Photo: Thomas Buchholz / Unsplash
There are a lot of ways to spend the longest weekend until Christmas beyond eating yourself into a carb and sugar coma.
If you're spending it with loved ones, there's nothing like a board game to bring everyone together (and get them off their phones).
If Monopoly incites too many fights and you're tired of The Game of Life, here are some new ones to try out this weekend.
Photo: Screenshot
Throw Throw Burrito
Age rating: 7+
Number of players: 2-6
Time commitment: 15 minutes
Looking to burn off the second wind that inevitably follows the Easter egg hunt? Here's the answer.
Throw Throw Burrito requires you to gather sets of the same cards to win points. The player with the highest points wins the round and receives a victory token.
Certain cards can trigger different variations of dodgeball and the game is no longer bound to the board as you hurl burrito plushies to take points away from your opponent. Win two consecutive rounds and you win the game!
The dodgeball card game blend makes for some hilarious moments of pure chaos. Just 15 minutes of Throw Throw Burrito and you'll be ready to settle in for a quiet one (unless you lose, of course).
Photo: Bezier Games
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Age rating: 9+
Number of players: 3-10
Time commitment: 10 minutes
If you've ever played the popular party game 'Werewolf' (Gen Zs or younger probably know it as the popular video game 'Among Us'), you mostly know what One Night Ultimate Werewolf is like.
It's a very simple game: each player is dealt a character card and three cards get placed in the middle. Two of the cards are werewolves and the rest are humans.
Humans have one day and one night to vote and pick at least one werewolf to win, and the werewolves win if they can avoid suspicion. Victory is based on manipulation and deceit.
Come night time, all players close their eyes and certain characters have the abilities like switching cards or sneaking a peak, adding a layer of uncertainty to the lies.
How well do you really know your flatmates? Can you really tell when your kids are lying?
Photo: Screenshot
Azul
Age Rating: 8+
Number of players: 2-4
Time commitment: 30/45 minutes
In this competitive abstract puzzle game, you play as a tile laying artist decorating the walls of a Portuguese palace.
A good tile layer must think ahead and manage their resources well. As you draft tiles from suppliers, you score points by placing them in patterns and lose points for being wasteful.
The game really kicks into gear when you realise that resources are limited, and you can deny your opponent points by drafting tiles they would need. Tiles you can't use will cost you points.
Azul is a classic for a reason: it's easy to learn and hard to master. It looks and feels relaxing, almost too easy until its competitive nature gets insidious.
The game pieces are beautiful and soothing to look at, making Azul a must-have for any collection.
Photo: Beat That!
Beat That!
Age rating: 9+
Number of players: 2-8
Time commitment: 30/60 minutes
Get your stretches in, this wacky party game is the most physically demanding activity on this list.
You win by betting on your ability to complete challenges dictated by the cards. With 160 challenges in four categories (solo, battle royale, buddy up or duel), you'll never get the same challenge twice.
The challenges range from simple to downright silly (you'll never know how good you are at stacking cups into a pyramid while blindfolded until you try).
Beat That is just as fun at a kids' party as it is at an adult event (if not more so). Everything you need comes with it, and lost pieces are easy to replace.
