30 Best Family Board Games for Your Next Game Night

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Family game night is a great way for both adults and children to free themselves from the always tempting lure of screens. Getting everyone to take part in a shared activity can be tricky though, which is why we put together this list of the best board games for families.

Each game on this list is rated for both adults and children to play — although some games are better for the younger set while others are better suited for teens and tweens and their grownups — and can inspire a little light competition without causing anyone to walk away angry. While you will recognize some old favorites on this list (and they’re favorites for a reason, games like Candy Land and Monopoly have stood the test of time) we promise you you’re going to find a whole bunch of new go-to games your whole family will ask to play again and again.

So, pop some popcorn, clear a space on the table, and put on your thinking cap because we have a hunch you’re about to find your new favorite game night tradition on this list of the 30 best family board games that will help you bust your screen time habits and get a bit more quality time in with the ones you love.

BLANK SLATE

There's a reason why word association games are so much fun for families to play together, and it has a lot to do with knowing your fellow players almost as well as they know themselves. With this game, players work to try and fill in the blanks in a sentence while coming up with the same words as another player. The better you know your family the more likely you are to win!

Rabble Board Game

A fun party game that has guests busting a gut as they try to guess specific words while completing challenges. Each round offers new rules as to how you can drop hints about the word on your card, ensuring new and exciting challenges the longer you play.

Bold Made Card Games

A fresh twist on the classic Old Maid and Go Fish games, Bold Made offers fun for the whole family. This award-winning game has the bonus feature of allowing players to increase difficulty by opting for advanced game play options. Each card is beautifully designed and features awe-inspiring women like Malala Yousafzai, Temple Grandin, and Harriet Tubman, making this the rare fun and educational game the whole family will love!

Double Ditto

Think you know how the members of your family think? Then you'll love Double Ditto, a game that involves guessing what answers your opponents will come up with while viewing one of 400 category cards. You'll each have a chance to write down the two words you think your opponent will pick. Guess correctly and you'll get a ditto. Match both words and you'll be crying out "double ditto" while finding out which player you're most in sync with.

Finding Sasquatch: Adventure Card Game

Track the elusive Sasquatch with this card game that pits players against one another in a race to gather guides, gear, and land. The game relies heavily on the actual Sasquatch legend, offering a bit of mystery for your family game night.

Pun Intended

Do you think puns are the height of comedy? Are you a dad joke aficionado? Then this game is for you! Players break off into teams where they are given a partial pun. Each team works together to come up with as many possible puns as they can while hoping to guess the correct answer. We assure you, this game will be pun for the whole family!

Telestrations Board Game

If the game of telephone and Pictionary had a baby it would be Telestrations. Each player starts off with an erasable sketch book where they can attempt to draw their secret word. After 60 seconds the books each get passed to the player on the left where they have to guess what the original player was trying to tell them. We promise you'll be laughing by the end of each round.

TAPPLE Word Game

If your family likes fast paced play then they'll love TAPPLE, which involves choosing a category card, starting the timer, and then yelling out as many words as you can that start with the chosen letter. The compact nature of the game means that it's perfect for travel and can be played just about anywhere... as long as you won't get in trouble for yelling out answers that is.

HUES and CUES

Players ages 8 and up will love this game that involves making connections between colors and words. Each player is given only one and two-word cue cards, which they need to use to try and get other players to try and guess a specific hue from the 480 options on the game board.

Spoof Board Game

A fun twist on a typical trivia game, Spoof involves coming up with clever yet believable wrong answers. Convince your fellow players that your response is true to win. Best suited for kids 10 and up but younger kids can still play by pairing up with an adult who knows their stuff (or one who knows how to bluff).

Kids VS Parents

Pitting the grown ups against the younger members of the family, this game creates a challenge to see who knows who best, and helps everyone learn a little something new with each round of play.

Zen Battle Card Game

Need to unwind while centering yourself? Try this fun game that relies on being able to keep your cool while battling other players to see who can be the first to achieve the title of Zen Master. Each player has to a line their Chakra cards before they can transcend. The first player to transcend four times takes home the title of chillest member in the family.

The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition Board Game

If ditching the screens is a struggle for your family, try bringing some of the things you love about them to the table, like with this version of the Game of Life featuring all your favorite Super Mario characters. It follows the same formula of the traditional Game of Life while incorporating some video game faves.

Monkey’s Forest Feast Cooperative Game

Can your family work together to help a monkey eat 10 fruits before a fruit bat swoops in and steals all the goodies? This is a perfect game for younger kids who are still working on counting to play with older kids and adults to work on those math skills while also getting a chance to flex their strategizing muscles.

Trivial Pursuit Family Edition

This Amazon exclusive allows parents and kids to engage in a battle of the wits (and memory) that adjusts up or down depending on the age of the players, making it easier for the whole family to get involved. Categories include history, sprots, movies, and more.

Monopoly Board Game: The Classic Edition

Monopoly dates back to 1904 and will never go out of style, But if you're going for a nostalgic vibe for your family game night, you might as well go all the way there with a version of the Monopoly board like you remember it from when you were a kid.

Candy Land

This one's simple enough for little kids — and there's no reading required. It's colorful! It's candy! It's fantastical! The rules are few and simple! What's not to love?

Taco vs Burrito

An actual 7-year-old kid is the brains behind this strategic card game — so you know it's a hit with the grade-school set. But all ages will have fun playing this hilarious and easy-to-learn game. If you don't have a ton of time (or attention span), you can move through this game in 15 minutes. But do be careful: "I laughed myself into an asthma attack!" one reviewer wrote.

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Trivial Pursuit Mini Packs

Level the playing field for adults and teenagers with an edition of Trivial Pursuit that focuses on just the past decade. You'll get 1,800 trivia questions across 300 cards.

Pandemic Board Game

OK, so maybe this one’s a little too on the nose (use your judgment). But if your brood is into science and, er, current events, work together as a family in this game to keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics while striving to find cures.

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Do You Really Know Your Family?

This family trivia competition is a bonding and relationship-building experience masquerading as just plain fun.

Pictionary

This crowd-pleasing favorite has been around since 1985. No artistry required: It can be even more fun (and hilarious) when no one in the group knows how to draw even a little bit.

Battleship

For a twist on the classic, this version of Battleship includes airplanes in addition to ships. It also comes with two portable cases so players can take games on the go. (Now try to get that earworm of a commercial out of your head: “You sunk my battleship!”)

Backgammon Board Game Set

There's something so sophisticated about backgammon; imagine you're playing with your family at a Parisian bistro instead of on your own dining room table. This foldable leatherette set feels hefty and plush.

Trekking The National Parks

This board game has a sumptuous and luxurious feel, with substantially made and visually beautiful components. Inspired by its creators’ love of national parks, this game will inspire your own family’s love, too. The decorated game has scooped up many awards, including the Parents' Choice Award for Best Family Game.

Ticket to Ride Board Game

In this evocative strategy game, players build train routes across the 20th-century USA. It’s history, it’s adventure, it’s competition — it’s just plain fun.

Hedbanz

As many as six players at a time can play this lively, fast-paced guessing game. Put a card in your headband facing out — and try to guess what's on it with help from clues from your family.

Magnetic Chess

Thanks to The Queen's Gambit, chess is enjoying a pop-cultural resurgence. Get your family in on the action with a budget-priced magnetic board that's great on the go. Bonus: It comes with extra queens and a storage bag, too.

Scrabble Deluxe Edition With Rotating Wooden Game Board

What's better than classic Scrabble? (If you answered "the Scrabble mobile app," you're wrong.) It's this deluxe edition of the analog game, which comes with a rotating wooden board, mahogany letters and racks, and embroidered fabric tile bags. Consider your game majorly upped.

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The Isle of Cats

If you're a cat family (and you know who you are), this is your chance to save as many cats as you can from a cruel fate. Explore the isle, rescue cats, gather ancient treasures, and find a way to fit it all into your boat on the way out. And get comfortable: Plan on 90 minutes to play this intricate game.

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