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Best board games for the whole family!

Matilda Hansson

On the hunt for a fun family game to play? A game that isn't too difficult but challenging enough to be entertaining? Sometimes there's room for a strategy game that takes a few hours to play out and at other times, you want something that doesn't take more than half an hour so you can make supper for the kids afterwards. Regardless of what your preference may be, we have some great advice on games for the little ones and adults!

Choosing the right board-game

Most games have a recommended minimum age for the participants. Sometimes it can also be fun to let kids that are a bit younger than the age recommendation play, if you can explain the rules in a way they can easily understand or if you play a more simplified version of the game. In order to ensure that all get to play and enjoy the game, it makes sense to choose the game with the youngest players' age in mind.

At the same time, it's not always fun for teenagers or adults to play a board game that's intended for pre-schoolers. In this case, it probably makes sense to try and meet halfway when it comes to the game difficulty and blend the ages around the table so there's a more even distribution of older and young players in teams or pairs. That'll give everyone a fair chance of winning and the older team players can help steer the strategy a bit more, whilst the younger players get a kick out of acting out the plays and strategy.

Easy games for the youngest of players

It's hard to go wrong with classics like Jenga, where you stack and unstack a tower of wooden blocks until eventually it topples over. It's so simple, yet so entertaining, which explains its longstanding popularity for kids and adults alike. Guess Who? is another one of those classic games that virtually anyone can get a good laugh and kick out of at any age, which makes it an easy keeper for family get-togethers. Colourful games like Connect 4 are also super easy for young players to understand, it's all in the name of the game. Pie Face has also been a trending game for kids the past few years, it combines a bit of luck and risk and like the the name suggests, a bit of cream to the face, which adds a dimension of comedy to this game, whether you're 3 or 70! Labyrinth is also a classic game that virtually anyone can play so long as the rules are clearly explained; figuring out how to escape the Labyrinth will keep you on your toes.

Hasbro Classic Jenga

1. Hasbro Classic Jenga

Find deal at Argos

£10.99
Hasbro Guess Who?

2. Hasbro Guess Who?

Find deal at AreYouGame

£10.65
Hasbro The Classic Game of Connect 4

3. Hasbro The Classic Game of Connect 4

Find deal at Wilko

£4.50
Pie Face Kanone

4. Pie Face Kanone

Find deal at OnBuy

£21.99
Ravensburger Labyrinth

5. Ravensburger Labyrinth

Find deal at The Game Collection

£13.95

Fun games for older kids

Sequence is one of those games that is fairly simple, yet has enough strategy involved that older players are able to enjoy playing it over and over again. Azul is also known for being highly versatile across age groups, it's a simple game that allows for ease and testing out of different techniques and strategies, which adds a dimension of fun complexity to this entertaining and fairly fast game. Pictionary is a game that has inspired many laughs over the years, and it's easy to understand why with its testing of one's drawing skills and team cohesiveness. No mention of board games would be complete without a mention of Monopoly, a true iconic classic that has so many different variations and twists that add extra dimensions to what is widely considered one of the most essential family board games that has the entire family glued to the table.

There are some fun interactive games such as Mouse Trap, Bugs in the Kitchen and Spinderella that all are sure to hold your child's attention for a good while.

Popular games for older players and adults

Older players likely already have some favourites figured out already. However, if one is fairly new to the world of board games, there are few that have as legendary a reputation as Trivial Pursuit, which has become a mainstay in many British homes since it was first released in 1981. There is also a version that's newer to make sure everyone born after the 1981 year mark has pop-culture references they can recognise and understand, such as questions about the Harry Potter film series, for example. Another fun classic is murder mystery game Cluedo, what could be more fun than spending Christmas trying to solve a murder?

If you're more intrigued by something a little different Ticket To Ride is a fantastic game that with rules that are easy to understand. You can opt to hob aboard your Ticket to Ride train in North America, Europe, the Nordics and beyond! Which destination you'll reach in the game is entirely up to the cards you get in your hand and your strategy to get there but you'll definitely have fun a long the way Catan is another popular choice along the same lines. Cranium is a quiz and trivia game that challenges you work your way through 4 different categories by utilising different talents and methods of thinking to get points. Are you great at sketching ideas or are a tactical problem solver? Perhaps you're a future Oscar-winner? In Cranium, these talents and more can help you go far!

What Do You Meme? has also become quite a trendy game amongst families, especially families with older teens or mostly adults. We live in a world full of memes, so why not make a game out of it? You can play with up to 20 people in this game, so it's a laugh riot when the whole family gathers for those large events and get-togethers, regardless of if you know all the memes or not!

A new fun game that will tug at your inner Disney child is Villainous where you have to play as a Disney villain and succeed in accomplishing your evil deeds all the while sabotaging your fellow villains.

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