45 Favorite Family Games for All Ages

In today’s post: Find 45 of our favorite family games, including classics and new games you haven’t tried yet. Find a few new games to play over the holidays or add to your family game night collection. Including games that are perfect for teens and adults.

Getting a new family board game to play on Christmas Eve is a popular holiday tradition for many families. I grew up playing lots of games together with my family, and I’ve wanted to continue that tradition with my own kids. At the same time, I’ll admit most “kid” games bore me TO DEATH (I’m looking at you, Hi Ho Cherry-O!). And even though I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Monopoly, it’s just TOO DANG LONG! So I’ve compiled a list of the best family games that will be enjoyed by kids and parents alike – many of which you may not have tried before!

Splendor

This is a great game for all ages. There’s enough strategy to keep teens and adults interested but game play is straightforward enough for a six year old to play on their own, and it’s not cutthroat. Collect different gems (or resources) so you can buy cards. Some cards earn points while other cards help you earn more gems (so you can buy higher point value cards). This game is a great balance of easy set up, intuitive play, and strategy – there’s very little luck involved. Games last about 30 minutes, 2-4 players. Find it here.

Skull King

This amped up version of the classic game Hearts involves pirates, mermaids, and the notorious Skull King. Bet on how many tricks you’ll be able to take each round. The higher your bid, the the more you stand to win OR lose. This is an easy game to learn but there’s plenty of room for strategy. Great game for about 6+. Find it here.

Cover Your Assets

Entertaining name aside, this easy to learn card game really is entertaining! When you get a matching set of assets, you can lay it down in front of you. But the only way to protect the set from being stolen by a teammate and added to their own stack is to cover it with another matching set, so you’d better get one fast! This family game is easy enough that first graders can understand and play on their own, but fun enough for the teenagers to want to join in. Find it here.

Cover Your Kingdom

If you already know and love Cover Your Assets, try out Cover Your Kingdom this year. This version adds new layers of strategy and fun and takes the competition to a whole new level. You can go from thinking you are about to win to losing it all, so you won’t know who’s winning until the very last card is played. Might be better for teens and adults due to the competitive nature, but younger kids who are good sports will love it too. Find it here.

Monopoly Deal

Did you know you can have all the fun of Monopoly without sacrificing three hours of your life? Well, you can. Some smarty pants at Hasbro figured out how to wrap up the fun of collecting properties and charging opponents rent into a tidy little card game that can be played in – wait for it – 15 minutes! But don’t worry, it’s so much fun you’ll want to play it two or three times in a row. Plus you now get the chance to STEAL prime properties from other players, meaning all you hard core competitive types are still going to love it. Great stocking stuffer! Find it here.

Anomia

If your idea of family fun is everyone yelling at each other (in a good way), then this is the game for you. If the symbol on your card matches someone else’s, you have to call out an answer to the category on their card before they call out an answer to your card. Whoever calls an answer out first gets to keep both cards, but don’t get confused and say the wrong thing! Fun and fast-paced, this one will have everyone laughing (and little kids can play on a team with adults). Find it here.

Happy Salmon

This is legitimately one of the best party games to play with your family or any group. It’s perfect for birthdays, youth groups, etc. – it’s a great ice breaker! Each round only lasts a minute or two, but it’s so much fun your family will want to play it over and over. Try to be the first one to go through your deck by shouting out the action on your card, racing to find someone with a matching card, and running over to perform the required action with them. It’s super easy but gets crazy and silly, and lots of quick matches means lots of opportunities to be a winner. Find it here.

Coup

The cards you hold in your hand determine your abilities: how many coins you can earn each round, whether you can steal cards, whether you can kill another player. Of course, the other players don’t know which cards you hold, so you could always, you know, lie. And hope no one calls your bluff, or you’re the one who will end up dead. Easy to play, very fast paced rounds, and lots of fun bluffing make this family game popular with teens. Find it here.

Blank Slate

This is a fun word association game for 3-8 players and it works really well for a range of ages. Each card has a word followed by a blank, such as home _______. Each person writes down their answer (hometown, homework, homeschool) and then you see how many people you match with. If you match with multiple people you each get one point, but if you only match with one person you both get three points. So you’re always trying to come up with a phrase that someone else will think of, but not the most obvious one. Easy, fun and great for large groups (you can play with as many people as you want if they write down their answers on slips of paper!). Find it here.

Here to Slay

In this strategy based game, you work to build your team of cute animal heroes that can slay the monsters. Your animal heroes can either help you OR hurt other players, which makes this game popular with competitive older kids and teens. Fun intro to role player games without the crazy complexity of something like D&D. Find it here.

Nertz

Nertz is one of the BEST fast paced card games ever invented. It’s like solitaire on steroids. Each person tries to work through their own deck while also adding cards to piles in the middle. Everyone plays at once as quickly as they can. This set comes with enough decks for twelve people to play at once, which would make gameplay completely crazy and tons of fun. Find it here.

Colorku

This game is a fun twist on Sudoku – instead of filling in numbers on a worksheet you use pretty colored marble game pieces on a wooden game board. You can certainly play this on your own, but it’s actually really fun to work on with another person or two. This is a nice relaxing game you can work through while having a chat. The game comes with 104 different puzzle cards showing you how to set up a game, from easy through advanced. Find it here.

Think ‘N Sync

How well do you know your family members? Can you think in sync? You and your partner have to yell out an answer in a chosen category at the same time, and you’ll only score points if your answers are identical. It’s fast, fun and engaging for almost any age and can quickly turn into hilarity when mom and dad find out they don’t know each other so well after all. Find it here.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

One Night Werewolf is based on the same concept as the party game Mafia, and it’s a HUGE hit with teens. Each player gets assigned a unique role with different abilities, and then the point of the game is to figure out who’s the werewolf. Of course, the werewolf is going to lie and it might behoove others to lie as well…and you only have five minutes to figure it all out! An app walks you through the process, and there are TONS of expansion packs to make the game even more fun. Best for teens + adults and works really well in larger groups (6-10 people). Find it here.

The Genius Square

This puzzle game is a bit like competing against another player at Tetris. You each have a grid that you must fill with different Tetris like shapes. Start the game by rolling seven dice to determine where to put the blockers so every game is different. This is a great option when only two people want to play, and you can even play solo. Challenging and engaging. Find it here.

You’ve Got Crabs

In this game, you and your teammate decide on a secret signal. Collect cards, trying to get four of the same, and when you do you’ll signal your partner. If she sees the signal and yells “you’ve got crabs” you guys earn a point, but if someone on the opposing team notices your signal first you lose a point. You can even earn bonus points. Use your creativity to come up with a signal your partner can see but no one else will recognize. Easy, goofy and fun for the whole family. Find it here.

Hearing Things

One player puts on speech-cancelling headphones while their teammate reads the random phrase shown on the card, such as “pigeons like to cuddle”. Just read their lips and repeat the phrase. Sounds easy, but it’s so hard! And absolutely hilarious. I played this with my sisters a few years ago and we all laughed until we cried. Great game for adults. Find it here.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This fun, fast paced card game takes less than a minute to learn and about fifteen minutes to play, making it a great game for any type of group. The deck gets split up between all the players, then everyone takes turns laying down a card while the group repeats “taco cat goat cheese pizza”. If what you are saying matches what was laid down, you want to be the first one to slap the pile and take the cards. Throw in a couple bonus cards that require silly actions (i.e. beating your chest like a gorilla) and this game turns into serious fun. Kids will beg you to play! Find it here.

Trivial Pursuit Family Edition

Trivial Pursuit has gotten a bad rap for being long, boring, and way too hard. This Family Edition solves all of those problems: game play is simplified and moves a little faster (you get a pie piece for every correct answer!), and separate cards for kids and adults ensures everyone can answer questions. Note: the questions for parents are easier than a standard Trivial Pursuit game, so if you are a trivia nut they may feel a little simple. One option is to use the kid questions for kids under 12, the adult questions for teens, and a box of questions from a standard Trivial Pursuit game for adults. Find it here.

Wit’s End

For a more challenging trivia game that’s perfect for teens and adults, try Wit’s End. This game is more than just trivia; there are four different kinds of questions including brain teasers (generally a riddle), putting things in the right sequence, figuring out which of four options doesn’t fit with the others, and wild cards. Great for people who want a challenging game! Find it here.

Telestrations

Remember playing telephone when you were a kid? Well this game is a fun twist on the old idea. Instead of whispering the word to each other, players alternate drawing a picture of the clue and trying to interpret what the picture means. As one “clue” makes it all the way around the circle of players it’s pretty hilarious to see how far you end up from the original word. Great family game, great party game. Find it here.

Throw Throw Burrito

This clever little game is like “Spoons” but with flying burritos. Try to collect matching cards to earn points, and avoid being hit by one of the squishy burritos so you don’t lose points. This game can be tons of fun, but be warned: this game WILL bring out the frightening competitiveness in your family. Find it here.

Taboo

This is an oldie but such a goodie! We’ve introduced it to a new generation of kids and everyone loves it. Your job is to give your teammates clues so they can guess the word on your card, but beware: there are five more words you aren’t allowed to say. Race against the timer to see how many words you can get them to guess without messing up and saying any of the forbidden words. It’s a fast paced game that moves quickly and you can make it as long or short as you’d like. Find it here.

Code Names

There are 25 cards on the table in front of you. Your job is to give your teammates clues so they can guess the words of your color while avoiding the words belonging to the other team. The catch? You can only give a one word clue at a time to help them guess multiple cards. It’s fun for families to see who’s on the same wavelength. Find it here.

Ticket to Ride

This is a great game to grab when you’re ready to settle in for a slightly longer play time – most games last close to an hour. You’ll choose cards that contain routes across the map. Longer routes earn more points, while short routes earn fewer points (but are easier to complete!). Decide which on you’ll try for and hope another player doesn’t cut you off before you can finish. Find it here.

Skull King

This amped up version of the classic game Hearts involves pirates, mermaids, and the notorious Skull King. Bet on how many tricks you’ll be able to take each round. The higher your bid, the the more you stand to win OR lose. This is an easy game to learn but there’s plenty of room for strategy. Great game for about 6+. Find it here.

What Do You Meme?

Compete with your family to make the best meme using one of your caption cards and this rounds photo card. Personalize the game by adding your own captions! Be aware this is the family edition so there’s no adult content but there is toilet humor, so depending on your family this game may or may not constitute quality family time. Find it here.

Play Nine

This easy to learn game is a twist on the classic card game golf. It doesn’t require a lot of skill and does involve the luck of the draw, but there’s still room for strategy. The best part is that it moves quickly so you aren’t waiting forever for someone else to complete their turn. Each round only takes about five minutes. Play as many or as few as you want! Find it here.

CatchPhrase

This fun family game has been around for a while and it’s easy to see why. It combines the challenge of getting your teammates to guess a specific word with the fun of a ticking time bomb – you never know when the timer is going to end and you don’t want to be the one giving clues when it does! Find it here.

Qwixx

A little like Yahtzee, Quixx involves rolling dice and then crossing off boxes on your scorecard to earn points. Unlike Yahtzee, you can earn points from other people’s rolls too. And to make it more exciting, there are 6 dice of different colors and you can score them in different combinations, meaning there’s quite a bit of strategy involved. Younger kids will need some help. Find it here.

Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle

If your idea of a fun game is complicated and long, or you’re an avid Harry Potter fan, this is the perfect game! This is a cooperative game that has seven different levels, each getting more challenging. Great introduction to deck building games. It doesn’t require any knowledge of the Harry Potter world but fans will enjoy revisiting the scenes and characters from the books and movies. Find it here.

Boggle

I used to think Boggle was a game for old people – I mean boring, right? But a few years ago I played with with my kids for the first time and they LOVED it. Shake up the letter cubes, set the timer, and then see how many words you can make from connected letters. Even my younger kids loved it and were able to find some short words. This is a great family game to take camping, on airplane rides, or anywhere you’ll have some extra time to fill. Find it here.

Qwirkle

A bit like Scrabble, this game features tiles that have different colored symbols on them. Instead of using tiles to spell a word, players can place tiles that have either color or symbol in common down in a row, connecting to rows made by previous plays. It’s great for younger kids who don’t have the reading skills to participate in many games, but there’s enough strategy involved to keep older kids interested as well. Games take about 45 minutes. Find it here.

Set

In this highly addictive card game, 12 cards are laid out on the table and players race to find a “set”: 3 cards that are either all the same or all different in shape, color, number, or shade. Most of the fun comes from the fact that there are no turns – players look at the cards and yell “Set!” when they’ve found one. They collect their set, three more cards are laid out, and the race to find another set begins. Younger players often seem to do better than adults at identifying the patterns needed to make a set, which makes the kids in the family very happy. Each round can be played quickly, and the portable nature of the game makes it perfect for travel or wait time at the dentist, etc. Find it here.

Incan Gold

My children love this quick-moving game! You’re an explorer searching for Incan gold in ancient caves. At the beginning of each round all players enter a cave, then cards are turned over representing either treasure, or perilous hazards. Each treasure card that’s played adds to your hoard, but if too many hazard cards are played, the round ends and you lose it all. As each card is played you must decide whether to leave the cave, taking the treasure you’ve earned so far but missing out on the chance to earn more, or stay in the cave and earn more treasure but risk losing it all. Games are quick – about 30 minutes for all 5 rounds – and involve a little strategy and a lot of luck. Find it here.

Phase Ten

This classic card game is easy to play for all ages but trying to advance through the phases will keep you on your toes. In each phase your goal is to collect a different assortment of cards (run of seven, or a set of three and a run of four, etc). Anyone who finishes the phase during the round moves on to the next phase, while those who don’t have to replay. We like this game because it’s easy to pick up and play a few rounds. Great game to take traveling. Find it here.

Pit

This fun game has been around for over 100 years, but it’s still one of the best games out there. And it’s as much fun for adults as it is for kids!  It’s a simple concept: everyone is dealt 9 cards and you have to trade cards with each other until all the cards in your hand match – first one to get a matching hand wins the round. Trading happens all at once and you never know what you’re trading for, so there’s lots of commotion as everyone tries to get rid of the cards they don’t want and collect the ones they do. There are also 2 wild cards that shake things up even more. Each round only takes a couple of minutes, so you can play as many rounds as you have time for, but kids will beg to keep playing one more round. It’s lots of fun for everyone involved, and one of the best family games we’ve played. Find it here.

What’s Yours Like?

This inventive game is lots of fun for a large group. Everyone except the person in the “hot seat” knows what the guess word is (i.e. swimsuit). Everyone takes turns describing what theirs is like: “mine is tight” or “mine gets wet” or “I get depressed every time I put mine on” 😉 while the person in the hot seat tries to figure out what everyone is describing. An Amazon reviewer said: “We played this game with 10 people and laughed till we could not breath. It gets your mind working on how to describe something without the usual words that would give it away. It’s loads of fun for all age groups!! It’s easy to set up and get started, no long drawn out instructions to read . Most of all…it makes us all laugh and that’s a good thing!” Find it here.

Pandemic

What makes Pandemic special is that it’s a cooperative game – so instead of competing against each other, players work together to beat the game. Players work as a team to cure four diseases that are spreading across the world (the game board is a world map). Each player has special abilities, and everyone is involved in the decision-making no matter whose turn it is. Different difficulty levels keep things interesting, and the game is different each time it is played. Games last between 30-60 minutes. Find it here.

Suspend

I like Suspend because it’s a game my older kids and younger kids will play together: it’s easy enough the younger kids don’t need help to play, but competitive enough that they older kids don’t think it’s boring. And it’s way easier to clean up and put away than Jenga! Find it here.

Farkle

We played this game as children and just referred to it as “the dice game.” It’s super fun and can be played just about anywhere (it was a favorite for taking on plane rides and in the car). On your turn you roll all six dice and score points based on the combination you rolled. As long as you continue to roll the right combination to earn points you can keep rolling the dice, building up a higher score. But if you keep rolling and DON’T roll a countable combination, you lose the points you’ve earned on this turn. The rules are simple and easy to earn, but each turn requires you to use a little strategy in order to maximize the points you earn. Little kids LOVE rolling the dice, so it’s easy to include a younger sibling on a “team” with Mom or Dad. The game ends when someone gets 10,000 points, but if you want a shorter game you can play to 5000 instead. Find it here.

Catan

Complicated rules mean this game requires a little investment of time to understand, but it’s well worth it as the game is both competitive and highly addictive. This is seriously the BEST family board game out there. The complexity means adults will enjoy playing, but kids over 10 will be able to play and will improve with each game. Younger kids can play as “helpers” who role the dice and collect cards. NOTE: If you’ve played before and thought the game moved too slowly, make a simple adjustment: use the “expansion pack” rules, which allow all players to trade and build at the end of EACH turn, instead of waiting for your OWN turn to do so. This shortens game time substantially (45 minutes instead of 60-90) and makes it much more exciting. Find it here.

The Resistance

If you have teens who are bored with the games you used to play with each other, you might want to give The Resistance a try. It requires 5 players, so it’s great for parties, but it’s fun enough you might even be able to convince your teen and his friends to play with you. Some players will be resistance members (good guys) who need to complete missions to topple the evil government. Others will be spies sent to infiltrate the missions and make sure they fail. The spies know who each other are, but the good guys are in the dark. The good guys have to figure out who the spies are and eliminate them from the missions in order to succeed, while the spies pretend to be good guys so they can continue their sabotage. Games are quick (30 minutes) and the rules are easy to understand. If you’re a spy you will have to lie during the game, which might make this too difficult for kids to follow, but teens will have a blast trying to conceal the fact they’re spies. Find it here.