Summer is here, and the holidays that go with it are coming soon. Remember to slip one or other of the small boxes from our selection into your suitcase, which is probably already too full.
Like every year, you only intended to take your passport and your bathing suit. And like every year, your suitcase is packed. Lucky for you, we have concocted a selection of board games with reduced equipment, easy to slip into your belongings.
Whether it’s to keep busy on rainy days, have a good time over an aperitif or serve as an excuse to meet your neighbors, board games are the ideal companion to take on vacation, just like books.
Who says small box does not say reduced interest. On the contrary, we have played many times each game in this selection. On the other hand, they all share simple rules and short games, ideal conditions for introducing new players.
Finally, do not hesitate to consult our previous recommendations of small boxes, still relevant (in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022).
Happy holidays, and good parties!
1. Mind Up: a simple and clever little card game
On each turn, you want to collect the card that interests you the most, the one that earns you the most points. But, everyone plays at the same time, secretly, and you must try to guess the intentions of the other players to succeed.
Here is the worthy successor of the indestructible Find Mind Up at €14.99 at Cultura
Duration of a game of Mind Up, number of players and price
- mind-up is a game by Maxime Rambourg, illustrated by Christine Alcouffe
- Published by Catch Up Games
- For 3 to 6 players from 8 years old
- For games of about 20 minutes
- Priced at €14.99 at Cultura
2. Pick Pic: a smooth picture matching game
Goal of the game
In Pick Peak, you try to combine your photos in hand with those posed in front of your opponents as best as possible. If you succeed, you score points, but at the first error, the counting stops. To spice it up, a random photo is added to everyone…
Pick Peak does not revolutionize games based on image associations. But it’s a fresh, entertaining, no-brainer proposition.
He managed to impose himself in our evenings and to replace the venerable Said. It is easier to offer, easier to play, and faster. Ideal for small summer parties with friends.
Duration of a game of Pick Pic, number of players and price
- Pick Peak is a game by Kasper Lapp, illustrated by Olin Jeong
- Edited by Iello
- For 3 to 5 players from 8 years old
- For games of about 20 minutes
- Priced at €16.90 at Philibert
3. Sandwich: prepare your picnic on the beach
Goal of the game
Sandwich is a fast-paced game in which everyone scrambles for various ingredients to prepare the best, not the least worst, sandwich for their table neighbors. You will have to show creativity and a certain glibness to convince them to vote for your banana-camembert-mussels…
It’s not MasterChef who wants!
Sandwich is the most family-friendly and funniest game in this selection. It particularly appeals to children, who love to concoct sandwiches, each one more disgusting than the next.
But it works just as well between adults. And if you are really playful, buy all the ingredients, and test your preparations for real!
Duration of a game of Sandwich, number of players and price
- Sandwich is a game by Christophe Raimbault, illustrated by Stéphane Escapa
- Published by Tiki Editions
- For 3 to 8 players from 7 years old
- For games of about 20 minutes
- Priced at €13.50 at Philibert
4. Spicy: the stunning card game
Goal of the game
Spicy is a card game of bluffing and risk taking.
At each turn, you play a card, and announce a suit and a value… but are you telling the truth? If no one argues, we move on to the next one. Otherwise, the accused or the accuser score points depending on whether you lied or not.
Spicy is a revisit of the traditional Liar. But with its three end-of-game conditions, its different variants, and its very pretty illustrations, it is much more pleasant to practice it than with a deck of classic cards.
It’s the ideal game to chain games between friends over an aperitif, with washing up for the loser.
Duration of a game of Spicy, number of players and price
- Spicy is a game by Zoltán Győri, illustrated by Jimin Kim
- Edited by Iello
- For 2 to 6 players from 10 years old
- For games of about 15 minutes
- Priced at €14.00 at Philibert
5. The Number: bluffing and risk-taking are on the agenda
Goal of the game
The Number is a game of bluffing, risk-taking and guessing (I think you’re going to play that, so I’ll play that, unless you end up playing that…).
On each round, write down a three-digit number. If you are too greedy, you risk elimination. If you’re too timid, you don’t score enough points. Difficult to find the right balance, especially since the possibilities are fewer and fewer.
The Number is a kind of OLNI (Unidentified Playful Object) coming straight from Japan. It does not leave indifferent: we like it or we hate it, finding no interest in it.
It’s the kind of game where you always have the impression of making the wrong choices, of being late, out of step, compared to others… and where you restart a game to see if, yes or no, it’s not. is really just luck and chance.
Duration of a game of The Number, number of players and price
- The Number is a game by Hisashi Hayashi
- Edited by Repos Production
- For 3 to 5 players from 8 years old
- For games of about 15 minutes
- Priced at €14.90 at Philibert
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