22 Brilliantly British Board Games

Cheap cash-ins galore.

1. Noel's House Party

Via legendsabode.com[ekm]300x214[ekm].jpg

A game of the most inexplicably popular programme of the early '90s. You know you watched it, but YOU DON'T KNOW WHY.

2. The Darling Buds of May Game

Via virginmedia.com

What the front cover doesn't mention is the highly questionable premise - 'Pop Larkin has inherited a fortune from a long lost uncle in Africa. The Uncle discovered diamonds in Kimberley around the turn of the (20th) Century.'

3. Miss UK

Via vectis.co.uk

Wholesome fun.

4. Harvey Smith's Showjumping

boardgamegeek.com

'You can't get nearer to the real thing without taking part.' - Harvey Smith. Nothing like writing your own testimonial on the front of the box.

5. Waterloo Wargame

Via sircollectalot.co.uk

For when you want to simulate beating Napoleon at Waterloo again and again and again and again.

6. Sheffield Wednesday Soccer Supremo

Via thumbs1.ebaystatic.com

For when you want to simulate bouncing between the Championship and League One again and again and again and again.

7. Webster's Yorkshire Bitter Cricket Game

boardgamegeek.com

On the Yorkshire sporting theme; bar cricket is a classic game. It's 100% luck, though it feels like it takes skill after several pints of Yorkshire bitter.

8. David Dickinson's Antique Chase

Via amazon.com

David Dickinson's David Dickinson game for fans of David Dickinson.

9. The News from the BBC

Via ebay.co.uk

Interesting fact: pre-1985 all news used to come in board game form.

10. ITN News at Ten

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See? Only one review over at Board Game Geek: 'Really really bad game.'

11. Haggis

boardgamegeek.com

As weird as a game called 'Haggis' might appear, it's actually an award winning indie game. About haggis.

12. Destination: Downton Abbey

boardgamegeek.com

Part of a series of games that also includes Destination: Hogwarts and the somewhat less magical Destination: Norwich.

13. London Cabbie Game

boardgamegeek.com

Actual quote from the box - 'It's the last thing I'd like to play after a hard day's driving around town'. Not really selling it there.

14. Monopoly: Girlguiding UK

worldofmonopoly.com

Overspecialized much?

15. Barbara Cartland: A Romance Boardgame

Via crystal-cdn3.crystalcommerce.com

'For 1 or more players'.

16. British Rails

boardgamegeek.com

This one's from 1984, but in the latest version every turn is delayed an arbitrary amount of time for vague reasons, and 70% of the pieces smell faintly of urine.

17. Last Train to Wensleydale

Via treefroggames.com

Now this a train game. Delightfully, it's about transporting cheese.

18. The Archers

amazon.co.uk

Dum di dum di dum di dum...

19. Dr Fox's the Pepsi Chart Number 1 Board Game

amazon.co.uk

Just because Dr Fox isn't a real doctor doesn't mean he can't dispense pearls of scientific wisdom.

20. Whickers World

Via virginmedia.com

Why is it?

21. The Play's the Thing

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In which you have to recite particular lines from the Great Bard on command. For hardcore thesps only.

22. Jason Donovan Straight from the Heart

Via i74.photobucket.com

Straight from your heart to mine, Jason.