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Original poster

Family board games

66 replies

ADVICENEEDED987 · 20/02/2024 21:04

I'd love some recommendations for family board games please that I can play with my three children (14, 11 and 7, although the 7 year old often gives up half way through or just prefers to watch).

Ones we have enjoyed recently are:

  • Catan, although it is generally only my eldest that wants to play this so would love something similar that is a 2 player game so that he and I could just play it.
  • game of life
  • Cluedo
  • Scotland yard
  • Ticket to ride London

What are your family's favourite board games?

OP posts:
Moier · 20/02/2024 21:58

Got my 9 year old Grandson 1% club for Christmas.
We love it.

awitchoftroubleinelectricblue · 20/02/2024 21:59

I hate board games but mine like that one where you have to guess the brand name. They also like Monopoly.

Windthebloodybobbinup · 20/02/2024 22:18

Bananagrams
Sabotuer
6 second scribbles
And the favourite is Chameleon

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7 year olds Games
Barleysugar86 · 20/02/2024 22:34

Games that have a lot iof enjoyment for us for both the kids and the adults-

7 Wonders. Like Catan. Interesting strategy game but not too complicated.

Mysterium/ Dixit. Both refreshingly different to other games. Trying to convey meaning using surreal pictures.

Cards against humanity. Yes some of the cards are not appropriate for little ones so you need to sift the pack before play, but surprisingly two thirds of them are actually not offensive. Kids loved the concept and laughed a lot.

Takenoko- panda versus gardener to grow a garden. Also quite Catan adjacent, and pretty.

Indigo- deceptively simple, great for strategy and for all ages and really beautiful. You each try to 'bank' gemstones with hexagons with multiple paths on and the other players can use their tiles to divert them off.

What do you meme- honestly, this one surprised me, but was basically cards against humanity with pictures. Got a surprising amount of laughs from everyone

Original poster
ADVICENEEDED987 · 20/02/2024 23:02

Barleysugar86 · 20/02/2024 22:34

Games that have a lot iof enjoyment for us for both the kids and the adults-

7 Wonders. Like Catan. Interesting strategy game but not too complicated.

Mysterium/ Dixit. Both refreshingly different to other games. Trying to convey meaning using surreal pictures.

Cards against humanity. Yes some of the cards are not appropriate for little ones so you need to sift the pack before play, but surprisingly two thirds of them are actually not offensive. Kids loved the concept and laughed a lot.

Takenoko- panda versus gardener to grow a garden. Also quite Catan adjacent, and pretty.

Indigo- deceptively simple, great for strategy and for all ages and really beautiful. You each try to 'bank' gemstones with hexagons with multiple paths on and the other players can use their tiles to divert them off.

What do you meme- honestly, this one surprised me, but was basically cards against humanity with pictures. Got a surprising amount of laughs from everyone

I wouldn't have even thought to play cards against humanity with them and just take out unsuitable cards. We were bought a copy of kids against maturity at Christmas which I think is a cheap copycat version suitable for kids but we found it rather rubbish with a lot of American phrases and words. I'd been thinking of getting the proper cards against humanity family edition but will have a look at the normal one as I do have that at home already (if I can find it!)

OP posts:
WrylyAmused · 20/02/2024 23:02

Mantis & Cobra Paw would both work well for a 7yr old, lively fast and fun games, also good for all ages to adult.

Ingenious is a good 2 player, as is Mastermind/Codebreaker - teaches logical thinking as well, which is a bonus.

Magic maze is a fun co-op game, and there's a kids version but likely you'd be fine with the adult one.

Code names is a fun word game, but likely not for the 7yr old.

Camel Cup is simple and engaging.
King of Tokyo is good for 4.

Original poster
ADVICENEEDED987 · 20/02/2024 23:10

WrylyAmused · 20/02/2024 23:02

Mantis & Cobra Paw would both work well for a 7yr old, lively fast and fun games, also good for all ages to adult.

Ingenious is a good 2 player, as is Mastermind/Codebreaker - teaches logical thinking as well, which is a bonus.

Magic maze is a fun co-op game, and there's a kids version but likely you'd be fine with the adult one.

Code names is a fun word game, but likely not for the 7yr old.

Camel Cup is simple and engaging.
King of Tokyo is good for 4.

I loved mastermind, as a child I played it a lot with my Dad. I will definitely have to get a copy of this as I think my children would all enjoy it too.

OP posts:
Onlyvisiting · 20/02/2024 23:25

Risk? A 2 player strategy game, be warned. Its usually a very long one!

Bananagrams
Rapi-dough (love this, needs teams so 4 would work well)
Quirkle
Sushi go
Articulate
connect 4
I used to LOVE mastermind, the peg guessing game, not a quiz. It's 2 ish player but pretty boring for 1 of them so you could multitask with a younger child's game.

Leafpicker2000 · 20/02/2024 23:27

Another one for 2 players is Patchwork.

LoreleiG · 20/02/2024 23:28

Following! Mine recently like the Traitors game and one called Ka-Blab.

Original poster
ADVICENEEDED987 · 20/02/2024 23:50

Onlyvisiting · 20/02/2024 23:25

Risk? A 2 player strategy game, be warned. Its usually a very long one!

Bananagrams
Rapi-dough (love this, needs teams so 4 would work well)
Quirkle
Sushi go
Articulate
connect 4
I used to LOVE mastermind, the peg guessing game, not a quiz. It's 2 ish player but pretty boring for 1 of them so you could multitask with a younger child's game.

I hate risk, it takes so long. My eldest loves it though so we do occasionally play it but it just seems to drag on for hours and hours!

OP posts:
MackintoshGalore · 21/02/2024 00:24

Carcassonne is great for a family game. You can play it at different levels of difficulty. At the simplest level it only requires a bit of strategy and a lot of luck.

Secret agent is a great game too. Though needs 4 to play. It's a word game so can be played at any level.

Pandemic is good for older players I think.

Can't go wrong with a good game of cluedo!

purpleme12 · 21/02/2024 00:33

Out of curiosity those who play Cluedo, do you play the old way out do you play with the clues on the board?

JaneLawrence · 21/02/2024 00:39

Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert are good cooperative board games for 2-4 players. It says 10+ on the box but it’s easy enough for a 7 yr old to manage.

Happy Little Dinosaurs is another for 2 -4 players.

Hive is a good 2 player game.

My older 2 DC like Selfish (2-5 players) - we have the Space edition and the Shipwreck edition, but it’s a bit too cutthroat for my 7 yr old’s liking.

realdays · 21/02/2024 01:28

Mario Monopoly
Game of life
Exploding Kittens
Herd mentality

ScarletWitchM · 21/02/2024 02:43

We love board games! Jumaji is quite good, Risk is similar to Catan - can go on a bit long though! Trivial Pursuit with kid and adult cards and a game we often play is Frustration which is fun and doesn’t go on too long

TeenDivided · 21/02/2024 06:53

The London Game
Labyrinth

Traditional Cluedo. (We bought Harry Potter Cluedo from a charity shop, it was so unnecessarily complicated, and not nearly as good as the original.)

Vettrianofan · 21/02/2024 06:56

We played Monopoly at the weekend, DC are 16, 13 and 8. The littlest couldn't join in as it was too long for him. Even the 8yo lost interest every so often! Still a great game.

TheaBrandt · 21/02/2024 06:58

We like Articulate and scrabble but are more a words than numbers family. The sock game is fun too.

mitogoshi · 21/02/2024 07:02

Risk, Yahtzee, family edition of cards against humanity (we have adult addition which ours love but are older), logo game

mitogoshi · 21/02/2024 07:05

Oh and pit was always a favourite, I've played since I was young! I second blokus too, ours is Dutch I think

whosaidtha · 21/02/2024 07:05

Cockroach poker. My 6year old tries to play, I'm not sure how much he gets it but definitely will in a year or so. Plus we all enjoy it even when he's not playing.

BettyfromBristol · 21/02/2024 07:37

Rummikub
Ticket to Ride Europe and London.
Qwirkle
Scrabble
Articulate
Dixit
Bananagrams
All of these are favourites here.

Friends have a mancala set. It's always popular. It is a quick 2 person game but they usually have 3 or 5 rounds.

BibbleandSqwauk · 21/02/2024 08:52

Stratego is great for two players..but I play Catan with just DD quite often. Why can't you play with just two?

Munchkin is really good..you have a character with different abilities etc and each turn you "kick the door down" for a mission. You can team up temporarily with someone else and split the treasure from that turn if you win.

Dread Pirate..beautiful game in a wooden box with proper metal and glass pirate treasure. You raid and skirmish each other to get the dread pirate flag.

TheLongpigs · 21/02/2024 09:01

The Azul range of games is my favourite. Summer Pavilion is brilliant but they are all excellent. Queens Garden is better for older children as it's a bit more involved.