5 games which will bring out your competitive side

Getting together with friends and family for a bit of competitive fun is one of life’s great pleasures. This is where games come in. 

Looking for something new to play with your loved ones? You may be overwhelmed by the incredible choice on the market. Fortunately, after reading this article you should have plenty of fresh ideas. 

Below we have compiled seven games of various shapes and sizes that you should consider trying.

Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football is one of the United States’ favorite pastimes. It is a great way to get friends together and an ever-better way of proving that you know the NFL better than any of them!

One example of this game is Sorare. What is Sorare? Sorare is a Fantasy football game based around Blockchain. It’s a new concept but their goal is to offer you free resources and information to increase your chances of winning the tournaments.

If you have never played before, the concept is simple. At the beginning of the season each member of your league drafts a roster of players that they think are going to have a good year. Throughout the campaign your squad members will earn points based on their performance. 

Players are rewarded for all manner of things from touchdowns to tackles and from fumble recoveries to rushes. At the end of the season, the player with the most points is crowned the champion. 

To sweeten the pot many groups of friends put some money into a prize pot with those who finish first, second and third getting a share. Sites such as DraftKings Fantasy Football simplify this process by allowing you to bet on your own performance. What’s more, this practice is now legal in more states than ever, meaning Fantasy Football is likely to only get bigger over the next few years.Â

Pictionary

Pictionary may be simple but do not let that put you off having a go. To play you can either buy the board game or download one of the many apps to your mobile phone. 

In Pictionary one player will be designated as the drawer. They will then be tasked with drawing an object and the other people on their term must guess what it is. Of course, you cannot give any physical or verbal clues.

This game is great to play with both friends and family. Those who have younger kids can also play a child friendly version. 

Words With Friends

Smartphones have revolutionized the game night. No longer are friends and family restricted to the board games in their home. Now, something to suit every player’s needs is available in the palm of their hands. 

There have been a string of mobile gaming hits over the years. One of the most long-lasting has been Words With Friends. This uses the idea of word-jumble games such as scrabble and takes it to the smartphone.  

It does not matter where you are, as long as you have an internet connection you can play against your friends and family to your heart’s content. Not cheating please!

Monopoly

Created all the way back in 1903 by Elizabeth Magie and taken to the world by Charles Darrow, Monopoly remains one of the best games to play with friends and family. The aim of the game is to bankrupt the other players by buying up properties around the board and charging rent whenever your opponents land on them.

An international phenomenon, the game has thousands of different variants. There is a version for every state in the United States, as well as for most other cities in the world. There are also more gimmicky options based on television shows and movies. These include The Simpsons, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. 

Technological advancements have also changed the game in recent times. Instead of paying with fake paper money as was traditional, the newer editions of the game use electronic card readers to track each player’s funds. 

Mario Kart

Ever since the first iteration of the game was released for the Super Nintendo in 1992, Mario Kart has taken the world by storm.Â

As Nintendo have brought out fresh consoles the game has remained a best seller. However, it was not until it was created for the Wii in 2008 that it became a family favorite. The local multiplier provisions were excellent and the ability to use the remote as a steering wheel made it easy to play straight out of the box. This edition still holds up well and subsequent games have retained this communal spirit. 

Card Games 

If you do not have a pack of cards — or two, ideally — you are doing games night wrong. 

The possibilities are endless once you have your own deck. All of the card games you can play with your friends and family is worthy of an article of its own. Some games you should consider include poker, go fish and crazy eights.Â

This is barely scratching the surface of what you can do with a deck of playing cards either. 

The Balloon Game

Lucky for a great family game but on a budget? This is the solution for you. All you need for this is a few balloons and you are ready to go. 

The aim of this game is to stop the balloons touching the floor. It is great if you have younger kids but adults will likely find it quite addictive as well. Once you become a pro, feel free to add more and more balloons into the mix for a real challenge. Can you defy gravity?