"This historically themed but very relevant train adventure puts you in the shoes of a shtetl Yid seeking a shidduch!"

Ahhhh… long Shabbos afternoons and Chol Hamoed looming on the horizon. Now is a good time to start thinking about the new board games you’ll want to get for Pesach. As a service, I’ve created a list of the Top Five new board games we’d surely love to see in production:

“Grown Up” Jenga

If you grew up loving this wood-block stacking and balancing game, where the potential for catastrophic tumbling failure lies in every delicate move, you’ll love this realistic and specialized adult version! With each piece stylishly prelabeled with one of the responsibilities you shoulder daily, this realistic stress-inducing adult version is best played after four cups of wine. Carefully balance the checkbook block on top of your mortgage, while not knocking over your IRA! Wiggle your orthodontist bill loose from between two tightly packed car payments and watch as the tower grows!

Brisk — the top game for the brightest minds

Ask your friends to play this Chol Hamoed! (Expect a no, but hopefully they’ll then agree to consider playing next Chol Hamoed….) How to play: In this strategic game of alliances, strategy, rejection, and surprises, play begins with goals placed throughout the map of Jerusalem. Place all the hats on Beis Yisrael to start. Roll the Reshimah die to see who goes first, with play moving “to the right.” Collect all five Hamlatzah cards or the coveted Du Kenst Kummen card to access the Achva shul! Skip down a floor if you land on Rifyun, lose a turn if you “Brought a cushion into Achva,” and work your way dirah-by-dirah closer to Zichron Moshe!
Alliances are constantly shifting, so enjoy the lively tumult this game brings, as who knows who you’ll be paired with when the smoke clears?

Ticket to Bride

This historically themed but very relevant train adventure puts you in the shoes of a shtetl Yid seeking a shidduch! Players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout Europe, from Hamburg to Frankfurt, Kiev to Koblenz, and everywhere in between. You can play as Moshe the Marvelous Mensch, Shmeel the Barefooted Shoemaker, or any of the dozens of delightful characters of yesteryear. Trade for résumés, connect a train of yichus cards, discuss 12-month versus one-year support, and join the great daguerreotype/photo debate! With so much at stake, this is the ultimate matching game.

Hungry Hungry Kiddos!

It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. It’s dinnertime! This fun game is simple to learn, and is loved by kids everywhere. Just dump the KiwiKids™ box in the middle of the board and watch the food and fun fly! Players compete for the Danish diamonds, cookie crescents, and other delicious shapes.
The first player to “consume” all five “food group” colors wins. Loser drowns their sorrows in milk....

L’chayim!

Similar to the original Game of Life, but with much bigger car capacity, this Jewish version focuses not on what you can get, but on how much you can give! Select a fulfilling Career card, Salary card, and Maaser card, then slide your minivan along the road, collecting tzedakah tiles, and stopping every seventh turn for a break. Whether you end up in Enclave or the Five Towns, remember: it’s only a game and you’re not really in charge. L’chayim!

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 853)