Board Games Archives | Raise Your Game

Gaming

How Game Theory Applies to Trapwords

May 8, 2023 by Tommy

Trapwords is a fantasy themed word-guessing game which takes a twist on the classic game Taboo. In this article, I’ll explain the game, dive into some basic strategy, and close with more advanced strategies you can try during your next game night. Rules of the Game Two teams compete in...

Gaming

Crucial Games and Tactics for SIG’s 1st Place NACCL Chess Team

June 7, 2021 by Justin B.

Over 6 Thursdays in late January and February, the inaugural online North American Corporate Chess League took place, with over 400 players and 40 teams competing on lichess.org. The league awarded prizes to both the top 15 individuals and the top 5 teams, with each team’s score equal to the...

Gaming

Option Value in Backgammon

September 22, 2020 by Jon

This quiz post looks at how the doubling cube impacts strategy in backgammon.

Gaming

Board Gaming for 2 Players or Less

July 20, 2020 by Michael

As you may know, board games are a popular activity here at SIG. Last year, our Dublin office even launched an official board games social club, where we regularly meet after work for sessions of a variety of games, including some of those discussed in other blog posts. Unfortunately those...

Gaming

SIG Wins US Amateur Team East Chess Tournament

March 4, 2020 by Eric

Team “SIG Calls” scored a perfect 6-0 to win the US Amateur Team East in a field of over 300 teams. They edged out “Princeton Clementine” in the final round to steal the victory and avenge last year’s loss to “Princeton Orange”. Board 1: IM Atulya led the team with...

Gaming

Shut Up & Sit Down Game Recommendations

February 19, 2020 by Kelly

Finding the perfect gift can be tricky. As minimalist sensibilities have continued to power pop culture (think Marie Kondo, mid-century modern furniture, and experiences over objects) the landscape has become even more daunting. What if I told you, dear readers, that there exists a compact gift that transcends age and...

Gaming

Balanced Play in Social Deduction Board Games

April 6, 2018 by Rob

You’ve been carefully observing the actions of the players around you, knowing full-well that they might not be who they claim. No, you’re not a character in John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” or stuck at a speed-dating event. You are playing “The Resistance: Avalon,” a social deduction board game. Players in...

Gaming

On Trading Games

January 13, 2017 by Joey

We talk a lot on this site about how various games are related to trading. Poker is our favorite example, but we’ve also mentioned Agricola, Magic: The Gathering, fantasy drafting, and even video games. One may notice, however, that we’ve never mentioned a board game that involves trading. Why is...

Gaming

Board Games: More than Monopoly and Poker

November 5, 2015 by Jon

While poker is a great activity to hone some of the quantitative and psychological skills necessary to be a great trader, there are many other games that provide a deeper element of strategic thinking that we can also relate to trading. At SIG, we attract all sorts of gamers, including...