Staff Favorites: New Games

We recently asked the full-time staff at Pine Cove to share the new games they can’t stop playing, and they said, “Game on!” From silly party games to sneaky card games, we’ve compiled a list below that will keep you and your family busy and laughing for hours. Check out the recommendations below, and be sure to let us know if you take one for a spin!

“My family has been loving the “What Do You Meme?” game! It’s sort of like Apples to Apples in that you are given a picture and you choose the best phrase to match that picture and one of the players gets to pick the best one. My teenagers have gotten a ton of laughs from this one!” —Amy ‘Encore’ Drake

“My wife and I love showing people the game “So Clover.” Imagine Codenames meets Wavelength! It’s a cooperative word-association game that creates fun moments when “obvious” connection turns out to be a total stretch. It’s the perfect low-stakes, high-reward four-person game! —Marshall ‘Swole City’ Wallace, Crier Creek Camp Director

“There is a super fun, simple dice game called BANK that Lance G introduced me to. Played over Thanksgiving with my fam and it was a hit from the 5-year-olds to the 65-year-olds! Here are the instructions, and there’s also an app that is helpful for scorekeeping.” —JD ‘Rambus’ Moore, Ranch Camp Director

“This is totally a fad right now, but I have been super into Mahjong!” —Kara “Crashy” Muyia, Towers Women’s Director

“I have played and recently purchased SPOTS. It’s not too crazy of a game but has a bit of variety due to the games’ setup. It’s playable/understandable by children while still enjoyable by adults alike.” —Jason ‘Technical Fowl’ Koert, AV Manager

“Flip 7 has infiltrated all areas of my life. And Poetry for Neanderthals always makes me laugh!” —Annelise ‘Smilin’’ Morrison, Silverado Camp Director

“My roommates and I were recently introduced to You Can’t Say “Ummm,” and it is truly one of the most humbling games ever, especially if you’re a filler-word addict. Games go quickly if you aren’t cautious when talking during your turn. The general rule is that while you are describing your card you can’t say “umm,” “err,” or “uhh,” but as your team progresses, new rules are introduced, like “you can’t say words that start with Y” or “if your team guesses incorrectly, you have to wiggle your finger at them.” If you don’t obey these rules, you’re penalized and the other team earns a point. It’s the most fun and frustrating game, and it can get intense!” —Rachael ‘Sugar Power’ Anderson, Registrar

“Bang! is a silly, fun, bluffing game. I played this a little while ago and had the best time being mischievous!” —Kat ‘Chief’ McDaniel, Executive Assistant 

“Lately we’ve really enjoyed Slingz!” —Ruthie ‘Easy Brake Oven’ Cline, IT Operations Coordinator

“My family has loved playing Wavelength recently! It’s a game where it is required to truly know the person that you’re playing with, or you just have fun trying to understand what wavelength they’re on!” —Evee ‘Officer Funky Fortnite’ Broadus, Registrar