Linkity

Growing up, some of my favorite games were the fast-and-wild card games, like Speed, or my favorite of all time: Spoons (which Wikipedia just taught me has roots to the 1800s!). It's a timeless formula: take a simple game, ramp up the pace of play, and wait for the madness to begin. Ahhh memories, I still remember the jammed fingers from a game of spoons like it was just yesterday.

How it works: Each card has a letter on it, and play starts by calling out a word to the table (a "D" card, and the word "dog," for instance). Play continues in rapid order, with anyone able to play by matching a new card and word to the sequence. After "dog," someone might play an "L" for "leash". That's it.

Why it's clever: Anyone can learn to play in a matter of seconds, including kids. It's a great way to learn to build vocabulary (the game's marketing is clearly educational-leaning), but it's also got something I really enjoy from my childhood games: the opportunity for a fun argument. Does that word link? Who slammed the card down first? Kids (or our big kid friends) usually have a blast sorting it out.

Price: $20

PS: Another small bonus: We love games that are so simple, they can be used to play other games. Or where we can change up the rules. This is basically a deck full of letter cards, so the new game crossovers are endless.