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From the pop-culture-fuelled guessing game Andaz Apna Apna to the politically charged strategy game Shasn, the slow-paced artistry of Athangudi, and the fast, tapri-inspired fun of Chai Garam, each go these four board games offer a unique way to reconnect with friends and family. Perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, these games tap into the joy of unplugging and reliving simpler times—where the only thing that really matters is winning.
I am currently working out of my grandmother’s home in Dharwad, a city located in the northern part of Karnataka, and it’s hard not to slip back into my old ways of lounging around this home during my summer vacation. The days are spent taking the dogs to the lake, climbing mango trees, and leaving behind a trail of sticky fingerprints after guzzling down a week’s worth of ice lollies. And, of course, the most important event of all, game night. All the cousins would come together, along with the adults we thought were cool enough to sit at our table, to scream, yell, and scratch each other as we played board games like they were a competitive sport.
Now that summer vacation season is upon us, and while we no longer have the luxury of slipping into a two-month-long mango coma, we bring to you four homegrown board games that you can enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon with family or friends. It's a small way to bite back into that delicious feeling of being unburdened by adulthood, where the only real thing at stake is winning the game that's in front of you.
A guessing game that’s part Taboo, part charades, Andaaz Apna Apna is most definitely a screaming-match starter. There is one secret word that the Guesser must figure out using clues given by the rest of the players. But here’s the catch: there’s a Team Nice and a Team Naughty, with the latter purposely aiming to mislead the Guesser. Each player writes their clue on a piece of paper to help guess the word. With prompts that draw from the very building blocks of Indian pop culture, Andaaz Apna Apna is perfect for the filmy and the fiercely competitive. Get it here.
Shasn is a competitive strategy game created by Zain Memon that simulates the complex and often twisted world of politics. Designed for 2–5 players, the game places participants in the role of politicians competing in a national election, influencing voters to gain power. In the end, the player with the largest bank of voters wins. The game also offers an immersive, real-time way to understand political concepts that often feel distant—ranging from gerrymandering to coalition-building. It features four distinct political modes — The Indian, The American, The Roman, and The Future —each shaping the gameplay according to its unique political landscape. If you’re tired of talking politics with your family, this game will be a unique respite from all that chatter. Get it here.
Every player in this game, plays the role of an artisan laying down tiles in a Chettinad mansion using the Athangudi tiles. Attangudi tiles which are indigenous to Chettinad are made by sustainable materials like river sand and naturally occurring oxides designed to keep homes cool in the Chettinad heat.
Whoever has the most intricate patterns along with the highest number of points gained through creating sequences, motifs, and goals wins the game. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, the game is a low-stakes game that can be played over coffee and biscuits. The game’s objective is to help you slow down and ease into the incoming hectic week and there’s nothing more satisfying than a beautiful tile pattern. Get it here.
Centred around the quintessential desi mid-day pick-me-up, chai, Chai Garam has the potential to transform your living room into a bustling market. Designed for quick rounds and lots of laughter, players race to collect and serve the right combinations of chai orders while dealing with interruptions and mix-ups. The game features cards with different types of Indian teas, from Kashmir to Darjeeling, along with tea-time snacks like bun maska and pakodas, just like those sold at local tapris. With players taking on the role of tapri owners, the goal is to reach the top of the flavour rack. Get it here.
