First Game Recommendations to Start!

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Azul

Azul is an easy-to-learn game where you draft tiles and build a mosaic on your personal board. The strategy lies in choosing the right tiles at the right time and placing them where they’ll score the most.

Age: 8+
Cost: $25-$35
Playtime: 30-45 minutes
Players: 2-4 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXuucWGrFMQ

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4iDYosG

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is a set-collection game where you gather colored train cards to claim railway routes across the map. The strategy comes from connecting your destinations, blocking opponents, and keeping track of which tracks are still open (pun intended).

Age: 8+
Cost: $25-$35
Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Players: 2-5 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JhFhyvGdik

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4a1KDSu

Canvas

In Canvas, players stack clear art cards to form beautiful paintings with different scoring combinations. You choose which cards to take and how to layer them to craft the best final piece.

Age: 13+
Cost: $25-$35
Playtime: 30 minutes
Players: 2-5 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAZxJTqFgSw

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/456aKnL

The Search for Planet X

A deduction game played with a companion phone app that randomizes where Planet X is among all the celestial objects. Each player gathers clues like “if the asteroid is next to the comet, but Planet X isn’t next to an asteroid"—giving you satisfying ah-ha! moments.

Age: 13+
Cost: $40-$50
Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Players: 1-4 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh9n5RZceyE

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4iTBA8t

Blokus

Blokus is an easy-to-learn game of shapes and territory, where every one of your pieces must connect corner-to-corner. With every player doing the same, the board quickly fills up, and the player who places the most pieces wins.

Age: 7+
Cost: $20-$25
Playtime: 15-30 minutes
Players: 2 or 4 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8pK6Ak5oE

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3KtNLMF

Quacks

A push-your-luck game where players draw ingredient tokens from a bag to brew magical potions. Each round, the tension builds as you decide whether to keep drawing your ingredients for more points or stop before your potion explodes.

Age: 8+
Cost: ~$40
Playtime: 45 minutes
Players: 2 - 4 players

How to Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh-e-B00VNc

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4aBrmrm