Staying in for the long weekend? Beat boredom with board games

For Holy Week, many people will be going home to the provinces to be with their extended families, while others will take advantage of the long weekend to hit the beaches. And still others will enjoy a "staycation" at home.

In all three of those situations, amid the prayers and the moments of reflection, there's always time for some bonding among family and friends—and what more fun way to do this than with board games?



Board games—from the classic to the brand-new, from the wholesome ones that everyone can play to the racier ones that should be confined to those 18 and over—have long been one of the best ways for families and friends to have fun. Here's a rundown of some of the best games out there.

Scrabble - This classic board game should be in every home.

Scrabble pushes its players to be creative by forming words with the letters they picked and linking them to the words already placed on the board. It's a fun way for kids to expand their vocabulary as well.

Chess - Chess is the ultimate game. This centuries-old game of strategy will never fall out of fashion, and knows no boundaries when it comes to age, race, nationality, creed or economic class.

Now, from the sublime to the silly...

Cards Against Humanity - If you want lots of laughs, make sure to get a set of Cards Against Humanity. The game is simple: turn over a black card, which either asks a question or provides a statement containing one or two blank spaces, and the players use the white cards to answer the question or fill in the blanks.

The one with the funniest answer earns a point. Because of its content, however, it's best to play this card game with adults. In fact, it's marketed as a "party game for horrible people."

Dixit - This game challenges a player's imagination. Dixit consists of a board and a set of illustrated cards. Each player will have the chance to be the "storyteller," by describing through words, phrases, or a story the illustration on the card they have chosen.

The other players would then put down on of their cards which they think fit the storyteller's account best. For the storyteller to earn a point and get a head start, he or she should make sure not everybody would be able to guess his or her card when all the others are revealed at once.

Check out this video of Wil Wheaton playing Dixit with three friends.

Monopoly Deal - This is the card version of the classic board game Monopoly. The goal is still the same: earn the most money by having the most properties in the priciest parts of town.

But this version can be more challenging, especially with the addition of "Just Say No" and "Deal Breaker" cards that can change the course of the game in one go.  

Taboo - The goal of this game is to guess the word without having to mention the "taboo" words or doing "taboo" actions. Since this is a timed game, the players need to be able to think quickly to describe the "it" word in a creative way. Watch Ellen Degeneres and Katy Perry play "Taboo" on "Ellen." — Trisha Macas/BM, GMA News