She spoke in depth with Jon Freeman, a clinical psychologist and neuroscience researcher turned founder of the board game cafГ© The Brooklyn Strategist Joey Lee, lecture professor and director for the Games Research Lab at Columbia University Joe Wasserman, a board games and learning researcher at West Virginia University and the team behind The Rules Girl, a rules-explainer video series. Scoring can be tricky, but as Wirecutter writer Alex Arpaia noted, вЂњThe game includes some handy scorecards for the purpose, and a step-by-step guide in the rulebook.вЂќ Alex said she frequently referred to the guide and the smaller cheat sheet when playing.Д«ecause so many amazing games are published each year, Wirecutter writer Anna Perling asked several professionals for their recommendations and to help us establish criteria for what makes a great game. And while trading can get heated in Catan, in 7 Wonders neighbors cannot refuse a trade, and it doesnвЂ™t consume their resources-both parties benefit. Even though 7 Wonders is competitive, itвЂ™s not divisive: вЂњThe rules encourage you to scuttle cards that your neighbors might want, but they wonвЂ™t know youвЂ™ve done it, so it doesnвЂ™t encourage board-game-night fights,вЂќ said Wirecutter editor Kimber Streams. It adapts for two players, too, but we think the game is more entertaining and interactive with more people. We thought 7 Wonders was fun with the maximum number of players as well as with four players. Why itвЂ™s great: This gameвЂ™s high strategy level means it can take a few rounds to master, but the rules are easy to grasp, and the rounds donвЂ™t drag on-with only 18 turns, the game is true to its 30-minute estimate. If youвЂ™re looking for board games designed with preschool and elementary-school kids in mind, take a look at our guide to board games we love for kids. (Board game publishers print games in limited runs, so if you canвЂ™t find one of our picks at a major retailer, a local shop may have it to buy or to play.)ДЄlthough our picks are geared toward adults, most are family-friendly. And, for more ideas, we encourage you to explore board game forums and to visit your local board game cafГ©, store, or bar for personalized recommendations based on your skill level and interests. We didnвЂ™t include old-school classics (like Monopoly) or challenging enthusiast fare (like Scythe, which we do love), but our Competition section lists many other notable games.

This guide is a starting point to discovering games that are fun, interactive, and challenging, and our picks are a great introduction for anyone looking to get more into games. To find some of the best, we spent 70 hours researching 128 games, played 17 top contenders with 26 people, and interviewed board game experts, including a Columbia University ludology professor, the owner of board game cafГ© The Brooklyn Strategist, and the team behind The Rules Girl video series.Д«oard games are for everyone, so we have picks for new gamers and more-advanced players, for those looking for party games, two-player games, or games to play when youвЂ™re out with friends, and for those who prefer cooperative play to competition.

Once the entertainment of last resort on rainy days and during power outages, board games have evolved to be varied works of interactive art with options for many styles of play.

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