Play It Family Style
On a rainy day or after a meal around the fire there are few family activities that can make or break relationships like a board game. Friendships have ended and marriages have been put to the test over many rounds of Monopoly or Battleship. We’ve lost a few good men to the pits of Go Fish and Slap Jack. And we’ve come a long way since the earliest board games. Did you know the first ‘board game’ ever found is called The Royal Game of Ur, and dates back to Mesopotamia 2600-2400 BC?
Now of course we tend to stick to our modern games for family bonding, but those get old fast and can be boring for older players. So, we have carefully vetted a bunch of family friendly games that should not only be fun for all ages, but are easy to pack up for trips!
*This list is organized by age range and number of players.
Connect 4
Age range: 6+
Players: 2
Difficulty: 1/5
Play time: 10min/round
How to Play: Face off against an opponent to see who can connect four of their pieces in a line first! This game first hit shelves in the 1970s, and has had siblings battling for dominance ever since.
Sorry
Age range: 6+
Players: 2-4
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 30 min
How to Play: Players race their pieces around the board, first to reach the Home spot wins, but players can knock others off the board and back to start! All luck based and can and has destroyed relationships.
Battleship
Age range: 7+
Players: 2
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 30 min
How to Play: Send out your armada and hope your opponent doesn’t get enough hits on any of your ships to sink them! First to sink the other’s whole fleet wins!
Blokus
Age range: 7+
Players: 2-4
Difficulty: 2/5
Play Time: 20 min
How to Play: Players try to link as many of their pieces on the board as they can while fighting to block other players until space runs out. The one with the most tiles on at the end wins. Caution: Can cause feuds worse than Monopoly if you’re not careful.
Bananagrams
Age range: 7+
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 15 min/round
How to Play: Similar to Scrabble, but a lot faster, each player works to create their own ‘crossword’ before their opponents, taking tiles from the pool as they run out. Be the first to complete your grid after the tiles have depleted.
Uno
Age range: 7+
Players: 2-10
Difficulty: 1/5
How to Play: Race to be the first to get rid of all your cards first by matching your cards to the discard deck. Don’t forget to betray the trust of your loved ones with reverse and wild cards!
Cribbage
Age range: 8+
Players: 2, variations available for 3-6
Difficulty: 2/5
Play Time: 30 min/round
How to Play: Would you believe this game has been around the 1600s? Play cards from your hand to score points, moving your peg along tracks on the board. First to reach 121 points wins! Maybe you’ll finally earn your father in-law’s respect if you do.
Labyrinth
Age range: 8+
Players: 2-4
Difficulty: 1.5/5
Play Time: 20 min
How to Play: Divide the hunt for treasure between players and try and get through the ever-changing maze to find all your items first. Mess up your opponents’ future moves by shifting the path around them. Use strategy and the occasional cutthroat tactic to win.
Dutch Blitz
Age range: 8+
Players: 2-4 (expansion packs available: 6-8)
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 1-15 min/round
How to Play: Think of this as competitive solitaire. Move fast and pay attention, players race to be the first to empty their “Blitz pile.” Color coordinated stacks of cards will be played in the center, with points being divided up once a player has emptied their pile. It’s a lot simpler than you think!
Sushi Go!
Age range: 8+
Players: 2-5 (expansion packs available)
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 15 min
How to Play: Score points by collecting sushi rolls or making full sets of sashimi while boosting your score with special sides like wasabi or dessert! Each round, players choose a card from their hand to keep for their ‘order’ before passing their deck; play repeats until each deck is down to one card. The player with the highest number of points at the end of three rounds wins! But be careful, you might be passing the next player a card they need so watch what everyone is collecting!
Pictionary
Age range: 8+
Players: 2 teams
Difficulty: 1/5 depends on how good you are at drawing
Play Time: 1.5 hours
How to Play: In two teams, try and guess what your teammate is drawing before time runs out! And if your drawing capabilities are on the ‘meh’ side, attempt that Vulcan mind meld you’ve been thinking about.
Love Letter
Age range: 10+
Players: 2-4
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 20 min/round
How to Play: For fans of Bridgerton, in a game of risk, deduction, and luck, suitors compete to get their ‘love letter’ to the princess before the others by playing cards during their turn to expose others or knock their ‘letter’ from the game. First to earn enough tokens of affection wins!
Telestrations
Age range: 12+
Players: 4-8
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 30min
How to Play: The nice thing about this game is that you can match the ages of the group (and the intoxication level). Draw your random word and have the next player try and guess it, the third player then draws that word. Continue until your sketch returns to you and see who did the best (and who maybe decided to throw a wrench in).
Funemployed
Age range: 13+
Players: 3-20 (recommended 3-7)
Difficulty: 1/5
Play Time: 30 min
How to Play: Apply for real jobs with real fake qualifications (will you be the best astronaut because you have lots of pockets, safety scissors, and are a cannibal?) This role-playing game has players trying to convince ‘the boss’ why they’re the best match for the job. Make up a story around your chosen Qualification cards to be the best Applicant for the job!