Board Now
As many of you know, I love me some board games! They make wonderful gifts because they have an imminent group purpose. Bring one as a hostess gift and you’ve got an instant party on your hands. Gift one to a niece or nephew and spend some quality family time together. No matter what, it’s pretty much a win/win/win in terms of usability, long-term value, and affordability. With that in mind, I scoped out five fresh new board games that should make your shopping list this holiday season.
Scrabble Electronic Catch Phrase – $29.99
This game is maddeningly addictive. Trust me. Every time I haul it out and a lighting-fast round ends, my fellow players always humbly suggest that ‘One more game wouldn’t hurt, would it?’ And so it goes. If you’re unfamiliar, Catch Phrase pits two teams against one another in an attempt to get your teammates to guess whatever’s on the screen – from people to places to sayings to things – in as little time as possible, all in hopes of the other team having the hot potato game console in their hands when the buzzer goes off. It’s a supremely simple concept on paper, but maddeningly difficult when you’re under the gun with a frantic group of team members begging you better clues! An instant crowd pleaser, every time.
Twister Dance – $24
Here’s a twist on everyone’s classic awkward entanglement game – learn dance moves to your favourite songs from the likes of Ke$ha, Willow Smith, and Britney Spears by following the blinking lights and tapping your toes on the included movable dance spots. With five included tunes plus the option to hook up your own MP3 player, this is a great way to get the kids off the couch as they challenge each other to a dance duel. It may lack the intertwining component of the original Twister, but if you want to succeed at this game you’ve still got to show all the right moves.
Monopoly Millionaire – $25
There are soooo many incarnations out there on Monopoly it’s almost laughable (but ultimately really cool). But it’s not too often an entirely new way to play Monopoly comes around – enter this blinged-out, speed-round edition of the world’s most popular board game. While the core of the game remains the same – buy luxury properties and pick up fortune cards to earn more cash – there are many little tweaks that have upped the glam factor while downsizing the time factor. Instead of endless trades and hail Mary’s, the game is ultimately a sudden death match: the first person to a million bucks wins. With that in mind, obviously the cash denominations have been amped up a little as well. A great choice for a friend that doesn’t have a copy of Monopoly yet, or for that whiner that always complains about how long the regular game can take – this’ll teach ’em.
Bop It Smash – $24.99
There is a rivalry in my household, and it’s over all things Bop It. Whenever the whiz kids behind the game come out with a new incarnation, my fiancee and I can often be seen taunting one another by trying to beat the other’s high score. This year’s mind-muscle connection game is maddeningly simple: smash the ends of the bone-shaped console and try and get a blinking light in the centre three dots (or ideally, bullseye – dead centre). Each successful smash leads to a new pattern of lights and sound for you to try and master, with bonus rounds in-between to up your point tally. And if you miss? You’ve got three regenerating lives – every time you manage to land the light in the centre, you’ll earn a life back.
Words With Friends – $19.99
If you’ve played the addictive app game Words With Friends, you’ll know exactly what you’re in store for here with this simple word game. Take seven tiles, make words, and connect them to words your pals (and you) have laid in previous turns to rack up points. If you’re the first to get rid of all your tiles, you get to collect your friends’ points. If it sounds eerily Scrabble-like, it is – but anyone that’s played it can tell you there are notable twists ranging from the types of bonuses, the layout of the board, the point system, and even the number of tiles included. What makes this rendition ultra cool is the ability to unlock some app bonuses with the purchase of the game. A choice pick for your app-addicted friend.
If you’re already anticipating your next games night with the addition of one of these groovy games, allow me to make things a little more fun. I’m giving away two prizes to two different winners! You could either win a Bop It Smash! or a Scrabble Catch Phrase. To enter, follow these rules, just as you would if you were playing a game with moi:
1) Leave a comment by December 9th with the board game you’d most like to play.
2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 10th to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible to participate in this promotion.
4) Bonus Entry: Follow me on Twitter (@cdngiftguide), Tweet about this contest and tag me in it, drop your Twitter handle in the comments below, and you’ll earn two bonus entries.
Canadian Gift Guide 
I think games are awesome. I love catch phrase, bop it smash and words with friends. Thanks for all the giveaways — very exciting. 🙂
I MUST PLAY SCRABBLE CATCH PHRASE-THANKS!
My family doesn’t let me play too many games any more because I continually win at SceneIt! So a new game to play on Christmas
Day after all the hubub would be awesome! I think the family would most enjoy Scrabble Electronic Catch Phrase because we like a good fast paced game.
Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway! Happy Holidays and Good Luck everyone!
My family won’t let me play many games anymore. I always win when we play SceneIt! so they don’t let me play. I think the family would let me at least try Scrabble Electronic Catch phrase, at least once or twice. Thanks for hosting this giveaway! Happy Holidays and Good Luck to all!
Cheers, Teresa
@NeedNewSpace
I’d like to play Scrabble Catch Phrase. I’m a regular Scrabble fan.
Thanks!
I follow you on Twitter as @Alexandrina_M and Tweeted: https://twitter.com/Alexandrina_M/status/272729298367033346
Bonus #1
I follow you on Twitter as @Alexandrina_M and tweeted:
Bonus #2
Wow, Bop-it sounds cool. How come I have never heard f it? We also love games and ths year we are adding Seafarers to our Settlers of Catan collection…
I would love to play Scrabble Catch Phrase
Those all look like so much fun. I play Words With Friends on my mobile so I think I’d like to try it in person. Fun!
I recently played the Scrabble Catchphrase for the first time at at party. And at first when it was brought out I thought, “Really do I have to?” but within seconds of starting, I was hooked. It’s addictive, and fun, and gets the adrenaline going.
Words with friends is a blast…my daughter and I play on Facebook and to have the hard copy where we can play to pass the time would be great! Monopoly, Scrabble and Bop-It are some of our favorite games as well!
Words with Friends sounds interesting
Bop it smash looks like it could be a real laugh!
I’d most like to win Scrabble Catch Phrase!
I would most like to win Bop It Smash.
Tweeted and followed you on twitter
Scrabble Catch Phrase – please
@BeeWBedard
scrabble catch phrase!
I like to win Scrabble Catch Phrase
I follow cdngiftguide on twitter -name wildcardacehigh (louise gilbert)
I retweeted
I would love words with friends. I am always playing it online.
my son asked me what my catch phrase was. I told him “eat over your plate”. that’s mine and we’d like this game
Any game that brings us together as a family sounds awesome to me!!
I’d love to win the scrabble catch phrase or the words with friends. It’s the only type of game i can butt on!
Bop it smash, sounds like a lot of fun!
Scrabble Catch Phrase
I would like to play Scrabble Catch Phrase the most.
catch phrase
I’d most like to play Scrabble Electronic Catch Phrase.
Didnt think Bop It could get any better, looki g forward to trying Bop It Smash !!
I’ve been looking at the Words With Friends in the stores. I’d love to play this with my Scrabble addicted sister!
Catch Phrase! I’m a word game fanatic 🙂
I love Scrabble, so I”m sure I’d enjoy Scrabble Catch Phrase! #CGG
I’d love to play Scrabble Catch phrase
I would love to play Bop-It Smash! Sounds like fun!
I want to play Monopoly Millionaire!
I tweeted! @erockspell
I would like to play catch phrase with my family =)
BOP IT SMASH!!!
I want to play Monopoly Millionaire!
scrabble catch phrase sounds like fun
I’d love to play Monopoly Millionaire!!
Scrabble Catch phrase look so fun.. I would choose this one !
Monopoly Millionare for sure! My family LOVES to play a good game of Monopoly. Its become a tradition for us! 😀
Words With Friends –
I most want to play Scrabble Electronic Catch Phrase.
tweeted: https://twitter.com/skyalive1976/status/273183151822606336
Follow you on Twitter @skyalive1976
bop it smash
I would like to try Bop It Smash.
I would try Bop It Smash
I would like to play Scrabble Catch Phrase
Catch Phrase!
Bopit Smash looks like it would be really fun!
I want to play Monopoly Millionaire!
Twitter: @VictoriaEss2
bop it smash
I would love to try bop it!!
I’d like to play the board game Monopoly Millionaire – $25 ‘cos it looks like it doesn’t require batteries so can be played anywhere & everywhere without worry
Followed you on twitter, tweeted https://twitter.com/SoulSeeker0/status/273640773021478912 & here’s my handle = SoulSeeker0
Thanks for the opportunity
Words with Friends.
Twister Dance – $24 would be so fun to play
scrabble catch phrase would be my fave. 🙂
Bop it now.
Scrabble Catch Phrase!!! 🙂
My kids have already played bop it smash and it’s fun.
I would like to play the Scrabble Catch Phrase game!
rebthecatsitter at gmail dot com
I follow on Twitter and tweeted https://twitter.com/RebTheCatSitter/status/274292720569298944
@rebthecatsitter
I’d like Words with Friends
I always lose at games, but maybe I could win with Bop It
I want to play a good few rounds of Monopoly with my nephews over a few rounds of hot chocolate this christmas!!!
I would mostly play the word with friends – trouble is finding someone to play with me. I am a word wizard and play online, mobile, and in person – word games all the time !! I have to brag my friends and family to play with me !
following you on twitter – and tweeted @boot_lip
I most want to play twister dance.
Words With Friends sounds like it would be lots of fun
bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
follow on twitter as prairiebelle and tweeted
Catch phrase is a family favourite.
would love to try out scrabble catch phrase!
Words with Friends!
We have family game nights nearly every week – would love to have Word with Friends.
I would love to try playing Words with Friends! Looks like a blast 🙂 really enjoy word games!
I also followed on twitter, and tweeted about the contest 🙂 @oddball2003
Scrabble has been a family favourite forever. I love the new update twist.
I’d like to play twister dance
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/amym_brown/status/276436333713559554
thanks
I’d like to play Words With Friends
words with friends 🙂
I would like to play Bop It Smash
Words with Friends
monopoly millionaire
Definitely Words With Friends!!!!
words with friends
I want to try Bop it
wow would lve catch phrase thats awesome
@leannevandorpel