Surely it’s happened to you more than once: you arrive at a game night at someone else’s house and all they have are a couple of board games from the 80s, an unopened Settlers of Catan, and the classic deck of cards for playing mus. The downside is that this night might not be the most fun of your life. The upside is that you have an excuse to give whatever gifts you want for many future Christmases. Because we’re going to explain why these 5 games are outdated… and what to replace them with. Let’s get to it!
Monopoly
Let’s be honest: it’s always been boring. Buying streets, putting up houses and hotels, spending hours rolling dice and not getting anywhere while there’s a constant flow of money (and yawns) until some go bankrupt and others succeed. And the best way to replace Monopoly isn’t with a new version, no.
What you should play instead: ‘Machi Koro’, a game that is also about buying places, building, saving, and plundering your neighbors’ wallets, but for much less time, much better themed, and more fun. And if you like it, moreover, there’s the ever-appreciated Legacy version, where everything changes every time you sit down… forever.
Trivial Pursuit
Sure, yes, Trivial Pursuit will never go out of style, remaining as entertaining as it is cultural and iconic. However, if someone catches a good streak, you can spend minutes and minutes watching them answer question after question while others get bored, especially when a wrong answer sets them back in the game. Fortunately, there’s a good alternative.
What you should play instead: ‘Smart 10’, where you have to answer a question with multiple possible correct answers. One person plays first, then the other, until both fail or withdraw. Much more agile, quick, and, dare I say it, fun.
Risk
It’s not a bad game at all, and among the classic basics, ‘Risk’ is one of those that withstands the test of time best. However, once you’ve played a dozen games, you won’t want to bring it out again because it’s basically the same thing over and over. There’s a better option, in this case, without straying from the same series.
What you should play instead: ‘Risk Legacy’. Even those who are most tired of the original board game have to recognize that this is something else. A board and rules that continually change, including missiles, defeated factions, forcing you to come up with new strategies all the time. In the end, you’ll be playing something completely different from the original ‘Risk,’ and you’ll end up being grateful for it.
Cluedo
On paper, ‘Cluedo‘ is the ultimate game, blending logic, fun, and mystery in a delightful tabletop whodunit. But when it comes down to it, it’s about asking the same questions repeatedly and having more luck in the answers than the person next to you. It was great for its time, but nowadays, you’d be better off getting…
What you should play instead: ‘Mysterium’. One player takes on the role of the murder victim, giving other players ghostly clues by indicating images related to their death. Collaboratively, the detectives will have to figure out what happened. It’s a much more enjoyable twist, with artwork on the cards that’s sure to captivate you.
Scrabble
Spell out letters, form words, rack up points, reach the multipliers, and let the person next to you ruin your perfectly crafted strategy. ‘Scrabble’ continues to make waves with its iconic letter tiles and their values. However, time has passed, and there have been evolutions that might suit you much better.
What you should play instead: ‘Bananagrams’. It’s essentially ‘Scrabble’ but individual, with no value assigned to letters, just aiming to be quicker than your rivals at finding words. It doesn’t matter if you can’t create “Esternocleidomastoideo”; “uno” will do just fine if it helps you finish with all your letters before the others. A must-play.
