THE TOP FIVE

Everyone wants fun and entertainment. Not enough play makes Jack a dull boy, and Jill a dull girl. I don’t know about you, but many times I’d rather be at home playing a good old board game than sitting in a lecture at school. However, there have been many times when people have told me that there isn’t anything to do around here. I disagree, and today I will share with you five ways in which I disagree.
It seems that board games have been around since the dawn of ages. Certainly some of the most well-known games have been around for years, yet others are newcomers on the block. These newcomers are gaining their place in the history of board games. So today, I give you the top five board games of all time.
5. Settlers of Catan. A relatively new game, Settlers has already made an impact worldwide. They have sold over 15 million units across the globe since 1995. I’ve found this game particularly addictive and competitive. I can’t think of any game where sheep can be more exciting ­— never mind the fact that the ore wants to steal the show.
4. Clue. The game that spawned a movie, the U.S. publication of Clue has been around since 1949. Originally developed by Anthony E. Pratt, the game has gone through many different variations and spin-offs. Cluedo is the British name for the game. What other game lets you imagine what vile things you can do with a rope, wrench, knife, candlestick, revolver or lead pipe? After seeing the movie, I wanted to rope Colonel Mustard, shank Miss Scarlet, take a wrench to Mr. Green and shoot Mrs. Peacock. It wouldn’t have mattered what room I did it in.
3. Life. Milton Bradley created this historic game a lifetime ago in 1860. Originally called The Checkered Game of Life, the version we know as The Game of Life was released in 1960, 100 years after the original. The 1860s playing board looked like a checker board, and has been reinvented many times. It has many incarnations such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Sailor Moon, Star Wars, The Simpsons, Spongebob and others. If you play some of the different incarnations of the game, don’t expect them to be the same as the game you know.
2. Risk. Playing this game is seriously a risk of wasting time. You can literally play this game for days. World Domination is the end game. This game has other versions, like Transformers and Lord of the Rings. Personally, if I ever want to dominate the world, I am going to do it as Megatron or Sauron. They’re just better baddies than I am.
1. Monopoly. I’m not talking the McDonald’s version, although I would love to win millions of dollars. When I play, I always choose the thimble, because nothing strikes fear into the hearts of opponents like a thimble. Charles Darrow, the game’s creator, sold 5,000 copies in 1934 before Parker Bros. bought the rights in 1935. The game continues to be the best-selling board game, and an estimated 500 million people have played the game.