If you are looking for cosy ways to spend your evenings as the nights roll in, look no further than The Dice Box in Sneinton Market. The board and brick lounge (they have games to play and Lego) which opened in May has over 700 games to play, from the competitive to the co-operative, and family friendly and to more complex titles. Along with a social drop-in event on Thursdays, you can book a table to chill with friends in their fully-licensed cafe, and lots of titles are available to buy and take home.
Here co-owner David Walden gave us some of his top picks to play or buy at The Dice Box this winter…
Calico
1-4 players | Age 10+
Like the sound of attracting cats and making patchwork quilts? Calico is probably for you… This simple yet immersive pattern-building game gives you points as you create a quilt in certain patterns, colours and arrangements. Colour groups are rewarded with buttons, while pattern groups attract a cat to curl up on your spot. A lovely one to play solo or in a group, this game is both aesthetically pleasing and satisfying to play.
Ghost Blitz
2-8 players | Age 8+
Great for parties, and a bit like Dobble, Ghost Blitz is a quick and easy game that looks for speed and colour recognition. Match each card dealt to one of the five objects placed on the table. If there are no matches in colour or form – and this is where it gets tricky – find the object that contains none of the details shown on the card. If you win the round you keep the card, and the person with the most cards at the end wins.
Dead of Winter
2-5 players | Age 13+
Ah zombies, you can always count on them to make a scenario more exciting… In this story-centric, co-operative game, players work together to find fuel and food to survive the winter and the zombie hordes, but beware – hidden in the team is a traitor waiting to thwart the progress of the group. With each player leading a faction of survivors, plus secret psychological objectives throughout, by the end players must choose to save the colony, or save themselves. Don’t fall out!
Bärenpark
2-4 players | Age 8+
Another one to bring warm fuzzy vibes, the multi award-winning Bärenpark asks players to build their own beautiful bear park, full of animal houses, waterways and outdoor areas, plus a very inclusive selection of bears (hello koalas, what are you doing here?). Each player uses a personal board and carefully places polyominoes, scoring points as they go. When one player has finished expanding their park, the scores are added up!
Aspens
2 players | Age 10+
Build your own tiny forest by seeding trees and harnessing the wind and sun. Featuring 240 tiny wooden tree blocks which are gradually placed around the board by rolling the sun die and the wind die, Aspens is tactile, strategic and simple to teach. By the end you’ll have grown an aesthetically pleasing little forest, while outwitting your partner by balancing future investment with rapid expansion.
King of Tokyo
2-6 players | Age 8+
Mutants, monsters and robots all feature in this competitive battle game, and it’s your job to be the last one standing. The city is under attack – in the fight to become King of Tokyo players roll dice to win victory points, gain energy, restore health, or attack other players as you go. A hit with adults and children, this game involves strategy and determination, with numerous spin-off games available to collect if it really tickles your fancy.
Tenby
1-5 players | Age 8+
A delightful game that is cosy, colourful, and clever, Tenby brings the same wholesome vibes as the Welsh seaside town it is based on. Across several rounds, players build colourful streets using cards and are scored appropriately. There are several gameplays, from solo to family, and it’s easy to get the hang of after a round or two. To top it off, the game even comes with its own soundscape that can be accessed through a QR code, for extra coastal mise-en-scène. Imagine that seafront in winter and then feel even more cosy that you’re inside playing instead.
Magical Athlete
2-6 players | Age 6+
A classic roll-and-move game, which is sure to invoke some silly, chaotic fun into an evening. Start with four racers cards, each with specific powers – some let you swap places on the board with other players, others mean you can reroll or add scores to your turn, and so on. Secretly select one before each of the four races, move around the board, and let the chaos unfold. The real highlight of this game is the groovy, psychedelic artwork and playing figures provided, which will be a hit with children and retro cartoon fans alike.
Block Party
2-6 players | Age 8+
Get creative with Block Party, a tactile and creative game which gets you building well-known things and objects with coloured wooden blocks. You might be tasked with building a tennis racket, a London bus, or Winnie The Pooh, and it’s up to the guesser to work it out. This game is basically Pictionary 2.0 but with blocks, plus some extra twists and challenges thrown in.
Ice Cool
2-4 players | Age 6+
Welcome to the school for penguins, where lunchbreak means snapping up some delicious fish. Ice Cool (or ice school – geddit?) is a bit like Subbuteo, in that pieces are flicked around the board to move and score points, but be careful – the hall monitor is waiting to catch the hungry penguins. One of the coolest aspects of this game is the clever board design, which transforms into the 3D school, safely keeping pieces from flying too far. A great game for families to drop in and play before a Panthers match!
Find The Dice Box at Unit 1, Sneinton Market, Nelson Street, Nottingham, United Kingdom NG1 1DR. Open until 11pm Tuesday - Saturday, booking is advised.
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