Posted in: Movies, Video Games | Tagged: ellen degeneres, entertainment, Heads Up, Rock Me Archimedes, table top games, Tenzi

Three Accessible Games To Spice Up Your Next Party – Tenzi, Heads Up, Rock Me Archimedes

Published Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:30:23 -0500

by Hannah Means Shannon

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By Christine Marie Vinciquarra

Nothing puts excitement into the room like busting out a good game! Here are three fast and easy games to play with a group of friends at your next social gathering.

1. Tenzi

By now you've probably seen the rectangular tubes of whimsically colored dice in the store somewhere. Well next time you do, buy one! Heck, buy two! Tenzi is a fast paced game for 2-4 players, so if you buy two sets you can play with 4-8 people. There are multiple ways to play, in fact someone put together a book "77 ways to play Tenzi." For the sake of time, I'll tell you the most common way to play. Pick your favorite color dice from the set. Take all ten dice in your hand, shake them, and then throw them down in front of you on the table. The goal is to get all of the dice to land on the same number and be the first to yell, "Tenzi!" It's pretty cool. A fun, fast paced, and easy game. I've spotted Tenzi for $15 at Barnes & Noble, but you can also buy it on Amazon for a slightly reduced price.

2. Heads Up

Chances are, you've seen a video of a celebrity playing this game on Ellen. Heads Up is a simple game sure to bring laughter to your next get together. The object of the game is to guess the word on the card that's on your head from your friends' clues before the timer runs out. Bonus: the app records how your friends are acting out the cards so you can have a good time watching that after your turn is over. Ellen DeGeneres developed this game on her TV show and released the app last year. Since then, she's released a board game with the same concept, but I'm recommending the app. For the very reasonable price of $.99 you get 18 theme decks of pure fun. My personal favorite is the Blockbuster Movies category.

3. Rock Me Archimedes

Nothing says "awesome get together" like adding some tension to the room! Rock Me Archimedes is a marble game for 2 players, but don't worry, the rest of the room will be equally entertained whether they are playing or watching. I usually take turns playing with people because I need a break in between games. The unique teeter-totter design of this board is what caught my eye. The object of the game is to be the first player to get four marbles to your end of the board without reaching the tipping point, causing it to touch the table. You can guarantee a lot of "Oohs and Aahs" in the background while you play. While it may look complicated, it's definitely accessible to most ages. It's a little bit pricey at $34.99, but if you're in to strategy games and have a competitive nature I think it's worth it!

Christine Marie Vinciquarra is a freelance writer and aspiring author of young adult literature. She has a deep passion for all things creative, and enjoys blogging & vlogging about the process of writing, creativity, and imagination. She is currently working on a young adult paranormal romance novel. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @AWritersWay or on her blog writerchristinemarie.wordpress.com.

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