A classic game to play with Nigerians can be any game and are many in number. In all those games we must note that these few games listed below are top of the list. These games include both board games and card games played in different variations and styles across the globe and of course, in Nigeria. All hustle and no fun makes Nigerians, well, not Nigerians. We are all about the fun,
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Ludo
Many may not know but the classic game of Ludo originated from the Indian game, Pachisi. Over the years, the game of Ludo has been played in different variations in countries all over the world, especially Nigeria. This classic game is a game of four or two.
The goal is to race each of your players back to your home base, moving at the roll of a die or dice. This game is fun and competitive. It improves your calculative and risk-taking skills, as it is a game of numbers, strengths, opportunities and risks. Different players have their different tips and tricks to play this game but if you ask me, it is more about your opponent.
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Monopoly
Brought closer to home with the Lagos edition released about 5 years ago, Monopoly is a classic game. This classic game of monopoly may seem like a game, but it is real life financial management and growth. Such a game is not for the lavish liver, it is for the smart thinker.
This classic board game is a two-player game that involves moving at the roll of two dice and buying and trading properties. Bought and traded properties are developed with hotels and houses. In an attempt to drive his/her opponent bankrupt, a player collects rent from his opponent on these properties. Other parts of the game include jail time, tax squares and community chest cards
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Scrabble
Scrabble is another classic game of intellect. Recommended for kids and students mainly, this is one game that improves your vocabulary and opens minds to a whole world of the language.
According to Wikipedia “Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles bearing a single letter onto a board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left to right in rows or downward in columns, and be included in a standard dictionary or lexicon.” The classic game couldn’t have been worded any better.
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Whot
Whot is a classic card game that is very addictive. Just like Ludo, this card game is played in different variations across the world. Also played with different types of cards, one of the best things about it is that it is a game of strategy that can accommodate multiple players.
The right way, however, is that the Whot game is played with a set of non-standard cards in five forms: triangles, stars, circles, squares and crosses. It is a shedding game like Crazy Eights. This classic game brings out the competitive nature in all players and can be a source of unending laughter.
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Jackpot
This card game is a classic game and really allows you to hit the jackpot. The jackpot game is said to have originated in Brazil and is officially called Kemps. To play this game two-man teams of six play the game with 52-deck cards. In order to achieve a jackpot, team members must secretly but effectively communicate with each other when they have attained four matching cards but without alerting your opponent.
Donkey
Donkey is another classic game played with cards that will make your opponents ride you like a donkey. Often played at house parties and amongst friends or siblings, this game can accommodate a lot of players. It is fun when everybody is active and interested. The goal of the game is to not completely spell donkey and how do you do that? The goal of each player is to attain four matching cards. Once that is done, this player must silently drop his or her cards as a show of 4 matching cards, the last player to drop his/her cards earns a letter in the classic game of Donkey.
However, players should not only pay attention to card dropping, but they should also pay attention to hand movements, some people have a tell. If you can spot that tell and call a suspect on the player, the player must reveal two unmatching cards in his/her hands. Failure to do so will earn the called-out player a letter.
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Jenga
Jenga is a game of the mind, patience and precision. A classic game like Jenga can break down your hopes. Created by Leslie Scott and marketed by Hasbro, Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill. In this game, players take turns removing one block at a time from a 54-block tower that has been constructed. Each block removed is placed on top of the tower. This will create a progressively taller and more unstable structure. Compared to other games on this list, the Jenga game is relatively new, however, it has also become increasingly popular at events and parties. Soon, it will be on its way to becoming a classic game Nigerians play.
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Snakes and Ladders
Played by mostly kids, Snakes and Ladders is a classic board game . This game is fun and interactive and comes in board and life-sized models. The purpose of the game is to reach the starting point before your opponent. The snakes on the board take you back to where their tales’ point and ladders take you up the game to where the ladder leads. Players move at the roll of a die.
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Checkers/ Draught
“Draughts or checkers is a strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent piece” – Wikipedia. Thanks to the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, this classic game has been made incredibly popular,
This is the very game the traders and village men play in their leisure time in the movies. At it is true. It is a game played in their leisure time. this two-player game is one where each person develops their own unique skill and sometimes, have their own nicknames based on their style of play. Sometimes deemed a local champion’s game, nothing takes away from the fun in a good game of draught.
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Ayo
Ayo is a strategic and classic game unique to Africa, Asia and parts of the Caribbean. The rules of the game vary across cultures. It is a game that is part and parcel of the culture. The love of watching the game allows the game spirit flow from the players to the spectators.
