List-O-Mania Trivia Game #1

This week’s trivia game is inspired by the terrific game show America Says, which is hosted by John Michael Higgins and airs on the Game Show Network.

It’s pretty simple: Just fill in the blanks! (Click on the image, or here, for a larger version.)

Each correct answer is worth 1 point.

BONUS POINTS:
+2 for completing “Fast Food Chains”
+3 for completing “Top-Grossing Movies”
+5 for completing “European Auto Makers”

I should let you know a few things:

First, pay close attention to the length of the blank — that’s always a clue. (i.e., A shorter blank means a shorter word.)

Second, the source for the list of top-grossing movies of all time is “Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses” at BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Finally, E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial is not on the movie list because I couldn’t decide how to set up the blanks.

Good luck!

(If you’re reading this on the front page of my website, click through for the answers. Otherwise, scroll down.)

My Essen Spiel 2020 Want List

Every year, the massive Spiel game fair in Essen highlights dozens (even hundreds) of recently released and soon-to-be-released games.

Here’s a look at 10 games featured at this years Spiel — and it was hard to narrow this list to just 10 games, because I’m leaving off plenty of games that I’m eager to try — that I’m most looking forward to.

1. Pandemic Legacy: Season 0. I playtested the first several months of this game a while ago and I’ve been eager to play it ever since.

2. Detective: Season One. I already own this, but I can’t wait to get it on the table. I love what Portal Games is doing with this series.

3. Sagrada: The Great Facades – Life. Sagrada is among my favorite games, and I’m excited to play this expansion!

4. Lost Ruins of Arnak. Anything from Czech Games Edition gets my attention, and the theme is right up my alley.

5. Under Falling Skies. See #4 above: Anything from Czech Games Edition gets my attention, and the theme is right up my alley.

6. The Shining: Escape from the Overlook Hotel. I’m not a huge fan of the film (don’t @ me), but man this game looks cool.

7. Curious Cargo. Tile placement games with interconnecting routes appeal to me, and this looks to add some creative twists to the genre.

8. Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade. I loved the print-and-play version of this game that designer Geoff Englestein released earlier this year, can’t wait to play the full game.

9. Clever Hoch Drei. I’ve loved the first two roll-and-writes in this series by Wolfgang Warsch.

10. 7 Wonders Duel: Agora. Playing 7 Wonders Duel on BoardGameArena has helped me appreciate its greatness. This expansion looks fantastic.

Alan R. Moon’s Thoughts on How to Host a Game Night

When you write a book, you never know how people will react to it. You hope they’ll like it, of course, but it’s an art, not a science.

I’m very proud of HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, and I think people will enjoy it. I have my fingers crossed that they will. But there’s no way to be sure.

So I was thrilled when, after sending him an early copy of the book, Alan R. Moon — designer of TICKET TO RIDE, ELFENLAND, ELFENROADS, and so many other great games — had this to say:

“Erik Arneson is one of America’s best-kept secrets. An incredibly fun read that’s chock-full of stories, memories, and experiences from gamers, his book How to Host a Game Night is the ultimate guide to gaming. Arneson perfectly describes what makes the world of gaming the special place it is for so many people.”

HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is both a practical guide to hosting game nights and a collection of stories culled from my own experiences and those of the 100-plus people I talked to while writing it.

Wherever you are on your game night journey — whether you’ve hosted hundreds or you’re thinking about hosting your first — I hope you’ll take a look. Thanks, and game on!

My Mind is Boggled

I own two versions of the word game Boggle, one from 1977 and the other from 2003. While continuing to whittle down my game collection to a more reasonable size (it once topped 1,000 games) and after consulting with my wife, I decided there was no need to own two copies of Boggle.

But which one to keep?

I explore that question over at The Opinionated Gamers.

Half Truth Trivia Game #2

This week’s trivia game is inspired by the board game Half Truth, designed by Richard Garfield and Ken Jennings and published by Studio71 Games.

In each of the two groups in the image above, 3 answers are correct.

You guess 1, 2 or 3 answers. Guessing 3 can score more points, but it’s risky!

If you get 1 right, you earn 1 point. Getting 2 right earns you 3 points, and getting 3 right earns you 6 points.

BUT — and this is very important! — if you get ANY wrong, you earn ZERO points.

Each group is scored separately. Good luck!

(If you’re reading this on the front page of my website, click through for hints and answers. Otherwise, scroll down.)

Board Game Trivia on Zoom!

I’m hosting a series of free trivia games on Zoom all about tabletop games, and I’d love to have you join the fun!

Upcoming games are scheduled for Oct. 24 and 27 (details below), and if you love board games and card games, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

This trivia game features five rounds — each completely different from the others — and it can be played by individuals or by teams. (If you play with a team, just be sure you have a way to consult each other that won’t be heard by others on the Zoom. Discord, texting, and using the private chat feature on Zoom can all work.) The entire game takes about an hour, maybe a little more.

I hope to see you there!

The links below will take you to the registration page for the listed date. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email that has all the details you need to join.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

I’m hosting these trivia games to help celebrate the Oct. 27 launch of my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, which is available for pre-order now!

This game is probably best for people who enjoy modern games like Azul, Pandemic and Ticket to Ride — but there are plenty of questions about classic games, too, along with some multiple choice and 50-50 questions.

If you’re interested in playing but none of the scheduled times work for you — or you want to schedule a private group trivia night, let me know (erik@erikarneson.com) and I’ll try to schedule another.

EDIT: Earlier events were held on Oct. 17, 22, and 24.

NOTE: The same trivia game will be played at each session, so there’s no reason to sign up for more than one.

Rank These Games by the Number of Dice

In honor of the upcoming (two weeks from today — it comes out Oct. 27!) release of my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, here’s a trivia game that will probably appeal most to people who play a lot (a lot) of board games — but anyone can give it a shot.

All you have to do is take the 10 games in the image above (click on the image, or here, for a larger version) and rank them in order of the game with the most dice (#1) down to the game with the least dice (#10).

Each game you put in the right position is worth 1 point. (So if you list the same game in all 10 positions, you’re guaranteed to finish with exactly 1 point.)

(If you’re reading this on the front page of my website, click through for the answers. Otherwise, scroll down.)

Half Truth Trivia Game #1

This week’s trivia game is inspired by the board game Half Truth, designed by Richard Garfield and Ken Jennings and published by Studio71 Games.

In each of the two groups in the image above, 3 answers are correct.

You guess 1, 2 or 3 answers. Guessing 3 can score more points, but it’s risky!

If you get 1 right, you earn 1 point. Getting 2 right earns you 3 points, and getting 3 right earns you 6 points.

BUT — and this is very important! — if you get ANY wrong, you earn ZERO points.

Each group is scored separately. Good luck!

(If you’re reading this on the front page of my website, click through for hints and answers. Otherwise, scroll down.)

This, That, or the Other? #2

As with last week’s trivia game, this week’s is inspired by the great NPR show and podcast Ask Me Another, hosted by Ophira Eisenberg.

In “This, That, or the Other,” you have to guess which of three categories a thing falls into. So — in the image above — each of the things listed is:

• A crime fiction novel;
• A punk rock band; or
• A professional wrestling tag team

For each thing listed, guess one of those three categories. Each one you get right is worth 1 point.

(If you’re reading this on the front page of my website, click through for hints and answers. Otherwise, scroll down.)

Nine Tournaments at BoardGameArena

I’m a big fan of BoardGameArena, a website where you can play hundreds of different board games and card games for free. (And if you really like BGA, a premium membership is not expensive and has some benefits.)

To help celebrate the upcoming (later this month!) release of my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, I’ve set up nine tournaments over at BGA. And you’re invited!

All of the tournaments start on Monday, Oct. 12, at 7:00 a.m. — but they’re all turn-based, which means you don’t have to worry about being there on time. Just sign up for a tournament (or two, or three…), and when it’s your turn, BGA will send you an email to let you know!

Because these are turn-based tournaments, some games will end quickly, while others might play out over the course of a few days. That’s fine! It’s all part of how turn-based games work. You take your turns when you can. (There is a five-day limit on most games in these tournaments.)

If you’d like to join, just click on the game title(s) you’re interested in below and then click “Register for Tournament.” I hope to see you there!

• 7 Wonders Duel
• Can’t Stop
• Downforce
• Kingdom Builder
• Kingdomino
• Lucky Numbers
• Sushi Go!
• Rallyman: GT
• Yahtzee

HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT will be available on Oct. 27, 2020. It’s available for pre-order now in both paperback and ebook formats. And it has a whole chapter on virtual game nights where I explain why I enjoy playing games on BGA so much.