I'm sure you know that while cruising, the promise of internet is, well, nonexistent. The electronic devices that once provided endless entertainment and stimulation suddenly don't exist. Reading is a wonderful alternative, but it's quite a solitary activity. Our brain needs probing on occasion. It needs to be challenged and a rush of endorphins every now and then will keep it happy if you don't mind the pun. This brings me to the importance of bringing multiple games on a cruising journey. Games make us interact with each other, laugh, and problem solve. It prevents us all from becoming sad marshmallows watching the waves roll by the boat or the words roll over a page. Reading is most definitely a pass time that makes us think and brings joy, but it's a different type of thinking and a different type of joy. I am of the firm belief that brains need exercise just as our muscles do. We need to continue working things out and the competition of a game does wonders for our emotions.

Before we left on our trip, I went to one of my favorite childhood toy stores and joyfully found that they had expanded to include a section entirely dedicated to games, and not just for children! I walked out with the five most compact, yet mentally stimulating games I could find that also looked like tons of fun. The compact part is important because we live on a boat after all and there isn't much space for much of anything let alone board games with peaces that can roll around and get lost. I think that I have compiled the perfect collection of games for a cruise and I'll leave a list below. They are all fabulously fun and offer a wide range of difficulty depending on the moods of the players. I highly recommend each and every one for anyone in a house or a boat in the middle of the ocean. I have starred our current favorites.

Timeline (Events and Inventions) *

Set

Iota *

Fluxx

Cards Against Humanity (you also need some for cruiser party nights)

Snorta

Manchala

Joking Hazard *

Anaxi

Exploding Kittens

Tapple 10

Slamwich