Living abroad frustration: board games

Mrs.E.07

I hate that when I play board games here, it always has to be in Swedish. A lot of my friends like to play a game called Alias, which is a word-guessing game like Taboo. I can usually do ok, but it's so frustrating, when I don't even know the word half the time!

Last weekend, we played a trivia game at the in-laws. Not only is the language a problem in that case, but the questions are so Sweden-centric. Questions like: what is the name of the bird such-and-such characteristics..ummm, I have no idea. Or, Which Swedish king was murdered in 1724? 

I try so hard to fit in, but things like this are impossible! It's just frustrating. I know it's a minor thing, but sometimes I just want to play a game in english! 

Avion22

I feel the same way about Crosswords.  I love doing crosswords, but the UK ones have a lot of pop-culture clues that I'm just never going to get, and there are lot of words in common use in the UK that we just don't use in America.  Plus they spell things funny.    At least it's a fun way to learn a little bit more about culture:-)  And I've actually managed to impress some of my British friends with my obscure word knowledge.

Publius

This is why I have a serious stash of American board games in my flat.

GilliC

I agree! Even with my American versions, some of the games don't work with my international friends, because the questions and clues are too Ameri-centric.

In Beijing, a girl I knew started a board game group, and I learned to really enjoy the German-style board games, because they're more language-independent. Things like Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne work in any language. And thanks to sites like boardgamegeek.com, I can usually download the English instructions if I buy a game here.

Mrs.E.07

Publius:

This is why I have a serious stash of American board games in my flat.

I thought about this, but I feel like the Swedes wouldn't want to play the ameriacan games for the same reason I don't want to play the swedish games. Do you find that people are willing to play them?

titicole

I feel the same way when its trival pursuit in the UK, UK questions.  But that the way it is living in another country.  There are other games, like card games that everyone could play.

I played the american cranium with some Brit friends.  It was their game, but I felt bad for them as they really just had the wrong game.  Did you know the words for "all around the mulberry bush" are totally different?

allibally

I would totally feel the same way. I played some board games with children I babysat in Zurich. They also had a one up on me and the one boy would try to cheat. But I am enjoying playing the 1960s version if Swiss Monopoly. I found it at a 2nd hand store and I just adore it. It's even Swiss centric as you get 4000 francs for passing go!

Publius

Mrs.E.07:

Publius:

This is why I have a serious stash of American board games in my flat.

I thought about this, but I feel like the Swedes wouldn't want to play the ameriacan games for the same reason I don't want to play the swedish games. Do you find that people are willing to play them?

To be honest I tend to stick to non-trivia games like Scrabble, Clue, and Monopoly and I prey on mostly native English speakers. I do have one French language Swiss history and culture trivia game called Helvetica. No one will play that with me and I completely suck at it.

PittPurple

No language difficulties but we've had some amusing experiences with Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary here. We keep threatening to pick up American Trivial Pursuit so we at least have a chance to know any of the sports/entertainment questions!

wise_rita

You're way past this, Mrs.E but I do find Scrabble to be a good tool for language acquisition.  The local edition, of course.

pokepoke27

Mrs.E.07:

Publius:

This is why I have a serious stash of American board games in my flat.

I thought about this, but I feel like the Swedes wouldn't want to play the ameriacan games for the same reason I don't want to play the swedish games. Do you find that people are willing to play them?

I don't know how well this would work, but maybe try taking two different taboo games (Swiss + American) and mixing the two different cards in one game. That way you have just as much chance of getting a Swiss card as they have of getting an American card. I don't know how many other games this would work with, but I'm sure if you explain to your friends that you sometimes feel a little frustrated with all Swiss board games they'll be more than happy to do that for you.

GilliC

We used to toss around the idea of buying Norwegian Pictionary, and handing out bonus points if you could read the word without a dictionary or guess the word in Norwegian. But your Swedish is probably way beyond that now!

NCV2

I once won a pub quiz when the bonus question was what was the first state in the US.  The pub quiz was in Sydney.  Another question was which US city is home of the Lions.  Score!  

Most of the rest of the stuff I had no idea, but I brought it home for the team.

Of course we all know if they had asked how many states are in the United States I would have been wrong b/c I would have said 50 and the correct answer would have been 52.  Now that I'm IN I know that answer though.  

kelly321

NCV2:

I once won a pub quiz when the bonus question was what was the first state in the US.  The pub quiz was in Sydney.  Another question was which US city is home of the Lions.  Score!  

Most of the rest of the stuff I had no idea, but I brought it home for the team.

Of course we all know if they had asked how many states are in the United States I would have been wrong b/c I would have said 50 and the correct answer would have been 52.  Now that I'm IN I know that answer though.  

This made me laugh. I thought maybe it was a German thing, but I guess not. What is it with thinking there are 52 states? I mean, 50 is a nice, round number that's really pretty easy to remember. And these people weren't around when Alaska and Hawaii were added (which is the only way I can explain why people think it must have gone from 50 to 52), so I really just don't get it.

As for the board games, I know exactly what you mean. I love Trivial Pursuit, but am horrible at the German version because it's very German-centric. Luckily DH's family plays mostly non-trivia games and I can hold my own in the German geography game because I've lived several places and seen more of the country than a lot of my German friends! 

klingklang77

GilliC:

...I learned to really enjoy the German-style board games, because they're more language-independent. Things like Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne work in any language...

 

Settlers of Catan= Best.Game.Ever.

If you like these types of games, try out brettspielwelt.de