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Must-Have Board Games for Family Game Night

32 items

Michelle Johnson

Nothing beats a good board game night—whether it’s strategy, laughs, or a little friendly competition. I’ve rounded up the best board games that are actually fun (no boring duds here!). From quick party games to deep strategy favorites, this list has... (There's no crying in Monopoly!) 🎲

Sections

Games We Play All the Time

We Own It… But Don’t Ask If We’ve Played It

Two Players (Games for When Only One Kid Loves Me)

Cooperative Games (Games That Allegedly Teach Teamwork)

Ages 4-99 (Because No One Has Brainpower Left)

Escape Rooms (Without Leaving the House… or Arguing Too Much)

Games We Play All the Time

Our real-life game night lineup. These are the ones we pull off the shelf constantly—whether it’s family chaos, casual strategy, or something weird we didn’t expect to love.

It takes a while to learn what your faction does. I recommend picking a faction and always begging your family to let you play it…otherwise you'll have to figure it out every time. Be prepared to spend an afternoon playing. Very skill based!

Root is a long game, but very fun!

Comes with a cup and “ice cubes”. We are a pretty tight family so found this game loads of fun. Best played with people you know or people who like you. Ha!

Really? How Well Do They Know You? Game

This is a really fun family game. You can play this with grandparents, neighbors, teens, anyone. Laugh and laugh.

Big Potato Herd Mentality Board Game

(I guess we really like Big Potato games.) Fun for most ages…you do have to read and understand about the world, somewhat. But you can get people who dont like playing games, playing this one!

Big Potato Sounds Fishy Board Game

We Own It… But Don’t Ask If We’ve Played It

Look, we had good intentions when we bought these. Some were gifts. Some were wishlist splurges. Some just looked cool. But for one reason or another, they’ve never made it to the table. Yet. Maybe this is the year.

I'm doing mine with the kids.

The Adventure Challenge Friends Edition

It's so cute! And VERY inexpensive. Perfect for all ages. I dont know why we havent played it yet.

Piggy Piggy Card Game

Two Players (Games for When Only One Kid Loves Me)

Sometimes I can only convince one child to play with me—and that’s when these two player gems shine. Perfect for quick duels, quiet battles, or intense stare-downs with your favorite offspring (or whichever one said yes first).

Perfect for just two people or take turns playing the winner. There IS a LOT of skill involved and my kids hardly ever beat me. I challenge you to a play!

Connect 4 is one of my favorite games.

I've only played this with my teenage son, who won every round. But we really enjoyed it. There's a lot of skill involved in order to win but it's fast paced and moves quickly.

Compile: Fun Two-Player Card Game

I really like this one. It's fast and easy.

Couch Skeletons Card Game

Cooperative Games (Games That Allegedly Teach Teamwork)

These are the games where we’re all on the same side… until someone forgets the rules or triggers an unnecessary disaster. Great for bonding, strategizing, and occasionally passive-aggressively saying, “No, it’s fine, you take the lead.”

I LOVED IT!!!! I'm saving it do next year. I think I'll have forgotten it by then. PERFECT stocking stuffer. I'm buying the rest too!!

Escape Room in Your Pocket | Kringle Caper (Mini Escape Room)

We played it in the car on a recent long trip. Kept everyone involved and off electronics. I HIGHLY recommend this game!!

Medical Mysteries is such a unique and fun game!!!

Everyone works together to do specific tasks. If you succeed, you move up a level. It's such a unique game and so much fun!! Get players who will both follow and lead because you'll need both.

I LOVE the Crew. It was my favorite game of 2024.

Ages 4-99 (Because No One Has Brainpower Left)

Easy to learn, quick to play, and just enough fun to keep everyone from wandering off. These are our go-to games when attention spans are short, bedtimes are near, or no one wants to read a rulebook the size of a novel.

Several people can play. It's face paced and the game goes quickly. There are multiple versions within each game so you never have to get bored with playing it the same way.

Spot it! - All Versions Available

It comes with most things you need. The premise is you bet on doing the activity as many times as you think you can in the alloted time. Everyone else is also betting. The highest better has to prove it!! LOTS of laughs.

Beat That! is a family friendly game for all ages.

I really want one of these so I'm keeping my eye on the prices. Would make a great family gift at Christmas time. Let me know if you have one!

Dance Mat for an active game night!

We play this all the time. We have drums and a microphone too. There is a hack to be able to use them on the Xbox. Let me know if you need this “secret” info.

Guitar Hero Xbox One

Escape Rooms (Without Leaving the House… or Arguing Too Much)

We love a good puzzle panic, and these boxed escape games bring the drama. Expect locked doors, suspicious clues, and at least one person yelling “Wait, don’t touch that yet!” Perfect for families who like a challenge and aren’t afraid to overthink e...

I like that there are three levels of difficulty. It's JUST cards. The cards give clues that you have to solve. Best with people who dont get bored easily because they usually take an hour (OR LONGER) to solve. This particular game is solvable…some escape rooms are too challenging for younger kids (and adults).

UNLOCK! Secret Adventures Escape Room Game

I played this with my 11 year old son and we got allllll the way to the end but never solved the final mystery. DRATS! Still a lot of fun from beginning to end. (My kid is a genius at this stuff so I recommend someone who understands how these things...

Box One Presented By Neil Patrick Harris is a great game! You can do this solo or with a team.

This is the BEST escape room I've ever done. So much fun. So interesting. So hard!! I did this with my 12 year old son and couldnt have solved it without him. (He was 11 when we did Box One and he has improved his skills.)

Box Two Presented By Neil Patrick Harris Game is even better than Box One!!!!

Games That Are Just… a Little Off (In the Best Way)

You know the ones. The game that makes everyone go, “Wait, what?” and then ends up being your new favorite.

Such a unique and fun game!! We are auditioning for a movie. It's silly and weird and filled with laughs. (We took a few out that we found inappropriate for our family.)

Casting Call

Traveling Games That (Mostly) Keep the Car Peaceful

These are the games that travel well, don’t take up much space, and won’t end in tears somewhere around exit 47. Perfect for road trips, backseat boredom, and stalling the “Are we there yet?” countdown just a little longer.

At the beginning of a long car ride or a long dinner, hand out the cards. See who can surreptitiously do the activities. It's a lot of fun, lot of laughs.

I Made This Game Up - Someone Stole My Idea!

Quiet game that can be played anywhere, packed up and game saved to pick back up when you get back on the road. TINY pieces so probably not great for younger kids.

Battleship on the go! Easy for any age to play.

We've played this many, many times over the years. Since there is such a wide assortment, your family will surely be able to find a game they like.

Carpool Chaos: Games for Long Trips

Holiday Games (Because We’re Already Wearing Matching Pajamas Anyway)

These are the games we pull out between cookies and cocoa—festive, funny, and family-friendly enough to play with kids, cousins, and that one uncle who never reads the rules. Some are Christmas-themed, some are just cozy chaos, but all of them feel l...

We have to include our Christmas Monopoly at the top of our list. We play it every Christmas!

Christmas-Opoly

Games We’re Eyeing

This game looks so fun. I just got it (on sale) but I have about 20 other games I've bought over black friday sales so it's gotta wait.

Funscripted

This brand has a lot of fun games. I only have two (SO FAR). This one is a cooperative game. I love cooperative games!

Endangered

I can MAKE my kids play with me with this one on my bday!!

Holiday Hijinks #5: The Birthday Burglary

It's a cooperative game, which I love playing. And doesnt it look spooky!! Let me know your thoughts on this game.

Betrayal at The House on The Hill

This will revolutionize poker night at my house!! It will make a great Father's Day gift for my husband.

Roulette Wheel Set

Stuff That Makes Game Night Better

You’ve got the board games—but what about the dice that feel powerful in your hand? The notebooks for tracking suspiciously lucky players? This list has all the little extras that level up game night.

I love using this to keep track of the games we use. It's look Goodreads but for games!

Board Game Stats – Play tracking, collection management and ...

It's really fun to look back through our notes and see how many times I've lost. (Womp Womp!)

Game Night Book for Scorekeeping and Memories

This looks like a fantastic case. My son was just lamenting that he needed something for his DND figurines.

Game Pieces/Models Carrying Case