Smartphone Games bring people closer?
According to new research, playing games on mobile phones can increase the quality bonding for the family.
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Do you play the board game “Carcassonne”? It’s now mobile!
3 days ago, exozet games and AMA announced the release of their mobile version of the board game Carcassonne – for Android, BlackBerry and Java mobile devices only. [No doubt, at some point in the not too distant future, it’ll also be available on iPhones – I hope so, anyway!]
So would you, as a lover of Carcassonne, consider playing it on your mobile? I’m going to give it ago – when it’s released for the iPhone. We really enjoy playing Carcassonne and friends have visited the fortified Cite de Carcassonne and it’s an amazing place – well worth the trip to France, which is of course, where the game derives.
Anyone who has a chance or temptation to play the mobile game, give us your feedback.
Click here to read the full press release.
Read MoreDo wireless games count as unplugged? New “intelligent blocks” questionable ……..
Are electronic cubes the future of table-top games? It’s a new concept in games – not a board game, no cards or dice. And they are in fact, mini computers that talk to each other when within a few inches of each other.
The Cubes look like a lot of fun and cost $149 for the set of 3 Cubes then $45 for each additional Cube.
Read more about the unplugged, wireless Cubes.
Read MoreSeries : What’s the name of the game?
Even though it’s summertime and we should all be outdoors walking, playing games, swimming or picnicking and generally having lots of fun, there will be days that are rainy. If you live in the UK, rain is certainly something that shouldn’t depress you or be unexpected! It’s something we’ve all come to accept.
On a rainy day, playing board games, card games and table-top games is the perfect way to have fun with friends and family indoors – in a tent, caravan, living room or hotel room!
If you have time, you can play quizzes too and I’ve devised a quiz called “What’s the name of the game?” whereby I describe a well-known game – it can be a board game or a game of tennis – in 5 or 6 clues and you have to guess the name of the game before you get to the last clue. The winner is the person who guesses the quickest.
The answer to each quiz is at the end of the clues, so who ever’s reading out the clues can’t play that round! I’ll be publishing some new “What’s the name of the game?” quizzes over the next few weeks so watch this space.
Clues: Quiz 1
This is a board game.
This game is based on a popular television series.
This is a game of strategy.
This game is for 2 – 8 players.
This game uses cards and a dice.
This game includes role play with characters.
This game was launched in 2006.
The game play is to take “leadership” from other players.
This game takes place on an island.
Answer: Lost
Clues: Quiz 2
You can play this game with 2 or more players.
It is not a board game.
It can be played indoors or out.
One player counts to 20.
The other players have to hide.
Answer: Hide and Seek
Clues: Quiz 3
This is a board game.
This game uses tiles.
This game was published in 1948.
This game is for 2 people.
This game has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
This is a game where you spell words .
Answer: Scrabble
Clues: Quiz 4
This game is for 2 teams of 2 or more people
This game is played indoors or outdoors
This game is not a board game
This game uses a bat
This game uses a ball
This game has bases
Answer: Rounders or Baseball
Read MoreAnother Monopoly take-over….
This week AC/DC bring out their very own Monopoly board game, where players buy and sell their albums and the counters are representations from some of their songs.
Yet another Monopoly collectible, AC/DC follow in the footsteps of The Beatles, KISS and The Rolling Stones. Who’d have thought that such a hard-hitting collection of word-renowned rock musicians would end up on Monopoly boards!
Sounds like really great fun and definitely a present worth giving to AC/DC fans. Apparently it’s for sale on their website but I’ve just scanned thoroughly and can’t find it. Here, you give it a go at the AC/DC official website ………
If you can find the game, can you post it on the comments please. I know someone who really wants an AC/DC Monopoly game as a collectible!
Read MoreWhat to do with the kids……….
Yesterday, the results of a report from What to do with the Kids [WTDWTK™] was published and many of the global parents who took part in the research, commented that many of the traditional games they played as children, contributed to their creativity, motor and cognitive skills, and communication skills.
From the research, WTDWTK™ reports that the top ten games that children should be playing are skipping, Lego, building blocks, Monopoly, tinkering toys, jacks, snakes & ladders, Chinese Checkers, Scrabble and jigsaw puzzles.
They’ve gone on to compile a list of suggested games or things to do that aren’t electronic or related to the internet, such as riding a bike, pogo sticks, hula hoops, hop scotch, hide & seek or Tag; blowing bubbles, playing marbles, flying a kite and hangman.
Well, whilst these all sound terrific fun, some people think children have a much greater choice of things to do than two generations ago. Mike Morin wrote an article yesterday about this very thing . He says that kids nowadays have all the above games but also have the electronic games, music, watching live sports, playing xBox or using the Wii.
I do think kids have much more choice nowadays, and that it’s us parents who are sometimes the lazy ones who can’t be bothered to go out on the bikes, or play hide and seek or marbles or board games. It’s all too convenient sometimes to give in to playing Wii or video games or a Walt Disney movie.
Some people have started having family and friends’ games nights. Perhaps this can also be mimicked with a family bike ride day, or summers evening walk night and then include a family Wii night!!!
What will you be doing with your kids this summer?
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Play board games – make friends, have fun, be unplugged!
Board games are a fun way to bring together your friends, family and community. Why not unplug your TV’s, sterio, radio, x-box, computers and laptops and turn off your mobile phones. Get some favourite snacks and bring out the board games! Start off with a Board Game Night once a week and see where you go from there. Tell your friends and neighbours about what you’re doing and they may well like to do the same!
10 Tips on Setting Up a Board Game Night
Here’s a few tips on how you go about setting up a Board Game Night:
- Decide as a family or group of friends, which night of the week is best for you all to get together. Involve everyone in the planning process.
- Decide if you’re going to rotate the venue, or perhaps it has to be held at one person’s home because of babysitting or being a carer.
- Whichever the case, everyone contributes games and refreshments for the Night.
- Get everyone to put it in their calendars!
- Choose which games you’ll play for the first four games nights.
- As a group, you may like to extend the evening having drinks at a bar or if a young family perhaps making a special dish for supper every games Night.
- Design a scoreboard where all scores can be kept.
- You can even decide to give prizes to winners.
- It’s really important to remind everyone about the games Night.
- Perhaps your group might like to either compete with a neighbouring group from time to time bringing along a healthy competitive spirit or you may like to invite other groups to your Board Game Night.
You know the benefits to sharing some of your free time with you family and friends playing board games, I’m sure. But just in case your memory has lapsed a little, you’ll find them below.
Have a read to remind yourself why it’s important to have this time together!
- Life Skills are developed playing board games such as perseverance, loyalty, patience and teamwork.
- Laughing releases stress and anxiety! There are actually laughter classes you can go to that teach you to laugh – but why go to a class when you can laugh and have fun at the Games Night.
- Bonding with family and friends is a very important part of growing up and if this isn’t shown in childhood, how can we bond as grown-ups? Getting together to play board games really nurtures bonding with family and friends.
- Education through playing board games is a fun way to teach spelling and math; learn about money matters; and about global affairs.
Go on, start a trend – meet friends, enjoy family time together.
Read MoreTictactactic: the new table-top board game with balls!
Okay, a blatant plug but just to let you know, we’re running a Tictactactic tournament at the So Board in Bristol event this coming Sunday, 30th July. Details can be found on their Facebook page here.
This is an invitation to come along and have a go at playing the new tactical table-top board game “Tictactactic”. It’s fun and skilful all rolled into one, and is great fun for all the family to play.
If you’re not in the Bristol area, not to worry. We’re coming to a number of events all round the UK which will be announced on our Facebook page.
If you want to get a head start, click here to read the rules of the game. They are quite simple and start at Level 1. Further levels will be available with slightly different rules. You can also click here to watch an instructional video that’ll really help you master this table-top board game.
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Learn to Play on a Giant Chess Game
What better way is there to grow your business? Teach your prospective customers how to use or play with your products! And that’s exactly what one business owner started doing and ended up giving lessons at a college!
Christian Whitted of Brooklyn, New York has developed a community feeling in his New York Chess & Games Shop where children and grown-ups can play games and also be taught how to play games.
The idea of having a “community” play area, came about when Christian started listening to what his customers really wanted and what they wanted was a place to play games.
This has now become a popular way of attracting new players and customers to games shops all over the globe. It would be nice to see some more popping up in the UK.
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£2 m to pass Go – Wow! how times have changed…….
One of the most globally popular board games, Monopoly has made several changes to the London based board and London City Airport along with Canary Wharf are now star attractions for the property tycoon players of this iconic game.
The Docklands
The Docklands in London were devastated during the second world war and became a ghost area, with thousands of homes being bombed and quite literally the poorest of the poor left homeless. With promises of re-housing, many of the original families from the Docklands were re-housed all over London and never saw friends or neighbours and often family ever again.
Canary Wharf appears for the first time on the London Monopoly board, replacing Northumberland Avenue. Canary Wharf now houses some of the world’s most prestigious banks and this in turn with London City Airport, ExCel Exhibition Centre and the 02 have attracted London’s nouveaux riche to buy riverside apartments and penthouses.
Another change is that when you pass Go you now receive £2m and not £200 which is more in line with London property prices. Wow! How times have changed.
City Airport
Richard Gooding, CEO at London City Airport said it was a “great honour” to be featured. “It is undoubtedly an iconic game and always features London’s most famous landmarks, so it is definitely a sign of the changing times to see east end locations like London City Airport appearing on the board,” he said.
“The airport has been an integral part of London’s growth for years, but you know you’ve really made an impact when you appear in Monopoly!”
A modern and still exciting game, Monopoly maintains its status as a global wide family game frequently bringing out new editions.
Enjoy!
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