The Games Bible: Over 300 Gamesthe Rules, the Gear, the Strategies

Staying in is the new going out. Media like The New York Times and ABC News report a return to old-fashioned, low-cost game night, and retailers have seen sales of games rise 20 percent in the last year. Now comes The Games Bible, an extraordinary collection of more than 300 games for friends and family. Here are games for two and games for a group. Parlor games and party games. Indoor games and outdoor games. Quick games to break the ice and afternoon-long games for a whole family reunion. Guessing games, card games, trivia games, strategy games. Games for math geeks and games for word freaks, games for left-brainers and games for right-brainers, and silly games where it’s best to shut off the brain altogether.

Leigh Anderson, a writer who grew up playing Kick the Can and SPUD and spent years playing and mastering hundreds of games and out-Hoyling Hoyle to become one of the world’s leading game experts, has written the book that belongs in every home, apartment, vacation house, summer cottage, dorm room, and community center. The Games Bible is a jam-packed, 448-page cornucopia of games, all organized by type.

It’s time to have fun again with this celebration of play and essential 21st century game book. All the classics are here—Botticelli, Exquisite Corpse, Marco Polo, Mafia, Charades (in fact, not just Charades, but 8 variations including Charades Fortune Cookie, Charades One Word, Charades iPod)—plus newer favorites—Japanese Snow-Ball Fight, Six-Word Memoir, Iron Chef—and, from contributors like Will Shortz and 14 other game experts, 15 brand-new games, created for the book. Each of the 300 plus entries includes number of players, how to play (with rules), gear if needed, time, strategies, and game plans.