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Games

A catalog of board games available in the library, with tutorials on how to play them.

Bananagrams

A game of bananagrams with several letter tiles laid out as an example of a game

What is it?

Bananagrams is a fast-paced word game where the first player to use all of their tiles wins. Unlike Scrabble, where all players play on the same board, each player creates their own word grid and work as quickly as possible. 

How many players do you need?

While you can play on your own, Bananagrams is a competitive games that is usually played with 2 - 8 players.

How long does it take to play?  

Most of the time, Bananagrams takes about 30 - 40 minutes to play. 

How do you play? 

 

Battleship

a half played game of battleship. What is it?

Battleship is a board game that involves strategic guessing and tactical placement of ships. The first player to destroy all of their opponent's ships wins. 

How many players do you need?

Battleship is a two player game. 

How long does it take to play?

Generally, Battleship can be played in 10-20 minutes. 

How do you play?

 

 

Boggle

The game Boggle with a timer and several letter dice laid out in front.

What is it?

Boggle is a competitive word game where players compete to find the most unique words on the board. 

How many players do you need?

You can play Boggle on your own, but 2 - 8 players are reasonable. 

How long does it take to play?

A single round of Boggle takes 5 - 10 minutes. 

How do you play?

Carcassonne

The box of the game Carcassone, with the a small game board displayed with meeplesWhat is it?

Named for a historic fortified city in France, Carcassonne (pronounced Car - kuh - sown) is a tile placement game where players are trying to get the most points by completing roads, cities, and fields. 

How many players do you need?

Carcassonne can be played with 2 -5 players. 

How long does it take to play?

30 - 45 minutes.

How do you play?

 

Castle Panic

The box for the game Castle Panic, which features several human knights defending a castle being invaded by orcs. What is it?

Castle Panic is a cooperative board game where you and your fellow players must defend your castle from an invading monster army.  

How many players do you need?

Castle Panic can be played alone, but has a maximum of six players. 

How long does it take to play?

A game of Castle Panic usually takes less than an hour. 

How do you play?

Catan

The board game box for Catan, with the game pieces laid out in front of it. What is it?

Catan is a competitive, settlement creating, resource management board game. The first player to collect 10 victory points wins. Using resources generated by the land around their settlements, players are awarded victory points by building roads, settlements, and drawing development cards. 

How many players do you need?

The standard Catan game can be played with 3 - 4 people. 

How long does it take to play?

A game of Catan takes about an hour with four players. 

How do you play?

 

Chess

a black and white chess board with all pieces in their starting positionsWhat is it?

Chess is a strategy game where players try to capture or incapacitate their opponent's king.   

How many players do you need?

Chess is a two player game.

How long does it take to play?

Chess can be a fairly quick game, or it can take a very long time. Generally, expect about 15 - 30 minutes. 

How do you play?

 

 

Play Chess Online

Clue

The game Clue, with the suspects holding potential murder weapons behind their back. What is it?

Clue is a murder mystery game of deduction. Players are tasked with finding out who the killer is, their weapon, and where the crime took place. 

How many players do you need?

You can play Clue with 2-6 players. The more players the funnier it is. 

How long does it take to play?

Clue can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to play. 

How do you play?

 

Codenames

the cover of the box for codenamesWhat is it?

Codenames is a team word game. In two teams, the spymaster gives one-word clues to their team to identify secret agents in the field. The first team to identify all of their field agents wins.  

How many players do you need?

To play Codenames you need at least 4 people, but teams can be as large as you want. Ideally, 6 - 8 players make for a good game. 

How long does it take to play?

A round of Codenames lasts 15 - 20 minutes. 

How do you play?

 

Try playing online with friends

Connect 4

The box for the game connect 4What is it?

A game where players try to lime up four of their tokens to make a line, first. The line can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. 

How many players do you need?

Connect 4 is a two--player game.

How long does it take to play?

Playtime for Connect 4 ranges from 10-20 minutes usually. 

How do you play?

 

Dominoes

several dominoes stacked togetherWhat is it?

Dominoes, like playing cards can be played in various ways. Check out the videos below for some ideas. 

How many players do you need?

The number of players depends on the game you chose to play. 

How long does it take to play?

Playtime for Dominoes depends on the game you choose to play.

How do you play?

 

Doomlings

The box for the game doomlingsWhat is it?

Doomlings is a creature creation game. You're goal is to build a species that can withstand the end of the world. Add traits to your creatures to score points, and have the most points by the end of the dame to win.  

How many players do you need?

Doomlings can be played with 2 - 6 players.

How long does it take to play?

Usually a game of Doomlings lasts about 20 minutes. 

How do you play?

Dungeons and Dragons Kit - 2024 Edition

Cover images of the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 editions of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, and Monster Manual

What is it?

Dungeons and Dragons (or D&D) is a cooperative tabletop roleplaying game. Unlike many tabletop games, there are a lot of options on what the goal of the game could be. Maybe you're on a rescue mission. Maybe you're out to defeat the big bad evil guy. Maybe you're escorting the local cheese merchant from his farm to town. It's up to you and your Dungeon Master where your game goes!    

Dungeons and Dragons is like playing pretend, but with character features and dice to decide whether or not you can do the things you imagine doing. You can play with nothing but words and your imagination, or you can have intricate maps, miniature models of your characters and terrain, or background music to set the mood.    

How many players do you need?

To play D&D, you'll need a Dungeon Master (DM), and ideally 2 - 6 player characters. The Dungeon Master's job is like the narrator of a story - they will set the scene, create the characters that inhabit the world (NPC's or Non-player characters), and set the rules of play. 

The Players (or PC's) create their character that live in this world. They describe the character, set their background life experiences, and set their stat to determine what they are good and, and what they're not so good at. After the DM sets the scene, the player characters get to describe what they do, and usually roll dice to see if they succeed or fail.        

How long does it take to play?

Hours? Weeks? Years? Campaigns can be one time play, or you can meet with people on a regular basis to play. Most play sessions last for a few hours, depending on the group you play with.   

How do you play?

 

Dungeon Mayhem

the box for the game Dungeon Mayhem, with several sample cards laid out in front.What is it?

Dungeon Mayhem is a competitive card game 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Fluxx

What is it?

 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Guess Who?

What is it?

 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Herd Mentality

The box for the game herd mentality, witt the game's pink cow in front. What is it?

 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Here, Kitty, Kitty!

The box for the board game here kitty kittyWhat is it?

 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Life

the game of life board game with the cards and money laid out in front of itWhat is it?

 

How many players do you need?

 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Love Letter

The pieces for the game Love letter, including its cards, winning tokens, and bagWhat is it?

Love Letter is a romantic and cut throat game about wooing your kingdom's princess. Played in several rounds, the object of the game is to be the player with the highest number card at the end of each round. By having the highest number, you're politically closest to the princess, and your love letter gets delivered. The first player to collect 5 tokens of affection from the princess wins. 

How many players do you need?

Love Letter can be played with 2 - 4 players. 

How long does it take to play?

 

How do you play?

Magic: The Gathering Commander Decks

The back side of a standard Magic: The Gathering cardWhat is it?

Magic: The Gathering is a  collectable card game where players take on the role of Planeswalkers battling for supremacy. The goal of the game is to reduce the other player's health to zero.

Each player can use particular types of mana - or lands - from their deck to play their other cards such a creatures, enchantments, and artifacts. Most decks use one or two types of mana. Each color is themed for a different geographic region that emphasizes different styles of play. Green is forests and tends to empower their creatures until they are too large to be killed. Red is for mountains that hit hard and fast with fiery attacks. Black represents swamps, which removes health while resurrecting its dead. Blue is for islands, and play to counter the magic of its foes. Last is white which represents plains, and tends to focus on creating many small allies and healing.      

In Commander-style decks, players have 100 unique cards, and a single "Commander" of their army, who sits in the command zone, rather than being in their deck. They can be played at any time, but cost and additional two mana every time they are re-summoned from the command zone.  

 

How many players do you need?

At least two players are needed, but you can play as large of a game as you would like! 

The library has 5 total decks for check-out. 

How long does it take to play?

With just two players, 45 minutes to an hour is reasonable. Larger games with more players can go on for several hours.   

How do you play?

Monopoly Deal

the box for the game monopoly dealWhat is it?

Do you want to play Monopoly, but, like, fun? Monopoly Deal is a fast card game where your goal is to assemble property sets. But be careful! Your opponents can steal your property and your funds. Get them before they get you!  

How many players do you need?

You'll need 2 - 5 people to play. 

How long does it take to play?

Each game of Monopoly Deal takes 15-30 minutes, depending on how much backstabbing and stealing you do. 

How do you play?

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

What is it?

Beware the creature amongst the crowd! Each player gets a role to play: werewolf, seer, troublemaker and more, and each player tries to discover who is the werewolf in their midst (or if playing as the werewolf, staying hidden). The players have one night to unravel the deadly mystery!

How many players do you need?

At least three players are needed, but up to ten can take part. This is a game that is better with as many players as possible!

How long does it take to play?

Each game takes about 10 minutes.

How do you play?

Playing Cards

two decks of playing cardsWhat is it?

 There are various games that can be played with cards, check out the videos below for some ideas.

How many players do you need?

The number of players depends on the game you choose to play.

How long does it take to play?

Playtime depends on the game that you decide to play.

How do you play?

Solitaire

 

 

Speed

 

 

Spoons

 

 

Rummy

 

Scrabble

the game scrabble with with the board set up for a four player gameWhat is it?

Scrabble is a word game in which players use lettered tiles with values on them to make as many words as possible.

How many players do you need?

2-4 players can play at a time.

How long does it take to play?

Scrabble usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes to play. 

How do you play?

 

Sorry!

the box for the game SorryWhat is it?

A game in which players try to get their pieces "home" first to win.

How many players do you need?

Sorry can be played with 2-4 players.

How long does it take to play?

It takes about 30 minutes to play. 

How do you play?

 

Splendor

the box for the game splendor and all of its game pieces laid out to its rightWhat is it?

This is a game about becoming the greatest merchant of all time! Set in the Renaissance era, this game sees players purchasing gem mines, transportation methods, and businesses in order to become the most prestigious merchant (and thereby earn points). The first to earn 15 prestige points through their acquisitions in the game wins!

 

How many players do you need?

Splendor is played with two to four people.

How long does it take to play?

A game of Splendor lasts about 30 minutes.

How do you play?

Sushi Go

the box fo the game sushi go, with several cards pulled out. What is it?

A fast-paced game to build the perfect sushi dishes! Draw, collect, and pass cards to build sets of sushi combinations, collecting pudding cards for bonus points. The player who builds the most valuable combinations wins!

How many players do you need?

At least two, but up to five players.

 

How long does it take to play?

A game of Sushi Go! lasts about 15 minutes.

How do you play?

 

Tsuro

the board game tsuro with its pieces and cards laid out on the board. What is it?

In Tsuro, players make their own path across the game board by placing tiles with lines down which their game piece travels. As more tiles are placed on the board, players will find themselves traveling paths laid by other players, which may lead them off the game board. The last player on the board wins!

How many players do you need?

At least two, but there are enough pieces in our kit for eight players.

How long does it take to play?

Each game of Tsuro takes 15-20 minutes.

How do you play?

Venns With Benefits

the Box for the game Venns with Benefits and a sample laid out on the What is it?

A game of hilarious comparisons and unexpected connections! Each player is given a board, to which two cards with random words and phrases are added. Players fill out a card with what they think the two items on the cards have in common. Each player then reads the answer cards placed on their boards, and chooses the best answer. The person who placed that answer gets points!

How many players do you need?

A minimum of three, but enough boards are in our kit for six players.

How long does it take to play?

As many rounds as desired can be played, and games range from 15 to 90 minutes.

How do you play?

Uno

What is it?

Reverse! Draw four! In Uno, you try to get rid of your cards first. But beware: the people playing with you can make this harder by playing cards that skip your turn or make you draw more!

How many players do you need?

At least two players are required, but four is optimal, and games with ten players are not unheard of! Even more players may join in when alternative rules are practiced.

How long does it take to play?

Each round of Uno typically takes no more than 10 minutes.

How do you play?

Yahtzee

the box for the board game YahtzeeWhat is it?

Yahtzee is played with five dice and a scoresheet. On their turn, players have three chances to roll different combinations of dice. After each roll, they may choose which ones to re-roll or hold. When all combinations listed on the scoresheet have been filled in, the player with the highest score is the winner.

How many players do you need?

Yahtzee may be played solo or with other players, but generally, games include no more than 6 players.

How long does it take to play?

A game of Yahtzee with 4 players takes about 30 minutes to complete.

How do you play?