Exciting games to play with friends, family

Let’s take a break from my travel diaries to mention the games I like to play while on vacation, or anytime – really. Here is my top list of games to play with my family on a rainy day, on holidays or during the weekend.

1. Monopoly

Monopoly is the first game I mention, yet it is my least favourite. But I still find it enjoyable, especially if you have time ahead of you – it is quite long.

The goal is to be the wealthiest player by earning as many properties as you can / or to survive without getting ruined by all the taxes you pay to other players.

Check out : Monopoly official rules

Monopoly pros : you get to spend a lot of time with the players, negotiations can be entertaining
Monopoly cons : too long, and to be honest, it is only fun when you win or when you suddenly win all the money that is in the centre (thank you, free parking!)

2. Time’s Up!

Time’s Up! is one of my all-time favorite games.

In this game, teams work together to have their teammates guess a word written on a piece of paper within a limited time frame. We typically set the timer for anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute.

You can either have everyone write down something (like an animal or a celebrity), or use the official cards.

Check out: Time’s Up official rules

First Round:

One team starts. A player picks a card and attempts to get their teammates to guess the word, using any form of explanation. However, words from the same family are strictly BANNED.

Second Round:

It gets more complicated. You can only say a single word. Choose wisely!

Third and Final Round:

This is the most hilarious round ! You can’t make a sound when imitating whatever is written on the paper. While mimicking a monkey might be easy, embodying an open door can be a bit more challenging.

So, are you convinced?

3. Dobble

Dobble requires a high reactivity and a good visual memory. Unlike Monopoly, you can bring it anywhere and even play on the plane or in the train, which would be easier than with Time’s up cards, for instance.

Check out Dobble’s official rules.

This game is wonderful because there are various options for it, so you never get bored!

In one of the versions, there is a central card with various drawings, and you have to quickly identify the matching iteam with your card and discard it as fast as possible.

4. Le P’tit Bac/Le Baccalauréat – Scattergories

All you need for this game are some blank sheets, pens, and optionally a ruler to create categories (like names, objects, fruits, countries, etc.).

One player mentally recites the alphabet while another player says “stop.” Everyone then races to fill in the categories with words starting with that letter as quickly as possible!

5. UNO

Now, this is THE game! You need speed, reactivity, and a bit of luck. Here are the official UNO rules, but we play with some more exciting variations—a mix of many versions, I suppose:

UNO Special Cards:

0 : Everyone passes their cards clockwise.
7 : The player who plays this card can exchange their cards with a player of their choice
You can only play two identical cards at once. For example, if you have a red 3 and a yellow 3, you cannot discard both cards simultaneously.

“Screaming” Rules (lol):

“Cut” Rule: You can shout “cut” when you play a card that matches the one just discarded by another player.

“Liar” Rule: When you inherit a +2 or +4 (or sometimes even more!), you can yell “liar” if you believe the player who just discarded had a card matching the color of the previous card. For instance, if someone plays a +4 and the last card was a blue 2, I can shout “liar.” If the player reveals their cards (only to me) and has blue cards, they must draw 4 cards plus 2 additional cards because they could have played other cards instead of their black card.

Points:

The objective is to finish as quickly as possible. If you finish first, you score 0 points. If not, you must count your cards:

0s, 7s, and other special cards (+2, reverse, etc.) are worth 20 points.
Black cards (+4, change of color, etc.) are worth 50 points.
Other cards are worth their face value.

You can set a point limit that you should not exceed; otherwise, you lose and face a penalty!

Penalties:

If you lose, you must face a penalty! This could involve eating raw garlic, drinking a strange mixture, or doing 500 push-ups—be creative! Last time, I had to eat 2 raw onions because I lost twice! I couldn’t shake off the taste for HOURS.

To be continued…