Games for your Christmas consideration

It does seem we live in a world of constant crises, death tolls and pessimism.

But the Christmas season provides a break from that, hopefully, and board games offer another opportunity for family and friends to be together.

With that in mind, this is a reminder from the 32nd annual Tribune Holiday Game Survey and the Head Elf: There are only eight shopping days before Christmas. Now is the time, as you complete Christmas purchasing, to add a board game under the tree, perhaps wrapped in Inland 360 holiday wrap provided in the last three Thursday editions?

The most popular U.S. board games in 2021 provide some possibility, in addition to replacing worn games with new versions.

These four come highly recommended, although game shopping is more difficult in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley with the demise of several big-box stores. In Moscow and Pullman, there are more possibilities. Or ordering online for quick delivery is also an option.

Here are four of 2021’s “most popular” possibilities for your consideration:

Betrayal at House on the Hill (Avalon Hill, $27.59 or less, 12 years and older, 3 to 6 players) is an alternative to the ever-popular Clue game. Tile by tile, terror by terror, build your own haunted mansion — and then try to escape it alive. With 50 blood-curdling scenarios, each trip to the house on the hill promises fresh horrors. Players must work together to survive the nightmare, except for one player who becomes the traitor.

Pandemic (ZMan Games, $27.98 or less, teen and older, 2 to 4 players) is timely in this era of nearly two years of COVID-19. Participants work together to plan a strategy of eradicating diseases before the world is overwhelmed with ever-increasing outbreaks and epidemics in the world. Your elite team of specialists must find a cure for each of four diseases.

Exploding Kittens (Exploding Kittens LLC, $19 to $23, 7 and older, 2 to 5 players) is a Russian roulette party card game for people who are into kittens, explosions and laser beams. If you draw an exploding kitten card, you lose and you are full of loser sad-sauce. All other cards help you avoid or mitigate your risk. One advantage: Playing time is only 15 minutes.

Guess Who — Animal Planet (Skillmatics, $14.97, 6 and older, 2 to 6 players) is a team vs. team game. Ask as many as 10 questions to guess the Game Card animal. Is it a domestic animal? Does it live in groups? You’ll have 50 game cards, clue cards and bonus questions.

Check your classic board game inventory, too. The Head Elf recommends reviewing (or first-time buying) the following five:

Simon (Hasbro, $19.77, 8 and older), the classic watch and remember game.

Monopoly (Hasbro, $19.82 and up, 8 and older), the real estate game of decades. Or there are new models, such as Builder, Star Wars, the Collector’s Edition for $34.97, or Monopoly Discover for 4 and older at $14.37.

Or a Head Elf favorite, similar to Monopoly in looks and strategy: It’s LC Valleyopoly (Late for the Sky, $29.99). How do you make a game featuring the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley? You can buy your favorite valley properties, ranging from Skalicky’s Sweet Sensation to Bojack’s Broiler Pit, or even Lewis-Clark State College or Lewiston Roundup. Or Lindsay Creek Vineyards. It’s available at the Nez Perce Historical Society museum, 0306 Third St., in downtown Lewiston (members get a 20 percent discount) or at stores.

Operation (Hasbro, $19.82 and up, 6 and older, 1 to 6 players) is the classic of make the patient better or get the buzzer. There’s also Operation Pet Scan ($19.82 and up).

Yahtze (Hasbro, $7.88 and up, 8 and older), the shake, score and shout classic.

Scrabble (Hasbro, $14.37 and up, 8 and older) is the crossword game where you use letters to score points and challenge your friends and family.

With that, Head Elf rests.

Alford is president of TPC Holdings, parent company of the Tribune. He may be contacted at alajr@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2250.