Spotlight August 2024 | Kites, Sandbag & Road Trip Games

This month, for our Travel Light theme, we sat down to play three small games that pack a big punch. Kites, a cooperative card game, Sandbag, a trick-taking game and Road Trip Games, a compilation of 50 games you can play in the car (or on any trip).

First up– Kites!

"Kites feels like you could really play it anywhere you have a small surface to place the timers. It would be an excellent picnic table game." -Morgan

Kites is a fast card game about keeping your kites, represented by different colored sand timers, in the air. Playing different colored cards in your hands lets you flip the corresponding timers. It’s a juggling act to keep them all from running out. Getting to the end of the game was so nerve wracking and exciting! Once we were banned from flipping over the central timer, we thought we might be done for, but our communication skills proved worthy and we succeeded at the last moment!

"This is the perfect warm up game - especially for team games. I play this with my friends before every game night." -Alex

Next up- Sandbag!

Sandbag is a trick-taking game where the goal is to have the fewest points and stick your opponents with all the tricks. Traditional trick-taking games are usually “my card is higher than your card and I win the hand”. In this game, you are trying to make out with the fewest points possible, so losing tricks is key. It took a moment to switch from the "I want to win all the hands" mindset, to strategizing to make yourself the losing player. It's a great game for players who want a little upgrade in complexity from a traditional trick-taking game like Hearts or Spades.

"This game is for those who like a casual laid back vibe, but still enjoy the thrill of plotting your strategy and undermining your foes." -Sarah

"Perfect for someone who likes the puzzling strategy of big board games but needs it to go." -Alex

And finally- Road Trip Games!

"I really love the art for this game. It got me in vacation mode before we even started playing." -Morgan

In this deck of Road Trip Games, each card is a unique game designed to be played in a car during a long road trip. There are some classics included, like Punch Buggy and I Spy, but there are also some really creative games in this compilation. A favorite of ours was definitely the Which Vegetable Are You? card and we spent a good amount of time seriously contemplating what vegetable best describes each of us (FYI: Alex is a green onion, Sarah is a string bean and Morgan is kale).

"These games are perfect for road trips, plane rides, even waiting in line at a theme park. Anytime you have the time, you should play these games!" -Sarah

Check out these and the rest of our featured Spotlight Collection of games curated for August 2024 | Travel Light