It’s a brand new year, and if one of your resolutions is to spend more time having fun with your family (if it isn’t, you really need to reevaluate your priorities), these great family games will keep you on track—and laughing.
Lift It! Deluxe (USAOpoly)
From the Parents@Play Department of New Twists comes, well, a new twist on the recreate-the-structure-on-the-card games that we love so much. The object of the game is pretty basic. But what makes Lift It! especially fun is that you need to get your head in the game—literally. Instead of using your hands to build what’s on the card, you use a crane strapped to your head to pick up, move, and stack the various building components within the allotted time. You can play by yourself, one on one, or team against team. Lift It! is challenging, frustrating (but in a fun way), and a delight to play. Takes about 30 minutes. For 1-8 players, ages 8+. http://usaopoly.com/
Pictopia Star Wars Edition (Wonder Forge)
Think you know your Star Wars trivia? Now’s the time to show us what you’ve got. As with most games, there are rules to follow, tokens to move, and goals to accomplish. And we have no doubt that plenty of families will play this games exactly as intended. But we’re betting that just as many will skip the official game and spend their time looking through the 200 trivia-packed cards. Each card has four pictures on one side and five questions on the other. For example, on one card you’ll find pictures of a Jedi Interceptor, an X-wing Starfighter, an ARC 170 Starfighter, and a Y-wing Starfighter. Here are the questions: Which one of these does the Gold Squadron fly in the Battle of Yavin? Which two take part in the Battle of Endor? Which three operate with fewer than three pilots? Which one is typically piloted by clone troopers? If you’re a true Star Wars fan (and who isn’t these days), you may not be able to survive without this game. But whether you’re a Padawan or a Jedi Master, you’ll love it. For 2-6 players, ages 7+. http://wonderforge.com/
Roaring River (Wonder Forge)
Based on the movie “The Good Dinosaur,” this game is a cooperative effort, meaning that the players either win or lose together. The object is to help Arlo, Spot, and their friends outrun the flooding river and get safely home. Players spin a spinner or play tokens and build a path from the waterfall to the mountain range. It’s a fun, easy game that’s perfect for 2-4 players ages 4 and up. http://wonderforge.com/
Snoopy Flying Ace Game (Wonder Forge)
This one’s based on the new “Peanuts Movie,” but you don’t have to have seen the film to enjoy the game. You’ll need about three minutes to set the game up. The most complicated part is the Eiffel Tower and the spinning arm that balances atop it. Snoopy is on one side of the arm, his arch nemesis, the Red Baron, is on the other. One player spins the arm and while the Beagle and his foe battle it out, players flip over cards (each with a picture of one of the main Peanuts characters) and try to match one of theirs with one from another player—before the spinning stops. For 2-4 Peanuts fans (or soon-to-be fans) ages 4+. http://wonderforge.com/
Wonky (USAOpoly)
In this game, the object is to build towers out of colored blocks. Cards tell you which size and which color to add to the tower. That would be challenge enough with actual cubes, but the blocks here are a little out of whack (hence the name of the game), which ads an element of hilarity. A blast for two or more players, ages 8+. http://usaopoly.com/