Latest news with #Catan
National Post
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Best adult board games for a fun night in
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content As a kid I spent many hours with my family around the kitchen table as we battled it out in classic games like Monopoly, Trouble and Snakes and Ladders. Now as an adult I still find myself reaching for board games during get-togethers with friends, only the games have become more complex (but are still just as much fun). Article content Article content I'm not the only one turning to board games for entertainment, either. The board game industry is experiencing strong growth, with sales projected to reach upwards of $248M ($177.5M USD) in Canada in 2025. And with so many options for a range of different interests and skill levels, it's easier than ever to find a new favourite game to play. Article content Whether you're looking for something to liven up a party or a two-player game that won't take up too much time, I've gathered a selection of crowd-pleasers to get you started. I've played all of the options below, and recommend them all for some good old-fashioned fun on your next game night. Article content Summary of the best board games for adults Article content Party game: Hues and Cues Best for larger groups: Codenames City building: Machi Koro Portable game: Bananagrams Drawing game: Telestrations Bluffing game: Skull Strategy game: Catan Canadian classic: Crokinole Digital games: Jackbox Games Article content Article content How to play: This deceptively simple guessing game is great for people just getting into board games, as it takes minutes to learn and provides endless entertainment. Players describe a colour to their opponents using only one or two-word cues, and the closer you guess to the exact hue on the board, the more points you receive. Coming up with descriptors for the colours is an exercise in creativity as well as communication, and may just result in some heated (but friendly) debates. Article content Article content How to play: Best for larger groups, Codenames splits players into two teams as they compete to see who can correctly identify the assassin in their midst. Each team designates a spymaster who knows the secret identities of 25 agents (A.K.A. the cards on the board). Their teammates know the agents only by their code names — single-word labels like 'disease,' 'Germany' or 'carrot'. Spymasters give clues to their teammates to search out their secret agents, without revealing the assassin's identity. Article content
CTV News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Saskatoon takes part in Catan national qualifiers
WATCH: Saskatchewan's Catan community gathered in Saskatoon on Saturday to find the board game's best player. WATCH: Saskatchewan's Catan community gathered in Saskatoon on Saturday to find the board game's best player. Saskatchewan's Catan community gathered in Saskatoon on Saturday to find the board game's best player. 'It's simple, but it also has a strategy to it. So, it's more strategic than Monopoly, but less complex than chess,' Tyrel Wilgosh, the event organizer and founder of Sask. Catan, explained. Catan, formerly known as The Settlers of Catan, is a strategy board game that originated in Germany in 1995, where players compete to build the strongest settlement. When Wilgosh first began planning the event, he didn't expect a turnout of nearly 50 players. The strong attendance even prompted the tournament to move to a larger venue, Gather Local Market. 'It's very surprising Saskatoon had this big of a community. but they're very who don't know how to play the game are taught very easily,' Wilgosh said. The qualifier will determine who is Saskatchewan's best Catan player. They will then go on to compete on a national level, in the hopes of heading to Germany for the world finals. Saskatoon takes part in Catan national qualifiers Rylee Moody, Skylar Elliot, and Hannah Kearnan often play the game with one another. They said what makes it so appealing to so many. 'My favorite thing about playing Catan is that it's a new game every time you play, so every time you're not playing the same board, it's completely different. So, I find it's a little bit hard to strategize because you're playing a new game every time, but that's what makes it fun,' Elliot said. Moody explained that the simple concept makes it easy to share the game with others. 'It's a very approachable game. Anybody who's new to board games tends to really enjoy Catan, so it's a good one to really get people into good board games,' Moody said. Of course, the drive to win is certainly a motivating factor for many. 'I find it's a little addictive as well. Every time I play with these two, they're always winning, and I just want a chance to win,' Kearnan said. Catan lovers can be found across the globe, and events like this one allow the community to connect with one another. 'Sometimes you just want to mix it up and play with new people. So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to play with some different strategies, different people, and just mix it up a little bit,' Elliot said. Sask. Catan has additional events planned during the summer. The next one, called 'Connect the World,' will be live streamed across approximately 30 countries.
New York Times
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
New York City's Hottest Hangout Is a 500-Person Board Game Night
It was after 9 p.m. on a recent Wednesday inside the atrium of a sleek glass office building in Midtown Manhattan, and Jacky Yu let out a scream. She and six other people were playing One Night Ultimate Werewolf — a card game in which players have secret roles and use deduction skills to discover each other's hidden identities — and there had just been a big reveal. 'We got really excited,' Ms. Yu, 31, said. The room was buzzing. Hundreds of people had gathered for an evening of game playing. Every table was occupied by clusters of people leaning in, laughing and competing. New York can be expensive, overwhelming and intimidating, and sometimes it is hard for people to connect. A martini can cost $25 in a bar that's too noisy for conversation, and raucous nightclubs aren't for everyone. So a free, monthly B.Y.O.B. (bring your own board game) night in an office building food court has become a big hit. In addition to Werewolf, people were playing classics, like chess and mahjong, but also relatively newer games, including Catan, Splendor, Hues and Clues, Saboteur, Nertz, Wavelength, Blokus and Camel Up. Board game events and clubs have grown in popularity in recent years — in New York and across the country. This one is organized by Richard Ye, a 24-year-old who works in finance. He bills the event as New York City's largest board game meet-up, and a video of Mr. Ye celebrating his March gathering — where 500 people were in attendance — was widely shared on social media. Mr. Ye, who grew up in New Jersey and attended the University of Michigan, moved to New York City in 2022 and started hosting game nights for friends in his apartment. 'It just completely grew organically,' he said. 'We went from 10 people to 25 people. And then once it got to 30 people, I was like, OK, I can't fit them in my apartment.' The event moved into a friend's basement in Williamsburg but quickly outgrew that space too. In 2023, Mr. Ye moved it to the Midtown site and slowly expanded the group. 'I started inviting people that I thought were interesting or I wanted to get to know better,' he said. Soon, through word of mouth, social media and friends of friends, attendance expanded into the hundreds. 'The growth has been just so magical,' Mr. Ye said. The food hall where Mr. Ye and his friends gather is open to anyone, but the after-work crowd filters out as the game players trickle in. By 8 p.m., the space is filled with board game fans. The most recent evening included a mix of people, mostly between their 20s and 40s. Many, like Mr. Ye, were new to the city, but there were also born-and-bred New Yorkers. Attendees were drawn by the chance to make real connections, to have fun without alcohol, and to perhaps meet a romantic partner. (Mr. Ye said that he knew of at least 17 couples who had met as a result of his game nights.) Jessica Wong has been coming for the past three years. 'I've met a lot of my closest and bestest friends from these events,' she said. Ms. Wong, 24, is a fan of word games like Codenames, Decrypto and Wavelength — social guessing games involving clues, secrets and cracking codes. 'It's about keeping your mind challenged,' she said. The group is welcoming to first-timers, according to Spencer Kim, who moved to the city about 13 months ago. Mr. Kim, a 31-year-old software engineer, arrived by himself and didn't know anyone. 'Some people saw me kind of lost, and so they invited me to play Exploding Kittens with them,' he said. (Exploding Kittens is a card game similar to Russian roulette or Uno, in which players take turns drawing cards from the same deck. Drawing an 'Exploding Kitten' card boots you out of the game.) Mr. Kim, who coached some novice mahjong players on the basics, had jumped at the chance to venture out and mingle with strangers in a low-stakes setting. 'Anything is better than just being at home stuck on my phone just rotting away.' The event also drew some game designers. Brittane Rowe, co-founder of the company Awkward Games, brought two card games she had created: Hella Awkward (an icebreaker game that prompts players to answer awkward personal questions) and Build-A-Bae (a card game that involves mixing and matching traits to create the perfect partner). Ms. Rowe, 36, had seen Mr. Ye's video on social media and reached out. 'Anyone that can build community like this, especially so quickly, it's really kind of fascinating,' she said. Syed Saud, who goes by the nickname Suede, was there too, teaching attendees how to play a game he had cocreated, The Lost Lands of Verne. He described it as a combination of Catan, Risk, Monopoly and Dungeons & Dragons. Mr. Saud, 28, said he saw a bright future for games that are played in person, pointing to Joust Society, an 'upscale game night' in hotel lounges around the city. Plus, he said, he's noticed that people are interested in gatherings that don't center on alcohol. 'We've had a really big spike in the sober movement,' he said. Case in point: Yale Zhang, who doesn't like to drink and is the founder of a company that makes animal health monitoring technology. He thinks of in-person games as a form of mindfulness: 'You have to be present, because if you don't pay attention, you're not going to be able to win,' Mr. Zhang, 42, said. The other reason he attends Mr. Ye's game nights? 'It's also a great networking opportunity, because you get to meet some of the smartest people in the city,' he said. Mr. Ye, who owns more than 100 board games himself, is considering an event that's even bigger — perhaps a 1,000-person game night. 'Just for fun. Just to see. Why not?' he said. At his recent event, things wrapped up around 10:30 p.m. Mr. Ye and two dozen other players then walked a few blocks over to a Taco Bell, where they played a few last rounds of games as they chomped on chalupas. It was clear that he had tapped into something people are craving. Ms. Yu, the Werewolf screamer, said she would come again, and bring friends. She explained that she considers herself an introvert, except when she's playing games. 'Sometimes, if you go to other events, or like maybe a party, it's hard to talk to people,' she said. 'This is a great way to either meet up with friends or meet new ones.' She added: 'Everyone loves games, right?'
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
5 Fun Board Game Cafes In Kadıköy, Istanbul
Young Turkish woman teaches friends how to play tavla. Various foods are on the table next to them. Shot on a Istanbul rooftop. getty Drinking culture isn't as big in Istanbul as it is in other cities around Europe and Asia; sure you'll still find great pubs and bars around the city, and especially in Kadıköy, but residents don't necessarily default to meeting up in a bar when hanging out with friends. This means that you'll find plenty of other opportunities for third spaces, especially board game and card game cafes that specifically offer the space to linger over a competitive game of backgammon or a lazy game of Scrabble. If you've been looking for a third space while visiting Kadıköy where you can lean back and linger over an engaging board game, here are five fun board game cafes where you can bring your own game or borrow from the cafe library: The Goblin Oyun Kulübü has a little bit of everything—it's a highly curated board game shop, a video game cafe, and has tons of board games available for cafe patrons to test out and enjoy. Here you'll find everything from classic party games like Cards Against Humanity and Catan to more niche strategy games as well. If you're looking for something cozy and aesthetically pleasing over a cafe with a huge number of niche board games, Limon Cafe will probably be your best bet. This adorable address is equal parts whimsical and comfortable with a fireplace, outdoor seating, and cozy country-inspired decor. The number of board games is also very good—but focuses more on classics like Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, and Scrabble. Chess-specific cafes tend to have a bit of a different vibe than your average game cafe; the clientele tends to be a bit more focused on the game over socializing casually. Gerra Chess Cafe is great because it does offer a more quiet environment but it's still welcoming to amateur chess players as well. There's also a small outdoor seating area that can be great if you feel like a quick game al fresco. Freiraum Yeldeğirmeni is a relatively new location in Kadıköy and is a great option for folks who want to enjoy a casual coffee on a patio. The indoor/outdoor cafe is perfect for lingering over a game like Scrabble while people-watching; the seating opens right onto the street with views of the bustling Yeldeğirmeni neighborhood. Here you'll find a cabinet full of classic board games—but you can also bring your own if you prefer. The Fun Crown PlayStation Cafe isn't a game cafe in the traditional sense—rather it focuses on digital games, including classic video games, virtual reality games, and group games like Guitar Hero and Just Dance. This cafe boasts 12 VIP private rooms for hosting your own gaming party and even includes karaoke, for a Japanese- or Korean-inspired private karaoke experience.
Associated Press
07-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
MyVisits.net Launches a Much-Needed App that Transforms Electronic Visit Verification and Healthcare Transparency
03/07/2025, Boston, Massachusetts // PRODIGY: Feature Story // In a major step toward transparency and efficiency in the healthcare and home service industry, has officially launched its innovative Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) app. Founded by behavioral healthcare veteran Joseph Catan, the platform aims to modernize the way home visits are tracked, verified, and reimbursed. MyVisits Available now on Apple and Google Play stores, the MyVisits app is designed to help companies and healthcare providers accurately document in-home visits, track mileage, and ensure services are delivered as billed. With a user-friendly interface, automated verification features, and cloud-based convenience, MyVisits is poised to become an essential tool for agencies across the United States and, eventually, the world. The figures underscore the urgency of a solution like this. An investigation in New York revealed $14.5 billion in unverified Medicaid home care services, which is less than half of the claims submitted, due to a lack of reliable tracking. Without proper visit verification, fraudulent claims and billing errors remain widespread. Joseph Catan, who spent 15 years running a behavioral healthcare company, has seen these issues firsthand. 'When we started, we were told by the practitioners that verifying that staff actually went to a client's home as scheduled was a major challenge,' Catan recalls. 'The existing system was unreliable and easy to manipulate.' Traditional verification methods, like manual sign-ins and random phone call confirmations, only address a small percentage of visits, leaving the majority unchecked. Compounding the issue, companies are held financially responsible for fraudulent or inaccurate claims, leading to steep fines and compliance risks. Determined to solve this long-standing problem, Catan developed a secure, automated solution that gives verifiable data in real-time, which shows that visits happen as scheduled. This cloud-based solution utilizes geolocation with its seamless QR code scanning to ensure the authenticity of the records. It also automatically records mileage from practitioners' departures to patients' locations, eliminating the need for manual calculations and ensuring accurate reimbursements. Telehealth integration allows practitioners to document telehealth calls, logging start, duration, and end times for billing purposes without disclosing doctor-patient conversations. Unlike expensive custom-built software, MyVisits requires no additional hardware, making it accessible for smaller agencies with limited budgets. Catan emphasizes affordability as a key factor, stating, 'Small and mid-sized agencies don't have the resources to develop custom software. We designed the app to be accessible to all providers without the high costs of IT infrastructure.' The launch of the MyVisits app aligns with the federal mandate for Electronic Visit Verification under the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, which required digital tracking for Medicaid-funded home services. Yet, many agencies have struggled to comply due to the lack of a universal, industry-wide solution. 'The MyVisits app provides the scalable, standardized solution the industry has been waiting for,' says Catan. While the initial rollout is focused on North America, Catan envisions a global expansion. With healthcare systems worldwide facing similar challenges, has the potential to become the go-to verification tool for home healthcare, behavioral health, nursing, and beyond. 'We want to evolve alongside our clients,' Catan states. 'As regulations change and industry needs shift, we will adapt. The reason we're in this situation is because the industry wasn't agile enough. We're here to change that.' Future updates will incorporate additional features based on user feedback to ensure continuous improvements. Telehealth capabilities, already integrated into the platform, will continue to expand as virtual care becomes more prevalent. 'At the end of the day, this isn't just for compliance; we need to be able to deliver better patient care,' Catan concludes. 'When visits are accurately tracked and verified, patients receive the services they need. And that's what matters most—one verified visit at a time.' Media Contact
