Card games, board games for teens and adult get-togethers

[3doughnutproblem]

Want to have a game night round the table, remember doing this with my family when younger and used to love it. Will have friends and their teenage DC's, just wondering what are your favourite card games, board games or anything that can be played with a group that everyone will enjoy. Thanks!

We like
Mexican Train
Scrabble
Tickets to Ride
Corks
Exploding kittens

Looking to get the magnet game that seems all over fb for Christmas this year.

I think games you can get the hang of quickly are best for instant fun, the more complex ones which take time to learn can be better once you're in the habit of being gamers and know it's worth the learning time!
I like Ghost Blitz, Kluster, Ransom Notes, Bananagrams.
I wouldn't play Cards Against Humanity unless you're a very open minded and relaxed family. I wouldn't play it with mine!

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is great, I was the injured party last time!

Mexican Train - I was introduced to this at a dinner party and loved it

Scrawl - the best way I can describe it is as a drawn version of broken telephone

Mousey Mousey - I am VERY competitive playing this!

We like all of these except Exploding Kittens. I still think we must have played it wrong as everyone raves about it but we just didn’t get what was good about it!

One of my teenagers loves estimation whist, monopoly deal, monopoly bid and a card game I can’t remember the name of but you have to try to play the cards in sequence without knowing what cards others have

For any games suggested here I recommend watching youtube for videos on how to play the games. There are whole channels dedicated to this sort of thing and you often see a walk through game play too. You can then see if it is suitable for your family. We also use it refreshers for game rules.

Exploding Kittens is devious but great fun, Catan, Forbidden Island (co-op game where you work together) Taco, Goat Dh refused to keep playing due to hurting himself, hilarious though when people get the wrong action. We must dig out Pandemic, we bought it Christmas 2019 then the real Pandemic hit so it didn't feel like it would be fun.

We love sounds fishy, can cover upto 10 people and takes no space. It allows you to play with people you don't know particularly well and can be learnt in 5 mins.

We found exploding kittens ok, but not hilarious and rarely play it !

I know, I have it, but Magic even in it's simplest form is not something I'd introduce to a group when the emphasis is on chatting and having a laugh.

I agree. Can’t understand the love for Exploding Kittens either. Our teens (at the time) were bored shitless. It’s basically a dull card game with drawings of cats on them. Big woop. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Scrawl was our recent favourite. Especially when everyone has had a few drinks.

We gave exploding kittens to charity

We just didn't get it and we really tried

Articulate
Throw throw burrito
Exploding kittens
Pandemic
5 second rule

We love:

Exploding Kittens
Unstable unicorns
Ticket to Ride
Catan
Banangrams

Dixit
Only When I Dream
Spots
Pugs in Mugs
Mahe

And if you're ok with slightly more complex (but simple once you've got the hang of it) stuff:

King of New York
Pandemic
Robot Quest Arena
Quacks of Quedlinburg

Laughing that everyone is saying about the family version of cards against humanity- in laws played and they’re always up for a bit of madness but they said the adult version had them nearly falling off their chairs- absolutely hysterical and yet at the same time on some they felt it had gone a step too far. They said they’d never even show it to me!

We had great fun with Happy Salmon last Christmas. From 8 year old up to 80. It did get very noisy and almost violent!

Telestrations is hilarious, a mixture of Chinese whispers and pictionary.

Canine Caos for a quick round card game.

"Can’t understand the love for Exploding Kittens either. Our teens (at the time) were bored shitless. It’s basically a dull card game with drawings of cats on them. Big woop. 🤷🏻‍♀️"

It's brilliant. You've got to be playing it wrong surely?

I like most of the games suggested, I don't think anyone has suggested What Next or Labrynth

Cards against Humanity is shit though

Exploding kittens (simple - some expansions definitely not worth it though)
uno (and uno reverse)
one night ultimate werewolf
scrabble (we play with bonus points for animals)
ticket to ride
poker (get chips, wear hats, do it properly)
gin rummy (we have a running game - scores in the 5 digits currently)
Escape the dark castle (quick to pick up)
betrayal at house on the hill (excellent - and a completely different experience every time.)

Mysterium not worth the intense effort imo.

Exploding Kittens
Dobble
Bop It

fair points

And I know it's not quite what you asked, but we really like Screwball Scramble for a bit of a noisy laugh. There are 3 different ones now, and they even fit together.

Exploding kittens is a great game and been a favourite here for years

Shamelessly placemarking for Christmas present ideas 😁

Gloomhaven (just kidding)

How many players will there be? How long should each game last? How long are you prepared to spend learning the rules the first time you play? Any answer to any of these questions will eliminate about half of the suggestions one way or the other! 😀

If anyone reading this is already a boardgamer looking for a really great experience for 3-5 players, I'd really recommend The King's Dilemma. Kept our family busy over last Christmas. Takes about 15 hours in total, in 1 hour(ish) chunks. The idea is that you're the king's advisers in a fantasy world.

Or Pandemic: Legacy Season 1. Similar length, best if you already know the original game.