By Librarian Alyssa, Omak Public Library
International Games Week is November 7-13 this year. Like last year, any event a library holds during the month of November counts! We might still be dealing with Covid-19 but you can’t stop gamers from gaming. International Games Week (or month) is run by volunteers from around the world to reconnect communities through their libraries around educational, recreational, and social value type of games. There are different types of games that you can play such as print-and-play, in-person games, and of course any game that you can play on your phone or online!
Print-and-Play Games from the American Library Assocation
1 Stat Skirmish: This is a tactical skirmish system with simple rules, where all stats of a miniature are boiled down to a single stat. The system is miniatures agnostic and suitable for all kinds of genres. Included are rules for solitaire gaming, too! - Bandada: It’s the early days of spring and birds are zipping about looking for berries and flowers.Players draft cards from an array that have an action listed on the top and a scoring method listed on the bottom. It can be played solitaire or with two players.
- Depleted: A solo adventure game set on a weary dying Earth where the player mat represents your ship. Pay Fuel to explore locations to find resources and allies, and encounter creatures. Board Game Geek account required.
- Iron Mountain: The Shadows Within: In this game noir, players embody outcasts reduced to shadows from slaving away in underground mines. Over a series of turns, players try to reclaim their past lives and escape the mountain into the light. Board Game Geek account required.
- Kukulkan: Easy and smart roll-and-write game where players build the Temple of Kukulkán, a Mayan step pyramid also known as “El Castillo”. On each turn, players choose to place stones or mark stone for victory points. Board Game Geek account required.
- Pixel Farm: Players strive to be the most fruitful famer in this deck building game mixed with puzzles and pixel art inspired graphics. You draw cards to create new farms but beware the plagues that reduce your harvest! Board Game Geek account required.
- Tudor Trail: In this solo game, you follow the timeline from the reign of King Henry VII to the final years of Queen Elizabeth and attempt to stop rebellions, destroy the Spanish armada, and keep your rivals from the English throne. Game also available for purchase.
- Arctic Dash: Narwhal Race: All the tasty fish have been eaten and it’s time to make the yearly trek to the wintering grounds. Dash beneath the ice and be the first to the other side!
In-Person
Check out your local library to find out what games they have going on in person. At the Omak library we recently had a Dungeons and Dragons display to inform people of how much that games influences not only our culture but also the publishing industry. We didn’t play the game but it is definitely something on our radar to do once we are able to do games in person. Some suggestions for games you can play with your family or friends are:
Chess- Monopoly
- Dungeons and Dragons (we have the manuals in the library system!)
- Operation, etc.
Phone and Online Games
Some games you can play on your phone or online are:
- Chess- There will be a Virtual Chess club through NCW Libraries starting November 9th. Be sure to check it out!
- Pokemon Go
- Hearthstone- ages 10+
- Spaceteam- play with up to eight people
- Who Am I?- game you can play with your friends and family
- Mario Kart Tour- you can play this on your phone!
Almost all of these games you can play on your phone.
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