Board Games!

Wasn't sure if this should go to the gaming forum... whatever. This stuff provides entertainment for all kinds of people between ages -teen to 40's =D

During Christmas time, we decided to (mostly) put aside out electronics and internets for gaming of the more interactive kind. I'm talking about party-like board games, (non-collectable) card games, and other things that mostly require people to sit down with each other to play. We engorged ourselves to multiple games of:

 Spoiler

"Race for the Galaxy"
A card game where you attempt to get as many points as possible by building infrastructure and settling planets/zones. You can pursue conceivably any strategy that you want, and try to freeride off of others as much as you can. Similar turn phases as "Puerto Rico", but not as complicated.

"Puzzle Strike"
Another card game (actually chips) that simulates a puzzle game (that does not exist) that simulates a fighting game (that does not exist). Don't let the gems pile up on your side, or you'll be KO'd! Things can get fast and ugly, and one combo that you perform one turn can spell doom for your opponent adjacent to you and the next. Personally I think luck plays a heavy factor, but there's extensive flavor based on your character roles. Very similar to "Dominion" in that you build your own deck (actually bag) of assets and skills.

"Wits and Wagers"
Trivia-based game where the trivia is insanely hard. But that's the point! You and up to 6 other people write their answers (they're all numbers) on their card, then everyone bets on who has the closest answer without going over (like The Price is Right). Yes, it sucks if you guessed "21.2%" when the answer is "21.15%" (it really happened). You never lose points, only gain them. Think you know the answer? Bet on yourself! Think your friend knows better? Bet on him! In the unlikely event that you guessed the exact answer, you only get brownie points =(

"No Thanks!"
Very simple game where you try to escape with the fewest points possible. You start with 11 chips, and there sits a card on the table with a number on it. You can choose to take it or not. You obviously don't want it, so pay a chip to pass along the decision to someone else. Careful though, it might come full circle back to you! However, if you collect cards with a numeric sequence, only the lowest point card counts! In addition, chips are worth -1 point. The catch that screws with everyone however is that certain numbers are missing, and you don't know which ones!

I forget what this one was called...
It's basically "Taboo" and "Pictionary" combined. You and your friends are split into two teams. One person on each team is the director, and attempts to tell their team's artist to draw the word on the card with only abstract terms (so you can't say "pot" or "A"), while everyone else attempts to guess what it is the artists are drawing. Get it right, you win the card! However, the other team might just guess that the triangle your artist drew is a "Harp" and steal victory from under your nose! (Actually the teams aren't supposed to be able to see what each other is drawing, but it's not as fun)

So Southperricans, any card or board game recommendations that we must try? Post them here!

Settlers of Catan.

For a smaller and close group of people.

All about this island called Catan, players start to settle there and get resources depending on the numbers rolled through a dice, then they build up to get 10 points to win. Of course, there are much more things to consider when getting to 10 points, with some skill and some luck involved as well as necessary interactions with other players for victories. Supports up to 4 players, and can expand to 6 players with expansion. To even diversify games even more, there are other game expansions like Catan Seafarers, or for more depth and complication, Catan Cities and Knights.

I loved playing Cranium and Apples to Apples.