Game nights are a great way to have fun here at ViewPointe. We designed our senior living apartments to be spacious and comfortable, with room for a table or coffee table and extra chairs to accommodate hosting a group of friends and neighbors. Whether you try out cooperative or competitive play, board games can get everyone laughing, thinking and animated. And the good times don't have to be restricted to the evening hours; plan an afternoon of games during a visit with family members for even more shared merriment and lasting memories.

To help you find some new selections for your next game event, here are seven board games you might not have heard of yet that you might want to consider adding to your roster.

1. Marrakech

Four players are recommended for this simple, yet engaging game. The rules are easy to pick up, which lets everyone get started playing quickly, even if you have young grandchildren joining in.

As carpet traders in the Morrocan city of Marrakech, players place their tapestries on the board and charge other players coins as they walk across them. Carpets can overlap, adding to the games' depth. The goal is to strategically place your carpets to maximize your profits and be the trader with the most coins and uncovered carpets at the end.

2. Lost Cities

Lost Cities puts players in the shoes of explorers tasked with guiding a team along an expedition path. Each step along the path earns players points, and there are artifacts and shortcuts to add a tactical element to earning enough points to win in the end.

An alternate version of the game, Keltis, has similar rule sets and gameplay but features a beautiful Irish-themed board and play pieces decorated with Celtic Knotwork.

3. Ladies and Gentlemen

Both competitive and cooperative, Ladies and Gentlemen is perfect for large groups because it can accommodate up to 10 players at a time, and its theme makes it fun for date night and sweetheart events.

Multiple teams of two are established at the start of the game, with players controlling a husband and wife preparing for a ball. Individuals playing the husbands use strategy and luck to earn money from jobs and stocks, which their wife counterparts then use to put together a dazzling wardrobe for the upcoming night out.

Money must be budgeted carefully, and shrewd players can rack up points with carefully chosen combinations of clothes, hats, jewelry and accessories.

4. Patchwork

Fans of crafts and games like Blockus will enjoy Patchwork. The game usually takes around 15 minutes to complete and requires players to construct beautiful quilts from colorful tiles and buttons.

Players are given buttons as currency to purchase their patches, and the tiles have uneven shapes so individuals have to think about the layout to reduce the number of holes in their finished quilts. The variety of patchwork tiles ensures the blankets are unique creations for each game, and viewing the results is often just as interesting as playing the game itself.

Made for just two players, the game is great when there aren't a lot of people for large games.

5. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig

A variant of Castles of Mad King Ludwig, this game is highly flexible, allowing just two players in a special setup or as many as seven players in the normal rules.

Players go about the task of building castles for the eccentric king by choosing among 147 unique room tiles each round, including fish ponds, dining rooms, armories and halls. The huge selection adds a rich depth to the game, letting players focus on playing as they wish.

Focus can be placed on creating colorful (and sometimes quite funny) castles just for the fun of it or strategically crafting massive fortresses designed to maximize points.

6. Tapestry

Players who love Catan can pit their civilization-building skills against other players or unique artificial players in this gorgeous board game. The addition of bot players allows one or two people to play by themselves, though the game is designed to handle up to five players.

Players start from scratch and pick advancements to help their civilization flourish. Four tracks are available to give players plenty of customization and control over their progress, and there are 16 factions to choose from.

Future replays are made more enjoyable by the diversity as players can pick new routes and focuses each time through the game.

7. Above and Below

A clever mixture of world-building and storytelling elements, Above and Below challenges up to four players to build a successful village.

Players can assign jobs such as harvesting, exploring and building to villagers, who then complete the tasks using their unique skills and abilities. As players build their village above ground, they can also send groups to explore a nearby cavern.

Cave explorations have a play style reminiscent of classic choose-your-own-adventure games. Players take turns reading from a book of stories, and how the players react to the stories alters their expedition's potential rewards and consequences and influences the game's progression.