Games to go travelling with
Going somewhere?
We are! This month both of us Enigmatic Owners are heading across the globe on different trips to see the world. Of course, we’re excited about the exploration and seeing the sights, but we wouldn’t be us without a game or two in our luggage.
When packing, it’s absolutely vital that you bring lightweight and compact games. What with the price of checked baggage these days, you may even want something you can stuff into your carry-on! Chris and Nat are headed on international trips in October and have curated some travel games to bring with them on their adventures.
Our recommendations for compact boardgames
Nat: I’m of an age where everyone I know and their cousin is getting married and having babies. Lucky for me, I don’t know any babies - they don’t know how to play board games. But I am headed to a destination wedding this October. From Victoria, I will be flying with formal wear all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. So, yes I will be paying for a checked bag…
Because weddings are for family, friends, and everyone in between, my games for this trip have been curated for a slightly different audience than they would be if I was simply visiting friends. Most of the folks I will be spending time with on this trip are strangers to me. While ordinarily I would pack games with a little more oomf, for this trip I want everything I bring to be approachable and help me get to know people!
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Fake Artist Goes to New York - Everybody loves a silly drawing game and this one comes in a tiny box! Not only is this a collective art game, but also includes a hidden role mechanic. The curator of each round will choose a theme and a subject to draw as a group (Eg. Movie - Shrek). Everyone sees the theme, but one person in the group does not know the exact subject matter. Everyone draws a picture together - making it obvious who knows the subject, but not so obvious that the Fake artist can guess what it is!
Heul Doch! Mau Mau (Go Cry! Wah Wah) - This is a family favourite with my partners’ parents. Though no one ever remembers how to play right away, it is easy to pick up - and my Mother-In-Law almost always wins. Played much like classic Crazy Eights, this card game asks players to match colours and numbers when putting down cards and to collect sets they will score at the end of the game. The crying happens when your neighbours play a card you can’t match. Cue the whining and cajoling!
Qwixx - A compact roll-and-write game with just the right amount of random chance to strategy. The active player rolls a set of colourful and white dice which add up to a sum they may cross off on their board. Once they have enough, a colour may be locked out of the game for extra points. I love this game because players can use their opponents rolls to fill their own sheets as well! This encourages everyone to stay engaged throughout gameplay. I tote this as my favourite travel game, as it’s great for any amount of players - even solo!
Have more space?
Pick-Omino - WORMS! DICE! DOMINOS! What more could you want from a push your luck game? Play as a bird hungry for worms off the domino BBQ. Use the dice to roll higher numbers to gather more points (worms), but be careful not to bust! You can’t score without rolling a worm on the dice. This game might sound silly, but with investment - and maybe a few drinks - it can get as heated as the grill!
Chris: Generally, it’s the wife and I when travelling; and we use games to fill in time while waiting for planes, trains and automobiles. And the occasional ferry. But it’s also great if we can add an extra player or two in if we meet friends - or make new ones along the way.
Ohanami card game box and cards
L.L.A.M.A - super easy to learn - it’s like Uno with less rules. But the push-your-luck decision of staying in hand and hoping you’ll take less penalty points makes it much more tense. It’s compact enough - we’ve played this on the centre console of a car - and easy to pack away quickly to continue the game later when it’s time drive off. It also works well with more players while be easy to learn.
The Mind - Again easy to learn! You both get a random assortment of cards from a deck numbered 1-100. All you have to do is, as team, play the next lowest card you have between you until everyone’s hand is empty. The trick is you can’t speak or show your cards to anyone. You just have to work it out by feel. It’s a game of concentration and observing micro signals in your playing partners - just the thing for bonding with your spouse! We also love this game as small-team building activity as well.
Ohanami - This is a game about taking in the natural, transient beauty of cherry blossoms. Appropriate as our trip is to Japan, and “Hanami” (literally ‘flower viewing’) inspires the gorgeous art on the cards. In this game you create three walks of cards that have to be in ascending order - but you’re constrained by drafting cards from hands passed to you by our opponents. Do you score early for water features - or try to score big by collecting a lot of the blossom cards at end? It’s a nice tactical but light game; takes about 15 minutes and best of all - there’s no confrontation, cos travel has enough stress without feeling attacked in a card game!
Have more space?
Codenames Duet - we generally like low stakes games or co-operative affairs. Duet is co-operative and generally works better the more you know how your partner’s mind works. In this one, you try to give clues to some of the 25 words in front of you. But some of those words are instant losses if your partner guesses them! You must find a single word to link 2 or more words without having your partner guess the losing words. Not as easy as it sounds sometimes. This one often sparks discussion on why we choose certain words - either shared memories, or things we have yet to share with each other. Again, another way to bond, but with a bit more of a challenge to exercise our brains.
We bring games to break the ice and fill the time on our travels. Games can be a great way to get to know the people you travel with and those you meet along the way. Enigmatic Events is all about connection - and with a game in your suitcase, you’ve got an avenue to do just that.
