by Danl Lane

Created on: March 05, 2009   Last Updated: March 14, 2009

The best entertainment a family can have is a definite game night once a week. Rather than make it on a weekend night, when everyone usually has some sort of plans, try for a Monday or Tuesday.

Give the kids a break from homework or more likely television, invite over the fun loving relatives and friends, dish out the chips and drinks, and prepare for a night of hilarious laughter and amusement.

This is better than a $20 night at at the movies, especially if you have just the right board games to play. The best games are the ones that allow you to be part of a team and yell out answers, so no one individual is left holding the bag or feeling a little bit insecure about his or her IQ.

This would include Outburst where a team has to come up with the best possible ten answers out of 10 in particular categories. Family Feud is another team oriented game that can make the black sheep of any family quickly become the hero by somehow correctly answering that off the wall question. Other television game show hits like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal, and Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader are still a lot of fun but have just not worked out the bugs of set up time being so cumbersome.

Cranium, a new one called Cro-Magnum, and Guesstures all have elements in them other than just yelling out answers. Modeling clay, drawing and acting all become part of the non stop fun. For the old time classics, Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, and Clue are still at the top of best sellers where strategy, ease of set up and plain fun are the reasons why.

Scattergories, like Guesstures, has a loud ticking clock which easily adds to the mayhem and is still a top game for all family members because it is the unique answers that win. For the more intelligent crowd, Trivial Pursuit played with teams is a winner, provided there is a timer and not too many players with brain freezes.

Finally, there is Balderdash, where you don't have to know the answer but can bluff one, and if players like your answer better than the real one, more points and power to you. Some people may find this game a little harder to play than others and will be seen daydreaming as their mind steams toward an answer, but the new edition has added categories such as initial, movie titles, and crazy laws...which should ease their burdens a little.

Before playing, another wise choice is to take a quick vote to see who is up for what so no one is left out or out of their league. All in all, follow the rules, be competitive and mostly have some well deserved fun.

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