If you are a board gamer, there are plenty of options for apps of familiar games on your iPad/Surface/etc. Here are a couple in particular that I know of:
- Ticket to Ride: available on iPad ($6.99) This is a great version of one of my favorite board games ever. You can play with other people in real time online, or even by passing around the iPad, or against bots (they’re not even that annoying). You can also get the Europe and other versions for a couple bucks more.
- Carcassonne: available on Windows phone (free trial, $2.99 full), Android ($4.99), and iPad ($9.99) A fun classic. These versions play moderately well and have a decent design (I have the Windows phone trial). All versions also have some expansions. The iPad version is undoubtedly the best, with several expansions available, prettier graphics, and online multiplayer.
- Catan: available on Android ($3.99) and iPad ($4.99) Arguably the most widely known Euro-style game. There are several expansions available also. I haven’t played either version, but reviews are pretty decent, although the Android tablet version is apparently a little buggy atm.
- Wordament: available on all Windows8 devices and iPad (free). A live version of Boggle, competing in real time against everyone else playing then (usually 1000-2000 people). This game is my favorite game to play on my phone, hands down. Rounds last only about 2 minutes, so it’s a quick game to play if you are killing time. Many of the puzzle rounds also have themes, or letter pairs that award bonuses when used to make words. And you can get Xbox Live achievements for various things as well.
- Puerto Rico: available on iPad ($7.99) San Juan, the card game, is also available ($7.99) I haven’t played this version, but it’s one of the most popular board games and the app’s ratings are good.
Jedi by Knight 