Now that the weather is starting to get better but still not good enough for everybody to play outside, I thought it would be a good time to go over my top five board games.

1. Sorry

This is just an instant classic. Everybody has had some kind of encounter with the game of sorry. Regardless of whether they felt the betrayal of their friends or the sweet taste of victory, this game was just pure emotion and could make or break a relationship with one turn. This game can be enjoyed for hours. I would share a story about me and brother that involves a Sorry board game, a best of seven series, a played Sorry card, and a broken tooth, but that tale is too traumatic to tell.  Lets just say Jacob was in the wrong!

1. Game of Life

Now this game may not be that big in other people’s houses, but in mine it was a game that brought together the whole family. This game is a way for young kids to get a tiny little taste of the world. There would be nothing more traumatizing than getting sued by your brother or sister at any point in time for little to no reason. But of course with families everything comes back up. I was sued five times in a row one time! This caused some problems to say the least.  Regardless of how my family played, I believe this game includes a decent amount of strategy within. You have to place time cards down and be able to put some of your money on certain numbers that the spinner could land on in order to make an “investment” of sorts. One of my favorite games of all time.

1. Connect Four

This was probably the first board game I actually understood how to play. With easy rules and a basic objective this game is very similar to tic tac toe only with four in a row instead of three. I have personally never had any big conflicts with this game, so it is safe for families to play without a major rift being formed between family members and friends.  

1. Chutes and Ladders

Another one of my early childhood games. Chutes and Ladders while easy, can also be the most frustrating game on this planet. Hitting a long ladder is the best feeling ever but hitting a slide could ruin an entire game and put you in last place. The only thing you can blame was luck. An unlucky day would result in a horrible game. A lucky day, however, could put you on top of all your competition.

1. Stratego

This was the most strategic game I played when I was younger. While it was hard, it was also super satisfying. My brother and I would play this for hours on end just to prove who was smarter. I rarely won. This game requires secrecy, battle strategy and the ability to read your enemy. This and Risk were two of the best strategy games I have ever played.