[contingencies]

For those wanting modern boardgame picks, my current recommendations are Bohnanza (cute German card game about bean-farming ... I like it even though I generally detest card games), Caribbean (a little like the computer game Pirates! meets Age of Empires), Cornish Smuggler (just great, with bonus anti-authoritarian streak), Pandemic (fast, very adaptable to different numbers of players, and the best cooperative game ever published), Risk 2210 (for 4 players with 4+ hours to burn), and Ticket to Ride. I've played quite a few board games with groups or in cafes in China, LA, London, Thailand (where my friend is the Thai Catan licensee/distributor), and try new ones fairly regularly.