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Author Topic: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)  (Read 8600 times)

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Kuildeous

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Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« on: September 04, 2012, 11:48:19 am »
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So, there's been interest in my lunchtime crowd to play some sort of game. I have all sorts of games in my closet. The problem is that these are nongamers. That has its own issue with whether they like certain games or not, of course. That is something to consider. But, I'm more concerned about having food around. Since these are nongamers, they don't fully appreciate that a game can cost at least $40 (or over $100 for games I'm obsessed with). As a result, I'm really wary about introducing games that have cards or game boards. I really don't want to run the risk of ruining one of games, and I especially don't want to ask my co-worker to shell out $50 for a replacement.

So, what to bring?

I've already brought Blokus. I thought this would be perfect, and it is as far as physical components go. I think they're getting bored of it, so I am ready to shelve it and bring it back later.

I had a request for Zombie Dice. I think I will bring that in someday. I need to get some brain tokens, though.

Gobblet is another possibility. Sadly, it only engages two people, but it can be interesting to spectate.

I think all my other games involve cards or boards (of the ruinable variety). What should I consider?
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Young Nick

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2012, 12:07:05 pm »
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Ingenious, if you want a different spacial-reasoning game.
Pukerado.
Cribbage.

Just spit-balling here.
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theory

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2012, 12:10:48 pm »
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The Resistance?
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Arya Stark

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2012, 10:38:28 pm »
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I demo'd roll to the south pole at gen con & liked it. I just ordered it to play with my son. Its easy to learn with enough strategy to keep it interesting.. ( i hope) could be a game get tired of quickly though.. dunno yet
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eHalcyon

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2012, 10:50:41 pm »
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Hive is a good two player game.  The official pieces are big plastic tiles that feel like dominoes, so it would be pretty safe around food.


You could always try regular card games!  I recommend Hearts, Spades, Big Two and Mao.  That last one may result in chaos though.  Big Two can be easily modified to fit different numbers of players.  Hearts too, to some extent.
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Kirian

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2012, 01:39:56 am »
+1

Roll Through The Ages?  Dice, sturdy wood blocks, and paper.  And a reasonably good game.
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O

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2012, 03:51:04 am »
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Mao

-20.

+1 for Hearts/Spades though. Add Cribbage and Liars Poker.

Resistance might take too long depending on how everyone plays
Fluxx is a fun, stupid game. We didn't playtest this at all is a fun, stupider game.
Durak is a Russian game that's fun with a normal deck
Innovation is on the more-hardcore end of not-hardcore and just has cards (IE cheap)



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Ozle

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2012, 04:03:49 am »
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Citadels is pretty good.
Costs about £15, small card based game to easy to transport
Rules can be picked up in 5 mins and offers a little bit of depth and strategy and player interaction.

I would stay away from Flux, it tends to polarise people, plus it could take 5 mins or 45 minutes!

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Ozle

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2012, 04:06:03 am »
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Oh, Fistful of Penguins is what i intend to get for a similar group!
Looks fun
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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2012, 04:13:07 am »
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I would stay away from Flux, it tends to polarise people, plus it could take 5 mins or 45 minutes!

Fluxx can take 45 minutes?!??!  :o
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ftl

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2012, 04:17:15 am »
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If you get 5 people in fluxx it can really drag on. It's not supposed to, but keepers can get split up badly, and then someone plays a keeper limit and/or hand limit... and you can cycle through the whole deck without much progress, everyone stuck at a small number keepers that don't match.
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Ozle

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2012, 04:17:44 am »
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I would stay away from Flux, it tends to polarise people, plus it could take 5 mins or 45 minutes!

Fluxx can take 45 minutes?!??!  :o

Yep, it can be very painful!

With enough slow players, and people who like to get rid of the draw/play rules every chance they can get
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Ozle

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2012, 04:18:31 am »
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Either way, I like fluxx, but I seriously would stay away from it from Non-gamers. Its the sort of game that could put them off games permamently!
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DG

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2012, 06:04:25 am »
+1

Pickomino is a lightweight dice rolling game that would be food proof. It even has a dinner theme: eat worms on a barbecue.
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Slow Dog

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2012, 10:17:09 am »
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Pickomino is a lightweight dice rolling game that would be food proof. It even has a dinner theme: eat worms on a barbecue.

Liars Dice is fun with the right group. You can buy Perudo, or its easy enough to cobble together your own set, especially if your workplace has access to opaque plastic cups.

Poker Dice or Yahtzee, though less fun, are likewise safe.

There are dice versions of other games (Ra, Ticket to Ride) though I haven't actually played them and don't know if they're really food proof.


I've played lunchtime 9x9 Go on a paper board with my glass "stones". A full set would support (I guess) 3 simultaneous games.


Incan Gold/Diamant has lots of loseable bits and cards, but is cheap and supports lots of players with simultaneous turns.
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Adrienaline

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2012, 01:40:35 pm »
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The dice version of Ticket to Ride still uses the big expensive boards, so I wouldn't recommend it. Also, it's not very fun compared with the cards.
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Ozle

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #16 on: September 05, 2012, 01:49:19 pm »
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Incan Gold is one of my 'get people interested' games, so would definitely recommend it.
Little bit fiddly with the gem pieces, but cant have everything!
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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #17 on: September 05, 2012, 01:50:44 pm »
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Oh, also High Society!

Cheapish, only uses cards and great fun and interactive!
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Davio

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2012, 03:23:13 pm »
+1

How about Can't Stop?

It's a really light, fun and frustrating game and might be good.
Problem: It's only 2-4 players.
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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #19 on: September 05, 2012, 07:16:15 pm »
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If they are up for a game played with dice, I like Cosmic Wimpout.  Five dice (as I recall) weighs very little, as many people as you want can play, and it's easy to invest in how other people are rolling, because any lead can be overcome.  Even after someone crosses the finish line (numerically), everyone gets another turn, to see if you can best the "winner's" score.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Wimpout

It's available on Amazon, for less than 10 dollars.  All you need is a pencil and paper to keep score.

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Kirian

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #20 on: September 17, 2012, 04:41:35 pm »
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If they are up for a game played with dice, I like Cosmic Wimpout.  Five dice (as I recall) weighs very little, as many people as you want can play, and it's easy to invest in how other people are rolling, because any lead can be overcome.  Even after someone crosses the finish line (numerically), everyone gets another turn, to see if you can best the "winner's" score.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Wimpout

It's available on Amazon, for less than 10 dollars.  All you need is a pencil and paper to keep score.



The rest of us call this Farkle, and it can be played with any six d6s.
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Synthesizer

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #21 on: September 18, 2012, 05:36:16 am »
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Take 5! is loads of fun, easy to pick up, easy to add players in the middle of a match (chaos reigns anyway), not too serious (won't put off inexperienced players), playable up to 10 players, short so you can "add one more game" or "damn I have a meeting now". I have yet to come across anybody who didn't like it.

It does use cards, but it is a very cheap game ($10-ish or lower), so if all players pitch in a few dollars/euros after a coffee-disaster you can replace the game.

I wish I could convince colleagues to play games during lunchtime... oh well.

EDIT: Take 5! is the name on the box on my shelf. In Germany it is called 6 Nimmt! On BGG it seems that Take 5! refers to another, related game? Anyway, it is the game where everybody simultaneously selects a card from hand, by putting it face down on the table. Then they are flipped over and added to the play area in ascending order (i.e. not necessarily player order), a player whose card adds the 6th card to a row must take the previous 5 cards in the row with the associated negative VP. That's the game I'm talking about.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2012, 05:45:33 am by Synthesizer »
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ftl

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #22 on: September 18, 2012, 02:40:20 pm »
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It's also sold as "Category 5". Not sure why all the different names, but they're all variants of the same core game.
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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #23 on: September 18, 2012, 11:05:28 pm »
+1

Zendo!
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Kirian

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Re: Looking for lunchtime games (easy and mess-proof)
« Reply #24 on: September 18, 2012, 11:50:27 pm »
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Zendo!

I love Zendo!

Perhaps Quirkle to add to the OP's list?
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