Tabletop Tuesday - Top 5 Quick & Easy Games

Tabletop games come in all matter of shapes, sizes and varying degrees of complexity.  And sometimes, a quick and simple game is just ticket you're looking for.  Perhaps to warm-up newcomers, bide a few minutes during a brief break or before a much anticipated TV premiere, or even to cool down from a lengthy exertion, small and easy to learn games are worth taking stock in for any game collection.  These are my Top 5 recommendations for just such occasions and games that are easy to pick up, set up, and have a quick go in about 15 minutes or so:

-1- Spot It

Spot It tops this list as a game that undoubtedly exemplifies ease of accessibility in both learning and playing.  The entire notion of the game is searching for matches between cards, of which each card will always contain one and only one match.  Of course this is simpler said than done as the pictures vary in size and arrangement.  It's a super easy game to set up and get into some quick rounds of fervent play.  But what stands this game above the rest is there are also many variations in which to play, each of which are equally easy to learn and still quick to play.  So this is the perfect game to enjoy the likes of quick, but still flavorful fun.  To learn more on Spot It, click here.

-2- UNO

Never underestimate the appeal that UNO still holds today.  With the simple premise of matching and discarding cards until one person runs out, UNO is a universally easy to understand and play experience.  And despite the simplistic strategy it entails, there is still immense satisfaction to be had jeering on your opponents and seeing the Draw 2 cards slammed down.  Just be aware if you want to keep the games brief, you may want to reconsider certain house rules.  For more on such house rules and the overall general game of UNO, check out such here.

-3- Exploding Kittens

In a similar vain as UNO with its Skips and Attacks, I like to describe Exploding Kittens as if UNO met Russian Roulette.  The game is relatively straight-forward in that your only goal is to draw cards and not explode.  The games typically begin as fast-paced, calm affairs as players draw from the deck and the cards dwindle down one by one.  But it crescendos into a furious finish as feline fatalities loom ever closer and players begin to barrage each other in desperate attempts to stay alive.  Plus the odd art / humor on each card never fails to elicit a good chuckle.  Click here to learn more on this quirky card game, or here for its expansion, Imploding Kittens.

-4- Incan Gold

Incan Gold is your classic push-your-luck style game that is very easy to grasp, but has enough degrees of mind games and calculated risk vs reward to keep it consistently interesting.  Players are only ever pitted with two choices: To venture deeper for more treasure or fall back with what valuable goods they'd obtained thus far that round.  With the allure of less to be shared and more to be gained as others leave the temple, big upsets can be had in all directions with this game.  And who doesn't love little prop tents and game to set the mood.  The game ends after five quick rounds of which the explorer with the most treasure wins, perfect the likes of a short game session.  For more details on Incan Gold, click here.

-5- No Thanks

Last but not least, No Thanks is another simple concept game that poses the player with one of two choices to make at any given turn: Take the points or put in a chip to pass (aka no thanks).  The goal of this game is to have the fewest points, so players will need to decide when to conserve chips for passing bigger points or when it is of benefit to take the points (and any passed chips with it).  The other caveat that adds some interest to this game is the ability to negate points should you make sequences of any numbers picked up.  So while the game remains straightforward in the two options one can make, players are always considering what cards may be of benefit / detriment to others, and how this can be played to one's favor.  Aside from the little bit of math that comes from adding up the points come the end of this brief game, it remains a great choice for some thought-provoking, quick game sessions.  Click here if interested in learning more about No Thanks.

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Hopefully these games listed above will help fit in and maximize your gaming fixes however and whenever the occasion should arise.  Any other quick and easy games worth a shout out to the list above?  Be sure to share and discuss in the comments below.  Otherwise, until next time and as always, happy gaming!