Hey all,

My wife is going on a missions trip to Haiti this spring (chances are I won't be this time), and I'd like to send some games to the orphanage with her. I'd like them to be a) durable, and b) with instructions in French as well as English. I think it would be something fun to bring the kids, along with the usual food/clothes/medicine that we usually do. Any ideas on what might be a good game that can stand up to being well-used?

I'd suggest against any book that uses glue for binding, as those tend to be much more prone to loose pages in a quicker amount of time than stitching.

Edit: Brainfart, thought you meant RPGs (well, reasonable given the site ) For boardgames, here are some of my suggestions (sadly, I'm not sure about the instructions, however - you should be either able to get a translation off the net, or in most cases, the shopkeeper should be able to inform you whether or not the game has an instruction in French). Obviously went for what I remember of games that aren't  pieces heavy, or very complicated (such as some logic games that make even adults bleed from their noses):

Hey, That's My Fish - a deceivingly good board game for up to 4 players, that looks like for kids, but is for all ages. It's just plastic tokens and a hex board (even if some hexes will get lost, won't be a horrible tragedy - yes, the game will get a bit unbalanced, but it'll be playable). Very few rules.

Neuroshima Hex! - A more complicated game (though still an easy strategy) for up to 4 players. Heavier reliance on symbols though, which'll require a more thorough reading of manual - it should be in French though (I know it's in English and German, sorry). The board is sturdy, and game pieces are cardboard hexes of good size.

Ribbit - (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/boardgame/9441/ribbit) - another family game (as in both kids and adults will have fun), though a bit less spectacular than My Fish. For up to 5 players Very simple rules, very minimalistic board and pieces. Linked to BGG this time, since I know  the title sounds odd.


Carcassone - a very popular introductory board game these days. Don't remember the maximum players, but 4 - 5.Has a good amount of pieces which might be problematic, but they are all decently sized and made out of sturdy cardboard. Probably has a French instruction, since it's a really huge title these days.

Cockroach Poker/Knock! Knock! - two very similar games, card - based. Very simple rules, should be a multilingual instruction. Small size is also a plus, I suspect. 6 players maximum per rules, but can be stretched to 8.

Jungle Speed - a reflex based card - matching game. Again, very simple rules, one of the classic party games. Technically no player limit, but above 8 things start to get a bit...elbowious.

Rythme and Boulet or as translated in English, Rock the Beat - I absolutely hate and despise this game even more than Jungle Speed (which I enjoy when drunk or under other influences). However, it's a huge party favourite, with  very simple rules that should apply greatly to kids, as it's basically a glorified Boy Scout's game. A very large player limit.

Ticket to Ride - a bigger title than any here (in size, though not that much in rules complexity). Up to five players. Fun and sturdy game (I've once spilled coffee over the game board and it's still sturdy) A lot of plastic train pieces are a minus, but there are spares included in the game, or at least they used to be. A lot of variants to choose, I suggest Europe or USA.

Dixit or Storydice - both great storytelling games. I favour Dixit, because it's more of an actual game (as well as the art is just great) but Storydice are more portable and cheaper. Also, Dixit is up to five (or six, I can't remember), while Storydice don't really have a limit outside of one's imagination.

Fauna - a very fun and educational game about animals (the harder version is a really tough challenge for adults, but the easier game type is fit for kids). Cards and gameboard. Up to five players.

7 Wonders - a card based strategy game. Very quick, fun (though not my type of strategy), and supports up to 7 players, which is also a plus.

Mascarade/Citadels - two card based games, with a very similar theme (guessing opponent's identity in the game, while they constantly shift, while trying to achieve your goals). Mascarade is the simpler one, the idea distilled to it's very essence.

Excellent, thanks for the suggestions. And yes, board/card game recommendations are what I'm after here, just for clarification.

Quote from: Zachary The First;717805Excellent, thanks for the suggestions. And yes, board/card game recommendations are what I'm after here, just for clarification.

Order the game from Canada and you should get bilingual instructions.

Quote from: languagegeek;717806Order the game from Canada and you should get bilingual instructions.

Thanks--I know a lot of games also offer instructions in other languages, so as long as that support is available, I should be good to go. I really just want games that won't only be fun for the kids (who go through the late teens), but very durable for some hard use.

Definitely ask on Boardgamegeek.com - especially if you are concerned about long term durability of a particular game.

Also, contact the S&W and LL guys. I wonder if there is a French translation of the free retro-clones available.

I believe that Oliver Legrand of Mazes & Minotaurs is French so I imagine there is a M&M in French. If so, he'd probably be very supportive of you making copies for the orphanage. The "original 1972" rules is a small book that has everything you need to play.

A few of my suggestions.

Hive. An abstract game with very durable bakelite pieces. The game also plays very quickly, requires no board, is very portable and has very few pieces.

San Juan. An ingenious card game with lots of strategy built in, but not too complex. I've brought this game with me to oversea trips all you need is the deck of cards and little tiles.  As for durability, well, it's a card game.

Hey That's My Fish. A board game penguins trying to eat fish. As for the size concerns, the game has a tiny box.

Just let me know if you want more card game suggestions.