When Mike came in with Queen's Necklace one day, I was skeptical to say the least. Full of pinks and cutesy blues, the box was certainly off-putting, but in the world of board games, Queen's Necklace is a solid way to get in touch with your feminine side.

It's a great little game besides, with good mechanics like stealing cards, sneaking peaks at other players' hands and three card showdowns with plenty of strategy. The main knock on the game that I can think of is use of tiny gold rings to denote the current price of cards available. Since they're supposed to be moved down a notch after each player's turn, it's easy to lose track of whether or not it's been done, and if the table gets bumped, it can be difficult to remember where they belong. However, these are but triffles.

Scrabble is one of those games that everyone knows but not everyone loves. That's mainly because it's a word game, so folks who prefer number games or war games or card games are out of luck. There's no joy in getting destroyed by some jerk who lays down "quixotic" while collecting the triple word bonus, double letter bonus and 50 points for using all their tiles. That's why it's important to play with someone about as wordy as you are... or else just not keep score, which I tried this time.

Facing off against my dear Angelina, I suggested not scoring the game, since I was 1)too lazy to fetch paper and pencil and 2)very anxious to stay on her good side. Scrabble is the only time my Journalism degree comes in handy, while a science nerd like my girlfriend has to memorize more important things than archaic words.

Unbelievably, April had never played the actual board game version of Carcassonne. Instead, her only experience was playing online at games.asobrain.com. We aimed to rectify that grievous wrong with a version that included the expansion and Cities & Builders.

For the record, I prefer to use the spelling "meople" instead of "meeple." I'm not sure which is "right" but, honestly, I don't "care." What I do know is that they are the best board game bits of all time--they're not gender specific or pretentious. They are instead quiet, dignified homunculi ready to colonize a city or walk a lonely road simply to score points for the common good.

Having not played Samurai for many days, we decided to pull out Reiner Knizia's unique tile placement and bit collection masterpiece.

One of my biggest issues with the game is that it doesn't really allow for experimentation with strategy, by which I mean that you can't try one thing one game and try something totally different in the next. Sure, you can resolve to be more combative, more defensive, or more non-confrontational, but balanced collecting of buddhas, hats and rice is the only way to win. While I sometimes find that frustrating, I'll admit that it's a wonderfully simple mechanic.

1. A Sense of Fun
Games in general and board games in particular are supposed to be fun. On the most basic level, having fun is the only measure of a successful board gamer, and those who fail to enjoy the pursuit are inherently unsuccessful, regardless of how many points they accrue. Priorities can be confused in the midst of plotting strategy and one-upping the competition, but it is folly to let one's self lose sight of this most essential principle of board games. Don't like fun? Play Project Origin.

2. Powers of Persuasion
The "attention of the mob" can sink even the best strategy, while shrewd diplomacy can turn an average position into a dominant one. Almost every game allows for negative tactics, harming an opponents position instead of strengthening one's own. Convincing other players to follow your advice can be the difference between winning and losing. But beware: the more powerful you become, the less others will be inclined to consider your suggestions.