SWIC Library (Granite City Campus) has a variety of games available for year round check out. (Because one month is definitely not long enough!) If you're not sure how to play, just scroll the page for video and print instructions. Most of our games are quick to play and easy to learn.
There are also a wide variety of puzzles, coloring books, Zen gardens, and art kits available throughout the library.
*A sincere thank you to the Southwestern Illinois College Foundation for their generous support. The items listed above, marked with an asterisk, were made possible through a SWIC Foundation Enhancement Grant.
The objective of Battleship is to be the first player to sink the other player's entire fleet of ships and planes. Designed for two players. Average playing time is approximately 20 minutes.
Playing with Reality
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Crazy 8's is a card game where the goal is to get rid of all of your cards. Designed for 2 - 7 players. Average playing time for 2 - 4 players is approximately 5 minutes per hand.
The object of Hearts is to be the player with the lowest score when the game ends. Designed for 3 - 5 players. Average playing time is 15 - 20 minutes.
The objective of the game is to win all of the cards. Designed for 2 players. Average playing time is 15 - 20 minutes.
Card Games: The World's Best Card Games
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For written rules and details of how to play each of these games - and many other card games - grab our copy of Card Games: The World's Best Card Games.
Checkers and Tic-Tac-Toe are fun, easy-to-learn and easy-to-play board games. Our game board reverses, so you can play both with the same game pieces. Designed for 2 players. Average time to play checkers 10 - 30 minutes. Average time to play tic-tac-toe is +/- 1 minute.
Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games. The object of the game is to capture the opponent's king. Not sure how to play? This is the perfect opportunity to learn and develop your skills. Designed for 2 players. Average time to play is 10 - 60 minutes.
How to Win at Chess
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Chinese checkers is board game which allows you to jump marbles in different directions across a star-shaped game board. The game is designed for 2 to 6 players. Average time to play 10 - 30 minutes.
Across the Board
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The object of Clue is to be the first player to correctly deduce the three secret cards in the confidential envelope: who committed the murder, which weapon was used, and in what room the crime took place. Designed for 3 to 6 players. Average playing time is 20 - 50 minutes.
Codenames is a card game comprised of two teams who compete by each having a "spymaster" give one-word clues that can point to multiple words to reveal which spies are on their team. Designed for 4+ players, but options for 2 or 3 players are also included in the rules of the game. Average time to play 15 - 30 minutes.
The goal of Connect 4 is to be the first player to get four of your colored discs in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, by strategically dropping them into the game from the grid at the top - while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Designed for 2 players. Average playing time is 5 - 10 minutes.
The Double Nine Dominoes game offers more than 16 different ways to play the game of dominoes. Mexican Train Dominoes is the only one that requires a "board" which is considered the Train, all the rest can be played on any flat table surface. Designed for 2 to 4 players. Average playing time is 15 minutes.
The goal of the Gopher Hole game is to fit all six pieces into the box. All of the possible combinations make it more challenging than it may initially look. Designed for one player, but you can invite a friend to play along to help you solve the puzzle. Average playing time depends on you!
In a Pickle is a card game where players (creatively and humorously) place the items named on their cards inside or outside of the previous item card placed on the playing surface. Designed for two to six players. Average time to play is 15 - 30 minutes.
The goal of Kanoodle is to fit all the uniquely shaped pieces into the designated puzzle grid or 3D structure without gaps or overlaps. There is a puzzle booklet that starts off easy and increasingly gets more difficult. Designed as a single player game, but friends can join in to help you solve the puzzle more quickly. Average playing time is typically 5 - 15 minutes.
The goal of Magnetic Chess is to be the first player to get rid of all their pieces, which is not as easy as it sounds! Each player places their magnetic "stone" on the gameboard - but be careful - if your stone attracts other stones and they jump together, you have to collect and keep all of the stones that stuck together. Designed for 2 - 4 players. Average playing time is 5 - 15 minutes.
Mancala is a turn-based strategy board game where players capture stones. The goal of the game is to collect the most stones. Designed for 2 players. Average playing time is 10 - 15 minutes.
Manifesto is a card game that is played very similarly to Go Fish, rather than "fish," you place artists in the art movement they were a part of. If you know (or want to learn about) art history this is the game for you! Designed for 2 to 5 players. Average playing time 5 - 15 minutes.
Mahjong
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Majong: a Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture
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American Mah Jongg for Everyone
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Designed for four players, but can be played with 2 or 3 players. For beginners the game can take about 30 minutes, for experienced players average playing time is 10 - 15 minutes.
Not Parent Approved is a fill-in-the blanks card game that was inspired by Cards Against Humanity. This version is a student-friendly game that still contains the all the humor but none of the potentially offensive topics that are typical in Cards Against Humanity. Designed for 4 to 10 players. Average playing time 20 - 45 minutes.
The object of Othello is to have the majority of your color disks face up on the board at the end of the game. Othello is a 2-player game. The average playing time is +/- 15-25 minutes.
Phase 10 is a rummy-type card game created by the makers of UNO. The object of the game is to completed varied phases with cards of the same color. Designed for 2 to 6 players. Average playing time is 45 - 90 minutes.
The electronic Quick Push Pop It game is a fun, fast-paced game that allows you to choose the challenge you want to play. It's a memory game and stress relief all in one. Can be played in individual or multi-player mode. Average time to play is approximately 5 minutes.
What is the point of the Rubik's Cube? To have fun - or drive you crazy, maybe both?!? Rubik's Cube is a puzzle to be solved by using problem-solving and concentration. Designed for 1 payer (it's a good thing we have multiple cubes.) Average time: Depends on you!
Scrabble is a word game in which players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a singe letter onto the gameboard to form words in a crossword fashion. Designed for 2 to 4 players. Average playing time is 30 - 60 minutes.
We have a variety of sensory and fidget toys to help you better concentrate and focus, as well as, reduce stress and anxiety. (Don't forget to check out our art kits, doodle boards, meditation cards, Zen and Breathing Buddha relaxation devices, and other items that help you to de-stress and relax.)
Side Effects is a card game where the goal is to cure yourself of all of your ailments while trying to avoid opening up yourself to new ailments. Have an idea where the name of the game came from now? When you cure yourself of a health problem with required medication, the side effects of that medication can cause other health problems. This is when your opponents can inflict your psyche with more issues to deal with! The game is designed for 2-8 players. Average playing time is 10 - 30 minutes.
Victorian Parlour Games
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Please be sure to mute the sound before playing so you do not disturb others in the library.
Simon is an electronic memory game in which players correctly repeat the increasingly longer sequence of lights and sounds that the device plays. Designed for 1 - 4 players, it challenges quick thinking and pattern recall. A typical round lasts 5 - 15 minutes, depending on skill and difficulty level.
The library offers two Slinky options: a GIANT plastic colorful one and the standard metal slinky. Perfect for a quick, fun study break - walk it down the steps, stretch it from side-to-side, or learn a couple of tricks. It's a great way to unwind and relax! Designed for one person, offering a few minutes - or possibly hours of entertainment.
The object of Sorry! is to be the first player to get all three of your pawns from your start area to your home. Sorry is designed for 2 - 4 players. The average playing time is +/- 30 minutes.
Anyone who has been to a Cracker Barrel restaurant is most likely familiar with this game. The goal of the game is to jump one peg over another until there is just one left. This is another one of our games that looks easier than it appears. Designed for one player. Average time to play depends on the player.
Informal Scoring
UNO is a four color card game where each player tries to run out of cards first. Designed for 2 - 10 players. Average playing time is 20+ minutes.
Upwords is a 3D word-building board game where players compete to create and stack words for points. You score points by stacking letters on existing words to change them into new ones. Designed for 2 - 4 players. Average playing time is approximately 30 - 45 minutes.
Yahtzee is a single or multi-player dice game. The object of the game is to roll certain combinations of numbers with five dice. Designed for 2 - 6 players. Average playing time is approximately 30 - 60 minutes.
