. Aside from those positives, the artwork is what sent this board game over the top for me. I am mesmerized by the board, the tiles, and the pieces each time we open this. This game offers a quick break between your heavier meeple-laiden board games so even after we've surpassed "newb" status, we often come back to this.

Castles of Burgundy I included as a final game because ultimately, we need a game with a strong theme and wonderful mechanics which offer replayability from a more traditional Euro point of view. This game really surprised me. I loved it the first time we played it, and though it may not hit the table but once every other month due to time constraints, it always feels like reuniting with an old friend. It offers a setup for further Euro games and sets the scene on what's really out there in weightier board games. I know there could be other games that fit this description, but at the price, this game is amazing for what it offers.

And that's the list. I know there are many criticisms of these games and I don't devalue those. All my favorites have points in them where they fall a little flat at times, or don't elicit the enjoyment I thought they might, but many times, it's usually my perception and frame of mind. I can often come back months later with renewed enjoyment for them, so trust me, I know there are imperfections; I just choose to ignore them for the post. These games, while some may take a bit longer to learn, offer a great springboard into board games and offer the new player a slow wade into the pool without feeling too slow or drab as one might feel with something like Settlers of Catan. Will I stand by this opinion in 5 or 10 years? We'll see.

As a board game geek I would suggest either Tsuro CDN 29.99 or Castle Panic CDN 34.99 from his Board Game list. Hopefully with the garbage pile it would be enough for one of those games. Both are excellent!

The board game I enjoy is Tsuro. It's so fun and you don't have to think about what you're doing until the end of the game. VERY easy to pick up

Get Bit

Tsuro

Walk the Plank

Bang! the Dice Game

Munchkin

all good options

/u/r2d8 getinfo

Most of our board game collection is based around what my wife and I play with our daughter. However, when my in-laws come into town we do find that some specific games work better than others with them.

• Qwirkle
  
• the Hare and the Tortoise
  
• Tsuro
  
  Oddly, in our case, Sushi Go didn't work well. I think the drafting game play made sense, but we couldn't get them past the theme (such as it is).

This was fun :)

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Bonus - hmmmm, this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SQBB3O/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_p6MODb4SWVV78

SPPrincesa is the goddess of all things board games.

Have you ever played Tsuro? It's a quick, fun game for 2-8 players. You lay down tiles and follow a path while trying to lead others off the board. It's simple, but it can get pretty competitive. You can accidentally run yourself off or run into someone else, which is an automatic loss. You can also run players into each other and knock two out at once.

There is another version called Tsuro of the Seas, which is an expanded, more complex version of the original. I hear it is quite fun, although I can't vouch for that as I've never played it myself.

Tsuro is so much fun. I especially like that it is quick. We can play several rounds in a short amount of time and there's no pressure if someone needs to step out for a round or two. My husband gets fiercely competitive with this game, which makes it hilarious if he ends up with a tile that will send himself off the board or into someone else.

Oooh! I like board games too!

The one I really want is Tsuro. Have you played it before?

Other ideas for you: Last Christmas, I got [this game] (http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-AG1250-Gloom/dp/158978068X/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1374258452&sr=1-1&keywords=gloom) for reddit secret santa-And it's AWESOME! There are expansions for Gloom too-if you have Gloom and expansions, I would recommend Cthulu Gloom!

Elephant barber.

I'm getting into board games in a big way and I've been wanting this one as it looks like fun! Tsuro: The Game of the Path by Calliope Games http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SQBB3O/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_unxTtb12CXK7G

Thanks for the contest!

My daughter absolutely loves playing Tsuro.

• King of Tokyo
  
  
• Smash Up
  
  
• Forbidden Island
  
  
• Tsuro
  
  
• Room 25
  
  All five of these games should meet your criteria quite nicely. I think all of them, except for Room 25, have also been featured on Wil Wheaton's Table Top, if you wanna check out what the gameplay actually looks and feels like.

HAPPY CAKE DAY!!!! I hope that it has been faboo and awesome for you!

Here is my item or this one if you wish, it's purple!!

Thanks for the contest!

Edit: I just saw that today is my cake day too! Yay for us!

As I said, already, for the top 10 games you can probably get a good deal online. But, stray from that and the deals aren't as big. My gaming habits tend more towards casual, family and friend style games, which may also make a difference.

Forbidden Island - 16%

Gloom expansion - 15%

Say Anything - 12%

Munchkin - 16%

Tsuro - 19%

MLP Trading Card Game - 9%

Bananagrams - 21%

Scrabble - 15%

Apples to Apples - 0%

Oz Fluxx - 23%

Those are the last 10 games I bought. The biggest percentage is 23%, and that was only a $3 difference. The biggest dollar difference was $5. For differences that small, i'll buy local. It supports the local guy and I get it now, not several days to a week from now.

Also, the reason I don't agree with the original statement is because (as is shown in my personal examples) the online prices aren't that much less for the games I have purchased lately. And, I have never called in to any of the local stores and found that they do not have something in stock that isn't also out of stock online. So, I also disagree with the assertion that they cannot compete for item availability.

Again, I use the bookstore analogy. Sure, I may be able to get a better deal for a book online, but it's not going to stop my from heading to Powells. And, except for the most obscure of titles, i'll probably find a copy of it at Powells.

Here's what I'd do if I had to rebuild a collection from scratch for $1k trying to have a wide variety of play styles:

7 Wonders $32.99
Agricola $45.79
Battlestar Galactica $39.97
Carcassonne $30.02
Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals$15.71
Dixit $22.65
Dominion Big Box $69.18 Prosperity is one of the best expansions; Alchemy is not, but you're pretty much getting it for free in this set.
Eclipse $61.49 It wouldn't be a board game library without a 4X game, and I think Eclipse is the best currently.
Eldritch Horror $40.47 - I love Arkham Horror, but Eldritch streamlines a lot of the fiddly rules of the original.
Formula D [$41.96] (http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-FDUSASM-Formula-D/dp/2914849648/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1395757676&sr=1-1&keywords=formula+d)
Gloom $17.98
Guillotine $13.52
King of Tokyo $30.19
Love Letter $9.34
Memoir 44 $47.43
No Thanks! $9.98
Pandemic $31.65
Power Grid $32.27
Puerto Rico [$31.20] (http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-195RGG-Puerto/dp/B00008URUT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395756360&sr=8-1&keywords=puerto+rico)
Race for the Galaxy $24.11
Resistance, The $17.99
Roborally $37.49
Settlers of Catan $37.99
Telestrations $19.99 Awesome and funny party game. My friends and I eventually tire of Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, but seldom do so with this.
Ticket to Ride $37.24
Ticket to Ride 1910 Expansion $18.21
Tsuro $24.22
Twilight Struggle $49.98
Village $35.47
Wits & Wagers $19.99

That comes up to $946.47; room for a couple more expansions or another game.

Oh, not as portable as a card game, but Tsuro is super easy, yet captivating.
https://www.amazon.com/Calliope-Tsuro-Family-Strategy-Board/dp/B002SQBB3O

Citadels, Tsuro, and 7 Wonders might be good for you guys to try.

Citadels is a game that can handle 2-8 players, and the structure of the game is rather different, making for more replayability, for differing numbers of players. http://amzn.com/158994030X

Tsuro is a simple but fun game (and the guys that make it are good people). http://amzn.com/B002SQBB3O

7 Wonders is a nice balance between strategy, complexity, and ease of play. It can seem complex at first play, but it doesn't take long to figure out and is a lot of fun. http://amzn.com/B0043KJW5M