Gaming in the Library
Gina Bucalo-Crowther, Orion Township Public Library
MLA Spring Institute 2016
Gina’s Top Ten Games for Libraries
Hello Sunshine
2+ players – Recommended for ages 18+ months
Hello Sunshine is a charmingly simple game that will have you and your child laughing
and playing together! Play hide and seek with Sunshine – an adorable plush toy –
while teaching your child positional words such as: In, On Top, Below, Next To, and
more.
Animal Upon Animal
2-4 players – Recommended for ages 4+
The animals want to show how good they are at making tall pyramids! They must be
skillfully careful: Who will position the penguin on top of the crocodile, the sheep on
top of the penguin, and the serpent on the sheep? The hedgehog wants to stand on
top of the pyramid but the height is making him dizzy
Fluxx (any version!)
2-6 players – Recommended for ages 8+
A card game where the cards themselves determine the current rules of the game. By
playing cards, you change numerous aspects of the game: how to draw cards, how
to play cards, and even how to win.
Hey! That’s My Fish!
2-4 players – Recommended for ages 8+
Look for hungry penguins in this fast playing and exciting board game. Hey! That's My
Fish! is highly suitable for families and strategy gamers. At the pole your penguins are
jumping from ice floe to ice floe hunting fish. They’re also trying to block other
penguins and secure the best fishing grounds for themselves. The penguin colony that
catches the most fish by the end of the game wins.
King of Tokyo
2-6 players
Recommended for ages 8+
Play mutant monsters, gigantic robots and other monstrous creatures, joyfully whack
your opponents, rampage the city and become the one and only King of Tokyo!
Combine your dice to gather energy, heal your monster or just slap others. Spend your
energy to trigger permanent or one-shot special powers: second head, body armor,
nova death ray... Stop at nothing to become the King of Tokyo... but that’s when the
real trouble begins for you!
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Gaming in the Library
Gina Bucalo-Crowther, Orion Township Public Library
MLA Spring Institute 2016
Gina’s Top Ten Games for Libraries
Pandemic
2-4 players – Recommended for ages 8+
Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in
various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must
work together, playing to their characters’ strengths and planning their strategy of
eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks.
A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.
Ticket to Ride
2-5 Players – Recommended for ages 8+
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play
matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North
America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. The object of the game is
to score the highest number of total points.
Wonky
2+ players – Recommended for ages 8+
In Wonky, players try to get rid of the cards in their hand by stacking blocks on top of
one another, ideally setting up the blocks so that someone else takes a spill and gets
stuck with more cards in hand. The trick to doing this are the special blocks – three of
the block sides being flat and three being curved. Set up the blocks in the right way,
and you can block an opponent's path to victory.
Catan (The Settlers of Catan)
3-4 players – Recommended for ages 10+
Players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements,
cities, and roads. On each turn dice are rolled to determine what resources the island
produces. Players collect these resources (cards)—wood, grain, brick, sheep, or
stone—to build up their civilizations to get to 10 victory points and win the game.
Splendor
2-4 players – Recommended for ages 10+
Splendor is a game of chip-collecting and card development. Players are merchants
of the Renaissance trying to buy gem mines, means of transportation, shops—all in
order to acquire the most prestige points. If you're wealthy enough, you might even
receive a visit from a noble at some point, which of course will further increase your
prestige.
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