By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
Playing board games was the best way to pass time as a child. Whether it was playing with friends or playing with family, board games play a massive part of a child’s development. They engage the brain in fun and interesting ways and help build social skills.
But apart from the social and educational benefits, they were ultimately about having fun.
I have picked five games that MADE my childhood, they range from sci-fi to horror, and pretty much shaped my interests in the future.
Is one of your favourites on the list? Let’s find out!
13 Dead End Drive
This game was essentially Cluedo meets Mouse Trap, and it was excellent. A game of deception and cunning, the fact that you could move any character made for a fun and intense game.
The traps were brutal and ingenious, and the gameplay was pretty fast paced which added to the excitement.
The fact that the potential winner could change at any moment was the most fun aspect. You could be two spaces away from the door, then with the portrait changing, you are no longer the potential victor. Bumping off other players and having to use your wits made 13 Dead End Drive the ultimate family murder mystery.
Ghostly Galleon
It had ghosts, it had pirates. Two of my childhood obsessions. The aim of the game was to board the ‘Ghostly Galleon’ and leave with the treasure. That is if you could make it past the other players or Blackbeard’s Ghost!
Whether you were made to walk the plank into shark infested water or sent packing by your fellow players, this game was a lot of fun.
Monopoly Junior
The junior version of Monopoly was the first version of this classic board game that I had played. Gone are the expensive hotels and in are candy floss stands and rollercoasters.
This is the perfect way to introduce young children to the world of Monopoly, but despite the game being for children, the usual never ending game-time of Monopoly remained. Many hours of my childhood was spent trying to dominate the board, but the game was always fun to play.
Star Wars Electronic Battlegrounds
I was never really a fan of Battleships. Then one Christmas I was bought, what is essentially the Star Wars version, and from that moment on it was the greatest game concept in the world.
Your pieces were spaceships like Tie Fighters, X-Wings and Star Destroyers with real voices and sounds taken straight from the movies.
This was the perfect game for Star Wars fans as it allowed you to play out your own epic space battles.
It also helped that you could take the spaceships off the stands and use them like Micro Machines, a double win!
Ghost Castle
There was always an air of Scooby Doo about Ghost Castle, and that was part of the fun. You had to navigate your investigative child through the haunted castle and try to make it to the top without getting spooked!
From the deadly falling skull to the white ‘spook masks’, this game was perfect for kids who had fancy towards horror.
The artwork on the board and stands is sublime and helps add to that spooky atmosphere. With added traps to stop your progress, Ghost Castle was a highly enjoyable game to play.
So there are my childhood picks, but what about yours? Let me know your favourites in the comments.
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