(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best toys & games

What you call dropping and laying on his side is called a flop - that means your bunny is very happy and content and is a good thing. :)

Now if you would like to encourage him to play more - you will need to provide more toys and things for him to pay... bunnies are smart and keeping them entertained is important. I'll share some ideas below.

Providing more toys and enrichment ideas will really help with the chewing issue also as chewing the wrong thing is usually motivated by bored or frustration.

Get him also a stuffed animal to take some frustration out on and use as cuddle buddy - it should help him.

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Now having said this bunnies do need at least an xpen type space at all times to feel happy and have enough room to run - so at least 4 by 4 ft I think you already have this set up. But also you should let him out to explore each day for at least a couple of hours - exploring time is key and also a good time for you to spend time on the FLOOR with him bonding! They love it when human sits on the floor watching TV while they run around - he will for sure come to explore you and get yummies and pets from you. So time to explore and bond with him is really key.

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As far s picking up: Please don't. There are much better ways to cuddle! (below was written for a girl, but work for a boy just the same). Try some of those things and he will start coming up to you more to spend time with you.

I totally understand the need for grooming.. but you only do that on occasion right (like nails)? Other than than please stop picking her up. Don't train her to be handled, it doesn't work... you must do it sometimes and in those cases try to give a treat as a reward after to build clear positive associations with for example getting her nails cut, but otherwise avoid 100% picking her up - never for pleasure of just "training"...

All rabbits hate being picked up! They associate it with being snatched by a predator bird since they are prey animals. The more you pick her up the more she associates you with being picked up each time you are around and that is ruining her trust.

Now for how to best bond with bunnies, get their trust and for them for them to come without being picked up or chased.. it's quite easy to achieve this using the right approach. The right approach is simple - get down on the FLOOR at their level!

Cuddles and bonding is really best done on the ground at her level where you feel safe to her. Try to dedicate more time to her on the floor at her level - make her feel safe and like your respect what she liked and doesn't and I promise the aggressive behavior you are seeing will subside.

What works best with bunnies is always always letting them come to you instead of you going to them... silly as it is, that is what makes them feel most secure around anyone who is trying to bond with them. The best way to encourage them to do this is another silly thing - get on the floor. Literally just sprawl out and do your own thing and wait for her to come and explore you (I promise she will if you are patient). On the floor you are on her own level and you feel both safe and curious for them explore.

I would honestly suggest trying to really focus for the next few week on spending lots of time on the floor with her when you are home and let her out to explore so she can choose to come to you herself. You are already letting her explore so the net step is just to be on the floor yourself and be patient - she needs to see you in your world and feel safe about you. Watch TV on the floor and lean against the sofa for comfort or even when you are on your laptop. Basically just make a real effort to spend lots of time with her on the floor for a couple weeks and see if that makes a difference. Always let her come to you on his own terms when he feels safe, don't reach for her if you feel like she is not feeling safe in that moment (kind of anticipate her feelings)... some greens will help make you feel more inviting and attractive, and over time she will learn that humans mean yummies and they are safe and he will pop by for pets from you more often. :)

Watch a couple videos below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3rlWno7B8g - great video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9HcoC19h4 - another good video

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Toys:

As far as other things they would like, can I share with you some info I compiled below?

1. Bunnies like exporting type toys - tunnels, cardboard houses, willow and hay balls, chews, and treat puzzles . The two thread below have examples:
   
   1. https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/an8cut/rabbit_room_ideas/
      
   2. https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/ajf2vl/how_to_enrich_my_rabbits_life/
      
2. Also a couple suggestions below that are my personal favorites and all buns tend to enjoy:
   
   1. Treat/pellets ball - feed pellets in it vs a bowl
      
   2. Nesting cups - hide little treat bits between stacked cups, I have not met a bun who doesn't love these
      
   3. Plastic slinky - most buns love these
      
   4. Play house
      
   5. Dig box
      
3. Also try homemade things - the best I found was an empty egg carton stuffed wit favorite greens for him to figure out how to open. :)
   
   1. Or something like this https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/be338f/diy_pellet_dispenser/
      
   2. Or a homemade castle like this person did https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/bcl9p4/cardboard_castle/ - she has instructions on how to make one, send her a message.
      
4. Chew toys specifically - there are what you need to get to offer as alternatives to him chewing furniture!
   
   1. Willow and hay balls are great - good quality ones here https://shop.smallpetselect.com/collections/natural-toys-and-chews-for-rabbits
      
   2. They also have these logs where you can hide treats and pellets for fun - the bun would love to chew those I think and they last too. :)
      
   3. Great quality toys that are super fragrant and yummy to chew here https://www.farmerdavepetsupply.com/toys
      
   4. And thicker good chew sticks here https://www.farmerdavepetsupply.com/chew-sticks
      
      ​
      
      Now the other thing would be to get you little guy neutered... But I already mentioned it to you and you know to do when he is old enough. :)

Long post incoming; some of this stuff is copied from other posts I've made:

Getting into D&D is going to be a lot simpler and easier to rolling your own RPG system, unless the system you design is ultra simple and rules-light. And unless your friends happen to be game design experts or prodigies, what they come up with probably isn't going to be as fun, balanced or robust as a system designed and iterated upon by professionals and the RPG geek community.

D&D isn't rocket science, but the first few sessions will almost certainly be fraught with confusion, rules referencing, and/or people getting the rules wrong... but all that's OK. The key is to keep a relaxed attitude and for the DM err on the side of what seems most fun and entertaining. After a few sessions, everyone will probably have a decent grasp on the fundamental rules and things will go a bit more smoothly.

If you do decide to play D&D, you have to decide upon an edition to play, as there are several and they aren't compatible with each other. Right now the two most popular and recent editions are 3.5 and 4th edition. A 3rd party spin-off of 3.5 called Pathfinder is also popular. A big advantage to Pathfinder if you're on a tight budget is that pretty much the entire system is available online for free. For your conservative friends, the fact that it's not called D&D may also eliminate some of the social stigma, making it an easier sell.

My preferred edition though, and the one that is most newbie-friendly, is 4th edition. A slightly dated and incomplete overview of 4e's rules is available in this free quickstart guide. This tells you about 90% of what you need to know to sit down at a table and play as a player, and includes some pregenerated characters, but lacks the rules for character creation and progression.

A free 4e adventure, Keep on the Shadowfell can also be downloaded and perused by the DM, but KotS is not the finest example of adventure design, though you can find fan suggestions online to improve and tweak it.

As far as what products you should or need to buy, the Red Box Starter is probably the simplest and most straight-forward route. Avoid paying more than $25 for it new (a lot of 4e products seem to have spotty availability, which means sometimes they are overpriced).

Like the free quickstart guide, however, the Red Box does not you access to the full rules, but rather a simplified and stripped down overview. It almost follows the model of a choose your own adventure book in some respects rather than true D&D, which can make it a good stepping stone, though some players are impatient with it. It does, however, include some items that will remain useful to your game even when you outgrow the rules and content of the box: a double-sided poster map which can be reused, punch-out cardstock tokens to represent player characters and monsters and a set of dice. At $20 shipped, it's a good value if you feel your need a really gentle introduction into D&D.

However, if the members of your group are not averse to doing a couple hours of reading before their first adventure, and would rather skip the frying pan and jump straight into the fire, you can safely skip the Red Box.

What you really need is: a book that descriptions character creation and level 1-30 character options, an encounter design guide for the DM, a monster resource, plus some physical tools/props.

As for as the player resource goes, any one of the following will fulfill the need: the Player's Handbook, Heroes of the Forgotten Lands, Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms. I would recommend the latter two, as they are 4e "Essentials" products, which are more up to date and feature more newbie-friendly steamlined design. However, all of the books are compatible with each other, and you can use them all.

You also need a book that tells the DM how to design encounters, run skill challenges, and reward teh players. You have basically three options here: the Dungeon Master's Guide, the DM's Book from the DM's Kit or the Rules Compendium.

Each has their pros and cons. The DMG is written with the new DM in mind and gives you all the rules info you need that isn't include in the players' books, but as one of the originally published books in the edition, it's less refined and does not include the latest errata (which you can download online, though it's a bit of a pain to read through all of it). It's probably your least expensive option.

The DM's Kit seems to be out of print (or on a reduced print run) so it's selling at above retail price. IMO it'd be the best option for a new DM, as it contains useful goodies (tokens, maps, and two quality published adventures) like the Red Box, plus a more up to date version of the Dungeon Master's Guide. But if you have to pay $55+, that's kind of difficult to justify.

The Rules Compendium has all of the rules information a DM needs, and it includes most of the latest errata, and it's generally a handy reference that you'll probably want to get eventually anyway. The problem is just that: it's a reference, and is light on insight and advice on how to build entertaining adventures and run a fun game. Like the DM's kit, it may be out of print, but it's still a good value. The Rules Compendium may be the best option if you're willing to read forums and web sites for DMing advice, which can be system neutral.

The DM also needs a monster resource. Hands down, the best option here is the Monster Vault. It's basically a far superior revision of 4e's Monster Manual, and contains an adventure, a ton of tokens and a battle map to boot. It's a steal at $20.

Another recommended product would be a D&D Insider subscription, which will give you access to the Character Builder, which as the name implies, makes building/progressing characters a cinch, and the Compendium, which gives you access to every bit of crunch in the entire published history of 4e: all the classes, powers, feats, races, monsters, items, themes, etc. as well as a glossary which describes much of the rules. You also get access to Dragon and Dungeon magazine archives, which contains a lot of flavor, design advice, and many pre-made adventures (see this thread for some highlights). It also has a handy monster builder tool. A subscription is $10/month or less if you commit to a longer subscription. Getting one subscription and sharing it among the group can be worthwhile.

Finally, you also need some physical things:

• A sufficiently large playing surface and seating.
  
• Pencils, paper for character sheets.
  
• Dice. You could get by with a single set (including 1d20, 1d12, 1d10, 1d8, 1d6, 1d4) but you probably want a full set for every player plus some duplicates. A pound of dice would likely suffice.
  
• A blank/customizable gridded map. There are at least three good options for this:
  
• A basic Paizo flip mat to be used in conjunction with erasable markers
  
• Gridded easel pads which work equally well for preparing detailed, pretty maps before a session, or whipping up something quick and dirty at the table -- a single pad will last you a good long time. This is what I use.
  
• Gaming paper which is like a compromise between the previous two options.
  
• Miniatures, tokens or other markers to represent monsters. As previously mentioned, several 4e Essentials products include tokens (if you get the Monster Vault, you're set). You can also buy miniatures from gaming stores, on eBay, etc. or you can use just about anything that's roughly a square inch in diameter -- coins, polished stones used in aquarium bedding, dice (though this can get confusing), etc.
  
  Finally, as for convincing your friends, as you've said, D&D is essentially no different from Skyrim, World of Warcraft, etc. D&D is pretty much the granddaddy of those games. If you can tolerate the "occult" elements in those other games, there shouldn't be anything offensive about D&D. And ultimately, the DM and players have full control over what they want to allow in the game. Have a discussion and decide if there's any subject matter that is the party finds offensive and exclude it from the game (or re-fluff it so it it's not so offensive).

Made a board game sale list for Prime Day, figured I'd share. Bolded prices indicate all-time low on CCC:

• 7 Wonders | $28.99 | 3-7 players | ~30-45 Minutes | 7.8 on BGG - This is a fantastic game to introduce people to "tableau building" and "card drafting." If you're not familiar, a tableau is the cards in front of you that are part of your "engine" going forward, usually you will add cards to it that add synergy to your strategy. Card drafting is when players have a hand of cards, choose one, and then pass to the person next to them. This game can fit up to 7 and it doesn't really bog the game down. I'm not in love with this game, but at this price I think it's a very fair offering for a game that once taught and played once, flows really nicely and makes for a great game to drink and talk while playing rather than being buried in thought about what to do.
  
  
• 7 Wonders: Duel | $17.81 | 2 Players | 20-30 Minutes | 8.1 on BGG - This is a 2 player adaptation of 7 Wonders and it's quite a great version. Instead of card drafting by passing hands, there is a "market" that opens up further as more cards are chosen in which players take turns choosing from. It offers an intense 2 player back and forth of "chicken" in a way that flows nicely and culminates in a satisfying, even if sometimes mean, ending. Often credited as one of the best 2 player games out there, especially with expansions.
  
  
  
• Agricola | $32.89 | 1-4 Players | 30-150 Minutes | 8.0 on BGG - I have never played this but you can find lots of excellent discussion about this on BGG and /r/boardgames. Ultimately it's a beefier board game about managing your farm to take care of your family. Sounds thrilling right? Well apparently it really is. It's currently rated the 25th bestboard game of all-time, and is often mentioned among some of the great games out there. This is an excellent price for this game new, so if there's any interest, go watch a review of two.
  
  
• Carcassonne | $19.99 | 2-4 Players | ~30 Minutes | 7.4 on BGG - This is an excellent tile laying game for gamers and non-gamers alike. It's simple to teach, takes almost no time to set-up, and can easily be expanded to fit 5 players. If you end up loving this, there are many expansions for it to add depth, or silliness, whichever you prefer. This has become a staple in my circle of friends who don't really play board games because it's so approachable.
  
  
• Isle of Skye | $24.35 | 2-5 Players | 30-50 Minutes | 7.5 on BGG - I've never played this, but it's been on my list for a while as a tile laying game with more complexity than Carcassonne. I don't know much about it, but this is a great price and those with Irish heritage might love the theme. Edit: Well this is embarrassing, Isle of Skye is in Scotland, sorry for that.
  
  
• Pandemic: Fall of Rome | $27.99 | 1-5 Players | 30-60 Minutes | 7.8 on BGG - This is a variation of the much beloved game Pandemic. In this variation, you and up to 4 other players are taking control of Roman armies to defend against the oncoming tribes attempting to take over a weakened Rome. You will use your unique powers and randomly drawn cards to work together with the other players in this cooperative game. If you've played base Pandemic you will know what to expect, but this version has some cool thematic changes that have many reviewers calling it the second best iteration of the Pandemic series.
  
  
• Patchwork | $17.84 | 2 Players | ~20 Minutes | 7.7 on BGG - This is an excellent 2 player game using spacial skills to build out your quilt in a sort of "Tetris" way. You need to manage buttons (currency) and time to efficiently build your quilt with as little empty spots as possible. It's a darling of the community and designed by the great Uwe Rosenberg. People meme about it because it's often recommended, but there's a reason why it is.
  
  
• Photosynthesis | $21.11 | 2-4 Players | 30-60 Minutes | 7.2 on BGG - I've never played this, but it's quite a nice looking game on the table. It's about growing trees while using a limited amount of sunlight - or that's how it's been described to me anyway. I've heard that this game can get pretty cutthroat, especially at higher player counts, because of how limited the board space gets.
  
  
• The Castles of Burgundy | $19.20 | 2-4 Players | 45-90 Minutes | 8.1 on BGG - One of the finest board games I've ever played in spite of the ugly art and theme of it. Visually, I find nothing about this appealing, but the gameplay is so fantastic that I fell in love with it immediately. You have 25 turns in which you are using two dice each turn which are used to make decisions on how to build out your board to gain victory points. The actions are mostly easy to understand, and you're never screwed over by a bad roll because bad rolls can be mitigated via worker resources. There is a good amount of strategic depth to it, minor "meanness" in "screwing over" opponents, and I mostly feel happy with every round - it's a rare game of satisfaction each turn. My only complaint is that the yellow tiles are all unique which turns into a lot of, "What does that one do?" which is mitigated with player aides you can find on BGG. Warning, new print coming out this year that may or may not make the art look better, but the new print will have all expansions. With that said, for $19.20 this is a no-brainer if you want something more complex than something like Catan.
  
  
• The Quest for El Dorado | $19.99 | 2-4 Players | ~45 Minutes| 7.6 on BGG - This is a great deck-building racing game to get to El Dorado first. It's simple to learn and honestly my only complaint is that the game takes up a lot of space. The map is completely variable and there are some official variants in the book, as well as many others on BGG on the files section. If you enjoy the concept of building a deck to race through the treacherous lands to get to El Dorado, this is a great game. Warning, there is a new edition coming out with new artwork, so you may want to hold off.

You could go all in with an awesome collection of Cards Against Humanity!

It requires you to have a pretty twisted sense of humor but it's a ton of fun with friends.

You could check out Firefly the Game.

If you're a fan of the space opera, this is one of the more enjoyable games I've ever played.

If you really don't mind blowing 300 bucks, there's the Star Wars X-Wing miniatures game!

You take control of a spacecraft in the Star Wars universe and each game is like an episode of a Star Wars tv show, with a clear goal and twists and turns along the way as you try and accomplish that goal. The miniatures can get pricey but 300 bucks would get you started on a pretty sweet collection if you buy the smaller ships.

300 bucks would also get you started with the world's greatest trading card game: Magic the Gathering!

This classic card game has been around for over 20 years, features thousands upon thousands of cards to select from and, just like chess, takes 10 minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. For 300 bucks you could both have a gaming mat, plenty of dice, a kick-ass card collection and more than enough to start building multiple decks. Heck, you can just go and buy pre-made decks from a plethora of websites. Check out Youtube for suggestions on what formats you might enjoy, but kitchen table Magic the Gathering is VERY satisfying for two people.

Of course, if you really want an epic adventure, you could check out the bigger, meaner, older cousin of Magic the Gathering, and maybe the most infamous table top game in the world: Dungeons and Dragons!

A little more effort than most, but hugely rewarding if you have a colorful imagination and don't mind some simple math (most games requre SOME math, just look at Monopoly), and you have decades of books to explore, and many are available for pretty cheap from both used book stores and your local library (hopefully). This is a hobby that lasts for the rest of your life.

Like Dungeons and Dragons but want a more easy and accessible game to start out? How about [Muchkin!] (http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jackson-Games-1483SJG-Munchkin/dp/B004U7JJWE/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1462113434&sr=1-1&keywords=munchkin)

We're talking dungeons...dragons...knights in shining armor and a LOT of fun. It's a good start for tabletop gaming.

Of course, Tabletop gaming is pretty extensive when it comes to choices. Here are a few more to check out:

The Game of the Century: Settlers of Catan

Spooky fun with Arkham Horror!

Big Adventures: Small Heroes... Mice and Mystics!

Survive the Zombie Apocalypse with Dead of Winter!

Of course, like Levar Burton says, you don't have to take my word for it. Here is the awesome Wil Wheaton's Youtube series, Tabletop! He plays with his friends so you don't have to! This series is amazing at helping to decide which tabletop game might be best for your playing needs.

Need a little help deciding if Magic the Gathering is right for you? How about Spellslingers on Youtube! Game Guru Day[9] plays Magic with his friends. Not only is this a super easy way to learn the game, it's a lot of fun to watch.

Need a little help understanding Dungeons and Dragons? Give Critical Role on Youtube a listen!

Luckily, you happened upon a time where tabletop games are going stronger than ever so...good luck!

This is extraordinarily thorough. So thorough in fact, that you should also consider board gaming. Reading this, it just makes a lot of sense for you. I think board gaming would fit you like a glove.

1. Video games have moved away from couch co-op. You've made a great list here with a lot of solid points, but I doubt you would have ever reached your conclusion, had you considered board games. Keep Talking is certainly a good entertaining game, nothing against it. It's just, that game feels plucked like a needle out of a haystack. Like you've biopsied out a very small node from inside a large mass.

You don't really have this problem with board games. Literally every single board game in existence is designed to be played with people immediately around you. I hesitate to use the phrase "played co-operatively" simply because most board games are NOT co-operative - though there are notable exceptions like Pandemic or Ghost Stories. Both great games.

Board games use human beings as the engine the game runs on. That's not to say board games pit intellects against each other in some sort of valid competition of "who's the most smartest", but to say: humans are social machines and will surprise you with their grasp of system thinking. If I have five or six people in the room with me, I'd prefer the game that we're playing to exist in the head-space between us rather than on some electronic device.

People have come over to my house in the real world. Why not play a game with them that also exists in the real world? I can play videogames over online multiplayer until I'm blue in the face. Just last night I reinstalled Bad Company 2 and played with a few old college roommates. If I had those old friends over to my house, we'd play a board game. It seems crazy to me that someone has taken the time to drive over to your place and you set them down in front of a computer.

2. Because boardgames have always been designed around a social experience taking place in the real world, they're just better at it. This is definitely subjective. You can feel free to disagree with me all you want, but there are mechanics that I just don't see in videogames. Sure, I could load up Gremlin's Inc and replicate what is probably the best roll n' move game I've ever played, but roll n' move is a Monopoly era game genre. Board games can move past this.

You can't play Two Room's and a Boom on a machine. You can't play Bid n' Bluff games like Liar's Dice, Sheriff of Nottingham, or social deduction games like Coup or Love Letter. You can't play physical dexterity games like Jenga (still great fun btw), Flick em' Up, or Catacombs.

There are just games that play better with groups of people because they exist in the real world and make use of humans as the operating system.

3. Board games are much more open to much more people. I don't know about you, but in my experience board games are just more accessible to a wider range of people. I'm maybe going to get a round of Mario Kart out of the adults in my life that love me, but I've sat down with people over 50 and had a great time with Ticket to Ride. At family reunions I've enjoyed Dominion with young children and grandparents alike. Settlers of Catan, Blockus, and Carcassonne are all genuinely fun games I played to death with my family.

How crazy is that? I would really look forward to playing one of those games with my whole family. I can't think of even one videogame that fits that criteria.

4. Perhaps most simply, there are incredible games that just don't exist in videogame form - even though they could. Is the total conversion mod for Crusader Kings II not giving you that full heady Game of Thrones experience? Why not just play Game of Thrones. This is probably my favorite game and it's just not on computers. I can imagine a version of Cosmic Encounter played over online multiplayer, but why? It already exists in perfect form. If I want to play El Grande, or Arctic Scavengers, or Lords of Vegas - well . . . those games just don't exist as videogames.

5. Just honorable mentions. Seven Wonders. Splendor. Blueprints.


TL;DR. There are a ton of great board games out there and if you actually are struggling to think of something that you and your friends can enjoy together in the same room - maybe give it a shot rather than lament the lack of couch co-op in videogames.

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.

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.

Cardboard boxes with shredded paper, pieces of cardboard, paper towel rolls, and some hay stuffed inside with a tunnel attached is by far my buns' favorite toys. They love going in and ripping everything apart and finding hay/treats to eat. Bunnies love cardboard boxes in general. They'll rip them apart and move them around, chew on 'em, make hidey holes, climb on them. I'll even cut out some holes on the side of the boxes and stuff cardboard tubes frayed at the ends/stuffed with hay for them to have fun with.

Tunnels rank at number 2 favorite toy. Their favorite is the crinkley cat tunnels which have holes throughout them they can dart out. They like the crinkle noise too.

They love manipulating objects, hard plastic slinkies (not metal ones!) are fun for them ... and to watch, haha. Hard plastic baby rattles, baby keys, etc. Just no gel/soft plastic as it would be easy for them to bite and ingest.
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Toys_and_Games This has an awesome list of toys and also places to buy bun toys. I've bought cottontail cottages, activity tables, rosewood activity trees, etc--buns love them all! But they are expensive for sure. The activity tables last forever but it would definitely be cheaper to build one !

Oh, also--I would recommend games like the Teach N Treat for mental stimulation as well: http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-Living-World-Teach-Treat/dp/B004HYW9B8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393474030&sr=8-1&keywords=teach+n+treat

There are tons of dog and cat games like that too that buns will love: http://www.amazon.ca/Trixie-4594-Products-Solitaire-White/dp/B0057G1WT0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I346NPTH7GATHZ

Also they love moving around these treat balls when you stuff em with pellets: http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Toys-Treat-Inches-Colors/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393474058&sr=8-2&keywords=treat+ball

They love games that have anything to do with eating/end result being eating. :P

http://www.amazon.ca/Kitty-Mansions-Memphis-Tree-Beige/dp/B0043Z0EUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=IHU58PNBHRME6 CAT TREES! Build your own if you want! Make sure if you buy one to cover any non-safe bun material.

I also got them one of these: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0038B2EKM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00005C5H4/ref=oh_details_o02_s05_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Stack cups! Put treats between them and watch them knock them over and nom the treats. :)

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00000IZQP/ref=oh_details_o04_s01_i05?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They also like knocking these off.

http://www.amazon.ca/Super-Pet-Tropical-Fiddle-Stick/dp/B000HHO26E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I1Y9U0EEWOMV8N These things!

http://www.amazon.ca/Ware-711-Roller-Assorted-Colors/dp/B001CQFDJY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I3D5TZDNHU5HM8 This makes eating hay a bit more fun for them. :)

My boys love rolling around and destroying these: http://www.amazon.ca/Peters-Woven-Grass-Play-Ball/dp/B0009YJ3OG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I2VYO2771IW0LJ

Bunnies really enjoy long-term projects, which is why they like the dig boxes I described in the first paragraph so much. They dig and rearrange the boxes foreeever until I make a new one for them.

I decided to start collecting with Steam Siege and Generations. Figuring out the best way to keep stuff was daunting at first. After going through all of TCC's videos and lurking in this and the collection sub, this is the system I settled on:

-Each Set gets its own 1" binder. Be sure to use a D-ring style so the pages sit evenly on top of each other. I like these from Office Max/Depot because they open and close easily and have a pin-hole style of lock so it ensures alignment of the rings and minimizes catching pages.

--In the inside pocket of the cover, I put the Trainer's Guide from the ETB of the set, fits nicely in the larger of the 2 pockets. Make sure you don't put anything in the back cover's pockets, as that could make an uneven surface for your cards to rest on if you leave the binders on their sides.

--Then, each binder starts with a 4-pocket binder sheet to store one of each booster art for the set.

--After the booster page, I organize the cards by set number, starting with the core set followed by the parallel set. I use Ultra pro's 18 pocket side loading card pages for storing the cards. Pretty much hands down the best. I prefer the black backing and only want to put 1 card in each pocket. Nice fit, though I noticed some scratches/imperfections in clarity on the batch I got. Not a big deal for me, as they are still very durable, but may be for others.

---Basic cards go into a KMC perfect fit sleeve upside-down and then into the binder page. Good protection, tight fit, not too much cost. KMC's are pretty universally accepted as the best. As some have said, too tight a fit could damage a card, too loose and it wont fit for double sleeving. I've never had a KMC perfect fit that was too tight, maybe a little loose, but never tight that it could cause damage. Looser ones I just put to the side for storing non-foil cards and not for double sleeving.

---Any foil card (Holos, parallels, URs, SRs, etc.) go into a KMC perfect fit upside down, and then into a black KMC Hyper Mat before going into the binder. I usually double sleeve a stack of cards and then put them into a tight deck box or under a stack of books for a week or so to squeeze out all the air before putting them into the binder.

-Any extra cards then get stored in the ETB for the set they are from. Organize them however you like, but I keep one section for a playset of up to 4 of each card, and any copies above that go into a second 'trash/trade' section. Eventually I may put the playsets of 4 cards into penny sleeves just to keep things sorted more easily, but I don't have too much surplus yet to warrant it. Again, I always keep things ordered by set number.

--Here, any extra foil cards will get sleeved. Right now I am just using Ultra Pro's deck protectors since I ran out of perfect fits, but really don't like how they have the stippled surface on the inside of the sleeve as well. I can feel it scratching the edges/back of the card each time I sleeve one. Particularly valuable rares or holos may get double sleeved for better protection, but still get stored in the box.

-For actual play, I would stick to KMC hyper mats. Good shuffle feel, and last longer than the Ultra Pro's. I played a game with a buddy with my deck sleeved in the Ultra pro's and loved the shuffle feel, but the sleeves just break too easily if you catch a corner. Also they aren't opaque, KMC's are definitely the better looking.

What price range are you talking about? Here's some gifts divided into categories and price:

Lord of the Rings (Does she like LotR?):

• LotR Lego - You said she was smart and likes things to be clean, so I'm going to assume she likes decorating. And what's better than decorating your house with things you have built yourself? These sets range from $29.99 to $199.99. Check out the rest out!
  
• The One Ring - Ranges from $59.95 to $99.99. If she likes it, she will wear it multiple times a week.
  
• Arwen's Evenstar Pendent - Ranges from $72.99 to $149.00 (I like the higher end products myself). Subtle, fancy, and looks nice when going out.
  
• Sting - For the sword and the scabbard it's going to almost always cost around 174.98. Hang it on the wall, use it for home protection, it's shiny, ect.
  
  Games:
  
  
• Zombie Dice - BLARRGH BRAINZ FOR $13.13 ARRRUUGGH SUPER CASUAL FUNNY
  
• Munchkin - Very casual party game with lots of expansions. Listed at $24.95 on their website, but it usually will sell for ~$20 at your local Barnes & Nobel or Target.
  
• DOMINION - I bolded this suggestion because it is a card game and this is the Hearthstone sub-reddit. A brilliant German Board Game which invented the genre of deck-building games. Players draw 5 cards from their deck every turn, using the cards they draw to buy more cards for their deck. When they have no new cards to draw, they shuffle their discard pile back into the deck and keep on playing. If you enjoy the deck building element of any card game, this game is immensely fun. The base set is $30.30 on Amazon right now.
  
• Settlers of Catan - Want to get into more hardcore board gaming? This is the gateway game to start. Being another German Board Game, it focuses on non-combat economic decision making. That doesn't mean you cant screw eachother over, as in any good board game. The site asks for $42.00. Again, this game has a lot of expansions. I like the Star Trek Version which goes for $49.99.
  
  Other:
  
  
• Espresso Machine - Does she like Coffee? For ~$79.00 you could cut out Starbucks entirely from your life. If you go to Starbucks every other day, this will pay for itself in just over a month.
  
• Record Player - Nothing beats some nice Analog sound, it's so much more real to me. These vary all over in price depending on what you want out of it. Here's a really nice one for $150.98. Just go to BestBuy/Walmart to find one more precisely for what you're looking for. Here's one of my favorite records of all time. Here's a really sexy big band one.
  
• Wacom Tablet - Is she artistic at all? One of these for ~$229.99 and she'll be able to draw beautiful things on her computer.
  
• A good memory - Take her on a nice date. Inform her she will need to dress well and rent a tux. Go out to an expensive local restaurant and split a meal. Both walk in overdressed and own it. Watch the sun set. Go home, pour her some wine and give her a massage. Bathe each other. Watch her favorite show all night. Go out for breakfast and watch the sun rise. Something different; something exciting! Live life in a routine? CHANGE THE ROUTINE. She will not forget it and this is the best gift you can give her.
  
  These are my main suggestions, for everything else there's Think Geek. But really, browse this site.
  
  ^^Moved ^^from ^^your ^^original ^^comment ^^to ^^the ^^thread, ^^as ^^was ^^original ^^intended ^^location.

I can understand why you would come here, but to Monopoly is to board game nerds what Call of Duty is to video game nerds. Many a time have we here on /r/boardgames told people "I like to play board games" only to get the painful, cringe worthy response, "Oh, like Monopoly?"

I in no way mean to criticize you for enjoying Monopoly. Board games are awesome, and anyone can like any game they so choose, however, you may find that many people here very much dislike Monopoly and don't want much to do with it.

I would suggest instead, you get your hands on a "designer" board game (they can be quite cheap!) and join us in the wonderful hobby that is board games. Generally regarded as "the" starter game, [Catan] (http://www.amazon.com/Mayfair-Games-MFG-3071-Edition/dp/B00U26V4VQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1462063793&sr=1-2&keywords=settlers+of+catan) is loads of fun, provided you have 2-3 friends to play it with and a little under 40$ to spare.

As a personal recommendation, my first board game that got me into the hobby was [Betrayal at House on the Hill] (http://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-At-House-Hill-2nd/dp/B003HC9734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462063949&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+at+house+on+the+hill). Again, all it takes is a few friends and a little under 40 bones. I personally like this game due the board game being totally unique every time you play it and with 50 different stories to play, I'd gladly play a game right now, and I've easily had 30+ playthroughs.

Of course, you could go with an even easier "start-up" cost and go with another favorite of mine, [Love Letters] (http://www.amazon.com/Alderac-Entertainment-Group-5104AEG-Letter/dp/B00AGJ4HC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462064185&sr=8-1&keywords=love+letters). This one is exceedingly simple to learn and very quick to play and only requires one friend (though I find it a lot more fun with three or four friends (preferably drunk ones ;))). To top it all off, it isn't even ten dollars, I'd bloody send you a copy if it got you into board games, lol.

Anyway, I kind of started to ramble a bit, but it's a mega fun hobby and you should definitely get into it.

Glad to hear it.

On the inevitable Painting supply questions that will be coming shortly...

Do you plan to paint like the box art for your army? or going to do your own thing?

Paint:

• While Games Workshop paints are pricey per volume, but are great for getting started. Well organized and lots of great resources out there to learn how to paint with them to get results that are close to the box art of your faction.
  
• Vallejo or Army Painter are great alternatives if you don't want a 100% match with the box art style colors. So great if you want to do your own thing. Army painter makes a great starting set with 50 paints at under $2 a bottle. (https://smile.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/)
  
• Wherever you go with for main paint supply... if looking to save time, and arguably improve the finish of your models I highly recommend the colored primers form Army Painter or Game Workshop colored undercoat sprays.
  
  
  Brushes:
  
  
• Regardless of what you get, you'll want some of The Master's Brush Cleaning Soap.
  
• I'm a fan of Zem brushes, they aren't terribly expensive and are a step up from throw aways, while getting close to the higher end Kolinski hair brushes. Synthetic Assortment for Base Coating and Drybrushing Then also get Zem Kolinsky for glazing, shading and detail work.
  
• Others prefer bulk throw away brushes as you can get a fresh tip for every model. Then you don't need to bother with the soap. 50x 10mm throw aways
  
• Games Workshop brushes aren't bad either if you want to stick to the exact Guides. But very expensive for what you get.
  
  Glue:
  
  
• You'll want both Plastic Glue, Super Glue, and some PVA (Elmers Glue).
  
• For Plastic Model assembly, my preferance is Games Workshop Plastic glue, but Testors and Army Painter Plastic Glue have works well too.
  
• Super Glue for Glueing models to the base, or working with resin/extra bits. I'm enjoying how quickly the combination of Army Painter Super Glue and "Magic" kicker are setting.
  
• PVA is used often in decorating your bases with sand/rocks/sprigs of grass.
  
  Model Fixes:
  
  
• Greenstuff and/or Vallejo Plastic Putty can be used to help fill cracks, repair models, and do a bit of kitbashing. So you can customize your models a bit for your own taste or weapon setups.

Well, as far as silly card games go, I'm partial to We Didn't Playtest This At All and Fluxx which support 2-15 and 2-6 players respectively. Both games can be really quick or take a while, but I've always found them to be great fun, and they both have a bunch of expansions, if you find that you like them.

Of course, if you want to delve into the world of board games, I'm a big fan of co-op games like Castle Panic and Pandemic. In Castle Panic, you work together to defend a castle from oncoming hordes of monsters and in Pandemic you need to cooperate to keep viral epidemics under control while finding a cure. Castle Panic is great fun, a simple game, and easy to get into, but I've never found it an easy game to win which keeps it fresh. Pandemic is a bit more complicated, requiring a lot of strategy and cooperation, and it can be brutally difficult at times, but that just makes winning all the more satisfying.

If you and your friends like a little friendly competition, I'd suggest something like 7 Wonders or Bang!, which was the game that got me started down this path. In 7 Wonders, you draft cards to build a civilization and compete for victory points. It may seem a little complicated at first, but once you play a game or two, it really starts to shine. In Bang!, you enter the wild west where one of you is the sheriff, and the rest of the players are deputies, outlaws, or renegades, each with their own win condition. The thing with this one is that everyone's role except the sheriff's is hidden. You can play Bang! with as little as 3 players, but it really only gets good if you have 5 or more.

If you want to do some research on your own, check out /r/boardgames or http://boardgamegeek.com/ which has a pretty comprehensive database of all the board games out there with ratings and reviews.

Sorry for the unoriginal suggestions but they are unoriginal for a reason.

Tiny Epic Kingdoms. The game might have been over hyped just a bit but it's still an excellent portable game that has a lot to offer.

It's light enough for new boardgamers and is an excellent introduction to the 4X genre which most newcomers haven't played or even knew existed!

Citadels. The box it usually comes in is way too big for the game. It's a deck of cards, a bag of coins, and a starting player token. I love this game. It's simple to learn and yet really deep and strategic. Plays well from 2 to 5 players. Don't even try 6 or 7 even though it's possible. It drags the game down to a halt.

Hanabi. Excellent excellent strategic game. Very simple to learn, cheap, tiny package. A deck of cards and a handfull of tokens. Plays excellent with 2 to 5 players.

Jungle Speed. Really fun dexterity game. Bunch of cards and a wooden "totem". Most editions come with this small bag.

Hive Pocket. Such a great game you can play nearly anywhere. One of my very favorite games. Only 2 players though.

Most would tell you that Love Letter is a good choice. Personally I never liked it. Neither did my GF or my friends to be honest. But it's so widely recommended it's probably worth the risk.

But don't buy the Kanai Factory Limited Edition (the black and white box)! Most reviews will tell you the gameplay doesn't differ (a lot) but that one card that is different makes all the difference in the world. If you plan to buy Love Letter buy the Tempest edition. It's also a lot more compact.

$15 - Codenames is a great party game where you have to use one-word clues to communicate to your teammates which words you must guess in order to win. It's a race against time because both teams are trying to find all of their words first, but one word is an assassin, and by choosing it, your team loses immediately. It's creative and stressful. Really fun, for $15.

$33 - Ticket to Ride is a classic that lots of people love. It's relatively simple, and has up to five friends placing trains on tracks, trying to complete their routes around the US. It teaches quickly, has some opportunities to mess over other players, and is pretty and plays fast.

$30 - Splendor is a fast, strategic, card-buying game. Players take turns grabbing gems to eventually purchase cards, that act both as points and gems. It's great and hilarious in hindsight, because you realize everyone sat in utter silence for a half hour, because for some reason, Splendor makes people quietly brood and think and be silent. Occasionally, you might take the last gem someone else needed, and they burn inside, sometimes letting out a long, long sigh. It's a wonderful, pretty, well-produced game.

$22 - Sheriff of Nottingham is a 3-5 player, bluffing, negotiation game. Players try to get chickens and apples into town, while smuggling extra goods and contraband. Player rotate as the sheriff, and must be bribed with goods or coins, because if the sheriff decides to check their bag, and they lied about the contents, that player loses what they lied about. It's sweat-inducing, and makes for lots of riotous laughter and shouting. Also beautiful and easy to learn. Great game.

Join us over on /r/boardgames because that's where I learned a lot about modern board gaming. It's an amazing hobby that's growing quickly.

I started off playing the tabletop Dungeons and Dragons board games like The Legend of Drizzt, Castle Ravenloft, and Wrath of Ashardalon. These games are great because you can play with anywhere between 2-5 people and you don't need a dungeon master. They come with around 40 plastic miniatures, board pieces, premade adventures, and everything else you need to get started, and they're great because you can mix the pieces between the games if you buy more than one.



These games are great because they can get you into D&D without all the set up and keeping track that you have to do with a regular game.

Once you've played one of those a few times you should move on to real D&D. I suggest doing this by trying to finding a starter set for the edition you want to play, or, even better, by finding a friend who plays.

Now this is only really if you want to play D&D and that's just what I'm suggesting because that's what I have experience with and I know it's a lot of fun. If you, or anyone, chooses to start playing D&D or any game I would suggest buying your materials from a local game shop instead of online. If you can afford it (prices will probably be a little higher) and you can find one near you it's a great investment. Not only can you ask the employees for advice, but often there will be a ton of great people willing to play with you, as long as you sort through the neckbeards of course. Also you'll be supporting those local shops, and you'll help keep them in business, which helps paper and pen RPG's survive, and helps everyone have just a little more fun.

Good luck and happy dragon slaying!