The best thing about board games is that you get to see your opponents despair and frustration as they realise you have out maneuvered them and they cannot do anything about it.

Age of Renaissance

This is a board game for 4 - 6 players. You have to build up your empire at the expense of others. Lots of fun. (All players finish, no players are normally eliminated) ( A higher degree of luck in this game than in the next two but it doesn't have that much of an impact) (It takes about 3 games to learn the rules) There is also a misery factor where if you develop too quickly or go to war to often your people get upset and revolt eliminating you from the game. This is rare and really the only way for a player to be knocked out of the game.

Advanced Civilization

This is a board game for 5-8 players. Start off in the Stone Age and build up your civilisation/ technology and trade. Trade cards include disasters and you have to trade to bring in enough cash flow to upgrade your technology. It is always fun to pass on a disaster to an opponent in return for a good set of trade cards. (All players finish, no players are eliminated) This is my favourite participation game. (There are no dice rolls, however luck can influence the game by what cards you pick up each round.) ( It takes about 2 games to learn the rules) This is a very well balanced game with everything interlinked.

Diplomacy

This is a board game that needs 7 players, no less otherwise there are no balance to the game. There is no luck, the entire game is based on negotiations. You need allies early in the game to get established and you need to back stab to win. The rules are very simply, the main rule is once the orders are handed in they cannot be changed. This allows players to change opponents orders while the opponent is on the loo and hand them in. This also allows for false orders to be shown to your ally and then hand in another set of orders. If you have certain provinces you can form a stalemate line so no one wins working on the principle that if I cannot win than no one will. (This is very difficult to achieve)

This is a game of elimination, so have some videos for the players to watch. ( Be grateful this is a game, otherwise you wouldn't be able to trust anyone, and this was a very popular game at the White House for about 10 years.)

 WSGS