7 tabletop games that'll make you want to ditch your gaming PC
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1. Carcassonne
Francophiles and would-be vassal lords need look no further than this French-themed tile-placement game. The tiles are made up of cities, grasslands, roads and cloisters. Each tile must be placed adjacent to those that are already on the board, in order to make connections with other tiles of the same type. You also get to control these little things called "meeples" which, despite their oddly adorable name, serve as everything from knights and monks to robbers and farmers. Carcassonne is definitely a game for decisive types, as you'll be faced with loads of make it or break it questions that will affect the survival of your city and, ultimately, you.
2. Battlestar Galactica
We're just gonna go ahead and assume that, by this point, you've seen the entire reboot. If you haven't, stop reading this immediately, call in sick and get ready for one seriously stellar binge. Trust us, this is one you need to witness before you attempt any role-playing. Much like the series, all playable characters need to pool together in order for the human race to survive. But things get complicated when you realize that at least one (possibly more) players are secretly siding with the Cylons. The trick is to eventually pinpoint the traitor, all while struggling for survival amid political unrest, fuel shortages and a myriad of other unsettling fleet issues.
3. Cards Against Humanity
If you haven't already been suckered into playing this one with your unfiltered friends, get ready for the most awkward evening you've experienced since that time your mom pulled out your baby photos on your third Tinder date. You won't find any role playing here, nor does it exactly fit into the geeky game category, but boy oh boy, will you end up with some side-splitting stories to share. Best when paired with friends and an adult beverage or two.
4. Ticket to Ride
If you've ever longed for the days when railway trains represented the stuff dreams were made of, rest assured you can step right back in time with this one. Often lauded as a gateway game, this is a surefire starting point for folks who believe board games are reserved for kids and obligatory family game nights. Of course, serious tabletop geeks will be just as pleased with the easy-to-learn instructions, yet beautifully complex railway routes. Let's just say there's a reason that, as of 2008, Ticket to Ride had already sold more than 750,000 copies.
5. Castle Panic
The general theme of this one is pretty much straight to the point: You've built a castle, trained your soldiers, and now you're about to be thrown into panic-mode, thanks to a bunch of nefarious monsters lurking in the forest. Monsters who, by the way, were quietly watching you the entire time. Oh, and they have an army of their own, too. The goal here is to work as a team to defend your castle, meaning that you'll all either win or lose together; though, there's still a chance to be the shining star if you're declared the Master Slayer (this title goes to the player with the most victory points).
6. Citadels
Citadels keeps things interesting by allowing players to take on new roles each round. So, just because you were a skilled assassin in the first round, doesn't mean you won't get all your gold jacked in the next. The goal is pretty simple: acquire enough gold to erect a bunch of buildings--eight, to be exact. The player to reach that number first ends the game. However, ending the game doesn't mean victory just yet, as the winner is actually the player with the highest overall score.
7. Coup
In Coup, role playing is performed with an Italian accent--or at least it should be. The idea here is that you're the head of a family in an Italian city-state, which happens to have some pretty big issues (your typical corruption and the like). In order to overcome this, you've got to be pretty darn ruthless. Problem is, so do all those other head honchos playing the game. In order for your family to survive, you need to force the other families into exile.
