Super Mario Party

Super Mario Party brought the board-game series back to what made it work in the first place. After years of experimenting with cars that carried players together, the game returns to the one-player-one-die model: everyone rolls for themselves, moves across the board, collects coins, and tries to buy a star before the others do. A new addition is that each character also has their own special die with a different set of values—one offers a chance at high rolls with the risk of a zero, another guarantees an average—bringing at least a bit of tactical choice into an otherwise random game.

The heart of the fun is the minigames, of which there are over eighty, and most cleverly make use of the Joy-Cons. You catch fish by twisting your wrist, play rock-paper-scissors with a gesture, squeeze a virtual sandwich, or row in sync with a partner. The emphasis on holding a single Joy-Con means all you need is the base console package to play with four people. Alongside the classic board, the game offers Partner Party with free movement across a grid in pairs, cooperative River Survival where everyone paddles the same boat, and a range of mini-modes including rhythm challenges or games that use two consoles placed side by side.

Graphically, it's a clean, colorful, laid-back affair with clearly readable rules and a brisk pace; the music is typically upbeat. Reception was mildly positive: critics praised the return to the classic formula and the quality of the minigames, but criticized the small number of boards and the fact that online play was practically missing at launch, only added later via an update. Today, Super Mario Party is a reliable choice for an evening with guests—anyone can grasp the rules in a minute, a match lasts a reasonable length, and randomness ensures even a complete beginner can beat a seasoned player. Its weakness remains that after a few evenings, matches start to repeat themselves, since there are few boards and the random effects grow familiar quickly. But as a party game, it has few rivals on the console.