11 Gifts That Will Innovate Family Game Night

Geekchichq.com
Geekchichq.com / Geekchichq.com
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If your family is starting to get bored with playing the same old board games every time you get together, these innovative additions could add some new spice to game night.

1. The Emissary Gaming Table; $3,050 

Huddling around the kitchen table is fun, but this handsome, purpose-built gaming table can really elevate game night. Packed with rails, a dropped “Game Vault” surface to protect your boards and maps from spills, and drawers to hold game supplies, this table could turn every night into game night.

Find It: Geekchichq.com 

2. Classic Board Game Apps; Free 

You can’t always take a closet full of board games with you when you meet up with your family. As long as someone’s got a tablet, you’re in good shape, though. Classics like Life, Monopoly, Boggle, and many more are available in app editions, so no matter what your family’s favorite is, you’ll be able to find it. 

Find It: App stores

3. Lenovo HORIZON 2e Two-in-One Tabletop PC; $749.99 

Experience your favorite board games in a whole new way (and clear out your game closet) with the Lenovo HORIZON 2e powered by Intel. Thanks to a partnership between Intel and Hasbro, your family’s favorite games—including Risk, Scrabble, and The Game of Life—are now available on this multi-user and multi-touch portable all-in-one. When the HORIZON is laid flat and used as a tabletop PC, two or more people can simultaneously use the touch screen to control the game. Gather around for an all-inclusive family game night.

Find It: Lenovo.com

4. Suspend; $19.99

Think of Suspend as Jenga’s more modern cousin. Balancing all the wire pieces creates a striking modernist sculpture … until someone knocks it down.

Find It: marblesthebrainstore.com 

5. Quadrillion; $19.99

This colorful game consists of four magnetic boards, a dozen pieces, and 60 puzzles with only one solution. You can figure it out as a team or play solo.

Find It: marblesthebrainstore.com 

6. Perfect Popcorn App; Free 

Any family game night worth its salt has delicious snacks. If your family is full of popcorn fans, make sure you microwave it to perfection every time. This app listens to your corn as it pops and lets you know the exact time to remove the bag from the microwave.

Find It: App stores

7. Phase 10 App; $2.99 

Want to get the young players in your family up-to-speed on everyone’s favorite games? Set them up with a mobile or tablet app that will let them learn the rules and get experience with a game’s strategy. If your family already enjoys the classic Phase 10, you may find that your youngsters are ready to dominate the crowd before you would have guessed.

Find It: App stores

8. Sphero 2.0; $129.99

Break away from board games with this thrilling app-controlled robotic ball. You can run Sphero through obstacle courses, have your kids chase it, or play one of its included augmented-reality games. Kids will have fun learning about tech, and adults will love watching it go.

Find It: GoSphero.com

9. Klikaklu; Free 

Who says game night has to be confined to the indoors? Klikaklu uses your phone’s GPS capability and camera to create outdoor scavenger hunts. They’ll be having so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re getting lots of exercise.

Find It: Klikaklu.com

10. Anomia; $15.99

Imagine Scattergories with an adrenaline rush and you’ll get the rapid-fire game Anomia. Players face off and race to shout a word ("Zeus," for example) that fits their opponent's question category ("Greek God") whenever two cards have the same symbol. Trust us, it's harder than it sounds.

Find It: Amazon.com

11. Electronic Dice Kit; $19.95

Have an aspiring inventor who also loves game nights? Let them innovate your tired old dice by building this electronic dice kit, which lights up with a number when it’s tapped on the playing table.

Find It: SparkFun.com 

Innovative technology works hard and plays hard—and Intel® RealSense™ technology, with gesture recognition, is no exception. Soon you’ll be able to control the action without touching a thing. Learn more here: intel.com