9 Favorite Board Games – Caleb
Now that we’ve shared the all-important Mom’s 12 Favorite Board Games, we’ll move on to the kids, starting with the youngest – Caleb.
For those that have just recently found our reviews, you may not know that Caleb was the impetus behind our foray into board game video reviews 6 years ago. We first filmed him playing and talking about BANG! in 2009 and that spawned the idea for the kids reviewing games.
The first game he officially reviewed was Pandemic. Since then, he’s done 44 other board game video reviews.
Just as the Force is strong with Luke Skywalker, we can sense the Board Game Force being strong with Caleb. Like his father before him, Caleb loves playing all sorts of board games.
When we started doing game reviews, he was 6.
When he made his 10 Top Board Games in 2012, he was 9.
So now at 12, how have his favorite games changed?
It’s time to find out.
Caleb’s 9 Favorite Games:
Like the rest of these updated Favorite Board Games lists, Caleb’s are listed below in alphabetical order – except for #1. He did want to make sure that it was clear that his absolute favorite board game is…
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition
Ages: 14+, Players: 2 – 5, Time: 120 min
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd Edition is a game that Caleb would play non-stop if he could get others to join him for that much playing. He took to Descent immediately the first time we opened the box. The extensive rules weren’t a deterrent at all as we quickly discovered that he had no problem whatsoever remembering all the special abilities and unique quest rules along the way.
He loves leveling up his hero throughout a campaign and loves exploring combinations of different heroes and hero classes. Descent is truly an adventure he loves and would gobble up every Descent expansion as well.
See our full review of Descent: Journeys in the Dark.
Get a copy of Descent: Journeys in the Dark
7 Wonders
Ages: 10+, Players: 2 – 7, Time: 30 min
7 Wonders is another board game that Caleb would play non-stop if given the chance. Like most youngest children in a family, he knows how to push the right buttons. So knowing that mom also loves 7 Wonders is all Caleb needs to know to get mom to join in the gaming fun. He frequently suggests playing 7 Wonders when we want to get everyone playing a game together.
One of the things he likes most about the game is the variety of ways to score points. So every game he can try a different method or combination of card types to enjoy.
See our full review of 7 Wonders.
Code 777
Ages: 10+, Players: 2 – 5, Time: 60 min
Code 777 is another game that shows up on both Caleb and Mom’s Favorite Board Games list (it’s on Dad’s list too, but that list is still to come). Descent wasn’t on Caleb’s 2012 list mainly because we didn’t have the game then. But Code 777 has now made his list because he’s older and wiser. The deduction is a mental exercise he enjoys and can appreciate the game so much more now.
See our full review of Code 777.
Crappy Birthday
Ages: 12+, Players: 4 – 8, Time: 20 min
Putting Crappy Birthday on his favorite games list tells me that Caleb enjoys being a silly boy. Crappy Birthday is a party game with an Apples to Apples mechanic where players each select and give a card to the person whose turn it is and that person chooses a card to win the round. Only in Crappy Birthday, the cards are bad birthday presents and the person is choosing which of the “gifts” he’d like the least. It’s silly fun.
See our full review of Crappy Birthday.
Fastrack
Ages: 5+, Players: 2, Time: 5 min
We’re not sure if the debate will ever be settled, but Caleb and Jaden both claim to be the best Fastrack player around.
Once Fastrack hits the table, it will be out for days with challenge after challenge being thrown down. If you think you’ve got what it takes, then come on over and challenge Caleb to a game of Fastrack.
See our full review of Fastrack.
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot
Ages: 12+, Players: 2 – 8, Time: 90 min
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot is actually one of the card games that revitalized tabletop gaming in our family when our oldest son was then 10. It’s a game I bought while on a business trip merely because of the cover artwork. I didn’t know anything about the game at the time. But it looked like just the right gift to take home with me for the boys. Sure enough, it was a hit. Trevor and Jaden took right to it and loved the wackiness. And now that Caleb’s in that same age range it’s fun to see him enjoying it.
See our full review of Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot.
RoboRally
Ages: 12+, Players: 2 – 8, Time: 20 – 120 min
I hope it’s not letting the cat out of the bag to tell you that RoboRally is on the Favorite Board Games list of all the boys in our family (including dad)! RoboRally was an immediate hit with us and has maintained its “favorite” status ever since.
Why? Because it’s awesome!
It’s full of robot chaos as players compete to be the first to get their robot to all the flag touch-points scattered around the factory floor. Players program their robot’s movement each turn by simultaneously selecting movement cards to play and in which order to play them. After revealing their movement, the chaos begins as robots bump and shoot each other and get thrown off course. The wide variety of factory boards and setups deliver a ton of replay value. I don’t think we’ll ever tire of it.
See our full review of RoboRally.
Stipulations
Ages: 12+, Players: 4+, Time: 30 min
Stipulations is fun party game where players “ruin friends’ newly announced superpowers, careers, lifetime supplies, and dreams.” So you can obviously see why Caleb would have it on his Favorite Games list.
Actually Stipulations is a game that everyone we’ve played it with enjoys. It’s not that we all love squashing each other’s hopes and dreams. But rather that we get to be as creative as possible. And besides, it’s not their real hopes and dreams that we’re thwarting – it’s just the ones on the card that they choose.
For example, they may choose to get a Lifetime Supply of Light Bulbs. Then each other player writes down a stipulation to that supply like, “…that are all burned out”, or “…that only run on gerbil-power”, or “…that constantly blink.”
Stipulations is a game that gets funnier as it goes.
See our full review Stipulations.
Telestrations
Ages: 13+, Players: 4 – 12, Time: 30 min
As we mentioned in Mom’s 12 Favorite Board Games list, Telestrations has become one of our “go-to” games for family gatherings. Every game always ends in laughter as all the results are revealed.
So it’s not a surprise to see it on Caleb’s list as well.
Telestrations is like a game of “Telephone” – but instead of whispering, it’s a mix of words and drawings. One person writes a phrase, then the next person draws a picture of that phrase. Then the picture is passed to another person who then writes what they think the picture is. On it goes until each person gets their flipboard back.
One of the best things about Telestrations is that there’s no down-time either. Everyone is either drawing or guessing the whole time as flipbooks are passed around.
Tons of fun.
See our full review of Telestrations.
And that’s Caleb’s 9 Favorite Board Games (and Party Games)!
If there’s a 12-year old boy in your family, this is a great list to consult.
Here are links to the rest of our 2015 Favorite Board Games lists:
- 12 Favorite Board Games – Mom
- 8 Favorite Board Games – Brooke
- 10 Favorite Board Games – Jaden
- 7 Favorite Board Games – Trevor
- 20 Favorite Board Games – Dad
