The Best Family Boardgames
16 games great for all ages and still fun for adults.
In the spirit of promoting more planned and scheduled time together, this is a list of the family board games we’ve enjoyed the most. You might be rolling your eyes right now.
But trust me. Board games have come a long way since Candyland and Monopoly, and when you play them with your family, they provide similar benefits as sharing a meal with your family. Plus, a few extras.
You are engaging in a shared experience together. Everyone is paying attention to the same thing and engaging with it and with each other.
Even younger children can join in the fun, no matter their age and no matter what game you play. They are happy to sit in your lap and be on your "team." Let them make some of the decisions, no matter how insensible they might be.
But what do you play? The board gaming hobby has exploded. There are literally thousands of options.
The list below covers a range of complexity and playtime, depending on your preferences. Playtimes below assume everyone is already familiar with the game. Add at least 50% more if it’s your first time playing.
Push - A push-your-luck card game that anyone can enjoy. Simple, but fun, decisions to weigh risk/reward. 2-6 players. 20 minutes.
Carcassonne - A tile-laying game that your kids will intuitively understand. It scales well based on age and experience. You play with or without the advanced farmer rules based on the skill level of your players. If your family likes the game, there are lots of expansions. There’s a big box available if you want to take the plunge. 2-5 players. 45 minutes.
My Little Scythe - Great miniatures and a fun adventure. My middle child had fun just running around the map and exploring, ignoring the win conditions of the game. This game is a great way to introduce some advanced concepts without being overwhelming. Action selection, upgrades, saving resources, and more. 1-6 players. 60 minutes.
New York Slice - Everyone builds their own pizza. It uses an "I-pick-you-choose" mechanic that gets everyone thinking. The person who divides the pie gets the last pick. Great theme. 2-6 players. 30 minutes.
Wreck Raiders - A simple worker-placement game with enough strategic decisions to keep adults engaged. Your kids will have fun building their own aquariums. This is a good one to get them ready for some more advanced games. 1-5 players. 60 minutes.
Mountain Goats - Light strategy and probability game. A version of King of the Hill…with goats! 2-4 players. 20 minutes.
Forbidden Desert - A cooperative game. You'll probably lose horribly, but you'll all have a fun time while doing it. For an easier game, try Forbidden Island. 2-5 players. 60 minutes.
Chronicles of Avel - Another cooperative game, but this one is easier and suitable for very young kids. This has been a big hit in my family. Explore, find weapons and armor, upgrade them, and prepare for the big battle. Great character sheets that provide a visual cue of your character getting stronger. 1-4 players. 60-90 minutes.
King of Tokyo - Roll dice. Kill other monsters. Everyone can play this one. If you know how to play Yahtzee, you know the basic mechanic of this game. If your family enjoys this game, there are extra monster packs you can buy and a “power-up” expansion. 2-6 players. 45 minutes.
Kingdomino - Build a kingdom with domino-like tiles. When my youngest was 5 years old, he beat us all in this game. Great for all ages. 2-4 players. 30 minutes.
Dragonwood - Manage a hand of cards, roll dice, and slay monsters. A game of probability and risk. The biggest obstacle for younger players in this one is holding the cards. 2-4 players. 30 minutes.
Isle of Skye - A tile-laying game with lots of player interaction as you buy each other's tiles. This will go over the heads of younger players, but they'll still have fun. A ten-year-old can grasp this game enough to compete. 2-5 players. 60 minutes.
Codenames - There are many versions of this game, so choose whatever property your kids might be familiar with (like Harry Potter or Marvel). Great for team play. 4-10 players. 45 minutes.
Detective Club - A social deduction game with wild artwork. In contrast to other social deduction games, this one doesn’t require long discussions and accusations. Perfect for families. This one is a little hard to find right now, but you can find people selling it on BoardGameGeek. 4-8 players. 45 minutes.
Azul - Draft tiles and build a mosaic. Simple rules but difficult choices to make. Great for all ages, though younger players might not grasp some of the nuance and strategy. Everyone loves playing with the tiles, however. 2-4 players. 45 minutes.
Cascadia - Build a habitat of animals in the pacific northwest. Each player builds their own freeform puzzle. Competitive, but not aggressive, and it has a family rules set that makes it approachable for younger players. 1-4 players. 45 minutes.
I left out some 2-player games because the focus was on group play, but classic Stratego is still great. You can start teaching Chess when they are 6. Also, try Patchwork.
If you end up trying one of these games, let me know what you think. Share your experience.
Great post! We have Dragonwood and it’s awesome. My 7 year old loves it. Another favorite of ours is an old game that’s probably discontinued, called “Whoowasit?”, an interactive board game with multiple permutations and difficulty levels.