The so-called strategy games ask the players to possess a quick and sharp mind at all times. The games that qualify under this category require a great amount of thinking for the player to bring home the bacon. It is not all about being careful and analytical in terms of every single move that must be made but it also follows that the player exerts a keen observation on all possible attacks that the opponent will blow. More so, the anticipation of future moves should be undertaken as well. This is the very nature of the strategy board games.

The Common Game Categories

With the numerous games in existence these days, you have several options to choose from. The following are the categories that call for strategic moves and quick thinking. Find out which intrigues you more.

War Strategy Games. In this modern age, the war games are more likely related to the video games that are on sale in several stores. Some common examples are WarCraft, Counter Strike, and Red Alert, among others. What the general public may not truly know is that long before these video games came into being, the act of strategizing was firstly applied in the board games. By simply tracing back time, the ancient game called Go used much of this process.

In fact, the Chinese tribal warlords utilized it in their maps as they planned out their attacks. Come to think of it, war and strategy are closely related. Before the soldiers will be driven out into the field, the generals will first brief them of their strategic attack. Examples of war strategy games are Backgammon, Game of the Generals, Stratego, and Battleship.

Investor Games. Monopoly is a popular example that falls under this category. It is a game that features the actual world of the real estate such as investing, buying, selling, and banking. Even when there is a dice that maneuvers the fate of the player, the game still requires a good deal of strategizing so as to win over the rival player.

Crime and Investigator Games. Clue stands as the best representative of which. The players will have to spot the murderer among themselves. It may be complex yet it is twice the fun. There are series of lies, confusion, and secrecy which pose more challenge. The players should be able to think really well before they get killed by their opponents.

Other Popular Games to Play

Strategy games are simply what the name states. They require foresight. The other games that top the list are the following:

Chess. Having acquired an international status, many people wish to learn the trades of the game. Every move counts so the player must anticipate the possible attacks of the opponent. He must make sure that the important pawns are not captured.

Mahjong. It might be surprising but this game has its philosophical and spiritual roots.

Cribbage. This is one of the very unusual board games because it actually uses cards. The board is there to track the scores.

Sudoku. The grid must be filled in with the numbers 1 up to 9 by only using the number once for every section.

Go game. It is like chess in some ways except that it utilizes simpler pieces like the black and white stones.

There is a close link between the capacity to foresee a future outcome with the present situation. That is why, if you do intend to play the strategy board games, you must have a strong presence of mind.

Are you fond of playing trivia games? What specific games do you enjoy playing? Have you ever tried your luck in the trivia board games? For sure, you have had a lot of childhood memories involving these pastimes. Trivia games have been around for a long time now. It may have started with the simple question and answer form meant to stir the mind for a couple of information. It is also true that this game is geared towards sharpening the mind.

Nowadays, it is only usual to see television games that feature the trivia questions. In fact, these questions are made to be more animated over the Internet with the presence of online trivia challenges. Undoubtedly, the trivia games have become twice the fun over the years. They are not only fun games but they also supply the players with more knowledge. People also term it as a brain exerciser game. Oftentimes, they are referred to as brain teasers too. Nevertheless, the trivia-oriented board games are truly what they are. They challenge the player's mind as they provide a great time to enjoy! Read on and find out more about these games.

A Closer Look at some Trivia-Oriented Board Games

One of the well-known trivia games is what is called the Trivial Pursuit. This is a very classic game which involves players that have one goal. That is, to complete the route around the board and it will only be possible if the player is able to correctly answer the series of trivia questions. For every correct answer, a piece is earned. The first player who successfully collects a colored piece for every category is the one who can go to the mid portion of the board.

The winner is declared when he or she correctly guesses the answer to the trivia question from a particular category that has been decided by the rival players. Apart from the Trivial Pursuit, there are a lot other games that the public is familiar with in these days.

There are likewise board games that come complete with cards, numbers, and color-coded categories. The categories range from the easy, difficult, advanced, and overly challenging ones.

The other trivia-oriented games take the form of brain teasers, easy question and answer forms, supplying the missing information, crossword puzzles, finding the missing piece, and the likes. Some of the trivia board games dwell on topics such as fashion, geography, sports, nature, entertainment, television, music, science, general knowledge, drama, and many more. There are a thousand questions to answer so it will never be boring. Whatever the focus is, what is really important is that it is aimed at sharpening the mind of the players, honing their skills in quick thinking, and of course, enhancing their brain power.

Boosting the Fun

To make things more appealing to the players, a variety of styles and designs of the game boards are therefore employed. It is therefore common to see game boards sold in the market with very stylish and colorful designs as they are meant to provide more motivation to the players.

The trivia board games are hence available for all ranges of players. There are those which are perfect to use by the beginners, mid-level, and advanced players. Apart from playing it in the traditional way, the Internet is also a very good resource for such.

Many board games are made to entertain and facilitate family bonding. But word games provide more than that. Word games improve language skills, expand vocabulary and promote quick thinking. Let us look at top word games that are both well known and deserve a good recognition.

Scrabble. This game does not need any introduction. The fact that it has sold more than 100 million copies and has been published in 21 different language versions, the game is considered to be one of the most successful board games ever invented and the most successful word games of all time. Scrabble is very easy to play and the rules could not be any simpler. With the right skill in language and vocabulary, you can shuffle different letter tiles to make a word. The good thing about this game is that, as you play along, you will learn different words and you can actually expand your vocabulary. (For 2 to 4 players but it can be played alone.)

Typo. The game starts with 12 cards at hand with 5 cards on the table - each card with a letter. The players will then try to expand the cards on the table by playing their cards. Typo may not be as popular as scrabble but it surely is a fun and exciting game.

Upwords. Many word games today are based on scrabble. One of these is Upwords. The game is even played almost the same as scrabble. Players must stack letter on top of the existing words on the table to create new one. Scoring is rather different though. All letters in the game is worth the same (in scrabble, certain letters have higher points value than others).

Boggle. This is not exactly played on a board. Still, boggle can be classified as one of the top word games in the market. The game works like word factory. Players must be able to find as many words as possible on a 4x4 grid (16 cubic dice with letters on each face) as the sand timer works its way down. The player scores by finding words that the other players were not able to locate. It is fast-paced game that is fun and very addictive. Scoring depends on the length of the words found.

Apples to Apples. It seems that the title came out when the creator who had finally finished conceptualizing the game didn't really have a good name for it. So he just decided to name it Apples to Apples. Of course, this is not the real story of the game. But then you have to think that how come two decks of cards (nouns and adjectives) could have such a name? Anyway, Apples and Apples is so much fun. The game is designed for 4 to 10 players with 30 to 60 minutes of playing time. (For 12 years old and above)

BuyWord. If you love to make money out of buying something at a low price and then selling it high, then you'll definitely understand BuyWord quickly. Designed by Sid Jackson, this game takes at least 30 minutes to play and requires basic skills in counting and vocabulary. The concept of "buy low, sell high" will really come in handy. (For ages 8 years old and up)

Counting down 5, 10 or even 20 most popular board games of all time is not an easy thing to do. For one, we cannot just simply pick some of the games we know or we have played in the past and put them together on the pedestal. There is no single criteria to determine of a game can be considered as such. Is most popular mean best-selling? Well-known? Or is it a combination of both or other factors?

And due to the subjectivity of the matter and hundreds of games to choose from, picking a game out of the blue can stir some negative reactions to both gamers and creators of the game. Still, we have to make a decision. Since the term "most popular" has to be the most loved, most familiar and most copies sold, in here, we shall base our selections.

1.) Checkers is a fast-paced game that involves virtually limitless range of game possibilities. Although only two players can participate at a time, its simplicity, its very basic rules and the fast-paced character of the game make it perfect for everyone who wants ongoing challenges or tournaments for larger groups.

Why is it on the list? Almost everyone, if not all, knows how to play checkers or can learn how to play the game. And as said above, it is simple, fast-paced and a lot of fun.

2.) Chess is another game with virtually limitless range of game possibilities but involves more strategic and highly trained moves. While chess is more difficult to learn and much harder to master, it is an excellent past-time once you learn the basic moves.

Why is it on the list? Chess is played by millions of people around the world, at home, online, in tournaments and by correspondence. Hundreds of books are dedicated for the game and several international competitions are created to bring out the best in the league.

3.) Monopoly. It may take several hours to play but at least you will learn how to manage, invest and bargain real estate properties in this classic real estate game.

Why is it on the list? It was a big hit when it was first released during the great depression. Monopoly has sold over 200 million copies and has been published in 89 languages. It is estimated that at least 500 million people have played the game. How's that for a board game?

4.) Sorry! is a colorful and easy to play game that appeals to players of younger generations. The game originated from England before it moved to the United States. Today, the game is sold by Parker brothers.

Why is it on the list? Every Americans must admit that they have played the game at least once in their lifetime. Also, Sorry! has been released in different versions such as Sorry!: The Disney Edition, Pok?n Sorry! and Sorry!: The Spider-Man 3 Edition. For more than 70 years it still maintains its popularity and appeal to children.

5.) Scrabble is not only entertaining; it is also educational. While beginners with limited vocabulary will find it hard to form words, playing the game regularly will improve language skills and encourages learning, reading and literacy, which will help the player to become better.

Why is it on the list? Scrabble has been published 29 language versions and is sold in 121 countries. It is estimated that at least 150 million copies have been sold and 1 out of 3 American homes has a scrabble board.

Other board games that deserve recognition are Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Operation, Life and Yahzee.

By nature, board games are very much appealing to people of all ages. You can see families and friends huddling together during their reunions or gatherings. These games are mainly used to pass the time and at the same time to pose peaceful challenges towards one another. Indeed, this type of indoor game plays a major role in enhancing the person's mental ability while it also strengthens the bond of those players. However, just like any other game, there are a lot of variants that govern it.

There are those that dwell on the development of a couple of strategic movements, some sharpen the mind as the player uncovers the answers to the trivia questions, while some games include the rolling of a dice. More so, what other people might not be so familiar with is the fact that there are actually game boards that call for a player's talent and skill in drawing.

Artistic Skills not a Requirement

Alright, others are likely to feel threatened to play this especially if they are not too confident about their artistic capabilities. The good news is that this variant actually adjusts to this shortcoming and it is not meant at all to technically measure one's artistic prowess. One does not have to be a professional artist to be able to play because this is all about a game that challenges the player to make use of drawing in conveying a message.

Common Games to Play

Among those that make it to the list is the so-called Cranium. This widens its horizon in terms of testing the players in several categories. There are sets of standard verbal questions and trivia which are meant to gauge the person's artistic inclination as well as his performance abilities. The game proceeds with one of the players sketching on a piece of paper so that his team can correctly guess that word.

To make it even more challenging, the player who is tasked to do the sketching must keep his eyes closed or at times, the pencil must remain in one constant position, that is without being lifted from the paper. These restrictions are part of the obstacles but the more that the player tries to relay the message, the more chances of winning can his team have.

Another intriguing game that falls under this category is called the Pictionary. There are two teams competing as they move around the board that contains various symbols forming several categories. The teams are required to draw some phrases which should be guessed by the rest of the team. The better the team is at sketching and guessing the right answer, the swifter they can move across the board.

Whenever the correct answer has been given even before the end of the time limit, the team can go along the next path. However, if the opposite thing happens, the players must stay on their spot and pass on the turn to the other team.

Board games such as these are best to employ for parties and other events. This activity furthermore draws the real essence of teamwork. After all, the players don't only get the chance to try their luck in drawing but they are also challenged to browse their minds for the correct guesses.

With a time limit at hand, all of the persons involved are able to exercise the best of their mental abilities.

I remember when I was a kid, my parents used to set time and date where we had to gather in the living room and play board games. There were no internet and video games back then so we had not so much to choose from. Still, it was fun. And those fond memories made me appreciate childhood and the value of spending quality time with family. Those times are just memories today. Sad to say, less and less families hardly play board games anymore. With all the technologies and individual activities each family member can do, a family gathering just to play a board game is really hard to come by. So if the opportunity knocks and you really want to tie your family together, board games are still the best way to do it.

Planning for a family board game night is not a very hard thing to do. But if you don't know where to start, read on…

1.) Clear all our schedules and make it an important date. Doing this sends a message to your family about your priorities. It may be hard to gather all the members for a night, especially if you have teenagers. So you have to announce it early and be a role model. Once you have set the time and date, stick to it. The last thing you want to do is to cancel the night because of some important appointments or deadlines you have beat.

2.)No guests allowed. There may be occasions where you want to invite friends, relatives or neighbors to play with you, but this time, it is a closed-door session. If you keep it to your family, every member will realize their role and identity. Also, this is a great opportunity to improve communication among each other.

3.) Do not entertain interruptions. Turn off your cellphones and PDA'S and let the machine answer your phone calls. Make sure that there are no other things that need to be done like homework and chores.

4.) Use different games. No matter how much you love certain games, if you play them night in and night out, the activity can become boring. Once in a while, buy new games. It doesn't matter what type of game you play for the night as long as everyone can participate. Also make sure that games have a balanced combination of luck and strategy so that everyone can have a fair chance of winning.

5.) Utilize this moment as a venue to teach lessons such as fair play and becoming a good sport. Use family night to encourage positive behaviors and social skills that they can use when they grow old and when they interact with others outside the house.

6.) Prepare some snacks. Children love to play but they also love to eat. Easy to prepare and easy to eat foods can be placed in a bowl where they can just dunk with their hands.

Other useful tips:

a.) Introduce board games to your kids as early as possible. Many board games are designed for kids as young as 4 years old so you will not have any problem when choosing the games that will fit to your youngest child.

b.) This night is for your kids so let them decide the games that they want to play.

Whenever they ask me, "what is the best board game for my family?" I often return the same question back. Not because I don't have the answer or I simply don't want to give them any information, but because recommending one or two board game titles to everyone would mean that I have objectively identified what are good board games and what are not. To be honest, I have not cracked the criteria on how to judge board games. Perhaps, determining which one good is very subjective. And so where do we go from here?

Identifying the board games that are enjoyable for the family relies on the age of your kids, the available time you have on playing and the skill level of the game. Choosing among them will be your task.

There are hundreds of board games around and many of them are for kids. But the fact is a lot do not deserve any of your time. Still, many are indeed very enjoyable.

In this article, I have enumerated some of the board games that are easy to play and have a simple theme that appeals to younger ages. You can base your choices here:

Chutes and Ladders (also known as Snakes and Ladders) is a classic and simple game played by two or more persons. The game is played on a board with numbered grid squares. On certain squares there are a number of chutes (or snakes) and ladders, connecting two squares together. The lack of skills needed and the simplicity of the game make it less appealing to older folks but for kids who can roll a die, this game is a sure winner.

Connect Four, while this is not exactly a board game, it deserves all the rights to be included in this list. Also known as Four in a Row, Plot Four and Four in a Line, this fast-paced game develops concentration, cause and effect, and strategy. The aim of the game is simple: be the first to connect four checker pieces in a row while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Connect Four is a two-player game and can be played by children, 7 years old and above.

Monopoly Jr. If Monopoly (the original version) is very technical for your kids, why not try Monopoly Jr.? It has much simpler rules and less properties to manage, purchase and bargain. Monopoly Jr. is recommended for families with kids 5 years old and above.

Sorry! The object of the game is to be the first player to reach all four pawns or tokens from the start square to the home square. Players rely on randomizers (cards that are drawn from the stack) so it can be played by kids as young as 4 years old.

Zingo is very similar to bingo; but instead of numbers, the players have to pick a board with nine pictures. Then, the players take turns by sliding Zingo chips to release 2 pictures. The first player to match all nine pictures from his or her board wins. This game is recommended for families with kids of at least 4 years old.

Other kids games you should consider are Life, Don't Say It, Taboo, Pictionary, Settlers of Catan, Catch Phrase, Upwords, Othello, Uno, Cranium Conga, Balderdash, Apples to Apples, Uno and the all time favorite, Checkers.

We all come to a point where we get tired of playing board games, hide them under our closet and forget that they ever existed.

At this point, you simply stop playing because you lost the interest anymore. While it is very unfortunate and should not happen at all, the reality is, it does. This doesn't mean, however, that you cannot bring back that lost interest you once had.

Here are some of the ways to rejuvenate your interest in playing your favorite board game and start enjoying it as if it is the first time you play the game:

Play with your best pals
You have to agree on this: in most cases, enjoyment is not dependent on the game itself but on the people you are playing with. Board games just facilitate the fun no matter how bad or how well it is rated by the experts since a good company of friends can always turn a horrible game into a source of laughter. Make sure that you maximize the number of players in the game. And if the game allows you to play with as many players as you can, call all your friends, schedule the time and date, order some snacks and play till your hearts content.

Play with your family
You do not always have to schedule a family night in order to play with your parents, brothers and sisters. At any given moment, when everybody is doing nothing, you can always bring out your board game and invite your any member of your family to play.

Don't think of anything; just focus in the game
Spoilers come in different forms but they all arrive at a very bad timing – when everyone is starting to have fun. An unwanted phone call or a text message in the middle of the game, a burning pot in the kitchen, a knock on the door from an unexpected visitor or an unfinished task that must be done immediately always ruin the activity. So before you begin playing, make sure that the homework is finished, the cell phones in quiet mode and doors locked. Simply put, play when you do not have anything to do.

Improve every time you play
Challenge yourself to become a better player after every game. To do this, you can read some tricks, tips and techniques on how to play your chosen game better and apply it each time you face other players on the table. It is also recommended to play against better opponents no matter what type of game it is.

Read and learn the rules
Players can always modify the rules of the game as long as everyone is aware of the changes. But playing outside the official rules of the game is more than a consensus. This is not to say that players always cheat. It only means that many rules of board games are not always used because no one is really aware of it. Reading the rule book is not so hard. Just spend some time in understanding what it says will make a difference between appreciating the game and getting bored after several times of playing.

Rules can be bent, of course. But only if you understand the game well will make some changes in the rule sensible and at the same time, leaned towards the enjoyment of everyone.

Monopoly is a game to improve business skill. In fact, everything you learn in the game can be applied in real life situations. But before thinking about becoming a millionaire because you have played monopoly, you need to improve on your game first. Here are some important tricks and tips that can help you become a good monopoly player:

Pick the right properties
Many players would suggest that you buy all available properties you land on as long as you have the money to pay for them. While this may be a good idea on the first stages of the game, having properties that do not yield any profit is worth nothing. Buy smart. As much as possible, pick 2 or 3 properties of the same group or buy a property that blocks other prayer from completing a set.

Maximize low income mortgage
Build 4 houses quickly if you happen to own low income mortgage. This way, you create a building shortage that will hamper other players the chances to build on their rather expensive properties.

The Illinois Avenue and the B&O Railroad
Your token's moves depend on the roll of the dice but for some strange reasons, the Illinois Avenue and the B&O Railroad are the properties most often landed on. Be the first to own these two to make exceptional profit.

3 houses are always better than 1 house
The rent rises significantly when you build 3 houses instead of 1 or 2. If funds permit, build 3 houses as quickly as possible. Try to monopolize all the properties in a group. This way, you increase your opponent's chances of having to pay for the rent.

Prefer railroads over utilities
Of course it is good to own everything but if opportunity arises, try to purchase railroads over utilities. If you land on the B&O Railroad, purchase it right away. Short Line, however, is the least visited railroad on the board so try to reconsider and assess your financial positions before buying.

It is sometimes better to stay in jail
Early in the game, it is worth paying $50 to get out of jail. In fact, experts of the game advice to get back into the game immediately after you landed on the jail. But if the board becomes very risky to move around, especially on the latter part of the game when all the properties have been bought, staying in jail is a better choice.

Monopolize the Orange Properties
If the Illinois Avenue and the B&O Railroad are the properties most often landed on, the jailhouse is the 'space' most often landed on. A roll of 6 or 8 (two of the most common rolls in dice) from jail lands your opponent on orange properties. If you own them, you will get the ROI fast.

Mortgage Smart
Do not mortgage a property where you own two or more of the properties. Remember that you cannon build on any properties in that group if one of its properties is mortgaged.

Know the rules
The reason why Monopoly is so popular is because it is a good game. But most players tend to overlook the importance of the rules. Read the official rule book and make it known to all the players. This way, everyone is on the same page and understands how the game is properly played, which helps everyone to become better.

The key to winning a scrabble game is to finish with the highest score when all the tiles have been laid down on the table – with emphasis on the phrase "to finish with the highest score." I said this because many players, mainly beginners, only try to come up with words regardless of the point-value. As a result, they may have laid all their tiles down but still score low at the end of the game.

As with most games, constant practice makes one perfect, or at least, better. In scrabble, however, you have to possess some tricks in order to win.

Work with the Q
The letter 'Q' is perhaps the most dreaded letter in scrabble, especially if it is not hooked with the letter 'U'. But did you know that there are 21 words that use a Q without a U? They are: FAQIR(S), QAID(S), QANAT(S), QAT(S), QINDAR(S), QINTAR(S), QINDARKA, QOPH(S), QWERTY(S), SHEQEL, SHEQELIM and TRANQ(S). Other words that may come in handy are QIVIUT(S), MAQUI(S), SUQ(S), UMIAQ(S) and BUQSHA(S).

Learn the X, J, Q and Z words
The letters X, J, Q and Z have the highest point-value. Ironically, beginners hate these letters. But if you will just study words that have any of these letters, not only you will have a higher score, you will also prevent your opponent from scoring a bingo.

Don't waste your S's
Surely, the easiest way to score is to add an S to an existing word on the board. This is good if you will land on a double or triple word score. But if you are just using S without any reason or simply because it is the first possible move you see on the table, you are just giving your opponent an extra move and at the same time, wasting a valuable letter. Play the letter S if the value yields to at least 10 points, lower than that and you are playing to lose. For example, ROLL is just 4 points. If you add S to make it ROLLS, it will just give you 5 points. But if the word is JUMP, adding S on a double word score space will yield to 26 points. Keep your S for a while until you can maximize its value.

Go Bingo Hunting
Another trick you have to remember is to look for prefixes and suffixes. The word PAIR can become REPAIR or PAIRING or even, REPAIRING. TAIL can be linked with RE- to make it RETAIL or RE- and -ERS to make it RETAILERS. Having the letters S, R, E, I, N and G can be very, very useful.

Learn the 2-letter words
When the board begins to get crowded and long words begin to lose their place, you start going for 2-letter words. But if your vocabulary is limited, you cannot simply invent words, right? QI, SO, TO, UP, OW, OX, XI, KI and HO are just an example. There are more. Learn them.

Keep your eyes on the board
The ability to spot scoring opportunities is one of the key elements in winning the game. Obviously, you can easily play your S, R and E if you want to score in a hurry. But as much as possible, combine high- or mid-value tile in your rack with colored squares on the board.