Chairman of the Board: What’s old is new

Illustration by Ed Appleby
Illustration by Ed Appleby

A look at game hacks

By Ed Appleby, Illustrator

Sometimes it gets boring playing the same old games over and over again. Monopoly just isn’t doing it for you anymore, and you’ve memorized every card in Cards Against Humanity. Buying new games all the time can get a little expensive after a while, but fortunately there are new and interesting ways to combine games to change the play experience. These game hacks add a little originality to a tired, old game.

Ca$h and Nerf Guns: As I mentioned in my Ca$h ‘n Gun$ review, replacing the game-supplied foam guns with Nerf guns can add a new level of excitement to the game, as long as everyone is okay with being shot at close range.

Infinite Monopoly: For this one, you take two Monopoly boards of different themes and overlap the GO space so they form an infinity symbol. You end up with a very long game that’s also hard to dominate.

Mall Madness — Zombies!!!: Ever tried playing a game of Zombies!!! using the board from Mall Madness? It plays a lot faster and easier than the original Zombies!!! game. However, it may be too easy for more hardcore gamers. The modified rules can be found at BoardGameGeek.com.

Telestrations Against Humanity: Best. Game. Ever! Play a game of Telestrations using the white answer cards from Cards Against Humanity as the subjects. You might want to give yourself two minutes on the drawing rounds, just so you have a little extra time to draw all those awkward images.

The possibilities are endless with game hacks and can range from house rules to the creation of brand new games. For these types of games, don’t always be a stickler for the rules. Find what works for you and your circle of friends and run with it.