a great guide to family board games

I love gaming. I love my family. Therefore, I love gaming with my family.

The thing is, my kids aren’t especially interested in a serious Battletech fight (“When do we get to fight each other?” “Just as soon as we finish building our Mechs.” “But we’ve been doing that for an hour!” “I know! We have to make sure they’re just right …”), and my wife glazes over every time I try to explain how awesome Illuminati is. (“AHAHAHAA! The FBI took over the Convenience Stores with help from Congressional Wives and Nuclear Power Companies! Hey, where are you going? Well, if you walk away from the table I’m just going to take your money and put it on my power structure. Why do you have your car keys? Honey? Hello?”)

Luckily, there are a lot of games that are fun for nerds like me and normals like my wife and kids, games like Settlers, Carcassonne, Spooks, Last Night on Earth, Apples to Apples, and classics like Sorry and Risk. But if you’re not as seriously OCD about games as I am, you may not know where to start when you’re contemplating a family game purchase.

Well, this morning, I came across a fantastic guide to family board games in the SFGate, and I just had to share:

The range and quality of board games out there today far surpass anything we may have grown up with as kids, and in spite of the competing allures of online gaming, there is still something elementally satisfying about the roll of the dice and the click-clack of little wooden counters.

Plus, in these tough economic times, can you really afford to go out anymore? Of course not – which is where board games come in. One quick purchase amortizes nicely over many nights of brainy or brainless fun, as you prefer.

Here, then, is our annual consumer guide to some of the year’s new releases, along with a couple of holdovers that I couldn’t resist throwing into the mix.

The list runs the gamut, from Dominion (which Andrew says is fantastic, but I haven’t played) to Sorry sliders, which I’ve seen in the store but hadn’t given serious consideration to until I read about it in this list.

And remember, kids, if you see something you want to buy, go to your friendly local game shop and give them your business. The next generation of gamers (who you’re hopefully helping to create) will thank you when they have a place to play in five years.

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53 thoughts on “a great guide to family board games”

  1. My daughter has been asking if we could all play Pirate’s Cove or Ticket to Ride again. Those games never seem to get old. BattleLore is fun, too, but requires a lot of set-up time.

  3. @The Bad Astronomer I was going to suggest Apples to Apples as I played it for the first time on Friday nite with strangers and friends and it was a ton of fun. I suppose it can be toned down to make it family friendly…although adding a few drinks to the mix takes it to the next level.
    I also love Boggle and Scrabble, Pictionary and you can never go wrong with a junior Trivial Pursuit.
    Although not a boardgame per se, Jenga is a ton of fun, especially when adding dogs and cats to the mix.

  4. You know, board games are amazing. My family and friends don’t mind gathering around the wii from time to time for a little sport action, but honestly… There’s something insanely fun about gathering around the kitchen table to try out the new boardgames my uncle had brought in with him when he came in to visit. Not to mention playing all the classics like Scatagories, Cranium, and Upwords. We try to have a game night every few weeks or so. Really helps to get everyone back in touch with each other.

  6. Wil –
    I can completely sympathize. I’m still waiting for my kids to get old enough to play RPGs and other tabletop games (not to mention waiting for myself to have the free time to play them again).
    One family-friendly board game that’s not on that list, but is just awesome for the family (especially a family with one or more geeks) is WizWar (currently out of print, but should be available again sometime next year). Really great board game, quick setup, quick play – 30 minutes to 2 hours in most cases, rules are simple enough for my seven year-olds to grok with only a little help, and it’s never plays the same twice. I’d definitely check it out.
    Jeff

  7. I can’t believe I left Apples to Apples out of the post. It’s one of our favorites, and my friend John Kovalic makes it!
    I blame massive “oh my shit there are only 11 days until Christmas and I’m losing my mind” stress. The post has been corrected.
    And Tara, if you see this, I love your new Typepad ID. Squee.

  11. I was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic my youngest son was about playing Settlers Of Catan. He was enjoying it already at 6 years old.
    Looking forward to trying Apples To Apples with the kids soon.
    Good tip about supporting your local game store, too… I love online shopping as much as anyone, but the eventual disappearance of our local family-owned businesses is def on the horizon.

  12. Depending on the age, not only play Apples to Apples, Monopoly, Fluxx, Cranium,etc but you should also introduce them to old fashioned card games, like Cribbage, BS, and “President” for fun and logic.

  13. I LOVE board games! and board games in the middle of the night with my friends at Starbucks is the best!!!
    I somehow inherited the Star Trek board game, (from my uncle I think) and so on my last night out with my friends before I left for college in August, (because I was going nice and far away for college) we definitely played the Star Trek board game at Starbucks. I had never played it before, because, who would play it with me? I’m the only trekkie. Since it was a special occasion, everyone agreed to play. We had a lot of fun! It was a great night.
    My favorite Apples to Apples moment: I had both Captain Kirk and Darth Vader in my hand at the same time. 🙂

  14. I’ve got to give plug here for “Wits and Wagers” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wits_and_Wagers). My kid sister turned me on to this one… it’s Trivial Pursuit-like, but with the addition of wagering on the veracity of your opponent’s answers. You can even do quite well at the game even if you don’t know anything about the subject…you just have to be a good bluffer. Great questions, too… but then, the aforementioned kid sister was the editor that came up with most of ’em!

  15. Two comments – Wil, you must try Dominion. It is admittedly light on theme, but it is fast, easy to explain, and a ton of fun with very good replay value (and no, I am not affiliated with anyone involved in the production).
    Secondly, if you are into trivia games at all, I wholeheartedly second the recommendation for Wits and Wagers. The biggest problem with trivia games usually comes about when everyone playing is not at roughly the same level of useless knowledge. Watching one player walk away with the game, or seeing one person left behind, is no fun at all. The system used in Wits and Wages does a great job at equalizing the playing field, without handicapping anyone. It really is a great system.
    Additional quick recommendations – Race for the Galaxy is awesome, once you get the hang of it (1-2 plays), although it is pretty meaty for a “family game” and the complex appearance of the cards may scare some potential players away, unfortunately. Lighter titles worth checking out would include Cash ‘n Guns, Ave Caesar, and Blue Moon City. Cosmic Encounter is also about to be reissued by FFG as well, so that is another to watch for.
    Happy gaming!

  16. Hey Wil,
    You should check out Puerto Rico. My boyfriend is into the games that you described and besides Settlers its the only game I can play and understand and not cause my eyes to glaze over! 🙂 It’s great with a large group of people too.

  17. We’ve definitely been contemplating picking up Apples to Apples, I’ve had several people suggest it. Ever played Fluxx? It’s my current fave right now, along with it’s expansions of Zombie Fluxx, Eco Fluxx and Monty Python Fluxx. It’s a card game with rules that change constantly throughout the game, but it’s EASY because each card you play is what changes the rules, therefore each card that is put down explains in detail exactly what’s happening. Total fun. 🙂

  18. A game shop / cafe near our house has demo games, and this last week we went for milkshakes and tried Qwirkle. We found it to be good fun for everyone from 5, 8, 12, 14 to 38. The older kids and adults could strategize more, but the younger ones could still jump right in and play.
    Qwirkle is already on it’s way to my brother’s family for Christmas. We’re catching up and getting Settlers of Catan and Carcassone for our family. Ticket to Ride is next.
    Apples to Apples is one of our favorites too, but we tend to lean towards a bitterly sarcastic style when playing with adults (eg, hilarious = space shuttle challenger disaster, horrifying = Barney, etc.).

  19. I love board games! It seems like their popularity is really starting to come back. Pictionary is my all time favorite. My kids and I often play Skipbo together, which is really a card game, but it still counts. I’ve never played Apples to Apples. I’ll have to check that one out.

  20. There is a great “play by email” website with Risk style games at warfish.net.
    But you can only join by invitation. So if you would like to play a Risk style game online, send an invite request to [email protected].

  21. Apples to Apples Junior is highly recommended for family play. We played with my then-nine-year-old nephew and he had no trouble following along — in fact, he demanded the right to be permanent Judge for the last game, not because he wasn’t having fun but because he was having so MUCH fun being the Judge.
    I’ve played A2A in groups as large as 12 people and had a blast. I’ve played in groups as small as four people (where we allowed everyone to play two cards rather than just one) and had an equal blast.
    BTW, Wil calls out my evaluation of Dominion, so I’ll tell you basically what I told him: it’s a very intimidating box, and I wasn’t at all sure before we started, but by the end of the first game I was in full MUST PLAY AGAIN NOW mode. It’s insanely fun. If you have an experienced player to help show you the ropes, it will help initially, but after that, you shouldn’t need any help at all. Looking forward to expansions.

  22. I’ve played lots of board games with my parents at home and while visiting relatives. We’ve had good times playing games like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Risk, Battleship, chess, checkers, and cards.
    It’s great to see my hometown newspaper in San Francisco represented here too! I discovered the Star Trek board game at a community yard sale in Bernal Heights. I’ve found lots of cool items at sales and stores around the Bay Area.

  23. My hubby & friends & I love to play board games, too. Upon Wil waxing rhapsodic a while back on Apples to Apples, we bought it. No regrets! It’s a lot of fun, so anyone here who doesn’t have it & is thinking of getting it, GET IT. I also love Trivial Pursuit (we set a limit of 5 minutes for thinking of your answer) & Cranium/Hoopla (basically the same game). I like Pictionary, but I don’t like Scattergories that much. I also love to play my Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit, but no one ever seems to want to play it with me. :_( Well, maybe they should read the books! Or at least watch the movies… Oh, well.
    -Alicia
    [email protected]
    http://www.thewagband.com

  24. I don’t understand the hate on for Things over at SFGate there.
    It’s one of my favourites. The game completely changes depending on the group of people you have playing. And you can really write anything on the cards. Unintentional hilarity ensues!

  25. Thanks for the heads up to this great list of games. We used to play board games all the time and had so much fun, but for the last several years I have drifted into spending way too many hours in front of the PC, role playing and game playing. I want to get back to the board game fun and this list will be a good guide of the new games .

  27. Yay for board games! We’ve been in a bit of a slump here since the kiddo outgrew Candyland. For the Apples to Apples enthusiasts, does this work well for 5 year olds?
    And does anyone have more suggestions aimed at the younger crowd? Age 5, can read some, has some strategic abilities, but needs a little practice to be truly deadly (or at least to not give up in frustration.)
    Time to look into a few more games for the grown-ups of the house too. Thank you for the pointer, Wil!

  28. Risk, Apples to Apples and Blokus are fantastic games.
    It’s an inexpensively fun way to hang out with friends, have a few drinks and play games. Provided everyone can coordinate their schedules, it can become a regular thing.

  29. As an elementary teacher, I can tell you that not enough parents are playing board games with their kids (let alone spending time with their kids at all). I take every opportunity to play games with my kindergardeners as I can! I love Friday night game night with my son, but he’s finally old enough to beat me at most games.

  30. Apples to Apples is The Best Game EVER!!!
    You can play with as few as three people or as many as a thirty (or more; thirty is the most I have ever played with)!!!
    More family games we enjoy: WordUP (like Scrabble, except you can play tiles on top of each other!), Quoridor (2-4 players; sheer awesomeness), and Quarto (only 2 players, but best tic-tac-toe adaptation EVER).

  31. @HeatherS: A2A is probably a little beyond a solo 5-year-old, even one who’s already reading (and good on you for that!), but there’s a workaround: let the littlest one team up with someone else to help pick the card. It’s a great game to promote reading, since the whole game revolves around words and their relationships.

  34. Modern Art is a classic one, and my husband and I have had lots of fun with Vegas Showdown lately (you build a casino). Lots of good ones out there…boardgamegeek.com is a great resource – you can decide what you like in a game (mechanics, set collection, etc.) and find similar games too. As for party games, we played Last Word recently and that was fun too. Gotta love the weekly game nights….

  35. I’d add Munchkin (and its numerous add-ons) to the list. The gameplay isn’t too difficult for kids to get and the puns are funny even for the normals.
    Also, my husband sends his sympathy on your Illuminati plight. I don’t glaze over about the game, but I still refuse to play it with him.

  36. @ HeatherS: Check out Orchard Toys – http://www.orchardtoys.com/ They have awesome games aimed at preschool to elementary age. My 3 year old *loves* the Shopping Cart game, and liked the Lunchbox game, too (both basically matching games but with neat themes). Also, games for young kids are a great way to teach patience and turn taking. Plus she already beats me at Wii Sports.

  37. I second the Munchin +variants recommendation. Anything by Steve Jackson is generally good. I’ve seen Fluxx mentioned and enjoy that one. Set is great too, if you like something that requires a bit of thinking and can get rather … heated.
    Guillotine is a great card game, if you don’t mind the fact that the object of the game is to collect heads. I’ve also really enjoyed Mille Bournes and just found it at a local game shop. We’ll be giving that to our neighbors for the next game night.

  38. I think Cosmic Encounter (the FFG version that just came out) is a smart buy, especially if you want something that’s always going to be different. It’s managed to remain one of the top board games for over 20 years, and has over 2 million different ways to play it. It’s not terribly difficult to figure out, doesn’t go on forever, and is great for non-gamers as well. I’ll eat my figurative hat if you’re not happy with that purchase. http://tinyurl.com/66nnlg

  39. See… I love board games, but I’ve got no one to play them with…
    Which really sucks. I’ve considered getting my out of town friends to buy the same game, then somehow play simultaneously without cheating or picking out the same cards from the deck etc. Even through Skype, I’m not sure it would work 🙁

  40. It’s not really a board game, but Uno Attack is awesome fun for a family. I played it at a friends, got it for my parents, and their friends got it, and then their friends got one as well. It’s a lot of fun and very addicting.

  41. Board games never really grab me. Pen and paper rpgs are where it’s at for me. However, I have begun to appreciate the card games. Not necessarily collectible ones, but games like Chez Geek (and Grunt and Goth and Greek). Also, check out Gloom.

  43. Thanks for the great link! I’ve been looking for a fun 2 player game to play with my geeky husband and there look to be some good options here.
    I’ll throw my two cents in for Wits and Wagers as well. It’s a great game. In fact, it is so fun that I came back the night before my wedding to find my fiance and all his friends playing W&W instead of being out a bar. Now that’s a game!

  45. Excellent! Finding games that cross age groups is never easy and we have a brand new teen in the house! From Settlers to Guillotine, we have a pretty good selection, but adding a good source for new ones is never a bad thing!

  46. Question: Shouldn’t that read “I love my family. I love gaming. Therefore, I love gaming with my family.”?
    I’m just saying, you do love your family more than gaming, right?
    Now, that I think about it, nevermind. Don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position.
    *smiles*
    P.S. I am just teasing, please people don’t attack me…

  47. Great list. I’ve played Ticket to Ride and agree that it’s a lot of fun.
    I’d like to respectfully recommend “Mad Gab” – the basic version comes in a tin for less than ten bucks and it’s quite fun. Our family (a dozen or so people, kids and adults) played it at Thanksgiving and it was hilarious. It was almost more fun when it wasn’t our turn because it’s so funny hearing people read aloud and not know what they’re saying. Anyone else tried it?

  48. Thanks for this, Wil. I’d been looking for a couple more ideas for my daughter for Christmas, and this was a perfect fit.
    Uncle Willie saves the day (again).

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