Fun board games for people with language barriers

[teetee]

Aside from chess and chess like games, are their any board games that are fun and do not require much language skills (so no scrabble) that two or three people can have fun with?

Just the other day our company had a zoom team meeting and one of the activities was pub quiz - we were shown 10 photos each for a board game and we had to write down its name.

I never played any board games growing up so I got a zero. That also triggered my interest in knowing more. I am going through craigslist right now to see if there are any deals on them from any garage sales but thought I might as well ask here so I can start with a few good selections.


I did have some experience with Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and Go but they were both when I was young and I did not play them for fun. I was playing them for competition at school so while they are stimulating, I am kind of over them.

 

[CindyBlue]

My hubby and I are hooked on "Parcheesi." We also like to play "Sequence."

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

"Go" might fit your description. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game)

 

[CDRE]

The game "Pit" is very easy, fast paced, based on stock exchange trading commodities with the bull and the bear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_(game)

 

[PaunchyPirate]

The game "Pit" is very easy, fast paced, based on stock exchange trading commodities with the bull and the bear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_(game)

Wow. "Pit" is a blast from the past that I had forgotten all about. We used to play it as kids back in the 80s probably.

 

[kaudrey]

Blokus is a fun puzzle-type game.

 

[cathy63]

Are you looking for games for players that don't all speak the same language well; or for players that have a common language but it's different than the one the game was published in?

Board Game Geek is an online place where DH hangs out and they have lists for everything, so I asked him.

If you're looking for games for people who speak different languages, here's a thread https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2418152/games-without-language-barrier
and a list https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/211291/ratings-analysis-top-100-language-independent-game

For games where you might need to communicate with other playes, but you don't need to know the publisher's language, try this list.
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/182316/language-independent-games

 

[MichaelB]

Monopoly is tried and true and has one advantage. It’s well known around the world so non-English speakers may already understand the basics and can jump right in.

Yahtzee is fun, pretty easy to understand, not language dependent, not expensive and doesn’t take up much space to play or store.

 

[harllee]

Rummikubb is a fun board game where language is not used, kind of like gin rummy but with tiles instead of cards. I also like Parcheesi.

 

[teetee]

Thanks for all the suggestions. All players who will be playing have a common language but it is not English.



I will start some researching based on these ideas. I wish I had asked this question before the covid started. Now I just feel like I wasted lots of time not playing any board games while in quarantine.

 

[harllee]

Thanks for all the suggestions. All players who will be playing have a common language but it is not English.



I will start some researching based on these ideas. I wish I had asked this question before the covid started. Now I just feel like I wasted lots of time not playing any board games while in quarantine.

Never too late to play fun games!