Game Quickies - 3/3

Saga  —  It's the classic War, updated with multiplayer capability, resource management and region bonuses, in a nice-looking and quick-playing package.


Screaming Eagles  —  The board and mechanics come together well, and after some tweaking, we enjoy pulling this out when we're in the mood for light Battletech action.


Shazaam!  —  A card- and resource-based duel for two players that contains more depth than is apparent at first blush.


Simply Catan (etc)  —  One of the German staples.  Some love it, some think it's not a bad way to spend some time and some are opposed (though maybe her husband should'nt've cut her off.)


Sorry! Sliders  —  It's basically the board game version of shuffleboard with a few variants thrown in along with the ability to handle two additional players.


Sword & Skull  —  It's like the roll-and-move games we grew up with, but better (read: more in-depth).  Just remember: only two hands, so only two weapons.


Tangoes  —  It's Tangram with the additions of two larger right angle triangles with hypotenuse of sqr(2) and the ability to play an opponent.


Ticket to Ride  —  When coupled with the 1910 expansion, this is the game i'd blindly recommend.  Use 1910's Big Cities variant for tighter two-player games.


Topple  —  A simple balancing game, but between the die and the scoring, it's surprising engaging.  With 3p, place/score a 4th color piece on a six (if available).


Travel Blokus  —  For two-player Blokus games i prefer using a fifteen by fifteen area on the regular board, but this is so much easier to carry around and find play space for.


Uno  —  I still have the deck i grew up with, and it shows its age enough that i had to break out the spare.


Up the River  —  A light racer that isn't strictly role-and-move, though i recommend replacing the die with Marrakesh-based tokens.


Upwords  —  Basically Scrabble Lite due to the simpler scoring and more placing options.  I have the 8x8 board, so think it plays best with two, though i'm not adverse to more.


Waterworks  —  A nice take-that pre-tile race-ish game that lives up to nostalgia, though i recommend the original rules as the reprint relaxed the challenge.


Yahtzee  —  One of the few games that's truly multiplayer solitaire, and so is better with less players than more.  Still should be a staple, though.


Zombietown  —  I really like it, but i'm a fan of free-form games.  The main site has updated rules, a FAQ, and my player aid: http://www.twilightcreationsinc.com/en/boardgames/zombietown.html