I started this year playing Bananagrams.
I’m not trying to be quirky here – I literally started the year playing Bananagrams. I hadn’t heard of the game ’til five minutes before we started playing (didn’t stop me from winning the first round, tho #blessed), but there I was, New Year’s Eve, a couple of friends and I, playing Bananagrams. My family has this weird belief that says that the way you start the new year will determine how you spend said year. I went to a party immediately after that scene – but I did start the year playing board games. And considering how many times I’ve player Settlers of Catan since then, I gotta say – my stupid family tradition may have a point.
Have you been playing board games? Are you even a board game fan? Are you more of a cards/dice person, or do complicated rules and colorful pieces appeal to you?
In case the latter is true, here are our top 5 local suggestions for you to pull out next time you and your roommates/significant other/etc. feel like you cannot possibly watch another episode of Netflix. Or in the event that you’ve already gone through this huge list of what to consume.
1. El Melómano
The game for music lovers, “El Melómano” offers a series of cards that have a fragment of a song with some words missing. Players need to complete (and sing) the lyrics and answer a few questions about that song or the band that plays it. As they advance, they will earn platinum disks, and the first person to earn 3 of them, wins. Songs are (of course) in Spanish, and range from the romantic bolero (thx, Luis Miguel) to classic rock to Gilda.
Play if: you want to listen to your friends scream their heart out to most unusual tunes.
2. Amigos De Mierda
A fairly simple game that will bring out the worst in all of you <3. Each card offers a question that needs to be answered at the same time by the entire group, for example: “If we were all rockstars, who would be the first one to OD?”. Once the question is posed, you’ll all point to the person – and the first person to be chosen 5 times by everyone but themselves, wins!
Play if: you want to really understand the phrase, “With friends such as these, what do I need enemies for?”
3. El Cinéfilo
“El Cinéfilo” brings us nostalgic pre-pandemic vibes by telling us that the winner will be the person that can fill up a movie theater (represented by a cardboard board). The way to play is simple: each card shows a scene from a movie (with certain details removed) and you need to guess the right movie and answer a few questions about it. Depending on how many questions you get right (you could get 3 out of 5, 4, or all 5) you will get one movie ticket belonging to one of the three categories that will allow you to start completing your board. You need three tickets for each category (so, 9 tickets in total) to complete the board and win the game.
Play if: you want to dive into the nostalgia of when we were allowed to go to the movies </3.
4. Fumanyi
Now, do not let this be read as us endorsing the use of recreational marijuana. However, understanding that this may be something some of our readers are into, here’s a game that pairs perfectly well with it. “Fumanyi” offers a series of cards with different instructions that will direct different people to take a drag. The person to take the last one, wins!
Play if: you’ve taken a “California sober” approach to life.
*Note, this game should not be played by people outside your bubble during a pandemic. That said, we fully support house mates toking together.
5. No Lo Testeamos Ni Un Poco
A game that doesn’t make a lot of sense, “No lo testeamos ni un poco” is a great idea if you’re not looking for a strategy game. The reasons that make you win (or lose) are as random as they come: your height, a game of rock-paper-scissors, you name it. You’ll first receive two cards and each turn, you’ll take one more from the pile. After taking one from the pile, you’ll play one of your cards and follow those instructions (which, as previously stated, are very random) until you’re either eliminated or the last one standing.
Play if: you sucked at chess and want a chance of winning through a mixture of questionable abilities and sheer dumb luck.