Best Board Games for Family Game Night

If you follow us on Instagram, you know that I love board games almost as much as I love books. It’s my favorite way to interact with my kids and has been a major pastime in our household since they were babies. Games are a great way to increase logic, math, cooperation, and strategy skills. Plus, they are just plain fun!

But let me be clear…not all games are created equal. Games like Candyland, Hi Ho! Cherry-O and Chutes and Ladders make me want to gouge my eyes out. I can’t handle insipid games that don’t involve skill.

I also don’t like games that take a million-and-one years (I’m eyeing you, MONOPOLY), so below are favorites from my household of game-loving geeks. The best board games for each age are laid out in a way that even parents of toddlers can actually enjoy game night and not want to flip the table when the game is almost over and you have to slide back down to the first slot.

*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.

Best New Board Games

1. Triggle

When kids need a boredom buster, this is the game I pull out. It’s so easy to learn – take turns stretching a rubber band over three pegs. If your rubber band creates a triangle with another rubber band, then you get to put your color marker inside. Most markers at the end wins! It’s freakishly addictive! Perfect for ages 6+

2. Tilt ‘N’ Shout

Looking for a fast group game? This one is silly. Split into 2 teams and flip a card, then take turns calling out cereal brands or Disney princesses – whatever the cards say! As soon as you say a word, push your side of the maze down. The first team to get the ball out wins! It can be played with 2 or more people, and it’s sure to get shy kids right into a playdate. Great for ages 8+

3. My City

In this fun game, you are working with Tetris-like pieces to build a city and gain the most points each round by placing your buildings in beneficial areas. This is a legacy game, which means each of the 24 episodes needs to be played with the same group, as the points are cumulative and the board will be permanently altered after each round. My 12-year-old and I loved how the complexity builds with each round, and it was fun to see our various strategies play out over weeks of playtime. Perfect for kids 10+

4. Art Society

This game is similar to Tetris, but it’s easier. Bid on paintings and then place them on your gallery wall to collect points, but be careful! Don’t make a faux pas and put two of the same paintings next to each other, or risk losing points. My kids get really into the auction portion of each round, while I like making my gallery wall look aesthetically pleasing.

5. Quacks

This game is quick to learn, fast-paced, and easy to play, but strategy is the key. Every player has a bag of potion ingredients. Each round, you pull ingredients from your bag without looking and put them in your cauldron. Build a potion without letting it explode! The more points, the bigger your reward, but if it explodes, you have to make some choices before the next round. For ages 13+

6. Abducktion

This quick and fun light strategy game has you using action cards to try to kidnap your ducks and gain points before your opponents. Swap, shift, and trade ducks to make a specific pattern to gain point cards or use your actions to mess up an opponent’s attempts to do the same! It’s perfect for kids 11+

7. Santorini

I have NEVER won this game, my kids team up and crush me in it every time! The main objective is to be the first one to complete a building using your special godly powers to build or block your opponent. Each time you play, you can pick a different god with a different ability, so the play options feel endless even though the basic mechanics stay the same. Great for ages 8+

Best Board Games for Age 3+

1. Hiss

Help your child learn their colors in this snake-building game. Whoever has the most snakes at the end wins!

2. Eye Found It

Race to get to Cinderella’s castle before the clock strikes midnight. This seek-and-find game is a cooperative one, so everyone wins or everyone loses. You and your little ones will look for hidden Mickeys, fire hydrants, cats, and a plethora of other little items. They will delight in finding their favorite characters along the way.

3. Hoot Owl Hoot

A cooperative game that teaches both colors and strategy as you race to get the baby owls home before the sun rises.

4. Pengoloo

A color-matching memory game for the whole family! The first person to find an egg of each color is the winner, but watch out, your opponents might just steal one of your eggs!

5. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Another fun color game for little ones, with a special squirrel grabber to help build hand strength. Be the first squirrel to fill your stump with an acorn of each color, but be careful! If your opponent spins a sneaky squirrel, they can steal one of your acorns!

 6. Shelby’s Snack Shack Game

Work on early counting skills with this adorable doggy game. You will work on recognizing numbers 1-5 AND work on beginning addition and subtraction skills in this game.

7. Dinosaur Escape

A fun cooperative memory game, work together as a team to rescue the dinosaurs from the island before the volcano blows its top!

8. My First Carcassonne

When older son started playing more advanced strategy games, my younger son wanted to get in on the action. This simple tile placing game is quickly learned but involves lots of strategic placements. You want to get all your players on the board before your opponent, so you need to learn to play for yourself while keeping an eye on what others are doing. For the record, my Father-in-Law would probably tell you it’s his favorite game on the list too!

Best Board Games for Age 5+

1. Swish Jr.

A version of a game for older kids, I love that this works on visual and spatial skills, but the best part is that it’s waterproof making it perfect to throw in your pool or beach bag!

2.Blokus

I started playing Blokus when my husband and I were newlyweds. It’s a Tetris-like game that has looking to get rid of all your wacky-shaped pieces while working to block your opponents from placing theirs. It’s wonderful for spatial relations and one that my husband and I routinely play without our kiddos.

3. Race to the Treasure

If your child has trouble with losing, work together on a cooperative game! This path-building game has your team racing with the trolls to be the first ones to the treasure.

4. Goblet Gobblers

A more advanced version of tic-tac-toe, this game allows the gobblers to cover each other, so you need to be on your toes as you aim to get three in a row!

5. Rivers, Roads, and Rails

Three games in one. this road-building game helps with spatial relations. I love that with multiple ways to play, it always feels fresh.

6. Spot it Jr.

This is the junior version of the must-have older game. Our boys loved this face-paced slapping game when they were young. It’s a great one to pack in a suitcase for travel too. Many an hour has been spent playing this game in the airport between flights around the holidays.

7. Suspend

This game says 8+ but our littles ones loved it as early as 4. Try to add your sticks to the balance wire without knocking it all over. The difficulty builds with colorful dice you can spin. Of all the games on the list, this is probably my husband’s favorite to play with our kids.

Best Board Games for Age 6+

1. Monster Match

This silly monster-matching game has kiddos racing to find many-eyed, leg, and arm monsters while collecting the most donuts to win. It’s all fits in a little monster sleeve perfect for on-the-go fun!

2. Ticket to Ride: My First Journey

We are big into strategy games around here. The adult version of this game is a classic, but it’s just as fun to play with your kids in this slightly easier (and faster) version.

3. Quirkle

Color matching, shape identification, pattern work, and counting skills are all needed for this game, so it’s no wonder it’s a Mensa game-winner and a favorite for many adult game lovers. This is a game you’ll be playing as a family for years to come.

4. Ice Cool

Winner of quite a few game awards, this game is a fast-paced, action-packed strategy game of tag. Flick your penguin around the board as you try to collect your fish while one of your opponents tries to catch you!

5. Sushi Go

Another fun strategy game that ages so well, sushi go featuring cards worth various points. Collect your favorite sushi offerings as you try to score the most points by the end. Dessert is always worth a bonus! My kind of game.

6. The Genius Square

You can play this logic game alone or with a buddy. Roll the dice, set the board up with obstacles, and race to get your Tetris-like pieces on the board first. It’s far trickier than it looks at first and is a wonderful visual puzzle.

7. Sequence

My husband and I play this alone or with the kiddos at least twice a month. Try to get five pieces in a row twice over if you can, but watch out, your opponent will be trying to block you at every turn!

1. Labyrinth

To be honest, this game looked so lame to me that I put off buying it for years even though it was recommended to me over and over again. I was missing out! I love this strategy game with its constantly moving game board.

2. Rat a Tat Cat

A memory game and counting game all in one. Try to get rid of your Rats and keep only the Cats, to help you collect the least amount of points.

3. Sleeping Queens

Use math skills and strategy to try to wake the most Queens using kings, Knights, and sleeping potions to help you on your way.

4. Carcassonne

This strategy game has players working to collect the most points by building roads, abbeys, and castles. A classic game that is different every time you play.

5. Catan Jr.

While this game might share the same name as its older brother, the games play quite differently. I love playing this sailing game with both my boys.

6. Gnomes at Night

Raise against time as a team to collect as many treasures as possible by helping each other get through the magical maze.

Best Board Games for Age 8+

1. Monopoly Deal

We’ve already established that I’m not a fan of Monopoly, but yet I love this fast-paced version of the classic game. Another one that is great for travel!

2. Zeus on the Loose

This is a great game to practice addition and subtraction with your kids without them realizing! Be the person holding Zeus when the pile reaches 100, but be aware that gods and goddess cards can change your luck.

3. Code Names

When you have 20 minutes to play, this is the perfect game. It’s doesn’t take long to learn but it’s different every time you play. Give your teammate a one-word clue to uncover your agents but don’t uncover the bomb.

4. Spy Alley

This is Jackie’s favorite family game.  She plays with the entire family.  It is unlike any other game.  The goal is to obtain your key, codebook, disguise, and password and get back to your embassy before you are caught.  The twist? Everyone can see everything you collect along the way so this game requires a strategy to win.  Don’t do what her husband does and never look at your identity.  He has never won ever.

5. Dixit

This imaginative game is different from all the others. It’s a clue giving game where the most inventive clue-master reigns supreme.

6. Shadows in the Forest

Get ready for a game in the dark! This game can only be played at night (or in a windowless room) as the lamp holder moves around the board and tries to illuminate the raccoons hiding. Get your raccoons from one side of the game board to the other before they are all captured to win.

7. Ticket to Ride New York

A shorter version of the classic game, this 15-minute quick play version explores the sights and streets of New York City.

1. Kingdomino

Another multiple award winner, this strategy game has you building up your lands as you try to collect the most points in a 5 x 5 square. A quick, fun game of strategy for everyone in the family.

2. Sushi Go

Any game that makes a game with sushi is a game that will go over perfectly in my house. Build sushi, pass cards, and play three rounds. Whoever has the most points is the winner.

3. Dragonwood

Capture creatures and enchantments while trying to defeat dragons and get points. If you are stuck at home and are in need of an adventure this is the perfect game. And this might be the only time it’s ok to stomp, scream, and strike your way through the house.

4. Simply Suspects

Choose a character, roll the dice, and figure out who each of your opponents is before anyone guesses your identity.  There are free guesses in this fast-moving game that require skill and deductive reasoning as you eliminate possibilities one by one.

5. Azul

One of our newest purchases, this game reminds of Scrabble without words. Pick your tiles and use a strategy to create a mosaic that is worth the most points.

6. Election Night

An educational game that teaches addition, multiplication, state abbreviations, geography, AND electoral college votes? Sounds like it would be boring, but it’s far from it. We’ve been having a blast playing each night and I’m shocked at how much my kids have learned already.

7. 13 Dead End Drive

I played this booby-trapped game when I was little, so I had to purchase it when it was released. My kids love playing the secret murder and trying to steal the old lady’s money before the detective can arrive to thwart their plans.

Best Board Games for Age 10+

1. Villainous

Revel in your dark side as the villain of your choice. Try to re-write the classic Disney movies and beat the heroes before your opponents do. You can advance your own agenda or throw wrenches in the way of the other villains. Only the most dastardly villain wins!

2. Forbidden Island

A cooperative game for adults, players work together to try to collect the 3 treasures and get off the island before the island sinks!

3. Bob Ross, Art of the Chill

This relaxing game has each player working to paint a different landscape before Bob paints it first. Collect chill points, master certain painting techniques, and appreciate the artwork.

4. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle

Probably the most complicated board game on this list, but also one we play again and again. It’s my oldest son’s absolute favorite. Each year you build up the difficulty of the game as you work to defeat villains, collect heroes, and even beat Horcruxes at the end.

5. Dragon Realm

A more advanced version of Dragonwood, this game has each player working to slay dragons and collect the most points. My kids love playing with the little troll people too.

6. Catan

You’ve probably heard reference to this game before because it’s known as a serious gamer’s game, but my kids love to collect and trade resources as they race to build up their settlement first!

7. Suspicion

This is the most fun family game where everyone is a jewel thief.   The first person to steal the most jewels is the winner but it requires strategy and deductive reasoning to complete this heist.

Board Games on My Shopping List

Frequently Asked Questions

Epilogue

So those are my picks for the best board games for family game night. Tried and true, all play tested, all owned and used by my own family. Did any of your favorites make the list? Do you have suggestions for me? Drop them below!!