10 Print and Play Games to Play at Home

We're all going to be spending a lot of time indoors, so why not play some games? Because... some of us don't have a lot of spare cash to spend on games right now. Or maybe you don't own too many games. Or maybe you are sick of all of your existing games and want something new. Valid answers. Might I suggest a Print and Play game?

Print and Play games are games that you print out and make yourself, in some cases provide a few components like dice, pencils or tokens and you are ready to play*! In this first article (of two, collect the whole set!) I will be focusing on games that either are print and play versions of existing games or come from established game designers. Here are 10 Print and Play games worth playing:

1. Decathalon is a roll and write designed by none other than the King of the Tabletop, Reiner Knizia. It's actually a series of 10 short dice games with the loose theme of the events of an Olympic Decathlon: 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500-meter run. And it's free on the good doctor's website: https://knizia.de/wp-content/uploads/reiner/pdfs/Knizia-Website-Decathlon.pdf

2. Monikers (Palm Court) is a party game based on Celebrity, where players take turns attempting to get their teammates to guess names by describing or imitating well-known people. And if you are currently social distancing yourself, Monikers still plays great over video conferencing.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.monikersgame.com/Press+kit/Monikers+PnP.pdf

3. Out of the entire "Tiny Epic" series, Tiny Epic Galaxies (Gamelyn Games) is my favorite. This little dice game packs a big punch. In Tiny Epic Galaxies each player controls a galactic empire, aiming to expand their influence by acquiring highly contested planets and increasing their cosmic armada. Granted, you won't get the ginchy custom dice that come with the commercial game, but it's totally worth playing. Download the files at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/geekdo-files.com/bgg135282

4. Red 7 (Asmadi Games) is a speedy card game similar to Uno. It's fast (most games last a few minutes, it's colorful and it's free here: http://asmadigames.com/RedPrintAndPlay.pdf

5. WizWar (Jolly Games) - While Tom Jolly's classic "Wizards battling in a dungeon" game first came out in 1983 (and out of print since 2012), you can print and play not one, but two charming versions of the game. One features art by Ilya77 (pictured) and the other by artist Kwanchai Moriya. You can download either version here:https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/589/wiz-war/files

6. Barbarian Prince (Dwarfstar Games) - Barbarian Prince is a game of heroic barbarian adventure like they used to make in 1981. The Event Booklet takes you through a pre-programmed sequence of encounters which is different each time you play the game. You must make decisions which will make your quest successful - or may cost you your life. It's a great game, one I played many times as a young gamer. However, Barbarian Prince been out of print for decades and it's many fans have clambered for a reprint. What happens when game designers get disgruntled? They make their own Print and Play version of the game! You can download it here: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1631/barbarian-prince/files

7. Dune Express (Book Ranger) - The classic game Dune is a much-loved strategy game designed by the team that made Cosmic Encounter and was famously out of print for decades. Dune has since been reprinted in a lovely edition by Gale Force 9. But we are talking about Dune Express, a faster, shorter version of the classic game. Designed by Felbrigg Herriot and art by Ilya77, you can download the files here: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/60687/dune-express-complete-redesign-ilya-77

8. The Resistance (Indie Cards and Games) - The social deduction game, The Resistance seems to be one of those games, like Werewolf and Love Letter, that fans love to make their own versions of. So, once you buy the official version of the game from Indie Cards and Games, you might want to check out the wide selection of the fan-made versions including Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and the video game Team Fortress 2

9. Evolution (North Star Games) - Often, a publisher will release a Print and Play version of a game so that players can get an advanced look, provide feedback and find typos before the final game's release. In this instance, the Print and Play version of Evolution remains here: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/102112/evolution-print-and-play-files-version-10 on the BGG.com file section. I suggest if you like what you play, buy the version published in 2014.

10. The entire Cheapass Games library!!!! Those many exclamation points are no hyperbole. This is a treasure trove of games by designer James Ernest! So many great games! Kill Dr. Lucky, Give Me the Brain, Unexploded Cow, Before I Kill You Mr. Spy and many, many more! All you have to do is print out the paper and supply the components like dice, pawns and tokens! Just like you had to do in the 90's! All the games can be found here: https://cheapass.com/free-games/originals/

I hope you enjoying not just making, but playing these games! If you have any more suggestions for great Print and Play games, leave them in the comments below!! And stay tuned for part 2 of these recommendations!

*In some cases, you will need to be a member of Boardgamegeek.com to access the files. However, it's free and the best board game site on the interwebs!