Cold Games to Get Us Through This Cold Weather

It’s darn cold in New England right now. And from what I’m seeing, this week is going to be pretty chilly for quite a few of us. When the weather is like this, I try to stay indoors where the air doesn’t hurt my skin as much as possible. So let’s all hide out inside together and play a few games to pass the time.

Nunatak

Nunatak is a strategy board game where you’re building an icy temple on a snowy mountain. Players keep score depending on what cards they can take and where they build. And in the end, you’ll have built a multi-level structure out of blocks and floor tiles. Nunatak is one of those games that’s not super difficult to learn, and is a good addition to almost any game night.

Tusk

It may be cold outside, but inside you could be racing against an approaching ice age. Tusk is a game of discovering new lands, managing supplies, surviving wild animals, and living your best cave-man life before the ice age sweeps in and makes survival a little harder for everyone. Plus, while lots of games have meeples, Tusk has a little woolly mammoth meeple, and that alone may make this game worth owning.

The Coldest Night

In this cooperative card game, players find shelter in a blizzard and have to keep their fire burning and themselves alive until sunrise. It’s honestly a pretty bleak concept for a game where ‘if they fire goes out your fate is sealed,’ but it’s also weirdly fun and compelling. There’s a lot of weird stuff in the old lodge to burn, from couch upholstery and hunting trophies to old newspapers and stranger’s photo albums. But throw the wrong thing in, and everyone is doomed.

Icewind Dale

Of course Icewind Dale was getting mentioned. The 2020 D&D book took us right to snowy peaks where cold beasts, horrific storms, and rarely seen magic is around every snowy turn. It added more than 50 monsters, 26 locations, and new rules and tip for adventures in frozen wildernesses. If you’re looking for a tabletop RPG adventure through some snow and not a board game, Icewind Dale may get you on that icy adventure.

7 Summits

In 7 Summits, players are a team of world-class mountain climbers, tackling the highest peaks across the seven continents. Stock up on and upgrade equipment, hone your skills, and do your best not to be the cause of any avalanches. The goal is to be the first to scale all seven summits, but not freezing on any of those mountains is a good secondary goal.