When thinking about addicting games, Monopoly is one of the first board games to come to mind. Who hasn’t spent hours scheming to trade railroads, or hoping beyond hope that they will manage to avoid landing on the Boardwalk space with the hotel on it? Debates continue to rage as to whether money paid to the banker goes in the middle of the board and the lucky person to land on Free Parking rakes in the cash (the official rules say no, but every family seems to have its own tradition of rules).

There are over two dozen great versions of Monopoly, some of which incorporate themes and others of which are designed as kid’s games. Monopoly Jr. is a great way to get the younger ones involved in and excited about Monopoly, and is still fun for adults. In fact, a child’s movement from the Junior version to the “real” version of Monopoly is almost like a rite of passage.

When it comes to themes, there’s a Monopoly game for virtually everyone. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings Monopoly themes appeal to the sci-fi crowd, while the NFL and Dale Earnhardt Monopoly editions are a sure bet for sports aficionados. Those who love nostalgia will enjoy playing the I Love Lucy version of Monopoly, while kids of all ages enjoy the Pokemon, Spider-Man, and Disney Monopoly editions. Other themes include Harley-Davidson, The Simpsons, Scooby-Doo, and Peanuts - and there’s even a .com version!

Of course, while two people can play Monopoly, the best Monopoly games involve at least three or four players. When it comes to addicting games for twosomes, card games are always a favorite. Kid’s games include educational card games like Learning Journey and card games that feature historical figures like the Pioneers in Medicine Card Game or the Inventors Card Game. For adults, rummy cards are a fun way to pass the time, as are cribbage, Uno, and Skip-Bo.

Completing jigsaw puzzles are on the top of many people’s list of addictive activities. It’s a great solo activity, as well as being a fun family pastime. Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes, and are suitable for kids as well as adults. Especially appropriate for rainy days, jigsaw puzzles keep idle fingers busy and make the time go by quickly.

When it comes to addicting games, no one can dispute that video games are completely absorbing. Even so, Monopoly is one of the few unique board games that people of all ages can play, enjoy, and become addicted to.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Monopoly: Addicting Games for All or Majon’s Family and Children directory.

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There are a number of activities you can do depending upon what the family event is. If the event is a family reunion maybe you can have some competitive games playing things like Monopoly or chess. There are many board games that could be played where you could play as a team; the popular family feud is even available as a board game.

In our family, the reunions always focus on the children and yours is probably no different. For the smaller kids you can get out a bunch of coloring books which they will all enjoy sharing and coloring in. You can also let them put together puzzles that are appropriate for their age. For the older kids there are numerous activities from crossword puzzles to mazes. They can also help with making food and cookies in the kitchen!

There are infinite games available to choose from and if you are looking for board games in particular you can find tons at your local Wal-mart, craft stores, and many sites on the internet. You can find many ideas for games and other activities that will not cost and arm and a leg. Some the things that you will find are free. For example, you can use construction paper that you probably already have lying around along with some paper bags to make hand puppets for the younger kids. They can also make craft items to give to older relatives or even people who may be in a nursing home that would enjoy the gift of a child’s handiwork.

By teaching your children on how to enjoy playing these games and how to play with others you are teaching them valuable life lessons not only about creativity but also problem solving skills. It also makes them more oriented to family and community. It is far better to organize board games and other activities for family reunions and get togethers than to have the children gathering around the computer and playing games on the computer. It is the interactive human oriented games that will create memories and bring everyone closer together.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Fun Family Board Games at http://www.funfamilyboardgames.com

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Adults have some simple requirements as learners. They have an expectation of being treated as an adult with respect shown for their experience and knowledge of the training topic. Even if they cannot describe what they know in the theoretical terms they are about to learn they still want their experience acknowledged. They have a need to share that experience with others.

Above all, adults have a desire to be active participants in the learning process. They, of course, abhor boring day long presentations where presenters ask for and receive no interaction from the participants. However, they also tend to dislike good interactive presentations which give no scope for learning through experience.

Unfortunately, what adults also have is a predilection that training must somehow be painful and difficult. The old, “no pain, no gain”, adage of physical training seems to transfer to corporate learning. They believe that training whilst being lively and fast moving cannot equate to fun.

Mentioning the word, “game”, sends most adults into a thought process something like: game equals child’s play, equals not serious, equals no learning. The truth is the opposite. Adults learn better through experiential games as part of a coaching learning environment than through a presentation.

A study by Bloom and others published in their book “Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains” demonstrated a structure for design of training that complemented the desired outcomes.

The structure of learning knowledge escalated through six levels; Knowledge (finding out), Comprehension (understanding), Application (making use of the knowledge), Analysis Questions (taking apart the known), Synthesis (putting things together in a different way) and Evaluation (judging outcomes).

Games are good training tools which can be used at all levels of learning objectives using Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Quizzes, twenty questions and game show formats such as Jeopardy can transfer knowledge and test for comprehension. Using multiple choice questions in a competitive jeopardy show format reinforces learning and tests comprehension by using multiple choice questions which have at least two plausible but only one correct answer.

Online games and other computer based training games can provide methods to test application, analysis synthesis and evaluation.

A good method of training people to meet learning objectives across the whole spectrum is to use a board game. Board games can be designed to integrate process Eg, a sales process with questions about knowledge of the topics being taught and decisions to test ability to evaluate options within a scenario using the theory being taught tests participants cognitive ability across all of Bloom’s structure.

Board games can be developed for almost any topic from an organisation’s safety policies and processes to the organisation’s three year strategy. Careful consideration needs to be given to the actual design of the board and the parameters which will be impacted by decisions made by the teams. However, a well constructed board game will test the use of theory within an organisation’s operating environment.

Using games in a training event improves the learning process by creating an environment where people’s creativity and intelligence are engaged and addressing the different ways in which different people best learn; through movement, hearing, and seeing.

However, when games are used as an end in themselves and not a means towards an end, they waste time and can hamper learning and using too many games can destroy learning effectiveness.

Games are best used in conjunction with other learning methodologies, such as presentations and discussions. Games used at the beginning of a program can measure existing knowledge providing a basis for future measurement and can build immediate interest in the training material.

Games used during a training programme can help people discover the learning themselves, which strengthens recall and commitment, practice using new knowledge or skills, or reinforce initial learning. Games used near the end of a program can test knowledge gained and people’s ability to apply it in their work environment.

For games to be effective, they must be related to the workplace by providing knowledge, reinforcing attitudes, and initiating action that is important to job success. They must also teach people how to think, access information, react, understand, and create value for themselves and their organizations.

They must be enjoyable and engaging without being overly simplistic or silly. Games must also allow for reflection. That is, they must be debriefed. In many instances they need to be facilitated.

Games have a strong place in an organisation’s learning environment. They are very effective learning tools for people. Encourage your people to play them.

Kevin Dwyer is Director of Change Factory. Change Factory helps organisations who do do not like their business outcomes to get better outcomes by changing people’s behaviour. Businesses we help have greater clarity of purpose and ability to achieve their desired business outcomes. To learn more visit http://www.changefactory.com.au or email kevin.dwyer@changefactory.com.au

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Video Games

When it came to addicting video games, many of my gamer friends voted for the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (for the GameCube) and WarioWare: Smooth Moves (for the Wii). The guys in the crowd were partial to the Burnout Series and the Gran Turismo series (for the Playstation). And those who were into role-playing games were vocal in their support of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (on the Xbox 360).

Board Games

All of my gamer friends love to play board games, and most named Monopoly as one of the most addicting games on the planet. Other traditional board games that ranked high included Scrabble and Risk. Some mentioned unique board games, such as Axis & Allies and Starfarers of Catan, while others stuck with Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit.

Card Games

When it came to card games, more than a few of my gamer friends admitted to having stayed up all night playing poker. Several owned high-end poker chip sets and planned their activities around their monthly poker games. There weren’t any bridge players in the group, but several mentioned learning old-time card games from their parents and grandparents. The fondly reminisced about playing card games of canasta, rummy, hearts, and spades as they were growing up.

Kid’s Games

All of my gamer friends said that they came from game-playing families, and that they started playing games when they were very young. Aside from card games like Old Maid and Crazy Eights, most ranked Chutes and Ladders, Sorry!, and checkers as all-time favorites. Those with kids said that some of the newer games for kids, like Cranium Cadoo and Pictionary Junior, were big hits at home, although one said that her daughter loved jigsaw puzzles more than any particular game - and had over 50 in her collection!

Strategy Games

When the subject of strategy games came up, there was an intense discussion of the merits of checkers, chess, and backgammon. The chess players in the group dismissed checkers as too simple, while the checkers players argued that the chess players were just brainiacs. Everyone did agree, though, that backgammon was one of the most addicting games on the planet.

Party Games

Naturally, all of my gamer friends often attended “game night” parties, and all agreed that 25 Words or Less and Taboo were two of the most addicting games on the planet. For more organized fun, many voted for Bunco, a mindless dice game played by 12 or more players. Everyone vouched for the fact that Bunco allows you to visit with friends while rolling the dice, accumulating points, and periodically screaming “Bunco!”

Obviously, every gamer is unique and has his or her own personal list of the most addicting games on the planet. But if you haven’t dabble in those that my gamer friends recommend, give them a try - you might find them addicting as well!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about The Most Addicting Games Ever or Majon’s Family and Children directory.

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My favorite game was Monopoly a game that give me an insight to Real Estate (ironically enough, I now have a career as an Estate Agent). Is that a coincidence or did my childhood obsession with Monopoly play on by subconscious?

Many Sunday afternoons were spent with my four sisters playing, or should I say rowing over this fabulous game. The first row would normally be about who would like to be the iron, shoe, car etc (these were the items that you had to chose from to represent you on the board as you played). My favourite was always the dog!

The next row would be about who went first, and then the next would be about who would play the role of the Banker.

Finally the game would begin, and how much fun we had. Hours and hours of fun week after week.

How things have changed? Today, whilst we still have the old traditional Board games, and I guess we always will, Games are far more advanced, and are often played on computers, or via DVD Players using your Television sets.

You can now play a board game on your own against a Computer (who will act as your opponent) as opposed to playing with friends and/or family. I find this quite sad, especially knowing how much fun we had as children interacting with each other, and observing each other as we rowed over such meaningless but then important issues.

I now see my own nephews spending hours on their own in front of a computer playing games without any physical human interaction, whilst their parents get on with other things. I guess one advantage is that if you are an only child you don’t miss out on not playing games just because you had no-one else to play it with you. The Traditional games such as monopoly can now be played on a computer and the Computer can act as your opponent. You can even set what level of difficulty you want to play at.

The disadvantage to this, in my opinion is that the family getting together and interacting with each other seems to be a thing of the past.

Jon Gibb is the owner of Content Rewriter Pro, for more information on …. chekout http://www.boardgames-sources.info

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It is believed that Chess originated from Persia, however there is no actual proof that this is actually true. Chess was also believed to be played many centuries ago in Persia, India and China. Later, Arabs who invaded Persia learned to play chess, and when they invaded Spain, the game quickly became known in Europe as well. Today, chess is known all over the world with many chess clubs and organizations that hold competitions and other chess related activities. Chess is so competitive that it has already become a globally recognized sport. Not only is chess a sport, but it is also an Olympic game. There are many famous chess players who are recognized all over the world, including the most famous and successful chess player of all times — Garry Kasparov. Kasparov dominated the global chess scene for many years, before announcing his retirement on March 10, 2005.

If you love a great challenge and feel the need to empower your decision-making skills and strategic abilities, chess is definitely a game to play. In fact, the competition is so stiff that recognition is something very hard to achieve in chess. Can you be the exception to the rule? Give chess a try!

Board Games provides detailed information on Board Games, Online Board Games, Kid Board Games, Chess Board Games and more. Board Games is affiliated with Game Design And Development.

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How many times have you heard this question?

Your hobby is what? You play board games? Are You Kidding?

As I started to become fascinated by these modern eurogames, I got a lot of funny looks from people - my wife, brother, and sister included. Their response was “Ok, if that is what you want to do… I’ve never even heard of Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne.” What they did not understand is that there is quite an underground community developing around these games.

Over the past half a year or so, I have had to come up with a description for what this community affectionately calls Eurogames. They go by many names, none of which are known to the general public - adult board games. modern board games, designer games, German games, or Ameritrash games. Not one of these explains it well to the non-gamer. It really just digs you into a deeper hole.

You Can Not Answer Like This

We actually don’t play “board games” like you may think. We actually play modern designer games from Europe. They tend to be fairly complex and take several hours to play. Nobody is usually eliminated, so everyone actually has a really good time. They tend to be more interactive and engaging, yada yada… Right. Now their eyes have glazed over and you look like a board game snob.

You are Familiar with Monopoly, Right?

When introducing the games, touching a nerve is important. Asking about Monopoly tends to be my first response to them. This is a game everyone is familiar with. They understand that it is a game more complex than your average 7 year old child can handle, that it has aspects of fiscal responsibility, scarce resources, cards, and strategy. They also know there are no trivia questions, movie quotes, drawing pictures or putting words together. Good, we have a starting point. You are dealing with a game that is mildly serious and can go for over an hour.

Now, Think About Chess

Then, I go to the other end of the spectrum, chess. Again, this is a game most everyone has seen or played at some point. Heck, it even shows up in the first book of Harry Potter. They understand that this is a deep strategy game that many play and only some master. They also know that it is two players ONLY and those watching need to be very, very quiet…like golf. They are probably also aware that if you are good at chess, you are respected and considered intelligent, by most.

Now, you have your two extremes.

Next Up…Risk

This is a third game that is more complicated, and closer to the standard modern board game. And, everyone is fairly familiar with it. The thing you have to watch out for with this game is that not everyone has had a positive experience with it. It tends to be long and drawn out with two sides battling it out until the wee hours of the morning - while the eliminated players go and watch TV or munch on snacks and watch the clock.

So, Modern Board Games Are like Risk

You can actually say that a lot of the adult board games are like “Risk on steroids”. But, people actually enjoy them and most of the time everyone plays for the entire game. These games are strategy-oriented. You get to shape a country or landscape, manage an economy, manage energy infrastructures, or handle political races or micromanaging small businesses.

Unlike typical board games, the Risk board looks like a map of the world, with zones that have value. This is much more like a eurogame, than Monopoly - where all you do is go around and around hoping to land on GO! or Free Parking.

Also, you can talk to them about the imagery of the games. This is something that really attracted my wife. When she saw the level of art involved with Ticket to Ride, she was really interested. Carcassonne is similar - the art is more cartoon-like, but you build the city as you go. It is very rewarding to see the final city once it is done.

Have You Ever Played Video Games?

This is a really good leap because most 30-year-olds have, at some point, seen an RTS (real time strategy) game on a PC. They may have played Warcraft, Age of Empires, Rise of Nations, Command and Conquer, or Civilization. Or, they may have played games like The Sims, SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, and Roller Coaster Tycoon. If so, they are in! These are the PC game cousin to the modern board game.

Sid Meyer, Will Right, John Romero, Chris Sawyer

These names are familiar to PC gamers. They created games like Civilization. SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, Doom, Quake, Roller Coaster Tycoon. One of the cool things about Designer board games is that the designer of a good board game can become a star in his own right.

If they know the PC designer names, you can share your excitement for Klaus Teuber, Alan R. Moon, Richard Borg, and Andreas Seyfarth. They should understand the respect.

Blizzard and ID

If you don’t hit the note with the designer names, just throw out these two names and you should get a nod of recognition. Blizzard has put out several games (all of them hits, by the way) such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft. They are also responsible for the Online Multiplayer game World of Warcraft. ID is the gaming company that busted down the doors of the first-person shooter game with Doom - the most downloaded shareware of its time.

Rio Grande, Days Of Wonder, and Fantasy Flight

If you have hit the nerve talking about PC gaming companies, you can make the logical jump to Adult Board Game Companies. These three companies should be at the forefront of the discussion. Most of the “hit” games come from these. Oh, and don’t forget Mayfair with Settlers of Catan.

Here is an interesting point you can share with your new-found connection…

Many PC Games are also Board Games

And, they land squarely in the modern board game genre. This is what some of the gamers call Amertrash games. But, they are games you can point to that might draw the non-gamer in. Point them at Fantasy Flight Games For example, they will recognize Starcraft, World of Warcraft, and Doom. They will also be familiar with Age of Empires and Railroad Tycoon. It really should not be too much of a leap to get them to Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, Memoir ‘44 or Power Grid.

What You Don’t Want to Do

Unfortunately, when people think of board gaming as a hobby, and they have never tried it, they get a single image in their head…it is a bunch of geeky guys with greasy hair in a basement or back room with funny shaped dice, a bunch of metal figures, and lots of paper. This image also usually involves someone screaming “Shoot my +3 Fireball at the hill troll for 2d Damage…roll for initiative” What?

They had a friend at some time that was into Dungeons and Dragons. This crowd is always portrayed in the same manner as trekkies.

You also don’t act like a snob about how your games are better than their old games from when they were younger. This will just turn them off.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Just keep a couple of games in your car trunk or at the ready. When the opportunity arises, offer to bring it out and show it. Let them see the rules, touch the game, maybe even give it a shot. If they like it, great! If they don’t, oh well. You gave it a fair shot and shared the gems with one more person.

Not Everyone is Going to Be a Fan

The one thing in all of this that you can not forget is that you can not please all the people all the time. Personally, converting my wife was not a hard sell. She loves puzzles. However, my sister and her husband, on the other hand, run in completely different circles than I do and I don’t think they will ever try a eurogame. I might get them to try Pizza Box Football, but that is where it will end. My brother might actually convert at some point.

Don’t let it bother you. Just keep talking about it and we will eventually create a few more addicts together! Keep on playing the best games in the WORLD!