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Want to get the family together for game night, but tired of Monopoly and Uno? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite family game night games. Some of the games require reading, but all of them are family-friendly and crowd-favorites. Check out our list below and get the family together for a night of strategy and fun. Just don’t forget the snacks!
Board Games
Ticket to Ride
This award-winning board game is a favorite for both kids and adults. Your goal is to grow your railroad line and finish route cards by building between cities on the map. This requires collecting the right number of cards in that route’s color, so this game is very kid-friendly. Your strategy will be as complicated as the group you play with. With younger kids, you’ll have fun focusing on building your routes, but with adults, it can get more cutthroat as users deliberately go out of their way to block your routes!
RoboRally
Carcassonne
Named for a medieval walled city in France, Carcassonne starts with one tile of land that each player takes turns adding on to. By building out the terrain and placing followers (“meeple”) on the tiles, players seek to have control over the most valuable land at the end of the game. Each game completes with a different landscape layout so this game never gets old.
Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space: Ultimate Edition
Trapped on a failing spaceship, each player is either a human desperately trying to reach an escape pod, or an alien trying to hunt down all of the humans. Each player has their own copy of the map, on which they note where they are and where they think other players are. Tense bluffing, strategy and luck play out on each map in this game.
Settlers of Catan
No board game list would be complete without Settlers of Catan. This game about building your land and resources is one of the most popular board games since Monopoly. Strategy on its modular, hexagonal board continues to challenge and delight players more than 20 years after its initial release. Do you have any wheat?
Pandemic
Want a change from competing against each other? Try the classic cooperative game, Pandemic. Work together to try to find a cure for several dangerous diseases that could eliminate all human life on Earth! Each player has a specialized role – can you find the cures in time?
Card Games
Apples to Apples
Apples to Apples is the original card comparison game, and it’s a wonderful choice for any group of people, young or old! Each turn, one person acts as the judge. The judge draws a green card, which contains a description, such as “Excellent” or “Crunchy”. The other players will each play a red card that they think fits the description – anything from “Kittens” to “Abraham Lincoln”. The judge then chooses the card they think fits the description best. They can make their choice for any reason—inside jokes, personal preference and player arguments are all encouraged. This game changes based on who you’re playing with, making it a perfect game to bring the family together.
Werewolf
Werewolf is a great game for larger groups. One person runs the game, and everyone else is assigned an identity, such as a villager defending the town, a werewolf trying to eat all the villagers or one of the other many special roles. Each “night”, the werewolves vote on someone to eat. Each “day”, the villagers vote to eliminate someone they think is a werewolf. Bluffing, lies and scheming all come out to play in this game of negotiation and guessing.
Dixit
Brush off your storytelling skills for this illustrated image card game. Choose a card from your hand and give it a short story or phrase. Next, each player will submit their own image card, then all players will guess which card they think is yours. If no one or everyone guesses your card, you get no points. You need to be creative without being too obscure! This game is great for all ages. There’s no reading required so little kids can join in too.
Word Games
Taboo
Get your teammates to guess the item or phrase on your card. Don’t say any of the words listed on the card, or you’ll get called out and lose points! Taboo is a hilarious team-based game sure to leave you in laughter.
Catch Phrase
This isn’t a board game, but an electronic game. Similar to Taboo, each team tries to guess the catchphrase their teammate is describing, but don’t get caught holding the game when the buzzer goes off! Turns switch quickly, from one team to another, and will definitely get everyone talking.
Pictionary
Like charades, but with drawing. Can you get your teammates to guess your person, phrase or idea without saying anything? Half the fun is seeing the ridiculous drawings your friends and family come up with, and trying to make sense of them!
Bananagrams
Bananagrams is like Scrabble without the board. Build words off other people’s words, and make sure they all connect! This game is highly portable in its yellow banana-shaped bag, and can be adapted for any group with different rule variations.
Looking for games that are less family-friendly? Check out our list of the 5 best adult party games.
