Board games for bored students

10/11/2020

Lockdown got you down? Hopefully these board games will help pass the time.

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By Elie Gould

It’s that time of year again: lockdown. As many students begin to prepare for the last few weeks of university to be completed within government guidelines, it begs the question: how will we fill our time if not by baking bread and going back to Zoom quizzes? I’m sure I speak for a great many when I say I can’t take another online quiz. So instead let's look at an alternative form of collective entertainment – the board game.

Here at Nouse, we’ve tried our best to compile a list of new and old board games for the entire house to enjoy – or seriously fall out over. The choice is yours.

The first is a classic, something I used to play with the whole flat in first year when it was too cold and dark to go out: One-night Ultimate Werewolf, a roleplaying game which maximises on deceit and the confusion that ensues. In this, you can either be a werewolf, a villager, or a special player. The aim of the game, in short, is to find and kill the werewolf. Although the rules can seem daunting and it may take some time getting used to the multiple characters, along with the special abilities that they have, it does make sure that no game is alike. What’s more, you can also play this game online. Creating your own lobby and having up to 21 players means that now you can enjoy lying to not only your housemates but all your close family and friends through Discord.

Next up is another old game. It came to our tabletops in 2013, published by Tuesday Knight Games, it’s Two Rooms and a Boom. In this game of deduction, you have one president and one bomber, along with players on each side of the fight. It involves a good amount of moving around as the bomber tries to place themselves on the same table as the president by the end of three rounds. Think of it as a more intense game of musical chairs. This game is a lot of fun as the longer you play it the higher the stakes get, making sure that everyone is fully committed to seeing their roles through.

Following in line is Mafia. The best way to try out an alternative line of work, just in case university isn’t working out, is to role-play it. This game is quite similar to Werewolf in the sense that a group of civilian players have to root out the one to two mafia players, there are doctors, investigators, and a whole lot of lying. Also, just in case you need any tips, it is best played by going all out. I’m talking accents, dressing up, and obviously some drinks. This can make it a really fun way to have a good night in.

This last one is my personal favourite, just because of how bizarre it is. Donner Dinner Party is a multiplayer board game set in 1842 on the Donner Trail. You and your fellow housemates are trying to get to California for the Gold Rush but have become stuck in the snow. In order to survive you each have to go out and forage for as much food as you can find. Unfortunately, there are a couple of cannibals on your team. These players will sabotage your food stocks to force the party’s hand into cannibalism, so there is not a lot of time to try and root out the cannibals before it’s too late.

All of these games are a lot of fun to play with your housemates – a great way to change up the nights and make some good memories over lockdown. Just because we are all stuck inside for a while doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun in the meantime and hopefully, these board games can help with that.