GroshLink

At our Pittsburgh reception on Sunday, I chatted w/the Beidemans, fellow Grovers and former IVCF staff, with regard to strategy games for kids with some chance/randomness to provide a leveling factor across kids of close age (they have 2 boys, ages 10 and 7). The family already enjoys Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan.  In addition, they were looking for what GCF-ers termed Das Flicky Game.  I introduced them to Cartagena and recommended Bohnanza (a favorite of mine) and Lost Cities.  On Monday I emailed our game master friends for advise.  From the Great North, Mike shared the following (note: to research these games and more, go to Board Game Geek):

1. Das Flicky Game is called Carrabande, but it's out of print under that name. A newly released version is under the name Pitch Car.
2. Emphasize Lost Cities to them.  Great game!  Fits their goals perfectly.   Strategic yet enough luck that almost anyone can win some of the time.
3. Ticket to Ride is a wonderful family game, with a reasonable degree of randomness. I've heard this being played two-player, but haven't tried it myself.  But it would mean they could play it just the two of them, and also with the family.
3. Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper is a cool two-player card game (although the theme might be a bit inappropriate).
4. Scotland Yard is a two-player (or more) that is asymmetric, meaning one player is the "hider" while other player(s) are the seeker.  This might make it easy to balance if they are at different levels.
5. Don't know how they feel about war games, but kids would almost certainly drool over all the plastic miniatures in a game like Memoir (WWII game) or BattleLore (fantasy wargame). The rules are simple, with quite a bit of chance.
6. As for fun family games (I don't think these support just two players, though)... Frank's Zoo is a really simple card game that could be played by as young as a five year old, but also has an advanced version that would work well. 
7. Coloretto and Mamma Mia are two other fun little card games.
8. Shayna recommends Seismic, which is like Carcassone with earthquakes. Well . . . that's what comes to mind.  Hope something in there makes a good suggestion.

Peter added the following to the mix:
1.  Another game I've played with 6-year olds and adults is Circus Flohcati (i.e. Flea Circus) which is a simple card game.
2. Hare and Tortoise is a classic German game that reminds me a bit of Candy Land but is also complex enough to keep me interested (2-6 players). It involves spending carrots (like money, so adding and subtracting are needed) to advance in the race.
3. The one I got recently is Aquadukt, which is also pretty simple, plays 2-4.

Excellent, thank-you Peter. The list is growing and I'd love to have more suggestions. Just post them. When I was at Cedar Campus, a faculty family borrowed Carcassone from us and commented how much they enjoyed playing Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights Expansion. Only played the Cities and Knights Expansion 1x, but now that Hayley and Ellen are getting older and the cousins are visiting, maybe I should give it a shot. Over the years I've preferred The Seafarers Expansion . . . with the family room moving along, time to unpack more of the games. I see family game night just around the corner, I'll take a pic for you on our new IKEA floor.