Corona quarantine got you BORED? Here are the best family BOARDGAMES to lighten the viral load

March 17, 2020

Rob Eno

Stuck at home with the family because of coronavirus and looking for things to do? It's a perfect time to join the boardgame renaissance and dive into one of these top five family boardgames. These games and the hundreds of others now available, teach valuable critical thinking skills, and most importantly are a welcome distraction from the digital – and viral – age we live in.

Grizzled old veteran boardgamers such as myself would call most of these games, gateway-games. Easy to play and as the name implies, a gateway to the hobby.

Here's the list:

Catan, aka Settlers of Catan: It's hard to believe but this game has been around for 25 years. Catan is the first German style, or "Euro" game, to crossover into the U.S. market. Germans have had a long history of enjoying boardgames with families and many of us in the hobby during the 1990s would import these games from German online sellers and search out translated rules. Catan was one of the first of these games to be brought to the US market and take off.

In Catan you play one of two to four settlers of a small island, don't worry if your family is larger there's an expansion that lets you play with up to six. The island consists of hexes that represents different types of land where resources can be gathered, wood in the forest, ore in the mountains, brick in the clay pits, wheat in the fields, and sheep in the pastures.

Each hex has a randomly assigned number on it. On your turn you roll and everyone gets the resources on the hexes they have a settlement placed on the number rolled. On your turn you get to build settlements, roads, cities, or development cards with the resource cards you've collected. You can also trade with other players for their resources. You'll get the hang of it and be saying, "I'll give you a sheep for two wood," in no time.

The winner is the first person to reach 10 points. Catan is a great way to teach your family networking, resource management, and valuable trading skills. Plus it's a heck of a lot of fun.

Ticket to Ride: 'Ticket to Ride' is the first game of the boardgame renaissance to go mainstream. It was one of the first of the new style boardgames to find its way into Target and Walmart. In the game you are building out a rail network by drawing cards of different colors. When you have the right number of cards for a particular rail link you lay the cards down, rummy style, and build out that link.

You score more points for longer links. But there's a catch. Each player also has secret network cards that are worth points at the end of the game if they can complete them. The other players don't know which card you have.

Ticket to ride is a game where you only need to know how to count, and see colors. It's a perfect gateway-game. And if you like it there are more versions set all over the world.

Space Base: I've tried for years to find the right game to get my parents, who love playing card and dice games, into the hobby. The game that finally did it, after 25 years of trying is Space Base, they play the game multiple times every night. Like Catan, in Space Base there is little down-time as you get to do things on other players turns.

In the game, you're the admiral of a fleet of ships setting out on a cross galactic voyage. You have ships of different values from one to 12 – the numbers you can roll on two six sided dice. On your turn, roll the dice and add activate one or two cards using the two dice. Roll snake eyes, you can either activate your two card once, or your one card twice.

Here's the cool part, your opponents get to activate all the cards they've got in those slots on the top row of their board when you roll. You put cards on the top row after you've bought a new card for the slot. Often your most powerful actions happen on other people's turns.

If waiting for the other four people to go in Monopoly is why you hate boardgames, the constant player interaction in this game is a treat.

Dixit: Dixit is a great game that will appeal to the more creative people in your family. It's a game that falls in the charades family where you're guessing based off of things people do. In this case it's the beautiful piece of art you lay down.

Players have a hand of art cards. When it's your turn, you lay down a card and say a phrase. For instance, if there's a lion and a metal funnel in the picture you may say "The Wizard of Oz." Then other people will play image cards that match, as best they can, your phrase.

The cards are randomly arranged, and players get points for people who guess that their card was the card the active player – you played.

Wingspan: The newest game on this list is also the most educational. Wingspan was the runaway hit of 2019. In it you are running your own bird sanctuary. As you build out your sanctuary the actions you can take grow. In the hobby this is called an engine-building game.

The birds have powers that are based upon their real world traits. This is a science lesson disguised as a game with Audobon fieldbook quality art.

Your birds need to eat, lay eggs, and yes even kill other birds in order to survive. It's tremendously more fun than a game about birds should be.

Don't have these games yet? Don't worry, most of them are readily available on Amazon and other online retailers. It should only take a day or so for them to be delivered. If you've found yourself hooked on the hobby after trying these games, check out BoardGameGeek.com. It's the world's largest on-line community of boardgamers and has the most extensive database of games available.

Jump in, and have fun.

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Five things that PROVE Kamala's plan for climate authoritarianism

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If you wanted to cripple America for years, what would be the best way to go about it?

If your mind immediately went to the power grid, you think a lot like Glenn. For decades the secret to America's growth and prosperity has been its abundant and relatively cheap energy. Electricity has been so cheap for so long that many Americans take it for granted, though raising prices has put it back on many people's radars.

There are forces on the Left, including Kamala Harris, who is working to be "unburdened by what has been," and plunge America into a dystopian future where only the elite can afford "luxuries" like A/C and dishwashers. While Kamala has either remained silent or been dismissive of her radical climate policies, here are things that prove that Kamala has disastrous plans for our energy future:

Kamala endorsed the Green New Deal

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In 2019, then-Senator Harris was proud to co-sponsor the Green New Deal. This was, by all metrics, the most authoritarian legislation in U.S. history. It was so over the top, cartoonishly evil, that it hardly seemed real. It aimed to ban all coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power, and dismantle and rebuild every aspect of our lives, from what we eat to how we travel (for the worse). It also aimed to provide economic security to those "unwilling to work," aka, money for nothing.

Had several failed climate actions

Alex Wong / Staff | Getty Images

After the Green New Deal was defeated, Kamala tried several times to pass something similar. First was the "Comprehensive Climate Plan" which she introduced during her 2019 presidential bid. This plan had a staggering 10 TRILLION DOLLAR price tag, which is double the entire U.S. federal budget and aimed at exceeding the Paris Agreement climate goals.

In 2020, she introduced the Climate Equity Act, which would have created another government office called the "Climate and Environmental Equity Office.” This office would review all congressional bills and judge their potential impact on "communities that have experienced environmental injustice or are vulnerable to climate injustice.” As if that wasn't overreaching enough, it would also require every government agency to publish a biannual "climate and environmental justice accountability agenda.”

Finally, she pushed the “Environmental Justice for All Act,” which is exactly what it says on the tin. It boils down to a bunch of new rules and advisory bodies that would give cash handouts to "environmental justice communities." Fortunately, just like the other two this one never saw the light of day.

Inflation reduction act

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The crowning jewel of Kamala's "historic" vice presidency was when she cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Green New Deal Jr, otherwise known as the Inflation Reduction Act. While it was obvious from the beginning that the Inflation Reduction Act had nothing to do with inflation, and was just a climate change bill in disguise, Biden recently confirmed this to all the nay-sayers. Kamala confirmed that this was more than just another Biden gaffe when she admitted that it is "the single largest climate investment in American history.”

So what fruits does this wonderful piece of legislation have to offer? 60 out of the promised 2,000+ EV school buses. It is unclear if the delay is caused by schools backing out of the program due to the technological limitations of the busses or the outrageous cost- more than three times that of a traditional bus. Kamala's vision of the future sure is bright.

Skyrocketing home prices

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If the Inflation Reduction Act is the greatest climate bill ever, then we have a pretty good idea of how it affects the average American: poorly. Over the past year, U.S. electricity prices have risen 3.6 percent, which outpaces inflation. Current estimates suggest the average American is paying 5,000 dollars a year more on utilities than they were before Biden and Kamala took office. Not to mention all the new green mandates enforced on new homes, which on average is adding 31,000 dollars to the price of homes.

Judging by the climate-leading state of California, this is pretty standard. Californians' electricity bill has gone up over three times faster than the rest of the nation since 2008 and Californians collectively owe more than 2 billion dollars in unpaid utility bills. Not to mention the havoc green energy is playing on the electric grid.

Ban fracking

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Over the last fifteen years, the U.S. has reduced our emissions more than any other nation, but this was accomplished despite the authoritarian legislation, not because of it. Natural free-market developments have encouraged a transition from coal to natural gas, largely due to fracking, which has dramatically increased the availability of the fuel. A whopping 43 percent of American electricity is generated by natural gas, meaning its price has a huge impact on the cost of energy. So naturally the Biden-Harris administration has cracked down on natural gas and oil exploration, and in 2019 Kamala stated that she favored banning fracking. She has since walked back that statement, but seeing how hostile the administration has been towards fracking it's almost certain that a Kamala presidency would spell doom for natural gas.

The TRUTH about Kamala's climate agenda

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Her strategy on controversial energy issues is one of ‘strategic ambiguity.’ That might as well be her campaign slogan.

If people wanted to cripple the United States for the long term, they’d attack our energy supply — and the left is already doing it. America’s abundance of energy resources built this nation, and we’ve long enjoyed reliable, affordable energy that many of us take for granted. It’s easy not to treat energy as a top election issue, but we ignore it at our own peril.

Kamala Harris and other forces on the left are bent on dismantling America’s energy independence and, in the process, stripping away much of our freedom. This isn’t alarmism — it’s reality. It started on day one of the Biden-Harris administration, and you feel it every time you pay your electricity bill.

The League of Conservation Voters wouldn’t be spending $55 million if it didn’t know Kamala Harris is fully aligned with its radical agenda.

When it comes to government policy, perhaps nothing will affect your day-to-day life more than what the left wants to do with green energy. If you don’t believe this is a critical issue, consider that 24 states, including the District of Columbia, now have 100% clean energy goals, impacting more than half of the U.S. population.

Kamala Harris is a climate radical. But she’s hiding it — for now. According to the Pew Research Center, climate ranks near the bottom of voters’ priorities, so Harris can’t risk alienating voters by revealing her true stance. For her entire national political career, she has been a zealous leader of the green energy movement. In fact, Reuters recently reported that Harris’ strategy on controversial energy issues is one of “strategic ambiguity.” That might as well be her campaign slogan.

Harris cannot afford to discuss her real green policies openly — not with battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio in play. Instead, we get her soft rebranding at the DNC where she talks about “the freedom to breathe clean air.” So now she and the rest of the climate radicals are freedom fighters? That’s rich.

Repackaging her authoritarian climate agenda as “freedom” is a joke. This is reverse psychology. Harris, Tim Walz, and the Democratic Party want more control and regulation over your daily life, not less. For now, Harris is keeping quiet about her plans, but major left-wing climate groups are speaking for her.

The radical environmental group League of Conservation Voters is running a $55 million ad campaign for Harris. The LCV is no ordinary environmental group — it has deep ties to the left’s dark money network, particularly through the Arabella Advisors. The group has pushed hard for green policies that would end the use of fossil fuels in America.

The LCV is already plugged into the White House and has led internal training for climate-related political appointees. It knows exactly where Harris stands. It wouldn’t be spending $55 million if it didn’t know she’s fully aligned with its radical agenda.

Let’s not forget Harris’ track record. As a senator, she was a “proud” cosponsor of the Green New Deal, the most authoritarian piece of legislation in U.S. history. It sought to ban coal, oil, natural gas, and even nuclear power. The plan aimed to eliminate all airplanes, combustion-engine vehicles, and, of course, those flatulent cows. It even promised “economic security for all who are unable or unwilling to work.”

Harris didn’t stop there. In 2019, she ran for president on a $10 trillion climate plan — double the entire federal budget from last year. She wanted to, as she put it, “exceed” the Paris Agreement goals. Her obsession with climate “equity” and “environmental justice” only deepened, introducing the Climate Equity Act, which would create a new government office to review congressional bills for their impact on so-called “climate injustice.”

In 2020, she introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act, which created advisory bodies and government programs, including grants — just another term for taxpayer-funded handouts to her favored “environmental justice” communities. Once she became vice president, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, a Green New Deal in disguise. Joe Biden himself admitted it, saying they should have named it for what it truly was: a massive climate bill.

Harris recently reaffirmed her support for the Inflation Reduction Act, calling it “the single largest climate investment in American history.” But “investment” is an interesting choice of words. Just look at Harris’ $5 billion electric school bus plan. So far, the program has only produced 60 buses — each costing over three times more than a traditional diesel bus. And these buses lose one-third of their range in cold weather. Fifty-five school districts have already pulled out of the program, citing performance concerns.

This is Kamala Harris’ vision for America: an authoritarian climate regime, backed by dark money and radical green activists. Don’t be fooled by her rebrand as a “moderate freedom fighter.” If you vote for Harris, you are voting to dismantle the infrastructure that has given us the reliable energy we’ve thus far had the privilege of taking for granted. And you will be voting for the consolidation of the energy sector under centralized government control veiled under trendy climate talking points. Let’s not go there.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Who IS this guy?! 5 INSANE facts about Trump's 2nd would-be assassin

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It's been just over a week since the second assassination attempt on President Trump, and the story has only gotten stranger.

If you were uneasy about the lack of disclosed information about Trump's first assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, despite his seemingly innocuous background, you will be shocked by what we do know about Trump's second would-be assassin, Ryan Routh. Routh has a mile-long criminal record along with even more highly suspicious activity linked to his name. How he managed to be within a mile of the president with a firearm is a mystery.

Here are five CRAZY facts about Ryan Routh that only make the situation even more insane:

Criminal background

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Many people noted how calm and collected Routh appeared during his arrest, and as it turns out, that was due to practice. Routh has a colorful criminal history stretching back two decades. We're not talking about traffic violations and noise complaints. In 2010 Routh was convicted of possession of stolen property, which included a pickup truck, three trailers full of stolen tools, and building materials. Routh was also using the property without the owner's knowledge and had threatened a neighbor with a knife when he was asked to clean up the land.

In 2002 Routh was arrested for possession of several explosive devices, and months later, he was in an armed standoff with the police while in possession of a fully automatic weapon. He was later charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction. He managed to dodge prison by paying a whopping $225 fine and serving 60 months of probation. Who is this guy's lawyer?!

No prison time

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With a rap sheet like that, you would expect Routh to have served some serious prison time. But, no, it seems that despite his crimes, which again, include being in possession of a weapon of mass destruction, Routh has never seen the inside of a jail cell. It makes you wonder why he apparently received special treatment. Was this a failure of the court system? Who is Ryan Routh?

Strange travels

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While on probation, which generally means you cannot leave the state without permission, Routh managed to travel to Costa Rica. While this might seem innocent at first, Blaze News journalist Steve Baker explained to Glenn that there is a darker side to the tourist industry in the small nation. Baker explains that if someone is not going for the beaches, they are going for the sex trade and/or the money laundering. While there is no evidence that Routh did anything unsavory while in Costa Rica, given his fondness for lawless behavior, it seems unlikely that he was just lounging in the sand.

Routh also traveled to Kiev in an attempt to aid Ukraine's fight against Russia, with little results. Routh never served in Ukraine's International Legion, apparently being rejected by the Ukrainian command. That didn't stop Routh, who lingered in the capitol city rambling unhinged ideas to vanquish Russia, which included recruiting Afghani commandos. Routh's obsession with Ukraine's war was called "unhealthy" by Ukrainian soldiers, and his obsession even drove him to write a self-published book titled Ukraine's Unwinnable War.

Strange letter

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Glenn recently covered a startling revelation in the assassination saga. Routh apparently left a mysterious package with another person several months before his attempted assassination. This other person held on to the package and did not open it until after Routh was caught. Inside was some ammunition and a strange letter addressed to the world. In the letter in which he acknowledges his failure to kill the former president and offers a bounty of $150,000 to anyone who finishes the grisly task. Remember, the letter was written months before the assassination attempt.

This creates more questions than it answers: who was this person who held onto the package? Why did they wait so long to open the box? Was Routh planning on failing his assassination attempt, or was there a "success" letter in that box? Where is this $150,000? And why did the DoJ release this letter that encourages more assassination attempts on Trump?

Son was arrested on child porn charges

Courtesy of Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

The latest development in this crazy escapade comes in the form of another arrested member of the Routh family. Oran Routh, the son of Ryan Routh, was arrested earlier this week on federal charges of possessing child pornography. Investigators claim that the discovery of the illicit material was discovered during a search conducted "in connection with an investigation unrelated to child exploitation."

Oran was interviewed over the phone shortly after his father was taken into custody, where he claimed no prior knowledge of his father's plans and was shocked to hear the allegations held against him. Oran also appeared to be ignorant of his father's criminal past, stating, “He’s my dad, and all he’s had is a couple traffic tickets, as far as I know." Surprisingly, Oran spent much of the interview bashing President Trump and the current state of American politics and admitted that he and his father had grown apart in recent years.

Oran, who like his father, has a criminal history including impaired driving and assault, appears to be following in his father's footsteps.

'He was on our radar': What good is the FBI's 'radar' if threats continue to slip by?

Scott Olson / Staff | Getty Images

A mysterious illness at a recent Trump rally in Tucson has sparked outrage and raised new questions about the competence and integrity of federal law enforcement.

A strange and concerning incident took place at a recent Trump rally in Tucson, Arizona. About 20 attendees experienced mysterious symptoms, such as blurred vision and facial swelling, shortly after the event.

While we don’t yet know what caused this, some speculate that it could have been a chemical attack. Given the political violence over the past few years, many are questioning whether this was another instance of Democrats and the media inciting violence against Trump supporters.

This incident at the Tucson rally isn’t just a one-off. It’s part of a much bigger problem with the FBI.

Arizona journalist Christy Kelly appeared on “Blaze News Tonight” last week to discuss the story. She interviewed 10 attendees who became ill after the rally. Every person reported that the event seemed perfectly fine, but about 20 to 30 minutes after leaving, they began experiencing alarming symptoms: stinging noses, blurred vision, and redness around their eyes.

Many ended up in emergency rooms, and some were diagnosed with bilateral ocular chemical burns. That’s not some minor irritation. We’re talking chemical burns in their eyes! While doctors initially suggested the symptoms could be from extreme lighting or an airborne irritant, the diagnoses point to something more severe.

Though both the event center and local law enforcement were notified, neither the venue nor Tucson police have issued a statement about the possible chemical exposure. Thankfully, the Trump campaign is investigating to find out what really happened. But the silence from officials is deafening, raising the question: Does anyone even care any more?

This incident at the rally isn’t just a one-off. It’s part of a much bigger problem with the FBI.

I’ve been talking about this on my show for years now. How many times have we heard from the FBI after a mass shooting or assassination attempt that “the suspect was on our radar”? That’s comforting, especially since all these people on your radar seem to go forward with their crimes.

Just look at Ryan Wesley Routh, Trump’s second would-be assassin. He was in possession of an AK-47 despite multiple run-ins with the law, including a three-hour standoff with law enforcement with a fully automatic machine gun back in 2002. If he was on the FBI’s radar back in 2019, how on earth was he able to obtain an AK-47 and get on Trump's golf course?

The FBI claims it receives thousands of tips each day, but here’s the trouble: Routh wasn’t just on the radar — he’d been involved in previous threats. Yet law enforcement did nothing. Why? Could it be incompetence, or is there something more sinister at play?

I’m not here to spin conspiracy theories, but let’s talk about conspiracy facts. We live in an era in which the government knows everything about us. With the power of artificial intelligence and all the data it collects, the FBI could easily identify unstable individuals like Routh. With the power the bureau holds, who’s to say it couldn’t manipulate someone into thinking he has a “responsibility” to act violently? I’m not saying it’s happening — but with the level of trust Americans have in their government at an all-time low, this most recent failure surely isn’t helping the case.

This kind of unchecked power is a problem no matter who’s in office.

Democrats, let me ask you: Do you trust this system? Would you still trust it if Trump gets re-elected? Unless you’re counting on a one-party state, this same government could one day be used against you. That’s why it’s essential that we demand the rule of law be enforced equally — regardless of political affiliation. The danger isn’t just to one side. The danger is to all of us.

The only way we protect ourselves from an out-of-control government is by ensuring that no one has this kind of power. Once it's in the hands of someone you don’t trust, it’s too late. And if we don’t demand accountability and equal justice now, it won’t be long before we find ourselves on the wrong side of that power. We may already be there.

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Five things that PROVE Kamala's plan for climate authoritarianism

Kamala endorsed the Green New Deal

Had several failed climate actions

Inflation reduction act

Skyrocketing home prices

Ban fracking

The TRUTH about Kamala's climate agenda

Her strategy on controversial energy issues is one of ‘strategic ambiguity.’ That might as well be her campaign slogan.

Who IS this guy?! 5 INSANE facts about Trump's 2nd would-be assassin

Criminal background

No prison time

Strange travels

Strange letter

Son was arrested on child porn charges

'He was on our radar': What good is the FBI's 'radar' if threats continue to slip by?

A mysterious illness at a recent Trump rally in Tucson has sparked outrage and raised new questions about the competence and integrity of federal law enforcement.