Nine games to take camping

Last summer, I proposed seven board games perfect for van life for those who like to travel in their converted van. This time, I’m repeating the experience with suggestions for vacationers who plan to go camping during nice weather.

Note, the games below also work very well at the cottage, at the beach, in the RV (for recreational vehicle) or even at home…

How did I select these board games for camping?

• I first chose compact gameswhich do not take up too much space in luggage.
• I also preferred those who don’t spread out too muchwhich deploy easily on a picnic table, on the floor of the tent or on a beach towel.
• I preferred the boxes which contain a limited number of componentsto reduce the risk of misplacing small parts or seeing equipment fly away in the wind.
• For the sake of variety, I found different suggestions of those in my article on van life. That said, they are all suitable for any of your outings. So, don’t hesitate to also consult my previous section.
• Finally, I retained titles of several kindswhich correspond to various group sizes and several types of situations.

As always in this column, I first tested the nine board games below before recommending them to you. They are often easy to find in French in several specialized stores in Quebec, in store or online. Note that the prices mentioned apply to French or multilingual versions.

Here are my nine suggestions for board games to bring while camping…

The board game Linx (ISLO)

Linxas simple as rock-paper-scissors and tic-tac-toe

• 2 to 4 players
• 7 years and over
• Beginner level
• 10 to 30 minutes
• $18

Merge well-known childish games rock-paper-scissors And tic-tac-toethen you get the brand new Linx. This unpretentious title is likely to catch the attention of those to whom you introduce it.

The aim of the game: line up a series of three of your tiles (like in tic-tac-toe). However, you can cover your opponents’ cardboard tiles using a “complementary” tile. So your “rock” tile can crush another player’s “scissors” tile (like in rock-paper-scissors).

That said, don’t underestimate Linx! This quick and light little game requires more strategy than you might think. It’s minimalist, colorful, extremely friendly and extremely accessible for young people, beginners and families.

*****

The board game Littoral (Martin Labbe/It’s your turn)

Littoralto play at the beach

• 1 to 5 players
• 8 years and over
• Beginner-intermediate level
• 10 to 30 minutes
• $35

New Littoral is literally inspired by the theme of vacations by the water!

This simple game first requires you to draw wooden tokens from a bag. Then, he invites you either to throw the shellfish, crabs and other crustaceans drawn at random back into the sea, or to add the rock, beach, wave and bird tokens to your coastline. These allow you to pick up certain tokens thrown into the sea, useful since the player who has accumulated the highest pile wins.

Designed by Montrealer Bryan Burgoyne, Littoral describes itself as an all-terrain game, with its fabric carrying bag and lightweight, durable wooden tokens, perfect for the beach or picnic table.

You will only need a few games to integrate the skills of each type of token. In return, you will discover an adorable and dynamic game in which you enjoy drawing from the bag to try your luck. This game smells like vacation!

*****

The board game Trio (Martin Labbe/It’s your turn)

Trioa card and memory game for everyone

• 3 to 6 players
• 7 years and over
• Beginner level
• 10 to 20 minutes
• $20

In Trio, you must assemble groups of three identically numbered cards. To form your “triplets”, you draw cards from your hand, draw them at random from the “hidden market” on the table or ask your opponents to reveal either the lowest card in their hand or the highest high. Anyone can learn, love, and even win this satisfying card and memory game in three moments.

*****

The board game Just One (Francis Higgins/The Sun)

Just Onethe ultimate guessing game

• 3 to 7 players
• 8 years and over
• Beginner level
• 15 to 20 minutes
• $33

In cooperative play Just One, everyone comes together to make a teammate guess a word. Everyone first writes down a clue linked to the secret word. However, you must compare your index with those of other players… and eliminate those that are repeated. It’s up to you to find the word that will enlighten your friend, but which no one else will think of. A nice game where the pleasure is proportional to the simplicity.

*****

The board game Zero to 1000 (Randolph)

Zero to 1000a quiz for everyone

• 2 to 12 players
• 12 years and over
• Beginner level
• 15 to 20 minutes
• $20

Zero to 1000 prides itself on being “the knowledge game for those who don’t have any”, like its predecessor Zero to 100. You don’t have to be a genius to enjoy this team quiz game. The goal is to find among the question cards in your hand the one that comes closest to the numerical answer (between 0 and 1000) revealed in the center of the table. A quiz for everyone in which ignorance is no barrier to fun!

*****

The board game Love Letter Bridgerton (Asmodee Canada)

Love Letter: Bridgertoncards with class

• 2 to 6 players
• 10 years and over
• Beginner level
• 15 to 20 minutes
• $17

The new version of Love Letter immerses you in the English aristocracy of the popular TV series Bridgerton. Each turn, you and your opponents pit one of the two character cards with unique abilities in your hand against each other. The goal is to end the round with the highest value card or to eliminate the other players. Quickly learned and easily taught, this game surprises with its clever card combinations. And it comes in a tiny velvet bag the size of a wallet.

*****

The board game Donuts (ISLO)

Donutsfor two players

• 2 players
• 8 years and over
• Beginner level
• 10 to 15 minutes
• $40

To win the colorful Donuts, you must line up five of your donuts — chocolate or vanilla — on the grid. Each of your placements influences the opponent’s next move. Surprise: each time you insert a donut between two enemy tokens, you rally them to your side. Designed for two players, this seemingly innocuous title contains a nice and sneaky dose of tactics.

*****

The board game Palm Island (Francis Higgins/The Sun)

Palm Islandto play anywhere solo

• 1 to 2 players
• 12 years and over
• Beginner level
• 5 to 15 minutes
• $21

So much fun in so few cards! In each of the eight rapid turns of Palm Island, you scroll through the game’s 17 or so cards, amassing resources or improving your homes in order to create the most “paying” tropical village. This single-player title with great replayability can be held in the hand, carried everywhere and can even be played standing up. A great way to get started with solitaire games.

*****

The board game Very smart (offered in French) (Kevin Damske/Wikimedia Commons)

Very smartfor lovers of Yahtzee

• 1 to 4 players
• 10 years and over
• Beginner-intermediate level
• 30 minutes
• $20

The games in the series Very smart are a kind of Yahtzee doped on steroids for those who like to roll dice and rack their brains. Each round, you record the results of three of your six dice on point tracks. Choose them wisely and in the right order, because a little foresight and tactics will allow you to unlock bonuses and skyrocket your score. Simply excellent!

What is this Board Games column?

I dive with you into the world of board games, keeping the perspective of the consumer who — like me — discovers and explores this hobby. And this, always giving a good place to the games offered in French in the stores here.

Come back regularly to our Board games page and consult the Live section of the application Sun.

If you want to react to this column, share your impressions on the games presented, ask questions or suggest topics, write to me at [email protected].

Note: some of these games were provided free of charge for our tests by the distributors ÎLO, Asmodee Canada and Randolph, who neither received nor exercised any right to review the content of this journalistic article.