This week is National Board Game Week, and in celebration, it’s about time that people started playing board games again. In recent years, board games have taken a back seat to video games when it comes to popularity and sales. Perhaps that is due to the unfair image that has been placed on board games – they are viewed by the general public as old-fashioned, boring and disastrous. This is simply not true, as board games allow you to sit down with a couple of buddies and have a battle of wits for a couple of hours. Everyone knows about Risk and Monopoly , but after that, a lot of people don’t know many games to play. There are countless games that have quality game play value. Settlers of Catan is different from most board games because it is not about fighting each other with little plastic dudes. Instead, it’s all about economics. This German-made game spearheaded the economic board game genre and was the first European game to gain popularity in America. You establish a colony, grab resources, build roads and all that good stuff. One of the fun things about Settlers is that no one gets eliminated, and its mechanics are simple while its dynamics are fairly complex. Axis and Allies is not just for those crazy World War II junkies who smell like old meat. This game splits you and your buddies into teams right away. Some may complain about this, but board games goe into alliances pretty much right away anyway. You shoot the hell out of your opponents to take their territory, which nets you more manpower, which in turn gets you more guys to shoot with. A fairly simple concept which leads into fairly in-depth combat, Axis and Allies created an excellent system where the fighting is set up not as you taking turns shooting each other, but shooting at the same time, which leads for more fun and fulfilling combat. Starcraft , the board game, is crazy! It’s super-duper fun, not just for hardcore computer game nerds, but for anyone. At $80, the game’s price tag seems a little hefty, but it’s well worth it. This game differs from others because there are no dice involved. Instead, combat is determined by card battles. You choose from one of three races, and each race has the option of two different commanders. The actual board is different every time, as the players place the planets they are going to use at the start of the game. If you enjoy masterfully crafted pieces, Starcraft , the computer game, or space travel, this is a game you should check out. Napoleon in Europe is perhaps one of the most epic of board games. You choose one of seven countries in Europe. This is a six-versus-one setup. The one is the ever-so-mighty Napoleon. This may seem unfair, but France gets to start out with a hell of a ton of guys. Plus, there are many modes of play involved to this game. You have command over horsemen, infantry, and the mighty cannons. This game can lead to long, fun nights of strategy, teamwork, and mayhem. If you have any interest in playing these games or other great ones, check out Board Game night at Mayhem Comics and Games.