Boards Abroad – Getting Your Gaming Fix on the Go
Recently, I had the chance to contribute to an article about some of the best games for people who love to travel that was all about games that you can play at home that can add value to your travel. It’s a super great idea, especially during this time when so many are still finding it hard to travel. They’re fun, educational, and an amazing way to destress at the end of the day.
But what about once everyone starts traveling again? Do we really want to leave our games behind? Or is it possible to bring them along?
Get back to the basics
When you’re looking at traveling light but still want to be able to play some games, you can’t go wrong with a simple deck of cards.
Cards are versatile, lightweight, and can easily fit in your travel bag or pocket to bring along with you. And because they can be easily found pretty much anywhere in the world, they can be a great option for something to play even if you didn’t bring any with you! Just pop over to the nearest gift shop or grocery store, and grab a deck.
Though they’re not quite as common as cards, the same principle can apply to other common game gear as well. Dice, dominoes, or even pencil and paper can all be used for tons of great games without needing to pack a whole lot.
Bring a Deck of Playing Cards
Playing cards are the easiest way to bring games with you wherever you go. My family regularly keeps a couple decks of cards with us for playing a game or two while waiting for our food at restaurants or at the gate in the airport.
Plus, you can buy a deck of cards pretty much anywhere you go, and they’ll often have pictures of scenic locations in the area. This makes them dual purpose, since they work well as mementoes of your time traveling!
If you’re looking for some ideas for card games to play, definitely check out Bicycle’s website.
Travel versions of your favorite games
Sometimes, though, you just want a little more complexity than you can get from a standard card game. Luckily, a many games have travel versions that make it easy to bring them with you!
Travel versions, as the name suggests, are versions of larger board games made specifically for travel. As such, they will typically have a smaller overall footprint than the original versions, more secure ways to contain the pieces, and they will often use magnets or other methods to make the game playable even in bumpy conditions.
The trade-off is that the visual experience of the game is usually degraded a bit, the smaller pieces are harder to handle, and the selection of travel versions is fairly slim. Widely popular games, like Battleship, Connect Four, or chess all have travel versions, but games with a narrower audience usually will not.
I personally love the idea of travel versions of games, but rarely enjoy playing them when I get the chance. Still, there are some great-looking travel versions out there.
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$32.15$29.42Via AmazonHive is a strategic game of head-to-head insect strategy that plays out like a free-form chess. The original version is already pretty portable but if you want something even smaller, the pocket version fits the bill.
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$50.09$44.01Via AmazonI grew up playing Scrabble with my family every Thanksgiving and Christmas until I got banned for winning too often. If you're still allowed at the table, it's a fun game for the whole family and a great way to grow your vocabulary.
The travel version gets you the full-sized experience in a smaller package, and will let you fold up your board mid-game without losing you placement. Perfect if you're prone to spur-of-the-moment trips out from your hotel!
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09/15/2024 02:04 pm GMT -
Via AmazonCATAN is one of the best-known and well-loved board games around, and it served as a starting point for many gamers, myself included. The travel version has a special board that allows pieces to lock in and keeps them from sliding around. However, the trade-off is that this version isn't compatible with any of the expansions. If you can live with that, it's a great way to bring a classic with you.
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Try playing a small game
A great alternative to getting the travel version of a game is to simply find a game that doesn’t take up that much space to begin with. There are a ton of great games out there that come in a smaller enough format to travel with, and there are entire companies that specialize in making small games, like Tiny Epic, which has a huge selection of tiny games.
I absolutely love the entire concept of Tiny Epic Games! They’re all about providing a big box game experience in as small of a form factor as possible, and in many ways they deliver. They have a huge variety of themes and gameplay styles in their games, but they all give a ton of game for not a lot of box.
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Via AmazonTiny Epic Galaxies is all about space exploration, and while the game can support between 1 and 5 players, it did get the award for Solo game of the year back in 2015. Play it by yourself, or with friends. Either way, its a great game.
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$25.00$22.49Via AmazonTiny Epic Defenders is a cooperative game set in a fantasy kingdom where you and your friends have to defend the kingdom from the incoming monster armies. I LOVE cooperative style games for both how fun they are and for the lack of hurt feelings at the end of the game.
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09/15/2024 02:04 pm GMT -
$27.99Via AmazonTiny Epic Zombies is another cooperative game for those who love defending themselves from the undead, but as a twist it can also be competitive, with some playing the survivors while others become the zombies! It's a flexible and fun game that everyone can love.
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09/15/2024 02:04 pm GMT
Other games might not be designed specifically for travel, but have a small enough form factor to make it work. For instance, Asmadi Games’ One Deck Dungeon does a great job of making a suitably complex game in a package that is easy to transport.
Or, for an even smaller overhead, consider role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, or collectible card games, like Magic: The Gathering, as long as you’re ok limiting yourself to just a few decks.
Just own it, and “Go Big”
Of course, once you start thinking about bringing a board game or two along on your travels, you might also consider just simply tossing in an entire big box game. After all, it is your favorite game!
This can definitely work for any road trip where you have extra cargo space in the back. However, if you’re traveling by plane, bringing along an entire big box board game isn’t usually the best way to get your game fix on the go. Even so, if you want to do it anyways, I’ve got a few tips for how to make it work.
Tip 1: Leave the Box Behind
One of the best ways to save on space when traveling with a full-sized board game is to take the different pieces of the game out of their original packaging. Most large board game boxes have a lot of extra air in the box, anyways. The one thing to note here is that the original boxes do protect the board itself, so if you don’t want dinged corners on your boards you will need to find an alternative way to protect them.
It’s also possible to consolidate multiple different games into a single box, using storage bags to keep the games separate. This does wonders for maximizing your space. Alternatively, you could get a game organizer designed to hold multiple different board games, like this board game carrying case.
This expandable board game storage case has 18 pockets of various sizes, including 2 larger pockets for carrying game boards. It's an excellent choice for board gamers looking to consolidate several game boxes into a single, easy to transport case.
Tip 2: Bring ALL the games, with a dedicated board gaming bag
Let’s say you’re flying somewhere awesome (perhaps Antigua, Guatemala?) for a well-deserved break. Looking at your ticket, you see that you get not one, but TWO checked bags!
Yes, you could use that extra space to bring along extra clothes or extra snacks, but really they would just be extra. By definition, you don’t need that! What you do need is a way to fill your evenings after busy days filled with hiking volcanoes and admiring Spanish ruins!
Luckily, I have just the bag to help you do that.
This heavy-duty-but-still-stylish backpack can fit up to 45 pounds of your favorite board games inside. That makes it absolutely perfect for when you're headed out and can't choose which game to bring with you.
Travel light. Go Virtual.
The last option is probably the best solution for saving on space and weight, but it does come with some major trade-offs.
There are a ton of great board games out there that have digital versions that can allow you to play from anywhere that you have an internet connection. This means you can travel without worrying about damaging or losing your games, without worrying about meeting luggage weight limits, and without worrying about finding a table big enough to spread out on.
Virtual board games also give you a lot more people to play with, since you can usually play online as well as locally.
Unfortunately, it also means losing the tactile feel of playing a board game and exchanging it for what is essentially a video game. It’s a trade-off, for sure, but if you’re trying to travel light, it’s pretty decent solution.
I personally love the variety and quality of digital board games put out by Asmodee, which includes great games like Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, and Gloomhaven, but there are tons of options out there for almost any kind of gamer.
Ticket to Ride
Pandemic
Gloomhaven
If you’re looking for a particular board game and you can’t find a digital version of it, you could also try checking out Board Game Arena. They have a ton of great options there, as well as a built-in community for playing all sorts of games. The graphics on their site can be a little disappointing at times, but if you want to play a quick game, it’s a great option.
While it may not seem like it at first, board games and travel actually complement each other rather well. That’s because while one is focused on getting out and the other is focused on staying in, they both are ultimately about the people you gather around you and strengthening the sense of community.
And honestly, who isn’t game for that?
