[#] Clubhouse Games (Nintendo, Nintendo DS, 2006)

It is almost 2026, and I am playing mahjong on my DS.

Of course one of the finest demos for your shiny new $150 3D-capable Nintendo DS is, y'know, card games. It actually makes more sense when you consider the touchscreen, but either way, Clubhouse Games is a classic whether you like it or not. Imagine yourself a cozy little treehouse right at the start of autumn stacked up with tabletop games inside, 42 in all. Hearts, bridge, blackjack (get it twisted), chess, chinese checkers, solitaire, mahjong solitaire, hangman, Uno, bullshit, asshole (the game might call some of those something else)—even if you don't recognize what the game calls them, you know them, and it's a good time having them all in one place.

Games are customizable in rules, number of players (CPU players are your typical opponents, but there is local multiplayer), and even the table surfaces that you play on and the look of the cards. Games are quick to get underway, come with detailed instructions if you're unfamiliar, play nice with the touchscreen, and complete within a few minutes, so like all good DS games, you can bounce between games whenever you have 20 minutes to kill. Win and loss statistics do save after every game, and various little cute MOD-ish chiptune jazz tunes play as you run up gambling debts in Texas hold 'em or fail at chess. It's a really well thought out package.

The variety in games does a lot to help you not get bored. Though they don't call the licensed games Battleship or Uno, what you get is basically the classic board games, just in game form. They're nice to have! (If you're wondering if there's any great duds, the "action games" like bowling and darts aren't brilliant to control with the touchscreen, though shooting pool feels great.) To increase replayability further, there's mission and "stamp" modes that let you unlock more games, additional tables, even another soundtrack. If you feel a little aimless from all the cozy timewasting, rest assured you have plenty to neurotically complete here.