Cooperative board games are a good way to teach team building and sharing skills. They are also usually fun games to play as well.
List of Cooperative Board Games
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard can be difficult to find, but it is well worth trying to hunt it down. One player assumes the role of the fugitive "Mr. X" and the two to five other players are detectives. The board is a map of London. Players move pieces around the board. Mr. X tries to avoid capture while the detectives try to land on his location in order to capture him. Each move requires players to use a taxi, bus or underground ticket. Some places on the map only allow you to use one ticket, while others provide use two or three modes of transportation. A taxi moves players the equivalent of one space, the bus two or three spaces, and the underground goes four or five spaces.
The detectives have a limited number of tickets for each transportation mode. Mr. X does not have this problem as he receives the tickets that the detectives use. Players start in random locations on the board. The location of the detectives is always visible. Mr. X, however, is only visible every third or fourth move. Mr. X writes down the number of the square he is on and covers it with the transportation ticket that is used. This knowledge helps the detectives to track his movements.
To have a chance of catching Mr. X, the detectives must work together. They need to formulate a plan and communicate with each other as they close in on Mr. X.
Break the Safe
Break the Safe by Mattel is an excellent choice for an evening of family entertainment. In order to win, players must work with each other. There is also a 30-minute time limit, which gives play a sense of urgency while ensuring that it won't take all night to finish the game. The game takes place inside the "Evil Guy Complex." To defeat the evil guy, the players need to unlock four cases to retrieve his evil plans, and then everyone must escape the complex. All of this needs to be accomplished before the clock runs out.
Many obstacles stand in the way of the players. The complex is a maze that players need to successfully navigate when finding the cases. There are booby traps along the way that need to be disarmed. There is also a security guard and a guard dog roaming the complex. If the dog or the guard catches players, they go to jail and the other players must break them out before continuing with the mission.
The Farmers Market
The Farmers Market is for 2-6 players. Players go to the market and attempt to sell their goods. If a player doesn't sell anything, or if he or she loses money, then the game is over. This requires all the players to cooperate and plan with each other so that all players succeed. There is a simple version of the game for younger children, and an advanced version for older kids and families.
Conclusion
Cooperative board games are a fun addition to your family game library. This list of games is just a small sampling of the cooperative games that are available.
