Hellobee

Mr. Garland and I are big board game people. We love to play games together and it’s our absolute favorite way to spend time together in the evenings. I thought I’d round up some of our favorites that would be fun to play with the family. Almost all of the games on this list are games that we own and play just the two of us – so while they’re good for kids, they’re also fabulous to play with your partner or friends. I included the manufacturer’s recommended age, and on most of them I also included a note about my thoughts on appropriate ages for the games – many of them can be played with kids much younger than the recommendation! These all make an appearance on our gaming table on a very regular basis and I can guarantee you’ll have a good time if you break them out for a family game night!

1. The Tortoise and the Hare
Recommended for: Ages 7-15
This is one of our new favorites! In this game, you’re betting on a race with all of your favorite fairy tale animals, and you play cards to advance the characters that you’re betting on. It’s simple enough for young children to understand (and there’s even a simplified version you can play), but has enough strategy that the adults have a blast too! I think with the simplified rules, kids as young as 5 could probably understand, and I’d definitely say it goes beyond 15 as Mr. Garland and I pull this one out frequently to play just the two of us!

2. Survive Escape from Atlantis
Recommended for: Ages 8+
In this one, you’re controlling a group of people and you’re trying to get them off and island and to safety before the island sinks and they’re eaten by the various sea creatures that reside in the ocean. Mr. Garland and I play this one all the time and it’s great for slightly older kids who can understand a slightly more complex game – I think most kids a bit younger than 8 could handle this one, maybe with a little help.

3. Carcassonne
Recommended for: Ages 8+
This is a tile-laying game where you are building the board as you go and can place the people you control on your board to score points. You score different points depending on where you put your people and how you lay the tiles. This has some more advanced strategy to it, so it may be hard for younger kids, but it’s easy to learn and with some practice I think kids a bit younger than 8 could definitely handle it.

4. Zombie Dice
Recommended for: Ages 10+
I definitely think this age recommendation is on the high side – I’ve played with kids as young as 7 with no problems at all. This game is a lot like Farkle – you roll a set of dice and try to get brains (to eat, of course). You can keep rolling as long as you don’t get shot, but when you get shot three times your turn is over and you lose all of your brains. This requires some strategy and the ability to quit while you’re ahead, but it’s a quick, super fun game that the whole family can enjoy.

5. Tsuro/Tsuro of the Seas
Recommended for: Ages 8-12
I had no idea this was recommended for kids only. We play this one frequently and love it! The regular game, Tsuro, is just a tile laying game where you have to follow the path of the tile you lay and try not to run into another person or run yourself off the board. In Tsuro of the Seas (which is the one we have), there’s the added element of dragons who move randomly around the  board and may eat your ship! This one is very easy to understand (could definitely be played with most kids a bit younger than 8) and is fast.

6. Roll For It! 
Recommended for: Ages 8+
This game is all about rolling dice and trying to match a card in the middle of the table. You and all of the other players are all trying to match the cards at the same time, though, so it might get taken away before you’re able to complete it. This one is very simple to understand, and with a bit of practice could easily be played with a younger child than 8. We love to bring this one out while we’re watching television as it’s pretty mindless and doesn’t require too much focus or time.

7. King of Tokyo
Recommended for: Ages 8-15
This game is one of our absolute favorites. We love to bring it out when we have friends over! In this one you play monsters who are trying to take over Tokyo, and you’re all battling one another to become the king. It’s a “last man standing” kind of game, so if you have kids who might not be able to handle getting kicked out of the game before it’s over, I’d avoid this one. You roll dice to attack the other monsters, and whoever manages to remain at the end of the game is the king. This one is a bit more complex, so I’d say 8 is probably pretty fair, but if you have a kid who is familiar with games and strategies, you might be able to start a bit younger!

8. Castle Panic
Recommended for: Ages 10+
This game is cooperative, meaning all of the players work together throughout the game. Because of that, I’d say you could easily play with a child as young as 7 or 8, as you’d be able to help them pretty heavily. In this game, you’ve got monsters attacking your castle and you’re trying to fend them off before they reach the castle and start wreaking havoc. It’s a ton of fun for the adults, and can be surprisingly challenging! It’s fun to work together when you’re playing with kids too, as it eliminates a lot of stress about losing.

9. Terror in Meeple City
Recommended for: Ages 8+
This game is SO unique and fun! It’s based on the old arcade game, Rampage, and the board is three-dimensional. You play monsters trying to eat all of the people on the board, and you literally drop your monster on the board to try to knock the buildings down, blow people off of the buildings, and throw buses at buildings to try to knock people off of them. It’s wacky and silly and incredibly fun, and it’s completely different than any other game to boot!

10. Ticket to Ride
Recommended for: Ages 8-12
There are a ton of different versions of this game for areas all over the world – we have the America map but they also have Europe, India, Asia, Africa, and more. In this game you each control different colors of trains and you’ve got routes that you’re trying to complete for points. Sometimes other players can interfere with your route, though, so you’ve got to be strategic with how you play your trains! It’s a very simple game and I’d say kids a bit younger than 8 could get it, and it’s a ton of fun for the adults as well.

11. Sushi Go!
Recommended for: Ages 8-15
We love this one and I’d definitely say the age range is much broader than the recommendation. The graphics on this one are adorable – you’re trying to collect sets of sushi to score points. The little sushi pictures are so cute and fun to play with and the game is very easy to learn.

12. The Three Little Pigs
Recommended for: Ages 7-15
In this game, you play one of the three little pigs trying to build your houses up before the big bad wolf comes by to destroy them. You can build a straw house, a wood house, or a brick house (or a combination of all three!) and you score different points depending on the types of houses you build and how many houses you’re able to complete at the end of the game. This one was a little simple for Mr. Garland and me to play by ourselves, but we definitely see ourselves playing with Jackson as he gets older! I’d say it could easily be played with a kid as young as 5.

13. Catan Junior
Recommended for: Ages 6-10
I haven’t personally played this one but we are huge fans of Settlers of Catan. I’ve seen this one played on Wil Wheaton’s show, Tabletop, and it looked like a blast. This game is all about settling a new area and using your resources to build on the land. It’s a great intro to a more complicated type of game, and is definitely simple enough that younger kids can understand and play well!

14. Quirkle
Recommended for: Ages 6+
This is a more mainstream game that a lot of you may have heard of. You’re laying tiles and trying to create sets to score points (similar to dominos). It’s a blast and can be way more strategic and complicated than you might expect! We always have fun with this one and it’s a great one to make you think, as well!

15. No Thanks
Recommended for: Ages 8-12
This game is so addicting. We can never play just one round. You have cards numbered 1-33 and you have poker chips in your hand that you use to say “no thanks” and pass on taking a card. You use the chips to pass on a card for the round (if, for example, it’s a high point card), but eventually you’ll run out of chips and have to take some cards! It’s all about balancing taking points with passing on cards, and while there can definitely be some more complicated strategy involved, it’s a pretty simple game that I’d say kids as young as 6 or 7 could easily understand.

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And those are some of our favorites! Our game collection is pretty huge and we love to play games together, so we’re really excited for the day when Jackson is a bit older and can join in on the fun!

What are your favorite games to play as a family?