Photography by Corrie Aune.
STEPHEN CALLAGHAN ALWAYS puts a game called Throw Throw Burrito in the window of his Bishop Arts boardgames store, because who doesn’t want to throw a rubber burrito at their loved ones in good fun?
House Rules boardgames opened this year in a 600-square-foot space on West Davis at Bishop. Callaghan and his wife, Isabelle, love playing boardgames together and with their friends. And it’s always a challenge to find the latest and greatest in the market, he says.
Since there wasn’t a boardgames store in Oak Cliff, they decided to start one themselves, and the shop opened its doors in June.
He says customers are always looking for two-player games, another thing that makes the burrito game popular. The shop carries all kinds of games, including Pokémon cards and role-playing games. And Callaghan is always there to give recommendations.
He’s played everything in the store, and he only carries games he would play.
Here are a few of his top recommendations.
Danger the Game
This storytelling game from a local design group is a bit like Cards of Humanity, but Callaghan says it’s better and family friendly. One player is put in “danger” with a prompt card, such as, “You’ve been kidnapped by rabid dolphins.” The other players then draw cards to get that person out of danger. Embellishment, storytelling and jokes are encouraged.
Patchwork
“This is my wife’s favorite two-player game because she always wins,” Callaghan says. “But even though I always lose, it’s still fun.” This is a spatial game that uses Tetris-like pieces to make a quilt, and it takes 15-20 minutes to play.
King of Tokyo
This one is great for families with young teens, but Callaghan says he plays it with his friends sometimes because it’s hilarious, and you can play with 10 people. Rolling a custom die results in “victory points” or “smashes.” The object is to eliminate monsters, but the artwork is cartoonish and not too dark, Callaghan says.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Murder mystery board games are extremely popular, Callaghan says. There are four versions of this one, and each comes with 10 mysteries to solve. You’re the detective receiving clues from Sherlock, such as newspaper clippings, a map of London and dialog boxes. It’s also a cooperative game to play with friends or relatives.
Ticket to Ride: First Journey
This is Callaghan’s first suggestion for kids’ games, and it’s rated for ages 6 and older. It’s a faster, easier version of the popular Ticket to Ride boardgame, where players get points for building railroads across the United States.
