Board Game for Students

[sabre1]

I need a board game that will play through in approximately 1 hour, preferably less. It has to be "pretty" due to short attention span of students. I teach special education, with most students being in the ADD, ADHD category.

I currently implemented a reward system of placing students in various models of german WWII AFV's based on their grades. It's funny but they are working hard to be in the top tank which you can imagine which one that is. I never really expected the response that I got for such a silly idea.

This was the primary reason for wanting prints of the various vehicles in an earlier post.

So back to the board game. No more than an hour of game play, I cannot leave the game in place after class. These are Alternative Education students, gang types, and their ability to make things disappear from a room is beyond description.

Does not have to be WWII, but intial game should be since they are becoming familiar with equipment.

I do have them currently playing backgammon, chess, and stratego. They are allowed to either listen to classic books that I buy and dl to my mp3 player, or play games after independent work is completed.

It's to bad models are so expensive, or I would purchase models of vehicles and give them to the students at the end of the semester depending on how they did.

Any help appreciated.

[JudgeDredd]

Memoir '44 springs to mind...simple and quick. I think you're being very optimistic for an hour game though...just thought alone adds time.

Memoir '44 normally takes my daughter just over and hour...but I do have to hurry her up to get that kind of time (and she still beats me...she's 7 for gods sake!). We were playing tonight, actually, and she had to retreat...so she retreated into woods with a smile on her face, knowing full well she gets a defensive bonus for being in there.

It does depend on the scenario...the first one, Pegasus Bridge, took us over an hour, but I was explaining the rules to her...but that is a small scenario so I suspect it would take less than an hour.

There are a plethora of scenarios on the Days of Wonder website for downloading as well...so there may be shorter ones in there.

[SteveLohr]

Napoleon, by AH was a pretty good game for the Waterloo campaign.  Quick and easy, uses wooded blocks for units.  For WWII, Axis and Allies.  However, that will take longer than 1 hour.  Likewise, War in the Pacific/War at Sea are great intro games, but probably longer than one hour. 

[GJK]

Sergeants (Eastern Front) would be a perfect fit. It's cheap (in case it dissappears) and quick and easy to play. Not the greatest tactical game out there, but is a step up from Memoir (which can get expensive).

Examples of play, free scenarios and more information is on the company website HERE

Funny comment on BGG.com about it:

Decent little intro to the world of old-fashioned hex-based wargames. Will make heads explode, however, of "Memoir 44" devotees.

[Kuokkanen]

Classic BattleTech with Quick-Start Rules. I gave it try in game convention, and easiest scenario (with 2 'Mechs dueling) was played in about 20 minutes, even less. That included explaining the rules. If I recall correctly, I got the Introductory Box Set with 42 €uros.

[sabre1]

Thanks guys will check those games out.  A&A I am aware of, great game, just to much time.

[sabre1]

What about DVG Down in Flames?

[Adam Parker]

Ok, best value for money is Battlelore - complete with hundreds of minature plastic models with colored banners already in place. The students may like the interaction of human armies with a fantasy twist - and the giant spider! Also research the "Call to Arms" module as it covers DYO. Sturdy fully mounted map and quality counters.

The designers promise games lasting within an hour and with DYO, you could set up mini battles. Lots of cards and other interactive material which would enhance reading skills and set the mode for teaching the Hundred Years War. "100 years?" you could say. "Let's look at The War on Terror...".

My other option was Stratego but you're doing that! I'd recommend C&C: Ancients for sure but there's a lot of setup and stickering to get the game playable.

Btw as for DVG, look out for Dan's forthcoming solitaire Alexander the Great game.

Best,
Adam.

[GJK]

I disagree with Battlelore Adam; not in his WW2 theme (that I think he wants to keep with) plus I can see those plastic mini's leaving the building faster than Elvis if I'm understanding the situation correctly. I'll state again that an $8.00 game of Sergeants! is going to be a perfect game - you can order 3 or 4 of them so that everyone in the class can play and be out for less than what you'd pay for just one game (< $30.00 including shipping).

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: sabre1

Does not have to be WWII, but intial game should be since they are becoming familiar with equipment.

I read it this way. The BL game does trace the progression of hand held equipment and combined arms very well. But if the OP wishes to teach the art of Blitzkreig then he'll need something with a combustion engine I agree [:)]

[BoredStiff]

This might help:

The Games of War: A Treasury of Rules for Battles with Toy Soldiers, Ships and Planes (Paperback)

[sabre1]

Yes, I was trying to keep to a WWII theme for the moment because of the reward system I implemented.&nbsp; If the game thing catches on, I will branch out.&nbsp; Lots of good ideas from everyone, and the support from all of you is greatly appreciated.&nbsp; Matrix and this forum are a great resource for information and wargaming camaraderie.&nbsp;

[noxious]

Incidentally, thanks for having the courage to do what you do...
It resonates particularly with me, as I fell through the cracks as a kid/teen
Interested in hearing how it goes.
Cheers !!

[Bill Durrant]

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/ws/consim.html

Lots of games here designed by War Studies Masters students. You have to print them out and put them together but they're all free.

Particularly recommend the one on Anzio - I designed it [;)]

[sabre1]

I ordered Memoir 44 to start with.&nbsp; I will let you know how my kids (students)&nbsp;like it.
&nbsp;
I looked at Conflict of Heroes, and it looks like a winner, but one step at a time.&nbsp; Sergeants look good to, especailly the price and will consider that one next if Memoir 44 catches on.&nbsp; I just figured that my current student population would enjoy pushing around actual toy soldiers.&nbsp; I just hope I'm able to keep track of the pieces. [;)]
&nbsp;
Thanks for all of your input, and will keep you posted.&nbsp; We always need new blood in this hobby.

[Valkyrie]

Somebody already mentioned "Stratego", but that doesn't carry forward your WWII theme. However, what is to keep you from gluing picturs of WWII Tanks and armored vehicles onto the Stratego blocks to turn it into a WWII theme? In addition, the board is so simple that you could easily create your own larger mapboards on posterboard with more terrain features. You could also double the number of pieces and even play in teams. Furthermore, the kids could design their own battlegrounds which would further enhance their interest.

Rule modifications? Endless possibilities... change the composition of the forces... have a point system to buy units to set up your own army.... allow double movement on "roads"... add rivers and other obstacles that units couldn't cross etc

Lots of ways to maintain interest and to keep the game fresh and exciting. You might also make trading cards tha tcould be given out as a reward so that the kids could build their own "deck" of Stratego playing pieces like they do in Magic: The Gathering and other card based games.

Hope this helps.