Barnes and Noble celebrates National Games Week (for like a whole month)

by Scott Jon Siegel { Oct 31st 2006 at 8:45AM }

In honor of National Games Week, Barnes and Noble has expanded their normally paltry collection of board games to include seminal classics like Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan, Robo-Rally, and more.

National Games Week officially starts on November 19 (hey, that's when the Wii launches!), but Barnes and Noble has decided to start the party a little early. While a lot of the games can be easily found at specialty stores, it's good to see them getting mainstream exposure. And if you don't live near any specialty gaming stores, but have a local B&N, this might be a great opportunity to pick up a terrific addition to your collection, or make a special holiday request.

What? Didn't you hear that analog games are back in style?

A more complete list of available games after the break.

In case you're looking for a particular title, here's a list of games which Barnes & Noble is now carrying (not all-inclusive):

- Axis and Allies
- Blokus
- Carcassonne
- Hey! That's My Fish
- I'm the Boss
- Knights of Charlemagne
- Niagara
- Puerto Rico
- Robo-Rally
- Settlers of Catan
- Shear Panic
- Tsuro

I personally wish they were carrying Reiner Knizia's Lord of the Rings board game, and maybe a few of James Ernest's Cheapass games, like Kill Doctor Lucky. Anything else you feel should be included?

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Feeple @ Oct 31st 2006 8:50AM

They also have at my local store a great miniature game, Hordes!

Mrbaum @ Oct 31st 2006 9:24AM

I totally recommend picking up Carcassone and Settlers of Catan to anyone who is interested in gaming in general. The games never become boring like playing Monopoly for the 1000th time. Every time the game board is different, you lay down tiles at random. The expansion sets also add a lot more detailed rules and game mechanics.

If you don't like competitive games, I recommend finding the Germany Board Game of the Year 2006, Shadows over Camelot. You play the Knights of the Round table and try to defend the kingdom from evil forces.

Algernon @ Oct 31st 2006 9:25AM

Settlers of Catan one of the best board games

Jahgah @ Oct 31st 2006 9:36AM

Any chance that there will be a discount on risk. I want to get the original game however. The wooden pieces were awsome.

32_Footsteps @ Oct 31st 2006 9:43AM

I usually go to my local game store, Pandemonium Books & Games. But still, good for B&N for stretching it to a month.

Throwing out a few more great games, there's Apples to Apples (which they almost certainly have), Arkham Horror, Demo-Crazy, and Chez Geek. I'm sure there are others escaping my mind as well.

32_Footsteps @ Oct 31st 2006 9:45AM

"The games never become boring like playing Monopoly for the 1000th time."

You've obviously never played Monopoly with me. Monopoly is always interesting at my place. So interesting, in fact, my wife refuses to play against me ever again. She's much more interested in Scrabble, probably because she reliably wins in that.

Daphodils @ Oct 31st 2006 9:56AM

oh boys axis and allies

wanted to pick that up for awhile now

krizage @ Oct 31st 2006 10:15AM

Speaking of fantastic games... when are we getting Settlers and Carcassone on xbox live... I need a date! (That sounds a little sad doesn't it.)

branewalker @ Oct 31st 2006 10:26AM

"Anything else you feel should be included?"

Ninja Burger and Munchkin from Steve Jackson Games. Truly excellent games, though it might be a bit more descriptive to call them card games.

Oh, yeah. Avalon Hill (might know them from Axis & Allies fame) also has a game called "Cosmic Encounter." Being that it is an extremely geeky sci-fi game that came out back in the 70s under Eon, and later Mayfair, that Avalon Hill is now printing, and also the fact that it is the game that Wizards of the Coast cite as their inspiration for Magic: The Gathering, I don't know a hardcore gamer alive who wouldn't enjoy that.

And in that vein of thought, I know B&N have had Apples to Apples for a while now, and THAT one is one of the greatest party games known to man.

--Branewalker

Jaded @ Oct 31st 2006 10:46AM

Puerto Rico totally needs to be on there. It's the highest ranked game on boardgamegeek.com for a reason.

Ironcates @ Oct 31st 2006 10:43AM

Awesome a crossover of my two favorite sites boardgamegeek.com and joystiq.com!

B&N should carry these games year round. Hopefully this made up holiday is just a test for future marketing. It's great to finally see these good games in the mass market. Could you imagine if the video game aisle only stocked 10 year old games? Hasbro dominates the board game market so much it stifles the inginuity of these other great games hitting the mass market.

KilgoreTrout XL @ Oct 31st 2006 11:02AM

I've bought Axis and Allies twice now. The first died a "beer-related/in college/missing person/where did I put it?" death.

joe smith @ Nov 1st 2006 5:36PM

I love Catan (Carcasonne, not so much). Looking forward to playing these on XBLA.

Judd @ Oct 31st 2006 3:23PM

The fact that a lot of these games are being planned for XBLA should've been mentioned in this article, to make it more video game related. http://www.penny-arcade.com/2006/08/23#1156333980
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/23/xbox-live-aracade-to-get-settlers-of-catan-and-other-euro-board-ga/

Krizage I don't know of a date yet, but my roomate introducted me to Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan, and they are a lot better than American board games like Sorry or Life.