Top Games for Family Game Night
Board gaming has come a long way since the days of Monopoly and Sorry! New themes and modern board game mechanisms have created a hobby industry that is worth a look.
Whether you are looking for ways to increase the amount of time that you spend with your family, reduce your kids' screen time, or just want to pick up a fun new hobby we've got a solution for you.
Our awesome social media followers have helped us compile a list of 10 games that are sure to be a hit with the whole family!
The Little Ones - Gaming with Kids 5+
Rhino Hero
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Super Rhino! No building too high, no street too dangerous for this caped crusader, as he scales buildings and patrols the city protecting the citizens. On his quest for safety, he must use caution as even the most solid buildings may start to sway and wobble. Can you help Super Rhino accomplish the challenge to build a skyscraper as tall and solid as can be?
In Rhino Hero, players work on hand-eye-coordination as they take turns adding walls and roof tiles to en ever growing skyscraper made of playing cards. Each level increases the wobble-factor in the tower. Some new levels require players to place the appropriately named Super Rhino on a newly constructed floor. But be careful! The player who causes the building to come tumbling down loses. A game of Rhino Hero takes only 5-15 minutes and you'll be having an uproariously fun time as you play this game time and time again.
Click Clack Lumberjack
It's as easy as falling off a log! Maybe. Grab your mighty ax and take a whack at the tree, but you only want to take off the bark! Channel your inner Paul Bunyan as you take on the role of a very picky lumberjack by tapping on the plastic log segments. You are trying to move the segments enough to dislodge their bark, but without knocking the whole log off the tree.
Click Clack Lumberjack is a dexterity game for 2-7 players. Players will get to work on eye-hand-coordination and controlling the strength of their strikes in this fun game. Kids of all ages will love the chunky plastic bits and tactile fast pace action in this game that wraps up in about 10 minutes.
Taking it to the Next Level - Ages 8+
Outfoxed!
Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie has gone missing and it’s now a chicken chase to crack the case!
Work together in this cooperative game to gather clues and then use the special evidence scanner to rule out suspects. You’ll have to work together quickly because the guilty fox is high-tailing it towards the exit! Will you halt the hungry hooligan before it flies the coop… or will you be Outfoxed?
This game, that plays like a merger of Guess Who and Clue, is playable in 15 minutes and will help children develop their memory, deduction, and teamwork skills while having fun chasing after that pesky fox.
King of Tokyo
Play mutant monsters, gigantic robots and other monstrous creatures, rampaging the city and vying for position as the one and only King of Tokyo! Combine your dice to gather energy, heal your monster or just slap the other monsters down! Spend your energy to trigger permanent or one-shot special powers: a second head, body armor, even the nova death ray...
At the start of each turn you will roll six dice up to three times (like Yahtzee) using the symbols on those dice to power healing and attacks in order to claim spaces on the board as your territory. The giant cardboard standees representing your monster will be a hit and the game is simple enough for young ones, but with enough variability and decision making to keep mom & dad engaged as well. King of Tokyo plays in about 30 minutes and you are sure to want to get it to the table time and again. This game is pure fun, but is sure to stimulate critical thinking and the press your luck element of the game will give kids a chance to think about risk management in a safe setting.
Potion Explosion
Dear students, it's time for the final exams of the Potions class! The rules are always the same: Take an ingredient marble from the dispenser and watch the others fall. If you connect marbles of the same color, they explode and you can take them, too! Complete your potions using the marbles you collect, and drink them to unleash their magical power. Remember, though, that to win the Student of the Year award, being quick won't be enough: you'll also need to brew the most valuable potions in Potion Explosion!
Potion Explosion takes inspiration from the world of Match 3 mobile games and brings it to the physical world. Over 30-45 minutes you will collect marbles, create cascading explosions, and develop magical potions! Kids will learn to recognize patterns in the marbles that lead to bigger explosions and develop key critical thinking skills as they select which potions to chase.
Love Letter
All of the eligible young men seek to woo the princess of Tempest. Unfortunately, she's locked herself in the palace and you must rely on others to take your romantic letters to her. Will your's reach her first?
Love Letter is a simple card game with very few pieces. Each player is dealt one card. On your turn you draw one card from the deck and play one of your two cards, trying to expose other players and eliminate them from the hand. Each hand of the game plays in a few minutes and the entire game lasts less than half an hour. This fun, family game teaches deduction and encourages memory building as you try to remember all of the cards that have already been played in the current hand.
Sushi Go!
In the super-fast sushi card game, SushiGo!, you are eating at a sushi restaurant and trying to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Score points for collecting the most sushi rolls or by making a full set of sashimi. Dip your favorite nigiri in wasabi to triple its value! Once you've had your fill of dinner, finish your meal with all the pudding you can grab! Be careful what sushi you allow your friends and family to take, it might be just what they need to beat you.
Sushi Go! distills a common board game mechanism of "draft and pass"--selecting one card from a set and passing the rest of the set to the next player--into a tight 20 minute game that anyone can enjoy. The rule set of the game is simple, and keeping things moving quickly is all part of the fun. This game teaches quick decision making and critically appraising what other players are up to.
KingDomino
In KingDomino, you are a Lord seeking new lands in which to expand your kingdom. You must explore all the lands, wheat fields, lakes, and mountains in order to spot the best plots. But beware, you are not the only Lord who is interested in these lands!
The classic game of dominoes with a kingdom building twist. Each turn, place a new domino to expand your existing kingdom, making sure at least one of its sides connects to a matching terrain already in place. Over the course of 15 minutes you'll build a 5 x 5 grid of dominoes scoring points for the number of connecting crowns in your kingdom. KingDomino is a deceptively simple game. The rule set is easiest for the youngest of players to understand, but the depth of strategy comes in maximizing your potential score. This game teaches patterns recognition and spacial awareness.
Gaming with Tweens & Teens - Ages 10+
Forbidden Island
Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasurers from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into a watery abyss!
Forbidden Island is a truly beautiful game with gorgeous artwork, heavy chunky cardboard tiles, and plastic figures representing the sacred treasures. Players will work together to move their pawns around the island, keep the island from sinking, claim the treasures and eventually make your escape. Forbidden Island is a winner of the Mensa Select award and is recognized worldwide as a multi-family game of the year winner.
Machi Koro
Welcome to the city of Machi Koro. You've just been elected mayor. Congratulations! Unfortunately, the citizens have some pretty big demands: jobs, a theme park, a couple of cheese factories, and maybe even a radio tower. A tough proposition since the city currently consists of a wheat field, a bakery, and a single die.
Armed only with your trusty die and a dream, you must grow Machi Koro into the largest city in the region. You will need to collect income from developments, build public works, and steal from your neighbors' coffers in order to find success (just make sure they aren't doing the same to you!)
Machi Koro is a fast pace game. Each player will independently develop their own city to claim the title of largest in the region. On your turn you will roll one or two dice, collect income, and buy a new building or landmark. Some buildings will even allow you to collect income on another players turn! The first player to construct all of their landmarks wins the game. Machi Koro plays in about 30 minutes.
We hope you've enjoyed our list of games that are fit for playing with the whole family. If you'd like to learn more about games, make a recommendation to us of other great family games, or want to engage with us for any other reason feel free to click the "Message Us" button at the bottom of the screen or email us at josh@powertothemeeple.com