Boardgames For Tiny Houses

One of my biggest hobbies is board gaming, there are times that I game a few nights a week.  I came to really love board gaming because of the personal interaction.  I haven’t used my xbox in about 4 years because with the advent of online gaming, you never have to gather as a group anymore, it wasn’t as fun anymore because it really lacked social interaction. With boardgames you get to sit across the table from friends, joke, laugh, and maybe even have some lighthearted smack talk.

So here is my top ten boardgames for a tiny house that also happen to be really small so you can fit them in any little nook in your tiny house.

lifeboat game1. Lifeboat

The scene is set, you are stuck on a lifeboat after having to abandon ship, but supplies are running low and tensions are high!  Each person is dealt the identity of a person they hate and another of a person they love.  The name of the game is to stay alive, while you save your true love, but ensure your enemy finds their way out of the boat and into the treacherous waters.     Buy it here

2. Guillotine

It’s the French Revolution and the nobles are having a hard time of it.  They are lined up for their turn at the guillotine, the noble at the front of the line is next.  Each noble is worth a certain number of points, so its up to you to get the most points possible.  Sway the order of the line in your favor with bribes, tricks and other tom foolery.  Buy it here

fleet game 3. Fleet

Think of deadliest catch in a card game, that’s what Fleet is.  You are a fishing entrepreneur pitted against your rival fishermen and fisherwomen.   Bid for fishing licenses at auction, launch boats and hire captains as you build your fishing empire on the northern sea.  Buy it here

zombie Dice4. Zombie Dice

This is a great quick dice game that brings a lot of drama and a fun theme of zombies.  Who doesn’t like zombies?  The dice have three symbols:  Brains if the zombies get you, a shotgun shot if you take one out, and feet if you end up fleeing.  The trick is to get as many zombies as possible before they get you.  If the zombies get you three times, you loose you points, if you play it too safe, you’ll be left behind.  Super simple, small, inexpensive and fun.    Buy it here

bang western game5. Bang

You are in an old western town and it’s about to go down.  The sheriff in town tries to keep the peace, but there are people gunning for him.  In this game you are either the sheriff, deputies, outlaws or the renegade.  The problem is, no one knows who is who.  So in this game of six shooters, you battle it out with others, play hot potato with a lit powder keg and to restore health?…  Why you drink beer of course to shore up your hit points.    Buy it here

IMG_1073c cropped-thumb-300x260-627226. Saboteur

You and your Dwarven brethren are digging for gold deep in the mines.  All a sudden things start to happen that are beyond chance, its become aparent that there is someone in your group that is trying to foil the group’s plans and make off with the gold themselves.  Broken pick axes, extinguished lanterns and much more befall each other as you try to figure out who is the Saboteur, all while racing to the gold before time runs out.    Buy it here

sabatoge mining game

7. For Sale

The real estate market is a tough one and you as the new guy in town need to make a name for yourself as you buy and flip properties.  In this game you’ll learn how to bluff your way to victory as you climb the real estate ladder.  This is a great simple, but really fun game for kids because they can learn to count, but this is fun enough for adults too.    Buy it here

warewolves party game for a group8. Werewolf

This is a really great party game that has a ton of interaction and will leave you laughing for sure.  Your guide is the story teller of Miller’s Hollow.  He shares the tale of a werewolf that comes in the night to choose it’s next victim.  Everyone has a secret identity and you have to find the werewolf before he gets you, but stave of accusations as less scrupulous characters try to divert attention away from themselves and on to you!     Buy it here

citadels strategy game9. Citadels

This is a very popular game among gamers where you choose a role to play in the city and you build your empire.  Each game round players secretly take the roles of either the King, Magician, Architect, Assassin, Thief, Bishop, General, or Merchant and seek to use the powers of such offices in their efforts to win the game.  Buy it here

three dragon antee game10. Three Dragon Ante

After safely returning from a treacherous quest you and your compatriots settle down in a pub to tell the stories of your perilous journey.  At the pub you play Three Dragon Ante, where you bid on dragons to dominate your opponents.  From the people of D&D, but you’d never know if you hadn’t been told.  A fun quick card game.   Buy it here

 

What are your favorite board games that don’t take up a lot of room?

 

16 Comments
  1. “Race for the Galaxy” is a great game of space exploration and exploitation. It is similar to the classic San Juan card game, but it has a lot more depth, and the flavor text on the cards draws from tons of classic and modern SF themes. All in a tiny box.

    Another great tiny game with massive depth is “through the ages”. My wife and I both call this our favorite game. It is a card driven version of “civilization” the old computer game. When playing the full version of this game, it can take 3+ hours.

    The classic “settlers of catan” has a really excellent card game version as well. “The Caylus” card game version is also very good.

    • I should probably re-try Race for the Galaxy. I usually have no problem learning new games even if they are very complex, but I had no clue when it came to Race.

  2. Cards Against Humanity by far is the most played game we own. After that comes BANG.

  3. I like the travel versions of various classics – Scrabble, Chinese checkers, chess, dominoes etc. Sometimes you can find a set that has several games in it. Travel versions aren’t just smaller, they usually have some way of holding the pieces so you don’t scatter them if you knock the board, as happens sometimes when moving around in tighter quarters. Some of these others sound great though. Especially sitting around a lantern while a storm rages outside and the power is out. Next comes shadow puppets and ghost stories!

    • I like your version of riding out the storm, Alice, especially the ghost stories. LOVE that and completely free.

  4. I would have to have Scrabble and Settlers in my tiny house (I’ll get one eventually!) They would be as important as a toilet for me. But if you have a deck of cards, you’ve got hundreds of games in one little pack. Just add a cribbage board, pad and pen. 🙂

    • Settlers was my “gateway” game, after that I got deep into Euros

  5. Pass The Pigs! It’s like a dice game but with little pink pigs. Points depend on pig positions. Fun for two or a group and the game case is not much bigger than a smart phone.

  6. We play a couple of them a LOT: Bohnanza (these days the dice version more than the card version), a game where you have to plant beans to collect money.
    Spank the monkey, where you hunt down a loose monkey on a dump. To reach the monkey you build a tower out of junk and attack the other towers in order to reach the monkey first.
    And of course Munchkin, the cardgame parody on all dungeon and dragons kind of games, where cheating is allowed and discussion encouraged =D

    • I’ve played Munchkin several times, my only thing with it is you have to watch the AP (analysis paralysis).

  7. I like Carcassonne: The Dice Game (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/89953/carcassonne-the-dice-game) It goes fast takes up almost no space. We have played it a lot when waiting in restaurants. Love Letter is another good small game (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129622/love-letter), and of corse Fluxx. My favorite version is the Martian one. (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35369/martian-fluxx)

    • Carcassonne is a good game, they have an ipad version of it and its amazing! Basically all the gripes I have (fiddly tiles, scoring, etc) are negated in the ipad version.

  8. Bananagrams!

  9. 2 player agricola, catan dice, pocket hive

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