A Board Or Two

I love board games. I miss boad games. So I was wondering what's out there. While nothing can beat the universal appeal of Monopoly, Battleships, Scotland Yard, Pictionary or even Ludo and Snakes and Ladders, here are some other new ones that are worthy successors of the old chestnuts!

Ticket To Ride:
This multi award-winning game was published in 2004 to wide acclaim and popularity. It is designed as an old world travel game. Up to 5 players choose "destination cards" showing two cities between which they have to travel. Every turn they choose "railway car" cards -and in some versions, "ferry", and "tunnel" cards as well. There are even "locomotive" wildcards. Each player has to build unique networks between the two main cities as they go along, capturing different stations in the process. No two players can share the same route. This calls for a lot of delicious strategising. There are other secret goals to meet, the ultimate prize going to whoever completes his journey first. Its a beautifully designed game, and comes in three different map versions- the United States, Europe and Germany. Its popularity has seen it get a computer gaming avatar as well.
Another game in this tradition: Age Of Steam

Tigris And Euphrates:
This is a much more complex game, taking over an hour to complete, and all the better for it. The premise is simple. You will have to compete with at least 2 other players to build communities on a map between the two rivers. Like many other board games, it is played with coloured tiles representing religion, trading, farming and people. Then there are playing tiles, catastrophe tiles and unification tiles. The objective is to develop a fully functioning ancient civilsation with a careful balance of the four main components. A lopsided civilisation will get you lesser points. The player with the biggest score wins. This is, though, only the tip of the iceberg. This wonderfully complicated game has entire websites dedicated to strategies. Like all modern European board games, it is beautifully designed.
Another game in this tradition: Civilization

BattleLore:
This one's for the fantasy enthusiasts. Combining elements of history and outright “Lord of The Rings”-like fantasy, each of the two players is given the command over a vast array of armies- human and supernatural- and mercenaries like the Iron Dwarves and other mythical creatures. The objective is to capture the banner of the competing player through a series of adventures. Each player has his own war council, made up of lore masters, wizards, clerics, and warriors. Each stage is governed by different possibilities, which lead to an unforeseeable outcome. The "Player Powers" depend on the success of the adventures. The battles are card driven, and the different sculpted creatures, and hundreds of plastic figures add to the fun. If your troops are brimming with confidence, you can ignore enemy threats, and bring in the archers to gain the upper hand in a hand-to-hand conflict. Epic fantasy on a tabletop!
Another game in this tradition: Commands And Colours.
-Bibek Bhattacharya