Our family loves game night, and we keep a curated collection of our 30 favorite games. They span card games, party games, puzzles, and more. We prefer games that are as entertaining for adults as they are for kids, so aside from a few clearly labeled adults-only titles, every game mentioned here works well for the whole family.
I’ve sorted our games into the categories below, though many titles fit into multiple groups.
- All-Time Favorite Family Board Games
- Best Group or Party Games
- Best 4-Person Games
- Best 2-Person Games
- Best Fast-Paced Games
- Best Chill Games
- Best Easy-to-Learn Board Games
- Best Small or Travel Games
I include a brief description for many games. If a title appears in more than one category, you may find its full summary in a different section below.
What We Look For In A Family Board Game
Now that our kids are 9 and 13, we look for games that both kids and adults can enjoy equally. That means a mix of quick, silly games and longer, strategic ones. We own only about 30 games total, and they all fit neatly in the cabinet shown below—so you don’t need a dedicated closet to build a varied, functional family game collection.
All-Time Favorite Family Board Games
These are our go-to games that consistently please everyone in the family. If you’re building or expanding a collection, start here—these are tried-and-true favorites we reach for most often:
- Exploding Kittens
- Sequence
- Ticket To Ride
- What Do You Meme? (Family Edition)
- Low Down
Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is a humorous, easy-to-learn card game for 2 or more players. Players use illustrated cards to sabotage opponents and avoid drawing the exploding kitten card. The game is fast, silly, and has several expansions that add variety.
Ticket To Ride
Ticket To Ride is one of the deeper entries on the list. Players collect train cards to build routes across the map and score points for completing high-value connections. It’s strategic and can take longer to play, but it’s one of our family’s all-time favorites.
Low Down
Low Down is a clever card game in which each player has a 3×3 grid of facedown cards and aims to finish with the lowest total. Part memory, part strategy, and a little sabotage make this easy-to-play game one our kids continually request.
Best Group or Party Games
These titles shine when you have friends or extended family over. They’re often quick to learn, social, and great for larger gatherings.
- Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition)
- What Do You Meme? (Family Edition)
- Incohearent Family
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
- Codenames
Incohearent Family
Incohearent Family presents nonsensical phrases that, when spoken aloud, sound like common expressions. It’s ideal for large groups and frequently produces hilarious misunderstandings and memorable lines.
Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition)
The family version of Cards Against Humanity keeps the party-style fill-in-the-blank gameplay but tones down the adult content. Players submit responses to a prompt and a judge picks the funniest entry, making it a great party choice when you want playful humor without explicit material.
What Do You Meme? (Family Edition)
What Do You Meme? (Family Edition) uses photo memes as prompts. Players submit captions from their hand, and the judge chooses the funniest match. It hits a nice middle ground between Apples-to-Apples-style play and more adult party games.
Tip: For games that benefit from a larger pool of cards, we sometimes add an extra drawn card each round as “The Computer.” It’s a fun twist that can produce surprisingly fitting and hilarious results, especially with smaller groups.
Best 4-Person Games
These games work especially well with four players, including two-versus-two team formats.
- Blokus
- Sequence
- What Do You Meme? (Family Edition)
- Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition)
- Codenames
- Hues and Cues
Blokus
Blokus plays like competitive Tetris: place pieces on the board so they touch at corners but not edges, trying to fit as many of your pieces as possible while blocking opponents. Simple rules lead to strategic, visually engaging gameplay.
Sequence
Sequence combines elements of Connect Four and Bingo. Players try to make five-in-a-row on a shared board. It’s easy to learn and particularly fun in two-team formats.
Codenames
Codenames is a team word-guessing game where spymasters give single-word clues that aim to connect multiple words on the table while avoiding opponents’ words. It rewards clever associations and careful clueing.
Hues and Cues
Hues and Cues is a color-guessing game in which players give one- or two-word clues to help teammates locate a specific color on a gradient board. Clues can be surprisingly subjective, which makes scoring unpredictable and fun.
Best 2- or 3-Person Games
When only a few family members are available, these games are great choices that still deliver strong play experiences.
- Exploding Kittens
- Uno Flip
- Rack-o
- Shut The Box
- Ticket To Ride
Uno Flip
Uno Flip is a twist on classic Uno with double-sided cards: a light side with familiar rules and a dark side with higher-stakes actions (for example, Draw 5 instead of Draw 2). The Flip mechanic adds excitement and unpredictability.
Rack-o
Rack-o challenges players to organize numbered cards in ascending order within a rack. You can only swap in new cards; you can’t rearrange, which creates a satisfying mix of luck and planning. The plastic rack is kid-friendly and easy to use.
Best Fast-Paced Games
When we want high energy or a quick play session, these are the games we grab. They keep kids engaged and produce instant laughs and competition.
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
- Tenzi
- Buildzi
- Anarchy Pancakes
- Bananagrams
- Catchphrase
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza keeps everyone moving: players place cards and say each word in the title in sequence. When the spoken word matches the card, everyone slaps the pile—the last to slap takes the pile. It’s quick, chaotic, and endlessly fun.
Tenzi
Tenzi is a fast dice-racing game where each player rolls 10 dice trying to get all dice to the same number. Variants and house rules keep the replayability high, and it’s ideal for short, energetic matches.
Buildzi
From the creators of Tenzi, Buildzi uses colorful Tetris-like blocks. Players race to reproduce the structure shown on a card. The game is tactile, visual, and simple to pack for quick play sessions.
Best Chill Games
For evenings when we want something lower-key, these games let you play at a relaxed pace while still enjoying a great experience.
- Ticket To Ride
- Sequence
- Hues and Cues
- Mantis
- Bears Vs. Babies
- Low Down
Bears Vs. Babies
Bears Vs. Babies is a quirky creature-building game where players assemble creature combinations to battle an oncoming baby army. It’s silly, creative, and reliably entertaining, though it requires a bit of table space.
Mantis
Mantis is a competitive card game focused on collecting mantis shrimp of matching colors while stealing from opponents. Its colorful cards and straightforward cutthroat mechanics make it fun without being frantic.
Best Easy-to-Learn Board Games
These titles have simple rules and are quick to teach to new players, making them perfect for casual family sessions.
- Hi-Lo Flip
- Bananagrams
- Shut The Box
- Blokus
- Sequence
- Rack-o
Bananagrams
Bananagrams is a fast, Scrabble-like tile game where players race to build crossword grids. It’s portable, quick, and encourages wordplay for a wide range of ages.
Hi-Lo Flip
Hi-Lo Flip is a simple card game where players play a card higher or lower than the previous one based on a flipped Hi/Lo coin. If you can’t play, you flip again or draw, and the round continues until someone clears their hand.
Shut The Box
Shut The Box is a dice-driven game similar to an abbreviated Yahtzee. Players flip number tiles based on dice totals, trying to close all numbers from 1 to 10. It’s quick to set up, satisfying to play, and great for small groups or solo practice.
Best Small or Travel Games
Compact games are perfect for small homes, trips, or tossing in a bag for outings. These titles are portable, quick to learn, and ideal when space is limited.
- Splurt!
- Barkboozle
- Anarchy Pancakes
- Uno Flip
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
- Exploding Kittens
Barkboozle
Barkboozle follows the Spot It-style matching format: be the first to find the matching symbol between cards. We chose a custom version featuring our dog as a keepsake, but the core gameplay is quick and accessible for players of all ages.
Anarchy Pancakes
Anarchy Pancakes is a frantic, multi-player matching game where everyone flips their cards at once and races to match icons between hands. It’s chaotic in the best way and great for high-energy sessions.
Splurt!
Splurt! uses category and letter prompt cards. Players race to shout out a valid answer that fits both the category and letter. The variety of prompt combinations keeps gameplay fresh and fast.
Our Favorite Classic Family Board Games
We tend to prefer newer, quirky titles, but we still keep a few classics. Recently we added Clue back into rotation after the kids enjoyed it with their grandparents, and we still bring out a Scrabble set that’s been in the family for years.
That’s our current list of favorite family board games—many of which don’t require a traditional board. We’re always hunting for the next great title (our son is the biggest game enthusiast in the house), so we rotate new games in often.
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