Family game night is a tricky affair. You have to find a game that little ones can do but that don’t bore older kids to death. It has to be fun and last a while, but not take so long that it can’t be played and cleared away in an evening.
Forbidden Island
This fast-paced strategy game is a cooperative game, meaning everyone has to work together to win. This multi-award winning game requires players to work together to uncover treasure from around an island, but the island sinks further into the ocean with every step!
Forbidden Island requires two to four players, aged 10+, and it takes around half an hour to play.
Shelby’s Snack Shack
This game is an adorable take on the usual children’s counting game. There is a double spinner: one spinner tells you whether you need to take a bone, give a bone or miss your turn, and the other tells you how many bones to count out. You then use the doggy-shaped tweezers to move the bones around, which improves children’s motor skills as well. The box also acts as the board, so all the little pieces stay contained in one place.
Shelby’s Snack Shack needs two to four players, aged 4+. Play time depends on the number of players.
Ticket to Ride Europe
Ticket to Ride has been at the top of many board game experts’ must-have lists. It is a strategy game, but it is very easy to pick up. The aim is to be the biggest railroad tycoon in turn-of-the-century Europe, linking all of your major cities and covering most of the continent with your own railways, stations and tunnels. The subject matter may seem a little dry, but the fast pace, the challenge of linking cities and other players’ ability to block you at every turn makes this a really fun game for everyone.
Ticket to Ride is appropriate for two to five players, aged 8+, and it takes around 30-60 minutes to play.
Zombicide
If you or anyone in your family is preparing for the zombie apocalypse, you have to give this game a go. Zombicide is a collaborative game where you and your fellow survivors have to find weapons to kill the zombie masses. Each time you gain more skill and more weapons, however, the number of zombies increases, leaving you no choice but to fight your way out.
Given its nature and the number of small pieces involved, this game absolutely isn’t suitable for children under three and should really only be played by those aged 13 and up. That said, it can be played with 1-6 players, and play time is about an hour.
Moshi Monsters Poppet I Heart Moshlings Game
For families wanting a less nightmarish premise for a game, there is the I Heart Moshlings Game. Based on the massively popular Moshi Monsters franchise, this game sees players helping Poppet find her Moshling friends. Players move around the board, matching the Moshling space they landed on with cards in the middle. If they find a match, they can collect the Moshling in their handbag. The player with the most Moshlings wins.
I Heart Moshlings is suitable for most children, and it can be played with 2-4 players.
The Cave
At first glance, The Cave is a racing game, where each player tries to be the first to explore a newly discovered cave. The twist is, players have to balance speed with the ability to survive, as carelessness can cost you your life in this environment. With each turn exploring, players lose supplies, so they have to decide between pushing ahead or returning to basecamp and resupplying. Part strategy, part luck and part speed, this game is all sorts of fun.
The Camp is played with 2-5 players, aged 10+, and it takes about an hour to play.
Space Cadets
This real-time collaborative game sees each player taking on a crucial role aboard a space ship. Each player gets a different set of cards, decisions and scenarios to tackle. You may be the Helmsman, navigating asteroid belts and keeping the ship on course, or the Shield Officer, tasked with keeping the ship’s shields powered. Or of course, you could be the Captain, the player guiding everyone else, but who has to take ultimate responsibility for the safety of the crew and the completion of the mission.
Space Cadets is suitable for those aged 8+ and can be played with 3-6 players. The longest gameplay of this list, it can take between one and two hours to complete.
Whatever your family’s size, interests or abilities, you should have found new board games that are great for your family.
This post currently has no comments, be the first.
Leave a Comment