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برچسب: Treehouse

  • travel games for UK holidays — The Treehouse

    travel games for UK holidays — The Treehouse



    It’s summer! And it’s actually been warm! Ridiculously warm! And sunny! Ridiculously sunny! You may have decided to venture outdoors, or even outside of Sheffield for holiday-related fun times over the coming weeks. But if you, dear readers, are anything like us here at the Treehouse, you will be incorporating games into your travel plans.

    Yes, I know this summer is different than most, and we can lament not being able to play Carcassonne in Carcassonne, play Santorini in Santorini, or the dream: play Jaipur in Jaipur while drinking a bottle of Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (this may just be my dream). But we are big fans of making our own fun, and so here is a roundup of games for holidays and it goes out to our tribe whom we know will play them rain or shine, Near and Far (available in our library). Read on for a round up of travel games for everyone. 

    Beach (and rain!) proof games

    We are an island nation, and although Sheffield may not have a coastline, we’re surrounded by water (sometimes more than we would like!). I am a beach girl and wild swimmer at heart, so this first group of games is for anyone who’ll be out on the water, or relaxing in the sand, games in tow. Some of these games fit into other categories below, but I wanted to give a special mention to games that are easy to clean and conveniently play well near sand, water and even ice lollies.

    • Blokus: This colourful abstract strategy game looks like a very cool analogue version of Tetris but the goal is to fill up the board, not empty it. It can be played by up to four players but works well as a two player game and even has a variation that allows for solitaire mode. Without any text it is easy for kids to pick up and for multilingual groups to play. It’s not necessarily travel sized in the traditional sense but the box is flat and very easy to slip into a suitcase or car boot. I should mention there are some small bits involved, but nothing that a picnic blanket couldn’t contain, and the plastic pieces and board are easy to clean.

    • Bananagrams: This Scrabble free-for-all only requires a flat surface to play and each player races to complete their own crossword-style grid in front of them using only the letters they’ve picked up. You can play it alone or up to a group of eight, but eight can get kind of frantic. It’s most enjoyable for two to five players in my experience. And it comes in a cute little fabric banana bag. The whole thing is sand-proof and washable.

    • Cobra Paw: Cobra Paw has a cardboard box, which will admittedly get a bit battered the further it strays from your admirably arranged board game shelf. You can accept this hazard, or store the components in a travel bag… or even do as some friends of mine have done and create a special travel box that helps you both store the pieces more compactly, and immediately see if one is missing so that you don’t leave the campsite without it. Cobra Paw is a very speedy matching game for two to six players requiring quick reflexes and good observational skills. It relies on rolling dice and matching symbols on domino shapes and has the extra competitive mechanic of stealing pieces from other players if they are not quick enough to defend them. It is suitable for both adults and kids to enjoy, as long as neither are tantrum-prone when they’re not winning!

    • Qwirkle: This one comes in a big-ish box, but don’t be discouraged. Inside the box is a bag of tiles and you can easily take it on holiday with you in the bag and leave the box on your aforementioned beautiful game shelf. You’ll need a large, stable playing surface because these tiles get layed out sort of like dominos and there is no limit to how far you can place them other than the table’s edge. This is a pattern- and colour-matching strategy game for two to four players and is also family friendly and requires no reading. It can be difficult to master for younger players but they may just enjoy making patterns with some of the shapes. You may need pen and paper or a phone to keep score as you and your opponents aim to use up all of the tiles by placing them in sets of matching or contrasting shapes and colours. The design is simple and bright and would suit an outdoor playing table.



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  • Help! I think I’m a gamesplainer! — The Treehouse

    Help! I think I’m a gamesplainer! — The Treehouse



    Dear Mortified,

    Not everyone is as honest as you, so I don’t know for sure, but I have a suspicion that if I had a fiver for everyone who read my last column and developed that sinking feeling of recognition just like you did, I’d… be at least a little bit richer. I appreciate your candour but, for better or worse, you’re not alone. In other words, it might simply be vanity that made you think the post was about you. And… perhaps it was about you, but it was about quite a few other folks as well. 

    Identifying the problem is half the battle though, right? Which means the chances are, if you’ve got enough self awareness to be asking this question, you’ve got enough to keep any gamesplainer tendencies in check. So take my reply as both a reassurance and… also a bit of an intervention:

    For the benefit of you and any other worried potential gamesplainers reading this, here are a few tips for all of those who found that last post hitting a little close to home: 

    1. When you’re choosing a new game to play, make sure everyone else in the group is also up for playing it and you are not pushing them to. Consent is important. They may say this out loud, or through body language, reluctance to play or a cancellation. But you know, as with all situations involving good consent, it’s great to just ask them.

    2. If you get past that stage but your friends tell you they’re worried about not understanding a more complex game, or recoil as you reveal the fifty-six-page rulebook, it is great that you want to reassure them, and often a practice round or a first time play-through really does help. That’s more of a seasoned gamer strategy though, rather than some folks’ idea of a fun night. While we may be used to committing a whole evening to set up, or accepting that our first play through of a complex game may be a bit of a necessary evil, not everyone sees that as required training for the Olympic sport of board gaming (maybe Paris 2024?). In case your guests (or hosts) feel like memorising a rule book is a waste of time rather than a perfect evening, always have a backup game that has a familiar theme, brand, or mechanic in case they are really not up for the challenge.

    3. To help with point 2, and also just in general, it may help to watch a quickstart video before teaching the game so that you can practice in advance and cut down your talking time to maximise playing time. Focus on making sure other players know the style of game and the object of the game – summarise what it takes to win, and then dive in. People can ask questions or consult the rules as they go (whch means you may need to let go of the rulebook for a little while…).

    4. Mix it up a bit. Let someone else explain the game first as often as possible, and only take the reins on the ones no one else is familiar with. You may be assuming some folks are not seasoned gamers because they’re not in your usual gaming circle, but they may have a Kallax full of Catan expansions at home that you just don’t know about. And you never know – other friends may be newer to games, but have a hidden aptitude and the right introduction could mean their delighted entry into a fun and satisfying board game universe. If you’re having a long session of several games, try to ensure that some games are familiar to most of the players.

    5. Finally, try to be aware of whether your voice, vocabulary, and posture change as you start explaining. Do you find yourself becoming louder, using extra-long words or leaning over other players? Are you imagining your Gold Play Button from YouTube hanging on the wall behind you, an array of ring lights in front of you, and about to ask people to like and subscribe right there at the table? This is a sure sign you are launching into a full-on gamesplainer performance. Remember that no matter how much you love games, your friends and family love you and love spending time with you. They will more likely develop enthusiasm for the games you love by watching you enjoy them while just being yourself.

    And so, Mortified in Meersbrook, I wish I could conclude with ‘and there you have it’ but game explaining is an art form that we are all constantly improving at, even here at the Treehouse. Keep working at it and listening to your guests and your gut, and I’m sure you’ll soon settle into a new style that helps everyone to at least feel comfortable and, hopefully, excited to join you for the next game night. 

    Good luck, 

    Chella on behalf of Team Treehouse xx

    So that’s our second advice column! If you have a burning board game-related question you want answering, please email The Treehouse at contact@treehousesheffield.com with the subject heading “Agony Aunt”. All letters will be anonymised.

    Chella Quint is a Treehouse staffer, board gamer, and author of the books Be Period Positive and Own Your Period.



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  • When does school start again? Games for keeping kids entertained through the ‘end of summer slump’ — The Treehouse

    When does school start again? Games for keeping kids entertained through the ‘end of summer slump’ — The Treehouse



    Animal Upon Animal is fun for all ages including adults but is particularly popular with the four- to six-year-old crowd. In this game from Haba for 2-4 players, you compete to see who can stack all of your animals first. The stack you are building is shared (the French name of this game, ‘Pyramids Des Animaux’ may offer a better visual of what happens as the game progresses), which means you don’t have the luxury of setting up sturdy balancing positions for yourself. Everyone is dealt a hand of adorable wooden animal-shaped blocks. A crocodile block is placed in the center of the table and players take turns rolling the die and following the instructions.

    The instructions on the die are really quite ingenious for moving the game along in clever ways. You may be instructed to place one animal on top of the crocodile’s back, or you might see two animals on the die, meaning you have to place one after another. You can also be asked to give one of your pieces to someone else to place or have the other players choose which of your animals to place next (and they will invariably select one that is harder to balance). The final option is a picture of a crocodile, which means you can extend the base block to have a larger area to balance animals upon.

    The reason I think this game is particularly enjoyable for younger children starting school especially is because even if you make the tower fall, you don’t lose and the game doesn’t end. The maximum penalty if more than two fall off the pile is that you take two animals back into your hand and continue playing. This keeps the focus on dexterity, strategy, and making stacks of cute animals, and nicely swerves siblings blaming each other for quote ‘ruining the game’ or a fear of failure at a time when there are a lot of new expectations. (OK, I clearly have some some childhood Jenga tower collapse issues to explore but never mind that now). Haba games are great generally for this age group. Dragon’s Breath is another lovely Haba game that fans of Animal Upon Animal may enjoy.

    Games for very little ones

    And finally, even if they’re not ready for big school yet, that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready for gaming (some of my friends’ toddlers have attempted to prove this by taking out every game on the lowest shelf ready to play…).

    At this age, the focus for parents choosing games is about two things, really – replayability, and doing something that looks like what the big kids are doing, so the big kids’ game doesn’t get wrecked (for example, my three-year-old niece recently ripped the Candyland board clean in half, in the most impressive WWE style rage quit I’ve heard about in years. It would have been more impressive, I suppose, if I hadn’t been the one who bought it for her and if it hadn’t been my favourite game when I was her age. I hope she is not still doing that when she’s 30, but it was epic nonetheless).

    I know, you wouldn’t think there could be a game that would keep a two-and-a-half-year-old entertained, but there is actually an entire series of them by a lovely French toy and game company called Djeco. They have a whole host of adorable games that are both beautifully designed and suitable for toddlers, which is incredibly rare in the world of board games. These games look like a game and feel like a game, but are more about gamifying toddler skills like matching and sequencing and recognising colours. It’s really very clever and the history of this company originally had a child development focus. Add in materials and designs that appeal to a grown up aesthetic and these games are pretty great for everyone. We have several of their games in the shop and our games library but I will focus on Little Collect (in the first of the photos below).

    Little Collect is for ages 2.5 to 5. It’s a cooperative game for two players and takes about ten minutes… or as long as attention spans allow. The object of the game ostensibly is to follow picture instructions on the cards you draw until you have completed a scene on the game board. But beware! There is mild peril! The pastoral tableau of adorable bunnies eating peas and carrots can be disrupted. If you are unlucky enough to draw a fox card, one bunny must be ominously removed from your board. It can be returned on a later turn to complete the game, but still. Hey ho, circle of life. Sun rise, sun set. As sure as autumn follows summer, soon enough, even your littlest Little Connect player will be starting school too.

    And you know what that means: more time for gaming for you.



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  • Confessions of a Board Game B***h — The Treehouse

    Confessions of a Board Game B***h — The Treehouse



    Hello and welcome to another instalment of the Treehouse’s agony aunt column! This one is slightly unusual because instead of a ‘Dear Auntie Chella’ letter, today I have a conversation for you which I had with a friend who approached me about her issue in person. 

    I will now relay this conversation to you, dear readers, in case it helps someone else.

    BGB: You’re writing an advice column for the Treehouse now?! Can you help me out with something? 

    Chella: Sure – go for it. 

    BGB: Help! I’m a board game bitch! 

    Readers, I blinked a few times. We took the rest of the conversation to text messages later that day, in a conversation that the aforementioned ‘BGB’ has happily agreed that I can share. 

    Chella: So you say you’re a what now?

    BGB: A board game bitch.

    Chella: And you are happy for me to call you this in print?

    BGB: Yes, I own it.

    Chella: And let me just check, can anyone of any gender be one of these?

    BGB: Oh definitely, but I claim the crown.

    Chella: What are your worst symptoms of board game bitchiness? Bitchery? Bitchdom? Bitchhood? I am not used to saying this word. Please stop me. 

    BGB: My worst symptoms? Irrational squeakiness, incandescent fury, and lengthy sulking. I get far too mean and loud and competitive and make my husband hate me. We are only able to play Monopoly once a year. I just lose my temper and can’t control myself.

    Chella: Okay… which games are your worst culprits?

    BGB: Monopoly, of course, and Dobble and Snap I get far too into.

    Chella: Well are there any games that I don’t know… soothe you? 

    BGB: Any that soothe me? Not sure I’ve really found any yet 😂  I do like Fungi though. Who can get angry about pans of butter?

    Chella: That is an excellent point. OK, I think I can help you. Usually the letter is anonymised by me naming the person after an alliterative part of Sheffield, in traditional agony aunt style. Are you happy to be The Board Game Bitch of Broomhill?

    BGB: Sure… close enough.

    Chella: Very well, check the Treehouse blog for my reply.



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  • why card games rock — The Treehouse

    why card games rock — The Treehouse



    Pick a Dog

    Pick-a-Dog (1-5 players) (and its virtually identical sibling games, Pick-a-Pig, Pick-a-Seal and Pick-a-Polar-Bear) rely on high-speed matching, but with storytelling added in. You start by laying out a grid of cards that may match, but mostly don’t quite match exactly. Each player turns over their own starting card, which sets off a round of looking for matches in the grid. Though there are some exact matches, all the pictures are similar – they feature a dog who can be depicted with a number of binary qualities: looking pale or having a tan, holding popcorn or not, wearing sunglasses or not, standing near to you or far away, and using one hand or two hands.

    The twist in the matching portion of the game is that you can only match cards that are either exact, or follow a sequence where there is only ONE change per card (you can go from sunglasses to no sunglasses, for example, but not from far to near at the same time). The free-for-all ends when there are no more matches to make (but watch out – if you call it and there are still more matches available, you forfeit your hand and can’t score any points that round, while the other players can resume).

    Scoring is fun and unusual (or at least it is the way we teach it at The Treehouse!): to prove you’ve made a true sequence with only one difference on each card, you have to tell a story about your buddy the dog that reflects the pictures as you reveal them. It’s very cute indeed. If you discover mistakes in anyone’s sequence, those cards go straight into the discard pile. The players earn the cards they’ve proven are in a sequence each round, and at the end of the game, the winner is the one who has the most cards.



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  • Crowd pleasers — The Treehouse

    Crowd pleasers — The Treehouse



    Finally, Klask is pretty much guaranteed to score big with the sort of crowd who prefer bar room-type games like darts, pool or table football to more serious, thinky board gaming. Basically air hockey but with magnets and a ball, Klask involves enough skill to get the competitive juices flowing, but with rules that will immediately feel intuitive and super-appealing components that everyone will want to get their hands on. A staple of our traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations at The Treehouse, the festive season just wouldn’t be complete without a Klask tournament at some point!

    Find all of the above and LOTS more in our shop, or come and test-drive pretty much every game we have for sale in the café if you’d like to try before you buy! We’ll be posting more Top-5s to provide Christmas shopping inspiration throughout December… watch this space. For more ideas, you can also check out last year’s Treehouse Christmas games guide here.



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  • Stocking Fillers — The Treehouse

    Stocking Fillers — The Treehouse



    A Little More Conversation is something totally different. This card ‘game’ is barely a game at all, but more of a series of conversation starters, designed to get everyone around the table talking, reminiscing and generally enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes, we think that’s really the main aim of bringing a game to the table, and this one will take you straight there with no hesitation, deviation or repetition!

    You can find all of the above and plenty more in our shop. Use the ‘stocking fillers’ filter if you only want to browse the small ones! Check back for more ‘top 5’ suggestions in the run-up to Christmas…



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  • Family Games — The Treehouse

    Family Games — The Treehouse



    The Adventures of Robin Hood is another new one, this time an elaborate adventure game packed full of surprises. Players take on the roles of Robin Hood and his Merry Men and embark on a range of missions to help the poor and thwart the Sherriff of Nottingham’s evil schemes. A hardback story book and a great big board full of secret advent calendar-style doors to open are just a couple of the delights in store in this box!

    Browse the full selection of games in our shop here or use the ‘family games’ filter to narrow down your search. We’re hoping to manage one more ‘Top 5’ list before Christmas arrives… watch this space, and click back through our previous posts for more suggestions.



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  • The World of Solken — The Treehouse

    The World of Solken — The Treehouse



    Solken’s lands are made up of five main continents, briefly outlined below.

    Temorel. Once the home of many feuding kingdoms, the old Church united the Temorel Empire into a collection of parishes. While the Church is no longer an active force in Temorel, the political machinations of the parishes never truly went away, and the fields and forests of the continent often trade hands in strategic deals and counter-claims. Those outside of Temorel often take a dim view of its citizens’ intelligence, characterising them as rubes and simpletons.

    The Northern Territories. Connected to Temorel by a land bridge at its southern tip, the Northern Territories are thought of as cold and inhospitable by those beyond its borders. In truth, while the settlements of this area are few and far between, their clans are tight-knit and fiercely loyal. Far to the north the dwarf-kings sit alone in their palaces that once belonged to giants, making proclamations that echo through the vast tunnels below the earth.

    Aerix. The heat of the Timaron desert has forced the inhabitants living on its borders to find ingenious methods of survival. The multi-hued dragons of Whitewing have evolved against the sun, their super-sized city casting shadows of sanctuary. Further north, in the city of Angley, gnome inventors celebrate ingenuity and creative problem solving for the common good. However, since the coming of the Shards, great strides in technology have made some of the surrounding traditionalists nervous – particularly the rumours of living metal men…

    Yagora. Once a continent of thinkers and scientists, Yagora was ravaged by the Year of Catastrophe more than any other (arguably; see below), leaving it cracked and desolate. The fey courts, seeing an opportunity, began to twist the land in strange, surreal ways to suit their own ends. Perhaps if they hadn’t, the fall of the gods might have allowed Yagora to heal again – instead, the land remains as wild and dangerous as ever.

    New Elar (not pictured). The home of the Children of the Sun. New Elar is an island cluster that rose from the remnants of Elar, an old continent which sank into the ocean during the Year of Catastrophe. While it was never recovered fully, roughly a third of the continent was struck by a set of Shards and returned to the surface, where a community of idealists from across the world began to craft it in the name of New Elar.

    If Solken sounds like your kind of place, why not come and join us on our upcoming adventure, starting on March 3rd? Book your place here.



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  • Help! I want to play games with a narrative! — The Treehouse

    Help! I want to play games with a narrative! — The Treehouse



    Greetings, dear reader! Today is World Book Day, and to celebrate, we have an agony aunt question to help those who like storytelling in their games, but who prefer the role of reader to writer…

    Dear Aunty Chella,

    I love the idea of games with a narrative, but the thought of role playing gives me performance anxiety! I like the idea of coming away from a games night with a story to tell, but I’m just not up for writing a character as I play – I feel way too self conscious… but it’s hard to do one without the other… right?

    I want to know if there’s something else out there for me in the world of games. I enjoy lots of other kinds of board games and card games, from party games to the more serious kind. I’m good at quickfire word games, and escape rooms, and I enjoy games that have a frame story. I even find myself adding a bit of a story to games that don’t have one, imagining I’m a super-duper-spy-guy trying to get a real code word to my super-duper-spy-teammates before we’re all super-duper-killed by the assassin during an perfectly ordinary round of Codenames, for example.

    I’m keen and willing to try other suggestions, but something about playing a role in general, and actually about D&D in particular, is too daunting – designing a character, committing to a campaign, counting up numbers on dice, talking in a ‘ye olde’ voice and pretending to be casting spells… it all feels very not me. But making up stories round a table, particularly in a competitive way – that is definitely my idea of fun! Can you please help?

    Narrating in Nether Edge



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