Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a unique culture. They have their own lingo, a specific diet, long-held traditions and not-quite-normal norms. And they have their own market of games.
Here we’ve compiled ten of the most fantastic board, card, video and party games made especially for Mormons. Anyone up for a rousing game of “Hagoth: Builder of Ships” or “Who Wants to Be A Celestial Heir”? You will be after you read this.
1. “Mortality”
Arguably our list’s most Mormon-y game, “Mortality” by its own description “requires cooperation, caring for other players, knowing how to build a solid foundation in one’s youth, and an understanding of how faith and testimony help you endure trials.”
Roughly similar to Hasbro’s “The Game of Life,” players begin the board game in their “youth,” where they collect “testimonies” and practice making good decisions that eventually lead to the “temple marriage” square. “Trials” are scattered along the game path, so players must acquire more “testimonies” to endure them well. And in true LDS fashion, a player must have reached the age of accountability in order to fully participate.
2. “The Celestial Companions Game”
Move over, “The Newlywed Game”—we’re talking time and eternity here. If you’re dating someone you might think is “the one,” or if you’ve already found your one and only and want to put your marriage to the test, this is the game for you.
The description on the box says it perfectly: “Being married is fun! … It’s couples versus couples in this hysterical game where you and your spouse will discover how much you really know or don’t know about your significant other!”
Why not join in the missionary effort with some good, recreational mission preparation? Players begin at a Missionary Training Center, then overcome obstacles in the mission field (bike wrecks, rejection and vicious dogs) by countering them with care packages, uplifting meetings and the help of Church members. The object of the game is to reach your individual and mission baptismal goals—because really, how else could you have a winner in a game like this?
Actual mission preparation is weaved into the silliness as players read useful teaching scriptures and answer questions relating to missionary living standards for bonus points. And the box promises that, just as in a full-time mission, “Through diligence and obedience you can succeed and reach your goals!”
Again recommended for players eight years and older, “Split the Ward” challenges players to organize a new ward’s leadership as quickly as possible.
The deck includes action cards, wild cards and “peculiar people” cards to help you in your new assignment. The object of the game? Organize three complete presidencies—which is apparently, in this game, complete ward leadership—before the other players.
Hagoth may get little more than a passing mention in the Book of Mormon, but he’s front and center in this game. Players compete to earn 25 “victory points” by designing, building and sailing ships to the Land Northward. If Hagoth isn’t on your list of favorite Book of Mormon heroes, he will be after you play this game.
6. “Helam: A Stripling Warrior Quest”
The Mormon board game market is decades old, but game designers are catching up to the rising generation. Excel Entertainment and React Games recently released “Helam: A Stripling Warrior Quest” as “the first major Book of Mormon video game.” Players adventure through the Promised Land to win allies, fight battles and collect clues. A Book of Mormon alternative to “Call of Duty” and “Diablo”? Sign us up.
This classic LDS trivia game uses the plan of salvation as inspiration for its board design. The object is simple enough—answer more questions than the other players, because each correctly answered question gets you that much closer to heaven. Because what fun is it to win if your reward isn’t eternal?
In this “heart-pounding, card-slapping game of strategy,” players collect cards that can either help or hurt them at the day of reckoning (i.e. the end of the game). Each point in your hand is a liability, so you want to discard them as quickly as possible. But there are helps and hinderances along the way—”charity” cards will help you, “desolation” will hurt you, and “justice” (you guessed it!) can go either way.
“Book of Mormon Battles” is an involved, strategic card game in which players battle each other using 56 different people from the Book of Mormon.
The battles are further complicated with 34 “support cards” that increase a player’s options on the battlefield. If you’re in to the more violent parts of the Book of Mormon, this is the game for you.
10. “The Settlers of Zarahemla”
The Mormon game market has plenty of original creations, but if you already like a particular game, there’s a good chance you can find a Mormon version. This LDS-ified version of the popular “The Settlers of Catan” has slightly different game pieces and allows players to contribute stones to the temple at Zarahemla, but excepting minor differences the two games are identical.
For other familiar games with an LDS twist, try “Mormon-Opoly, “Trek to Zion” (“Ticket to Ride”), “Speak it Not” (“Taboo”), “Celestialzy” (“Yahtzee”) and “Who Wants to Be A Celestial Heir?”
In the missionary game, do they teach the responsibility of putting a curse on a home if they reject Joseph Smith as a prophet?
Lol, no son. But they do teach all about your mom and how she got the nickname Golden Investigator.