Are You A Gamer? Set Aside The Screens And Give These Lesser-Known Board Games A Try!

 

Before I begin this list of board games, I would like to give credit where credit is due and say that these games were suggested on this reddit thread. If you like this list and want to find more lesser-known board games, I suggest giving the full thread a look through. 

Okay, picture this: It’s storming outside. Badly. There’s lightning and thunder and the rain is coming down in such thick sheets that you can’t see very far out the window. A common fear for when such a storm hits is this: what if it take out the powerlines and the Wi-Fi? What then?

Is the loss of Wi-Fi a serious fear? Probably not, but I’ll be honest it is something I think about. Especially when the storm is taking place in the afternoon to late evening. It’s not like I can go to sleep and it’s been a long time since I’ve purchased a physical book, so what do I do?

Bring out the board games!

For this article, I decided to do a deep-dive into 3 lesser-known board games for you and your friends/family to enjoy!

Fury of Dracula 

If you’re like me and were an emo kid in high school, this is the perfect board game for you! There are several different editions of this game but the original was created in 1987 by Stephen Hand and is based off the classic novel Dracula, which was written by Bram Stoker in 1897. 

Depending on the version of the game you’re playing, you can have up to four or five players.

 

 

Objective:

Dracula’s goal is to reach Influence Space 13 which he can do by turning people into vampires via encounter cards. The objective of the Vampire Hunters is to locate Dracula and defeat him.

So, how do you play?

It’s a little complicated at first, but I’ve found a scan of the full rulebook here. Let me give you a short synopsis:

One person plays as Count Dracula and the other 4-5 people play as the Vampire Hunters: Abraham Van Helsing, John Seward, Lord Godalmg, and Mina Hacker. 

The game features two game boards, a large one for the hunters and a smaller one for Dracula (which is hidden from the sight of the Hunters).  There are two phases in the game Day and Night. The Hunters get the move during both phases, but Dracula only moves at Night. Both groups wander around their boards in hopes of fulfilling their objectives but there are plenty of cards that can either help or hinder their plans!

This game can last from 1 to 3 hours and can be purchased at Walmart and Gamestop!

Cloud 9 

If you’re looking for something a little more family friendly than why not give Cloud 9 a try! As with Fury of Dracula, I’ve found the rulebook here in case you’re interested and would like to learn more. 3-6 players are necessary for this game and unlike Fury of Dracula which suggests the minimum age one should be to play is 10, this game is from ages 8 to adult!

 

 

Objective:

The objective of the game is to have the most points by the end and the game ends whenever a player reaches 50 points. If there’s a tie, as multiple people can win a round, the game continues until someone has the most. 

So, how do you play?

Basically, players earn points by staying in the basket of the hot air balloon. As it goes higher the amount of points one can earn from staying in the basket also increases. Each player takes a turn being the balloon pilot. In order for the balloon to rise, the balloon pilot must match whatever is rolled on the dice with the cards in their hand. If they don’t have the cards needed, they cannot make the balloon rise and instead it will fall. 

It’s a simple game and easy to pick up! A nice, relaxing experience in comparison to Monopoly!

If you’d like to give Cloud 9 a try it can be purchased at Walmart and Gamestop!

Sheriff of Nottingham 

For our final board game, I’ve selected one that I have experience playing! My brother introduced me to this game last summer and our extended family had a lot of fun playing a few rounds.

As with the other games listed, the rulebook can be found here. This game is for 3-5 players and the youngest in my family who played was 8 years old!

 

 

 

Objective:

The objective of the game is to earn the most points as a merchant via the merchandise you sell through the Sheriff.

So, how do you play?

Each player selects a merchant and similarly to Cloud 9, everyone takes a turn playing the role of Sheriff. Each person is then given a small pouch that classes and several cards. The cards are red or green and feature different items on them like bread and apples. Each card is assigned an amount of points and cards that are red are contraband and are worth way more than the green cards. 

Each merchant will select a number of the cards from their hand and slip it into the pouch. They can choose all green cards, all red cards or a mix of the two. The Sheriff will then interrogate each player, asking them what is in their pouch. The merchants can choose whether or not to lie to the Sheriff and the Sheriff has the option to open the bag if they don’t believe them.

If the Sheriff opens the bag and the merchant was lying, the merchant owes the current sheriff the total number of points of whatever was in the bag (which can be given to the Sheriff via cardboard coins).

However, if the Sheriff is wrong and the player wasn’t wrong, the Sheriff owes the merchant money. At the end of the round, the merchants go around and reveal what they placed in their pouches. If the Sheriff didn’t open their bag, they receive coins for whatever contraband they were able to sneak through.

The person with the most coins at the end is the winner.

A fun added rule to this game is that the merchant, when being questioned by the Sheriff, can bribe the sheriff with coins to keep them from opening their pouch. I know in my personal game, my aunt gave the current Sheriff way more coins not to open her pouch than the amount she gained from contraband at the end! It seemed like a silly move at the time, but that’s what makes the game more fun!

If you’re interested, the game can be purchased on Amazon, Target, or found at Walmart. 

 

Have any of these games peaked your interest? Why not give one a purchase and try it out? Rainy days are perfect for board games and puzzles, but these can be played in any weather and are a great way to connect with friends and family!