Board Games? At the Library?

September 3rd, 2019
Kenji · Staff Recommendations

Yes, starting in October we’re planning on hosting board game nights at the Harrison Public Library.  The first game night is Mon., Oct. 21 from 4-6pm at the Halperin Building.

To start, our game collection features titles exclusively from Japanese designers and publishers (with English rules included!).  Each of these games was selected for their brief rules, distinct graphic design, and, well, they’re fun games!

Here’s a preview of some of the board games you can play if you join us in October:

• DEEP SEA ADVENTURE (Oink Games)
  
  
  • 3 to 6 players
  • Playtime: 30 Minutes
  • Description: Players take on the role of poor explorers, who have pooled their funds to rent a single submarine and grab treasures from the deep. However, one submarine means one shared air supply as well! As you grab treasure tiles, the oxygen will run out faster and your explorer will move fewer spaces. If you can’t return to the submarine before oxygen runs out, your loot will sink to the bottom of the sea! Who can make it back to the submarine with the most riches before they run out of air?

• A FAKE ARTIST GOES TO NEW YORK (Oink Games)
  
  
  • 5 to 10 Players
  • Playtime: 30 Minutes
  • Description: Players take on the role of poor explorers, who have pooled their funds to rent a single submarine and grab treasures from the deep. However, one submarine means one shared air supply as well! As you grab treasure tiles, the oxygen will run out faster and your explorer will move fewer spaces. If you can’t return to the submarine before oxygen runs out, your loot will sink to the bottom of the sea! Who can make it back to the submarine with the most riches before they run out of air?

• IN A GROVE (Oink Games)
  
  
  • 3 to 4 Players
  • Playtime: 20 Minutes
  • Description: Everyone has witnessed a murder, but who is the murderer? Inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s novel, “In a Grove,” this game is about making deductions with limited information. Each round, the 8 human tiles (numbered 2-8 with one blank) are divided into 3 murder suspects, 1 victim, and up to 4 witnesses (the players). Players take turns looking at two of the three suspects, and must accuse one of them of being the murderer. The highest number among the suspects is the murderer, unless the human tile with the number five is among the suspects, in which case the lowest number is the murderer. The game ends when one player has earned enough false accusations to be knocked out, making everyone else the winner. Do your best to be a reliable witness!

• IN FRONT OF THE ELEVATORS (Saashi & Saashi)
  
  
  • 2 to 4 Players
  • Playtime: 20 to 40 Minutes
  • Description: Families are out shopping, and there’s simply not enough room in these elevators. In “In Front of the Elevators,” you are doing everything you can to get your family onto those elevators, and that means cutting in line! Each family member card has an ability to cut in front of another type of family member; dads can move ahead of moms, grandmas can move head of dads, and so on. Try to make sure your family members are at the front of the line before all the cards have been played!

• MR. FACE (Oink Games)
  
  
  • 3 to 6 Players
  • Playtime: 20 Minutes
  • Description: What is that expression!? Each round of Mr. Face will have one player assemble an expression based on an exclamation/emotion card. Other players will secretly add cards from their hand that they feel matches the expression as well. After mixing all the cards together, players must try to guess which card belonged to the face builder. Can you tell how Mr. Face is feeling?

• NINE TILES PANIC (Oink Games)
  
  
  • 2 to 5 Players
  • Playtime: 20 Minutes
  • Description: Hamburger-loving aliens have invaded earth, special agents are trying to capture them, and you must build a city that contains them all! In this real-time game, players will try to construct a city using a deck of 9 reversible tiles. Each round will have different scoring conditions; who can build the city with the most aliens? The most pairs of dogs and humans? But be quick!  The first player to complete their city will start a sand timer, and the other players must finish their cities before it runs out. Try not to panic while keeping track of how to build the best city!

• TOKYO HIGHWAY (itten)
  
  
  • 2 to 4 Players
  • Playtime: 30 to 50 Minutes
  • Description: These cars need to get on the road, but you need to build the roads first! Each turn, players extend their roads and score points (in the form of placing cars) by being the first to build over or under an opponent’s road. As support pillars rise and roads overlap, players will construct an eye-catching highway together while competing to see who can place all of their cars first.

• TRIBE (itten)
  
  
  • 2 to 4 Players
  • Playtime: 30 to 60 Minutes
  • Description: In “Tribe,” humans are emerging into their own identities, bearing unique or common ornaments as time goes on. Each turn of this dexterity game has players roll to see what kind of ornament they can place on a human figurine of their choice, with points scored based on if they share an ornament with another figurine or have accumulated similar ornaments on themselves. However, you cannot have ornaments of the same color or shape touching each other. Take care as you shape the future of these tribes!