I don’t know about your summer, but mine is not going as well as it did those high school years where I could literally just sit around eating bon-bons and occasionally head over to my sucky part-time job to serve ungrateful people some old French fries.

Ok, so maybe those summers weren’t the necessarily the best either, but this summer has been rainy. Here in ‘deary-Erie’ we’ve only experienced a few sunny days and on those days, as luck would have it, I’ve been inside touching someone’s feet (I’m a Cosmetologist, not some weird human with a fetish for feet. I reiterate, no foot-fetish here).

Have you experienced this? Well, well, well, Superhero Emily is here to your poor bored mind’s rescue. Board games. Yep, you heard me right, board games. Well, not just board games, but also card games and all those wacky, yet incredibly fun in between ones too. I’ll name a few that my family and I play on such days.

1. Settlers of Catan

Honestly the most fun I have ever played. I realize admitting this is also inadvertently fessing up to my extremely nerdy side, but whatever. I’m just trying to spread the joy here, because this game rules.

Picture this: you’re a settler on an island and are tasked with building your own roads and your own settlements/cities. Add in two or three more players and you’ve got a game. It’s trading your resources and buying them to build your own territory to win.

Once again, sounds extremely dorky and boring, but play once and you’ll never question me again. Also, fair warning, there are no friends in Catan and so it might sort of hinder some of your family relationships. Shout out to my good friend Carilyn for bringing this game into my life. You’re the real MVP.

2. Life

Ah, the game of life. Actually, I don’t really like this game all that much, but any chance to pretend my life isn’t hard and falling apart at the seams and get a husband and babies – well, that’s a good enough game for me.

Enough said. (Maybe play this one early on and once, then move on to bigger and better things).

3. Clue

This was easily my favorite game before I was introduced to Settlers of Catan. It’s mystery, intriguing, and…very simple and easy to play. Honestly, in my younger years it was the only game I could play and win, because it was so simple and easy to follow.

If we play, I call dibs on Mrs. Peacock. I don’t know man, I’m just always her. (Also, Mrs. White probably did it).

4. Jungle Speed

This game is up there right under Catan. It’s so fun, but player be warned – it’s physical. Very physical. My own mother scratched my arm severely the first time we played.

Basically, there’s an object in the middle that you have to grab when the color/image on your card matches someone else. Once again, simple and easy to learn, but it’s a health risk, that’s for sure. So, play with caution.

5. Dutch Blitz

And third place goes to…. (drum roll please) …Dutch Blitz. Another odd-ball that you’ve probably never heard of. You’re welcome by the way.

It’s a card game, and it’s a lot like solitaire, but with more people racing you to reach up to ten in the same color. So, there are more possible runs because of the four different colors and you’re flipping your own hand to try and beat the other players.

Sounds confusing, but it’s really not once you play.

6. Spades

Classic. Classic. Classic. Classic. Classic. If you don’t know how to play this then just ask your parents. It’s a card game. Enough said.

‘This was a pointless article Emily’. That’s what you’re all thinking, but no. I think game days are completely underrated and, honestly, I don’t know why more people don’t think to do this on a cloudy or rainy day. My family and I do this a lot and if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t really get to see them or hang out with them anymore. We actually plan game evenings. If people did more of this than binging Netflix together, then they’d probably learn a lot more about one another while building a kick butt settlement.

So, if it’s a rainy day (or even if it’s not, because these games are killer fun), pull out some games and roll those dice.