Odds are that Monopoly, Scrabble, and Pictionary are sitting in your closet waiting for another slow evening when they’re needed again. Amongst these staple board games there’s always one box that’s out of place. Maybe your relatives brought it over to play and left it behind because you pretended to enjoy it, maybe you were tricked into buying it because it looked as though the players on the box were having so much fun, or maybe, just maybe, it’s always been in the family stack of board games and it’s origin is lost along with some of it’s pieces.

This post is dedicated to those board games, so I’ve scoured the Used.ca classifieds searching for the strangest games that are looking for new homes.

UsedToronto.com – Beatles Monopoly

Just like regular Monopoly, where someone always quits early, Beatles Monopoly is a simulation where players break up the band and dispute over royalties. There’s no boot or top hat in this version, instead they’re replaced by a walrus, raccoon, octopus, strawberry, and a silver hammer.

UsedNanaimo.com – Power Play

“The Chess of Hockey Games.” The box looks pretty beaten up so I guess this game of chess is full contact and violent just like the real deal. If there’re any missing game pieces simply replace them with a loose tooth or two.

UsedDudley.co.uk – DVD Horse Race Betting Game

This game would be far easier to rig and cheat at than a real horse race. The trick is to make off with your winnings before the pre-recorded race DVD ends. My favourite feature is that it comes with costume suggestions for your games night which probably include: a jockey, Texan oil baron, southern belle, bookie, and a collection agent.

UsedPEI.com – Frog Tennis

Playing tennis with real frogs has been outlawed since the early ’90s, which prompted the creation of this substitute. You can watch the riveting game play in this Youtube video but the real enjoyment comes from the one and only user comment: “I love how absolutely stupid this game is.”

UsedVancouver.com – Frustration

Hey wait a second! This game is just a re-branded version of the classic game Trouble. Why would they ever change the name of the game that had the most catchy commercial theme song of the 90s? “It’s fun getting into trouble!”

UsedVictoria.com – The Goods

This game caught my eye not because it’s strange, but because it is made independently here in Victoria, the hometown of Used.ca, and is available for sale on UsedVictoria.com. Players grow and harvest crops (hopefully not in real time) in an effort to win by becoming sustainable. Very Victorian!

Find board games and more on your local Used.ca site.