Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics review — Perfect for parties or solo gaming sessions

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a huge collection of board games. When I'm not playing video games I'm probably putting together a game night for myself and my friends. The problem with having so many physical games is that my collection has grown massive and takes up a lot of space. So, when I learned that Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics was coming to Nintendo Switch, I immediately became interested.

As the title states, there are 51 games, including card games, board games, and dice games. There are even other activities like Darts, Bowling, and Fishing. Some of the games are single players, some only accommodate two players, some are for three players, and many are meant for four players. You can play against a computer, play with friends in your house, or connect with others online and compete against them. Whether you're trying to find a way to entertain yourself or a group, this game will have you covered.

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics What I like

There are 52 ways to entertain yourself with this game: 51 board games and an electric keyboard piano to dink around on. I was happy to find familiar classics like Klondike Solitaire, Black Jack, and Speed. However, there are also several different games from around the world that I have never heard of before. During the tutorial phase, you learn a little about the history of each game along with where it originated, which I really enjoyed.

Clubhouse Games does an excellent job of explaining the rules so you and anyone playing with you can quickly pick up each game. Among the new games that I learned about, I've really come to like Takoyaki, Hanafuda, and Hit and Blow. I did find that I was already familiar with some of the games, even though I didn't think I was. For instance, there's a game called Last Card, which is obviously Uno. Similarly, Ludo is Sorry, and Yacht Dice is Yachtzee. Obviously, the names have been changed for copyright reasons.

Click the button below to see the complete list of games.

• Mancala
• Dots and Boxes
• Yacht Dice
• Four-in-a-Row
• Hit and Blow
• Nine Men's Morris
• Hex
• Checkers
• Hare and Hounds
• Gomoku
• Dominoes
• Chinese Checkers
• Ludo
• Backgammon
• Renegade
• Chess
• Shogi
• Mini Shogi
• Hanafuda
• Riichi Mahjong
• Last Card
• Blackjack
• Texas Hold'em
• President
• Sevens
• Speed
• Matching
• War
• Takoyaki
• Pig's Tail
• Golf
• Billiards
• Bowling
• Darts
• Carrom
• Toy Tennis
• Toy Soccer
• Toy Curling
• Toy Boxing
• Toy Baseball
• Air Hockey
• Slot Cars
• Fishing
• Battle Tanks
• Team Tanks
• Shooting Gallery
• 6-Ball Puzzle
• Sliding Puzzle
• Mahjong Solitaire
• Klondike Solitaire
• Spider Solitaire
• Piano

After playing a few different card games, I unlocked a new deck of Mario-themed playing cards, which added some fun flair to the game. Incidentally, you can purchase physical versions of these cards. Something I love about Clubhouse Games is that you can interact with the Switch screen. So while I was playing Klondike Solitaire, I was able to tap on the screen to move my cards to the next locations instead of solely relying on my controller. This made certain games a lot more convenient to play, including multiplayers.

All of the Clubhouse Games are available to play on your own whether you're playing a truly solo game like Solitaire, or a multiplayer like Checkers against the computer. Some games can host up to four players making them a great option for family game nights or fun activities with your significant other. Plus, if you have a Nintendo Switch Online account, you can compete against others around the world whenever a friend isn't available.

This game also supports local multiplayer. So if you have family or friends who each have their own Switch, you can play together on your own screens. The really awesome thing is that there's also a free demo or guest pass of the game that allows anyone who downloads it to have access to four games: President, Four-in-a-Row, Dominoes, and Slot Cars. That way you can all play each of these four games on your own screens without needing to pay for the game.

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics What I don't like

I'm not a huge fan of Joy-Cons. They don't feel good in my hands and my pinky fingers tend to go numb after gripping the small casing during long gaming sessions. This being the case, I have acquired several traditional looking controllers including the Pro Controller and a few PowerA ones, which I prefer to use when playing the Switch in TV mode. I know Clubhouse Games isn't an intensive game, however, I was upset when I found out that you cannot use traditional controllers with it. You must use Joy-Cons and nothing else.

While testing Clubhouse Games I played the online multiplayer modes. The problem with having so many different games to choose from is that it can be hard to find another player in the world that wants to play the same game as you. There were times when I sat around waiting to find another player for a few minutes. You're far more likely to find someone who wants to play one of the more popular games, like Black Jack or Four-in-a-Row.

However, the more online players you play against, the more you risk having a connection problem or not being able to finish your game. For example, if a game isn't going to someone's liking, they could drop out of the game unexpectedly. Or someone might not be paying attention to their screen and leave the rest of you waiting. And since you aren't in the same room, there's no way to nudge them when it's their turn.

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics Should you buy it?

Even though I have plenty of other fun games to entertain myself with, I kept getting pulled back to Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics. The wide range of activities makes it so that there's a game of some kind for any age. Whether you want to use motion controls and go bowling with your daughter or want a more challenging game of Chess with your friend, you'll be able to find a fun way to entertain yourself and others.

I really wish that the game allowed you to use the more traditional controllers while in TV mode, but as it is, all players must use Joy-Cons. Additionally, it can take awhile to find some folks to play against while participating in the online multiplayer modes. Otherwise, this is a great game that any Nintendo Switch owner should be happy to have. You can play when you're alone and want to entertain yourself or can whip it out when friends or family are around to play some standard classic games together.