25 Best Board Games for Families

Published on August 25, 2021 at 11:02 am by Sajjl Nooranne in Lists, News

In this article, we will take a look at the 25 best board games for families. You can skip our detailed analysis of the board games industry, and go directly to the 5 Best Board Games for Families.

Board games have been seeing a decline in popularity all over the world since people have switched to other forms of entertainment such as watching content on Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) or Amazon Prime by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), playing video games on their Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY) PlayStation and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox consoles, and generally amusing themselves by using their Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhones.

Nevertheless, when the coronavirus pandemic forced people all around the world to stay indoors, board games made a strong comeback. Accordingly, the sales of board games soared to new highs. As a consequence, online stores such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), witnessed a rise of 2000% in puzzles and board games, while Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) stores reported a 100% increase in the sale of board games.

Moreover, the famous games developing company Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) reported a 20% increase in the sales of its products in 2020 as compared to the previous year. Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) also experienced a 52% increase in its quarterly revenue in the second quarter of 2021.

Similarly, Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) experienced an increase in sales of 16.7% from 2019 to 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Furthermore, the sales of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) increased by 33% in a single day when Amazon’s Prime Day event took place. At a point during the lockdown when stores were closing down, Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) even joined forces with Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and used its expanded curbside pickup service to sell their board games and toys.

Additionally, the popular board games and figurines producer Funko, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNKO) reported an astounding 18% increase in its revenue for the fourth quarter of 2020 primarily due to the pandemic.

The famous board games manufacturers Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), Funko, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNKO), and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) have enjoyed inflated profits in 2020, and the future outlook of the board games industry also seems lucrative. According to an analysis by Arizton Advisory & Intelligence, the global board games market is expected to grow by a CAG of 13% between the years 2021 and 2026, after which it is forecasted to reach $30 billion. The CEO of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) shares this opinion, as he believes that the demand for the company’s goods will increase in the year 2021, even after announcing an increase in prices.

Photo by Karthik Balakrishnan on Unsplash

Our Methodology

No public data is available which can be used to quantify the popularity of board games. However, we spent hours reading up extensively about the reviews of board games on different board games forums and on Reddit threads in order to put together a list of board games that were well-liked by families. Using the information available to us on forums and user reviews of the board games on e-commerce sites, the list of 25 best board games for families has been assembled. We have also mentioned the suitable age range and the number players who can participate in each game.

With this context and industry outlook in mind, let’s now start our list of the 25 best board games for families.

Best Board Games for Families

25. Codenames

Number of Players: 4-8

Ages: 10 and up

Codenames is a fun game of secrets and clues. The family will be divided into two groups to play the game. All the players need to be cautious of the rogue assassin whose identity remains hidden. The team members know the spy agents only by their code names. The competition is to discover the agents’ true names by the given hints.

24. Checkers

Number of Players: 2

Ages: 5 and up

Checkers is known to be one of the world’s ancient games. This game is designed for only 2 players, both of whom attempt to defeat each other. 64 dark and light-shaded squares are placed in specific squares drawn on the board. Each player attempts to remove as many of their opponent’s pieces as possible. This game is great for families with teens or children above 5 years old. Checkers is ranked 24^th on the list of 25 best board games for families.

23. Telestrations

Number of Players: 4-8

Ages: 12 and up

This game is easy to play and makes any boring day fun. Up to six players can play this game. One player is asked to sketch something on the game board while the rest of the players try to guess what has been drawn. The guesses are hilarious and unpredictable. This game is very popular with families and is hence 23^rd on our list of 25 best board games for families.

22. Ticket to Ride

Number of Players: 2-5

Ages: 8 and up

Ticket to Ride is a fun game in which the players try to create train routes. The map of North America is drawn on the board and the players are supposed to connect different cities via train routes. In the end, the person who connects the longest routes, and earns the most points, wins the game. This is a strategy game loved by both kids and adults.

This board game is available at both online and local retailers such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST), and Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT).

21. Pictureka

Number of Players: 2-10

Ages: 6 and up

This game tests the players’ attention to detail. It is a visual hide-and-seek game. The player who finds more doodles cards on the board wins the game. This is a very simple and easy game that is suitable for both children and adults and makes for fun family nights. The game ranks 21^st on the list of the 25 best board games for families.

20. Trouble

Number of Players: 2-4

Ages: 5 and up

This is an interesting and exciting game as the players rush to get their five pieces of the game. A die is cast in the center of the board. If the one player’s game piece sits on another player’s piece at the bottom, then the player must go back to the beginning.

19. Blokus

Number of Players: 2-4

Ages: 5 and up

Blokus is a strategy game that has interesting rules. In this game, each player has 21 pieces of tiles of the same color yet different shapes. The strategy is that the pieces must be arranged in such a way that their sides should not touch. Instead, the pieces can connect only through their corners. Each player starts this game by placing the tile in a corner and then connecting more tiles with it to expand it further. The game ends when any of the players are unable to place new tiles. In the end, the player who has the highest scores wins.

18. Spontaneous

Number of Players: 4-10

Ages: 8 and up

Spontaneous is a game especially for people who enjoy music and ranks 18^th on the list of 25 best board games for families. Every player lists a few specific trigger words on a piece of paper. Each player gets a turn to reveal a word from their list and flip the clock. In a specific period of time, the opponent must sing a verse from any melody or song that contains the chosen trigger word. If a player is unable to do so, the player loses the game. In addition, the players must stay alert for additional melodic test spaces spread throughout the board.

17. Betrayal at House on the Hill

Number of Players: 3-6

Ages: 12 and up

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a game full of adventure and suspense that can be enjoyed to the fullest when it is played at nighttime. This game includes a haunted house on the board that all six players are required to explore. In the next phase, aptly named the “haunt phase”, the game dictates that paranormal creatures enter the haunted house, at which point one of the players is supposed to make an alliance with them. Afterward, all the other players will try to defeat the paranormal creatures and their singular human ally.

16. Apples to Apples

Number of Players: 4-10

Ages: 9 and up

Apples to Apples is a classic game loved by both kids and adults. In this game, one player acts as a judge and draws a prompt card while the other players draw their cards anonymously. When all the players have their cards, the judge checks the cards and reads out the one that he finds funniest. In doing so, the player whose card seems the funniest or most fun to the judge wins the game. Apples to Apples is more about enjoying the game than winning, as it is all based on luck and the judge’s assessment. Apples to Apples ranks 16^th on the list of 25 best board games for families.

15. Exploding Kittens

Number of Players: 2-5

Ages: 7 and up

Exploding kittens is both a card game and a board game. The players draw cards without being able to see their faces. If a player draws a card that has an exploded kitten drawn on it, the player loses. However, if any other card is drawn, the player remains in the game and can play further.

14. Throw Throw Burrito

Number of Players: 2-6

Ages: 7 and up

This game is great for family picnics or to play outdoors. This game is loved by adults, teens, and children equally because of its fast pace and excitement. The players must collect identical cards fast while throwing a spongy burrito on their opponents at the same time. If the burrito thrown by an opponent touches a player, the player loses. The game is a mix of dodging the burrito, running around, and quickly searching for matching cards.

13. Double Ditto

Number of Players: 4-12

Ages: 10 and up

This fun game is a tricky family game. In this quick-thinking game, players participate in pairs. Each pair is shown a question, after which they must quickly write 2 answers individually. Each person’s answer must be similar to their partner’s answer to earn points. This game is good enough to turn any boring gathering humorous. Double Ditto is the 13^th on the list of 25 best board games for families.

12. Game Night in a Can

Number of Players: 5-15

Ages: 7 and up

As the name suggests, the game is most suitable for a family game night. The can contains different games that can be played in up to 30 ways. Game Night in a Can ensures that the family is kept entertained.

11. Tenzi

Number of Players: 2-4

Ages: 7 and up

Tenzi is a quick dice game in which players get 10 dice and they have to match them quickly. It is similar to a race; the one who matches first wins. Tenzi is 11^th on the list of the 25 best board games for families.

10. Sorry!

Number of Players: 4

Ages: 6 and up

This is a game loved by people of all ages due to its simplicity and fun. In India, the game is known as Ludo and is played by casting dice. However, in the US, Sorry! is played by drawing cards and obeying the instructions on each card. The game requires each person’s pieces to begin from a specific position and move along the board to the finish line. The player who manages to get their pieces across the finish line first wins.

9. Snakes and Ladders

Number of Players: 2-8

Ages: 5 and up

Snakes and Ladders is an ancient Indian game that is fun for people of all ages. Most of the game is based on luck. The game board has numbers from 1 to 100 arranged in order. Players roll dice to proceed with the numbers in ascending order. The catch is that the board also has ladders and snakes drawn on it. Any player whose piece lands on the ladder ascends it, while any piece that lands on a snake must go down the length of its tail. The player who reaches the 100^th spot first wins the game.

8. Don’t Break the Ice

Number of Players: 2-4

Ages: 3 and up

Don’t Break the Ice is a family favorite created by Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS). Kids love to play this game as it presents a challenge for them. In this game, players are supposed to help Philip the Penguin break blocks of ice to construct an igloo. Each player takes turns to knock down pieces that fit into the board carefully. The catch is to ensure that the piece on which the penguin stands does not fall.

7. Battleship

Number of Players: 2

Ages: 7 and up

Battleship is a naval combat game that is loved by kids and adults alike. In this game, the player has to sink the opponent’s ship. The player who makes the best strategies wins the game. Battleship ranks 7^th on the list of 25 best board games for families.

6. Twister

Number of Players: 4

Ages: 6 and up

If you need fun and laughter at any informal gatherings, Twister is the right game for you. Only two players can play this game. A large board is placed on the floor, and players must touch specific places on their board using their hands and feet. In this game, care should be taken that the two players shouldn’t touch each other. The one who falls first loses the game. The game tests the players’ flexibility and ability to balance. The game is the sixth on our list of the 25 best board games for families.

Click to continue reading 5 Best Board Games for Families.