Every person communicates daily with the people around him, and the older we get, the wider our circle of communication. First, the child establishes relationships with parents and close relatives, then with friends in the yard and school, and as he grows up, with work colleagues... Communication skills, the ability to work in a team and the art of communication are necessary character traits, without which it is almost impossible to live in our progressive world.

How can you develop and hone these skills? taking into account the certain “stiffness” of a person who finds himself in someone else’s team? After all, even for an ordinary acquaintance, according to generally accepted rules, a reason is needed, and a word used poorly in a conversation can have unfavorable consequences. “Game Expert” is ready to tell you a universal way out of such a difficult situation - cooperative Board games for the whole family!

Cooperative board games for the whole family will allow players to unite and solve the problem assigned to them together.

In board games of this genre, there is no leader and no laggards - all players will either lose or win. But to win, it is necessary to develop a joint strategy and make responsible decisions together, which implies communication between people. Remember that you will share the joy of victory and the bitterness of defeat together with a team of like-minded people, so do not forget to listen to the opinions of others... Everyone, without exception, loves to win. Do you agree? And this especially applies to children. They always want to be first and win. The best genre of games that unites adults and children are cooperative games. Let's figure out what it is? These are games in which there is no rivalry between players, because the main goal is to unite as a team, act together and achieve a goal together. Co-op games

- this is a real lifesaver: they teach children to interact in a team, listen to the opinions of other players, and join forces to achieve a team result.

• Today we want to offer you our top 10 co-op games:
• "Cunning Fox"
• "Wonderpony"
• “Hop! Hop! Hop!
• "Bandito"
• "Forbidden Island"
• "Karkusha"
• "The Magic Cauldron"
• "Aliens in the Corn"
• "Mouse Team"

“The Crafty Fox” from the publishing house “Board Games - Lifestyle” is a mega-hit! This game simply must be in every family's game library. Bright, exciting! With her you will become detectives. The game can be recommended for children from 5 years old. The crafty Fox managed to steal the pie right from under your nose! Now all the foxes are under suspicion. You have to find out which of them stole tasty treat. But this must be done before he has time to hide in his hole. Work together and carefully study the tips.

“Wonderpony” (“Simple rules”). The cutest horses ran away. To bring them home, you need to become a cohesive team. Players will have to join forces, learn to negotiate and even share cards for free. In order to win, it is important to have time to fill the corral with hay and horses before the fence closes.

Left: board game “Cunning Fox”. Right: board game “Hop, Hop, Hop!”

Board game “Hop! Hop! Hop! "from Djeco will be of interest to children from 4 years old and their parents. The main characters of the game are a shepherdess, her sheep and a dog. They must return to the sheepfold. Their path lies across the bridge. The task is to get everyone across the river as quickly as possible before the wind destroys and carries away the bridge. If the bridge collapses before all the pieces are in the sheepfold, the game is lost.

“Bandito” is another excellent cooperative game from the manufacturer “Simple Rules”. In this game you will need to prevent the bandit from escaping. All players join forces to stop him. If the players managed to block all the bandit’s paths, they won. It is better to play it on the floor, as there is more free space for creating a maze from cards. The game will be interesting for children from 6 years old.

Forbidden Island is an amazing family co-op game. One of the best to date. Imagine that you are adventurers. Your team will have to recover artifacts of a vanished civilization on a distant island. Attention, the island will quickly sink into the water. To successfully complete the task and leave the island safely, you will have to think carefully about each step and make the best use of the unique characteristics of the characters. The quality of workmanship and components of the game are amazing: tin box, incredible artifact figures, excellent cards, tokens.

"Aliens in the Corn" ("Lifestyle"). The aliens Mino and Tauri from the planet Kreton love to joke with people. Either they will fly in the form of a luminous object near a crowd of people, or they will leave some mysterious signs. Mino and Tauri's favorite pastime is drawing circles in the corn fields. They leave intricate patterns in order to scare hapless humanity. But this time one of the aliens forgot to close the hatch in spaceship, and 12 important items were lost throughout the cornfield. Now Mino and Tauri must collect their losses before heading back, but they won't be able to do it without your help! The goal of the game is to collect the aliens' scattered items as quickly as possible. But not everything is so simple, because a corn field is very similar to a labyrinth, and aliens can easily get lost in the impenetrable thickets. In order for Mino and Tauri to go back home, they will need ingenuity, speed, and the ability to negotiate with each other. Where one alien cannot pass, another will pass, taking a friend with him. And remember, the more things you collect, the more points you earn.

Left: board game “Owls, oh!” Right: The Magic Cauldron board game.

"Karkusha" (Haba). It's time to harvest! The black crow, who flew into the garden to feast on ripe cherries, plump apples, juicy pears and sour plums, thinks the same thing. Who will be faster: you or the karkusha? Games from Haba are aesthetics in every detail.

“Owls, ow! "(Magellan). In this game, the owls walked until the morning, when it began to get light. You need to get everyone to the nests as quickly as possible, and this is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Like others team games, everyone must win at once. Once all the owls are in the nest, everyone wins! The game can be recommended for children from 4 years old.

And another one most interesting game from Magellan "Magic Cauldron". An evil sorcerer has cast a spell on the kingdom! And only a special magic potion made from special ingredients can stop him. You play as brave alchemists and magicians. Your task is to find the hidden ingredients needed to create a potion. But if the sorcerer blocks all the paths before you create the potion, he wins. A little luck, a little magic, a lot of team effort - and you can save the kingdom and win the game!

"Mouse Team" (Knizia Reiner). The task is to take all the goodies from the pantry before the cunning black cat catches you. Roll the dice to determine which treat you need to take from the pantry. But hurry up: the black cat is coming!

Play with your children. Have fun playing. Win as a team!

There is already too much competition in life: at school - for the right to be considered the best student, in the company of friends - for the right to be the life of the party, at work - for the right to be the first to get a promotion.

If you're tired of constant competition and want to feel the warmth and support of a team, cooperative board games are for you. This kind of entertainment is perfect when you need to get to know a new team better or rally an existing one. A collective solution to a common problem, comradely struggle and snatching victory through joint efforts will definitely awaken passion and unite the participants.

“It’s easier to beat a man and a man”

Remember the story in which the father told his sons that together they are strong, but separately they are not. Father took a twig from a broom and easily broke it in half. After which he took another twig, then another, and another. When he had a whole broom in his hand, he showed that it was hardly possible to break it.

Cooperative board games will also try to “break” you in different ways. In games and fight you will encounter deadly viruses. Moreover, if in the Pandemic the search for cures and the prevention of the epidemic will fall on your shoulders, then in the Legacy version the participants will also be faced with secret developments classified as “Top Secret”.

If you're interested in cooperative family board games, these are a great option. In both cases, players will have to become one friendly team in order to cope with the traitor. And, if in the first case the scoundrel will need to be found among the lava of the Hong Kong police, then in the second case you will need to try not to fall into the hands of the traitor.

Evil spirits also know how to cooperate

The ranks of the best cooperative board games are also joined by games from. This is the case when it is not just someone else who will act against the players, but a universal evil, long buried in amulets and artifacts. Arkham is not the place where you are supposed to panic and fight in hysterics; on the contrary, you will need to gather all your will into a fist and together drive the evil forces into the otherworldly dimension, where they, in fact, belong.

Another cooperative that deserves your attention is. You will find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world in which you will have to decide whose interests are higher: personal or team. And, let's decide something more sharply - zombies are already scratching at the door...

You can buy these and other cooperative board games in our store in Odessa, or order directly on the website with delivery to any city in Ukraine.

Autumn is the best time to sit down with friends at your home table, lay out chips, cards and cubes. Look At Me talked to experts from the board game industry and put together a list of new games for those who are already tired of Activity and Monopoly. Among them is a wargame based on the universe “ Star Wars", a kind of chess about insects, the Russian Kickstarter record holder and other options for leisure in the company.

"A Spy's Find"

“A conversational game for company, suitable for use at the table, at a party, on the train and in any other situation. All players find themselves in some place or in some organization, and one of them, by the whim of chance, falls into the role of a spy who has no idea where he ended up. Players take turns asking each other questions and answering them in such a way as to give out enough information so that everyone else understands that they are “inside”, but at the same time do not blurt out too much, which could allow the spy to complete his task.”

"At all a new game domestic development. In it, all players have their own “role” and everyone knows the location in which they are located. Everyone except the “spy” whom everyone is trying to figure out. Through conversations and leading questions, players try to figure out who is not yet aware of where the action is taking place. And the spy has 8 minutes to understand what object is being talked about and adapt to the current situation. I could say that this game is similar to “mafia”, but I won’t, because I’d be lying. Yes, the game is also about resourcefulness and eloquence, but the abundance of different situations, plots and roles make it much less annoying.”

"7 Wonders"

“A beautiful and smart game about the formation of civilization using the example of ancient cities. Equally well suited for any number of players (there can be from 3 to 7 people), does not require a deep study of the rules and allows you to play an eventful game in just 30 minutes. Both beginners and experienced players will like it and will make you ask for “additions” after the first meeting.”

“A card game as sudden and changeable as the weather in Tibet. Its rules are easy and relaxed, the game is perfect for both “hardcore” players and people who have not played anything other than Monopoly. Overall, Fluxx is suitable for both friends and family, which is why the game is popular all over the world. The set consists of cards that have a variety of "game objectives". With each move, the rules can change, the sacred task of all players is to use cunning and build a short-term strategy to fulfill the conditions of the current goal.”

"Pandemic"

“A team game in which up to 5 players can unite in the fight against deadly viruses that threaten all of humanity. What sets Pandemic apart from most games is its cooperative component; here you can only win or lose together, so players are forced to communicate, make joint plans and solve problems thrown up by the game system at every turn. With an adjustable difficulty level, the game can be adapted for participants of all ages.”

Hollywood

“One of the few Russian-developed games of the European level: both we and “they” like the plot. According to it, players act as directors of films - they need to assemble “the most commercially successful project” and an “Oscar-winning” team in three stages: determine the genre of the film, conduct a “casting” of all necessary workers, at the auction stage, compete for the necessary actors or other personnel, while staying within the budget and finally making the film. On Kickstarter, the project raised over 300% of the required amount. All illustrations in the Russian version are unique - the cards depict the most authoritative directors and actresses of our time."

Eight Minute Empire

“A tiny strategy that opens the door to the interesting and educational world of board games for beginners. It clearly demonstrates that modern board games are not fun with a field on which you need to move chips by throwing dice, but serious intellectual entertainment that requires analytical skills, the ability to take risks, predict the situation and use limited resources economically. And all this in just 8 minutes!”

"Hive"

“An abstract dueling strategy reminiscent of chess, but not at all like it. Commanding ants, spiders, grasshoppers and other bugs, you need to surround your opponent’s queen bee and prevent him from encircling your own. The games click one after another, like seeds, and the wear-resistant material of the chips will allow you to lay out the “Beehive” even on a table, even on the beach, even in a snowdrift.”

Star Wars: X-Wing. A game
with miniatures

“The most long-awaited wargame in the Star Wars universe. The tabletop interpretation of space combat has two distinctive features, distinguishing the game from the class of similar ones. Firstly, it has a low barrier to entry (at the same time, the audience, accustomed to “hardcore” games, still has the most tender feelings for this toy). Secondly, the game will be released immediately ready-made, that is, players will not have to purchase additional miniatures. At the same time, the possibility of collecting is present, and, if you really want, you can expand your armies. The miniatures, by the way, are of heavenly beauty and will be released already painted.”

"Pokemon"

“A game in the CCG genre is a collectible card game in which it is impossible to limit yourself to buying one set of cards, but you need to constantly spend money on add-ons and increase your collection. Unlike others card games like Magic: The Gathering, "Pokemon" is a fairly simple game, but still quite a strategic and deep game. The main characters here, as you might guess, are heroes from the video games and animated series of the same name. The release of “Pokemon” in Russian makes us hope that a community of players will develop in Russia, or at least in Moscow, and maybe official leagues will open.”

The editors express gratitude studios PHOTOPLAY for assistance in organizing the shooting

It is worth clarifying that we will be talking about games without a traitor and the so-called overlord (where one takes on the role of evil) - I will make separate tops on them later.

In general, cooperative games are a specific genre. Some hate it because of the problem of an all-knowing and annoying alpha player (although, in my opinion, this is not a problem with the game, but with the players themselves) or simply because successes need to be shared with teammates. Others don’t like it when it’s not a living opponent who plays against them, but a soulless cardboard artificial intelligence that makes illogical and sometimes stupid decisions.

Personally, I have a warm relationship with cooperative games because that’s where I started. I still enjoy the process of discussion within the team, overcoming difficult tasks, solving puzzles, and hard-won victories. And sometimes it’s just nice to spend time with friends over a good, relaxed cooperative game, where you don’t have to sit all the way, bent over your tablet or resources in painful calculations, but you can mess around a little. In addition, cooperative board games are an ideal option for family pastime, especially with children who will not whine that adults are beating them.

Okay, let's get started.

1. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

A game-book that consists of a set of fascinating detective puzzles and cases in the spirit of the adventures of the famous detective master. It’s as if you’re reading an exciting detective story in which the players themselves are responsible for the development of the plot.

The detective's kit includes a map of London, a directory of addresses and newspapers. The rest is 10 booklets with cases that need to be solved. As for the investigation and decision-making, there is complete freedom - you can go to the crime scene, the library, the police, check witnesses, etc. The correct choice depends only on your deductive abilities and intuition.

Perhaps the only drawback of the game is that it is in English, and the English is advance level.

1. Gears of War: The Board Game

Unexpectedly suitable and complex cooperative game based on the same name computer game. It seems like an ordinary “dungeon crawl”, but without the boring fantasy and with original action mechanics.

The lives of the heroes here are the cards in their hands. When giving orders and receiving injuries, the player is forced to discard them, which leads to a decrease in the health level of his ward.

The action cards themselves are multifunctional: they can be used for their intended purpose, activating a property (usually there are several sequential effects at once); in a hopeless situation, reset to move or attack; or play according to the symbol during the turn of a friend or enemies.

In short, a cool tabletop action game with non-obvious tactical decisions and gorgeous miniatures. There is only one downside for me - all the scripts are very long.

1. Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

A mischievous deckbuilding game about superheroes, which for us killed almost all other games of this type (only Nightfall remained). High replayability and an absolutely non-dry process (not the banal buying of victory point cards) are achieved through insidious schemes (similar to scenarios) and many combinations of enemies and heroes. The same combinations adjust the difficulty.

There are already about twenty add-ons for the game, but I bought only a few and, mainly, out of personal sympathy for the heroes (Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool). In general, the best add-on, according to fans of the game in terms of price-content ratio, is still the first one – Dark City.

1. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

She broke into the top quite recently. The game has supplanted the largely similar card Lord of the Rings, incorporating the best and lowering the barrier to entry.

The living card Arkham Horror is a well-thought-out scenario with outcomes and decisions that affect subsequent passages within the same campaign, the ability to level up your detective, build an effective deck, plus a good atmosphere for such a schematic card adventure.

Let's see how varied the scenarios will be and how interesting the stories themselves will be, but for now there is a desire to buy extras.

1. Ghost Stories

A wonderful puzzle. At first, the game seems overwhelming, but with knowledge of the enemy deck and skillful use of the monks’ properties, victories begin to come.

I like the simplicity of the rules, a small “raid” of dice that allows you to take risks at a certain moment, and of course the gorgeous addition White Moon, which at the same time complicates the rescue of the village and adds powerful bonuses to the heroes.

Ghost Stories for me is the standard of a brain-breaking and suspenseful puzzle in a beautiful wrapper.

1. Arkham Horror

A timeless classic of American horror that has provided many fascinating hours for fans of Lovecraft's creepy stories. It would probably be more correct to put the polished Eldritch Horror in this place (and, in principle, now I advise taking it, since some semblance of scenarios has already been introduced there), but I am completely satisfied with the UA with all the additions, especially if you play in the Spanish leagues.

Wandering around the map in search of clues and useful things, “diving” into Other worlds, crushing cubes, the unpredictability of Myths cards and contacts - for some, all this will seem too random, long and monotonous, but for me this is a great reason to relax and have fun from gambling throws, mini-stories and thinking through a strategy against a specific Ancient.

1. T. I. M. E Stories

Expensive, but very original pleasure, which is definitely worth at least trying.

This is a story game in which the participants are agents of a secret organization that protects humanity from temporary collisions and paradoxes. Going to other worlds and realities, they try to complete the tasks assigned by their superiors.

Each mission is a set of locations that the heroes need to explore, collecting evidence along the way and creating various logical chains. Despite the primitiveness of the gameplay, which consists of opening cards, reading text, checking the dice and comparing the information received, each scenario from the first seconds immerses you in an amazingly illustrated and thoughtful world with which you can interact.

I still look forward to new scripts with great anticipation. Yes, they are disposable, but they are easily sold later. And sometimes you manage to take something from friends.

1. Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island

Survival of heroes who, after a shipwreck, find themselves on a mysterious island full of dangerous adventures. Inclement weather, lack of food, wild animals, mysterious places, special scenario conditions - participants will have to cope with all these challenges from round to round.

In Robinson, of course, there are a lot of accidents, but it is precisely these accidents and atmosphere (the event and adventure cards are responsible for it) that I like him. You seem to have set up a camp, provided yourself with food, and then - bam, everything turned upside down: thick fog, rain and snow, and predators that devoured all the supplies. I also like the trick with double effects of cards, when they are mixed into the deck, and your decision can then come back to haunt you in the future.

1. Mansions of Madness: Second Edition

Of all the “tabletop Lovecrafts,” Mansions of Madness is my favorite. Moreover, both the first and second are completely cooperative editions. MoM has the most intense scenario-stories, and the process itself is close to a real detective thriller.

The second edition is also a perfectly screwed-on tablet that replaces stacks of cards and reduces preparation time to a ridiculous extent. There is only one drawback for me - the scenarios become uninteresting after completion. Yes, the app randomizes something (rooms, loot, monsters, location of key clues), but this does not change the plot. On the other hand, “digital” allows you to rivet new missions without requiring additional components, and sell them at a more or less adequate price (~5 euros per scenario).

1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

The first place was easy to choose. Everything has already been said here a hundred times before me. The game gave us 18 amazing and addictive games and exceeded all our highest expectations. The childish delight of opening boxes and envelopes, the development of characters and locations, the classic plot of a global catastrophe with unexpected twists - all this absorbed us headlong for several weeks.

Finally, a few more titles that are worthy of mention, but did not make it to the top:

• Mice and Mystics— a beautiful interactive fairy tale for playing with children;
• The Ravens of Thri Sahashri— original asymmetrical card puzzle;
• Space Alert— fan programming in real time;
• Castaways— placement of workers mixed with adventure;
• Space Hulk: Death Angel - The Card Game— a good compact card shooter;
•