Ah, the holidays. Second and third cousins that you can’t remember the names of. That drowsy feeling of eating too much, choking turtlenecks, eggnog and board games.
Board games, fun for the whole family, right? Sometimes not so much.
What started as an innocent bit of fun while waiting for the turkey to cook turns into a test of wills, a survival of the fittest. Below are some of the popular board games that could bring your Thanksgiving festivities to a spectacular crashing end.
Monopoly
Is it a game of luck or strategy? Does landing on Boardwalk first determine the game? Perhaps not, but it’s not much fun when your Aunt Maddy builds a hotel on the blues and you’re left with every property mortgaged and four measly paper dollars.
Deep breaths, give your Aunt Maddy a pat on the back, congratulate her on her win and politely excuse yourself. Or if you aren’t prepared to lose with good grace try another game for the holidays, maybe tic-tac-toe.
Scrabble
There are three types of annoying Scrabble players: The genius of the family who keeps laying down Q without U, all smug about it. The uncreative player whose whole vocabulary seems to consist of three letter words like “cat” and “fun”. And worst of all … the score hog, how could someone possibly use all seven of their letters five times in one game?
In order to keep the peace do not attempt to play Scrabble without the official scrabble dictionary close at hand and one of your relatives designated as referee.
Hint: If you’d like to win, follow the example of your genius relative and brush up on those two letter words.
Sorry!
Nobody is sorry at all when they play this game. The name is ironic really. Everyone gets that evil gleam in their eyes when they draw the only card that matters and triumphantly knock your piece off the board. If only it had been your turn, you lament. This truly is a game of luck, of somehow being the first to get all your pieces safely home, through no skill of your own. Fate is a cruel, cruel judge.
Try avoiding these games completely at Thanksgiving. Unless you have a personal vendetta against your bratty nephew, then, by all means. Bust out those old family ruiners that you try to avoid and duke it out the only acceptable way. Over colorful cardboard and paper money.
-The Alternative Daily
