I like gifting games for the holidays because it means we have a good excuse to spend more time with family and friends. Here are some Switzerland themed games that might be a fun idea for someone on your gift list.
Contents
- 1. German Language Games
- 2. Alpinquartett
- 3. Matterhorn
- 4. SBB Eisenbahnspiel
- 5. Dice Trip
- 6. Labyrinth Switzerland
- 7. Scotland Yard – Flucht durch die Schweiz
- 8. Grand Tour Switzerland
- 9. Geographica
- 10. Helvetiq – The Swiss Game
- 11. SwissIQ
- 12. Switzerland Monopoly
- 13. Memory matching games
- 14. MyPuzzle Switzerland
1. German Language Games
These games from FideaDesigns.ch are a fun way to learn more German and Swiss German. The kids think it’s hilarious how little Swiss German I know and how poorly I pronounce everything. So at least someone is having fun. We have D’Englisch Memospiel, which has you match German sayings like “Nun haben wir den Salat” with literal and figurative English equivalent, in this case “Now we have the salad” which actually means “We are in a fine mess now.”
Memory Spiel Schwiizerdütsch has you match High German works to Swiss German words. There are more versions of this game for various Swiss German dialects: Züritüütsch, Baaseldytsch, Bärndütsch, Bündertütsch, Appezöller Dütsch.
2. Alpinquartett
This company offers six card games on the themes: mountain huts, mountain peaks, alpine lakes, cable cars and glaciers. Each deck has 32 different cards with a picture, info and stats about the hut, peak, lake, etc. The game is the same for each pack, similar to Go Fish, where players try to collect 4 cards of the same collection. https://www.alpinquartett.ch/huetten/
SBB also sells a Quartett with public transportation themes. Schweizer Quartett has cards with a wider variety of Swiss themes.
3. Matterhorn
An easy dice rolling game, where you try to be the first one to reach the top of the Matterhorn. Buy on Helvetiq.com
Age: 8+
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 30 minutes
Language: EN, DE, ES, FR, IT, NL
4. SBB Eisenbahnspiel
This game is produced by the SBB (federal department of Swiss public transportation). Players try to put their train in the correct order while also trying to annoy and block other players from finishing. Read a description of game play on Brettspielblog.ch (in German, use the translate feature to read). Purchase on SBB.ch.
Age: 9+
Players: 2-4
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: EN, DE, FR, IT
5. Dice Trip
In this dice rolling game, you try to fill in all the dots on your Swiss map with the highest number of points. You score extra points for completing a whole region, the longest consecutive row, etc. We have and like this game, playing many times.
Age: 8+
Players: 1- 4
Duration: 30 minutes
Language: EN; DE, FR, IT
6. Labyrinth Switzerland
Players try to find the shortest route through the maze. In this Swiss version, the labyrinth travels through Switzerland, with famous destinations like the Rhine Falls and the Matterhorn. You try to collect items like a Swiss army knife and Swiss watch. Buy on Kidz.ch or Brack.ch
Age: 7+
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Language: DE
7. Scotland Yard – Flucht durch die Schweiz
This is a cooperative game, where players work together as detectives to track down the criminal, controlled by one player. Instead of the streets of London, the game board is a map of Switzerland, where players move between cities. Buy on Kidz.ch or Brack.ch.
Age: 10+
Players: 2- 6
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: DE, FR, IT
8. Grand Tour Switzerland
This is a trivia game, where you answer questions about Switzerland. Some questions can be answered by clues in your cards or on the game board, others require prior knowledge. Buy online at SBB.ch • Holhbueb.ch. You can buy the Europe version on Helvetiq. See a review on Brettspielblog.ch (in German).
Age: 10+
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: EN, DE, FR, IT
9. Geographica
Very similar to Grand Tour of Switzerland, where you answer trivia questions with the help of the map and cards in your hand. You get more points by being the fastest person to answer the questions. The map is paper, not a thick game board, which is not as durable. Buy on Helvetiq.com
Age: 8+
Players: 2-4
Duration: 30 minutes
Language: DE, FR
10. Helvetiq – The Swiss Game
This has two games in one: a trivia quiz about Switzerland and a strategy game about Swiss politics. Read an interview (in English) with the game’s designer.
Age: 8+
Players: 2 – 4
Duration: 20 minutes
Language: EN, DE, FR
11. SwissIQ
Trivia game where you test your knowledge of Switzerland with 400 multiple choice questions on a wide range of topics. Buy on Helvetiq.ch • Stadtlandkind.ch
There are several versions of this game including ZürichIQ (EN), SportIQ (DE, FR), WeinIQ, BeerIQ (EN), BabyIQ
Age: 12+
Players: 2-12
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: DE, FR
12. Switzerland Monopoly
If you can still stand to play Monopoly, there are many Swiss versions, some strangely specific to small regions: Switzerland, Zürich, Zürcher Oberland, Berner Oberland, Rapperswil-Jona, Engadin, Kanton Uri, Fribourg, Glarnerland, Jura, La Grüyere (FR), Lausanne, Genève, Swiss Castles
13. Memory matching games
Since memory games are visual, they are perfect for younger children who don’t yet read. Schweizer Memo Spiel has all the classic Swiss icons: Matterhorn, Willhelm Tell, cows, PostAuto bus, edelweis, etc. Schweizer Burgen Memospiel has lots of Swiss castles.
14. MyPuzzle Switzerland
Lots of families have a tradition of doing a puzzle together over the holidays. MyPuzzle Switzerland is 260 pieces and easy for children to put together.
Helvetiq makes puzzles of various Swiss cities: Lucerne, Lugano, Neuchatel, Locarno-Ascona , Fribourg, Lausanne
Note: All photos from the respective game makers.
