Hobbies And Interests
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride puts each player in the shoes of an enterprising traveler in a race around North America. The goal: win $1 million by visiting as many cities -- via rail -- as you can before the game ends. By collecting train cards, you can claim rail routes to different cities. Points are gained for length of routes, fulfilling destination tickets and, of course, reaching cities. Ticket to ride takes about an hour to play and is suitable for two to five players aged 8 or older.
Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan places each player in control of one of many fledgling colonies on a tropical island. Each player strives to become the dominant colony on the island before his opponents; this is done by collecting points. Points are earned for building towns and cities, building major cultural and economic centers, such as cathedrals and marketplaces, and for having the largest army or the longest continuous road. These are built using resources harvested and mined from the island, but no one player is able to gain enough on his own, so they must trade wisely with one another to get ahead. It is designed for three to four players, though expansions exist to allow play by up to six, and takes about an hour and a half to play. It is a little more complicated than most board games, however, and is suitable for those 12 and older.
Tobago
In Tobago, players take on the role of a lone adventurer trying to find the lost treasure of Tobago island. Players explore the island, uncovering clues that reveal that location of the treasure and, once the treasure is gained, provide protection against the curses that the ancients put on their gold. The game comes with dozens of scenarios, so no player can ever know from experience where the clues lead to. Tobago is a game for two to four players and takes around an hour to play. It is suitable for children over 10.
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a city in southern France that has often been conquered by invading armies due to it's strategic location on the coast. In this game, players control an area outside Carcassonne during the Middle Ages and must expand the city by placing land tiles. Players can add roads, fields, houses and monasteries. As the player grows his area, he is able to place his "followers" on the tiles to collect points. The game is designed for two to five players and takes about thirty minutes to play. Any one 8 or older should be able to learn the game in only a few minutes.