Today, I am sharing 100 board games that you’ll want to play. I’m also spilling the tea on the best places to buy games and how to find the perfect game for your unique family!
(If I miss your family’s favorite, be sure to let me know in the comments when you’ve finished reading!)
100 Board Games You NEED To Play!
Choosing A Board Game: What You Need To Know
The game world is large and diverse. There are as many genres of games as there are of books! I always encourage people to try to play before they play. I can’t tell you how often I hear about board game regret. Just because everyone you know seems to love Catan doesn’t mean that your family will love Catan. It’s better to discover that you don’t like a particular game before you spend 50 dollars on it!
Play before you pay for a board game at your local game store, library, or game cafe.
If you are lucky enough to live near a local board game store or board game cafe, you can often try games before you buy them. Additionally, many local game stores have gently used games for sale.
Recently, some libraries have been providing games to borrow. If this is an option in your area, it’s a great way to save tons of money and still play lots of games!
Are you new to gaming? Are you wondering how to get started?
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a board game for your family:
This can help you narrow down the board game pool a little bit!
Number of Players
If you’re on the search for family games, consider the number of required players and do some research to see if the game plays well for the number of players you have in your home. For example, some games might say “2-4 players” but, in reality, the game plays poorly as a two-player game. (This happens so often!) Or, maybe you have a large family and need to find games that play well for four or more players.
Play Time
Are you a family of big-time gamers who love to spend an entire day around the game board lost in a complex game? Or, are you looking for games that you can play before you get the homeschool day off and running, or on the soccer sidelines? In that case, you might be looking for a quick-to-play game or a travel game.
Age Range/Content
I’ve mentioned many times before that I’m not a huge fan of selecting games solely based on the age ranges stated on the box. Of course, if you have little ones underfoot, you’re going to want to pay close attention because many games have teeny pieces and could pose a choking hazard. And I wouldn’t want to play games with young children that are scary or have adult content. But aside from safety concerns and content, I prefer to play games that my kids are interested in despite what it says on the box. That said, age ranges can give you a general ballpark if you are just starting.
Category/Genre
There are so many different types of card and board games! Here are just a few categories: roll-and-play, abstract games, deck builders, role-playing games, war games, social deduction games, worker placement games, etc. I could go on and on!
This is why it’s so important to play before you play. Once you know what types of games your family enjoys, you’ll have more luck finding games for your game closet.
Complexity
If you are new to gaming, you’re going to want to start with games that aren’t extraordinarily complex. A great way to figure out a game’s complexity is to search for it on BoardGameGeek. The site has been around forever and it’s a treasure trove of information!
In-Game Text
If you are playing with a range of ages and you have some kiddos who are not independently reading, you will want to look for games with minimal in-game text so that they can participate, too!
Are you looking for a community of like-minded gaming families? Check out Never Board Learning!
The Best Places To Find Board Games
Let’s face it, growing your game collection is an expensive endeavor. Games can be quite expensive! There are ways to grow your game closet on a budget, though. For example, here is a list of games that are frequently available for $10 or less. But I have several additional money-saving tips for you!
A great way to save money on board games is to shop for gently used games. Here are some places to look:
- BoardGameGeek
If you search for a game on BoardGameGeek, you can see where it is currently being sold. - Craigslist and/or OfferUp
You can find games for sale locally (and sell games you no longer play) on these sites. - eBay
eBay is a great place to find gently used games.
- Facebook Marketplace
Search for gently used games at discounted prices. - Neighborhood Swap Sites
If you’re lucky enough to have a neighborhood site or chat, watch for sales and swaps. - Stores like Goodwill, Saves, and Salvation Army
I have had great success with buying used games locally! - Yard Sales
Yard sales almost always have great deals on games (and books)!
Savvy shoppers utilize helpful apps and websites to find discounted board games.
- Board Game Atlas
This site provides information about board game prices. - Camel Camel Camel
Camel Camel Camel is a free Amazon price tracker and also provides price histories. - Rakuten
I have the Rakuten extension on my computer and it helps me to get cash back at many online sites. And, if you’re looking at a certain game on a site and it’s available for less money elsewhere, Rakuten will let you know.
You can also purchase discounted board games at chains and big box stores with a little patience and planning.
- Aldi
I have friends who have had success finding small, affordable card games while food shopping at Aldi. - Amazon
Keep your eye out for Amazon sales! Using Camel Camel Camel (mentioned above) can be helpful. If you have a wish list of games you’d like to have on your shelf, you can link the wish list to Camel Camel Camel and you’ll receive an email when the price drops.
Watch for sales around the holidays, before GenCon, and on the following days:- Table Top Day (June)
- Prime Day (October)
- Black Friday (November)
- Amazon Warehouse
You can find used games through Amazon Warehouse. - Dollar Stores
Never Board Learning members have shared some of their game finds at local dollar stores. - Kohl’s
Kohl’s has frequent sales and coupons, especially around Black Friday and the holidays. If you utilize the Kohl’s cash program, you get $10 Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend. - Kroger
Be on the lookout for Kroger’s buy one, get one free sale. - Pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.)
It seems like a strange place to find a game, but they often have small games in the toy section and on end caps. - Target
Like Kohl’s, Target has frequent sales. They also offer a Circle Rewards Program for additional savings.
If you want to add more play to your day, be sure to check out Never Board Learning!
100+ Board Games You NEED To Play
Are you looking to find your family’s next favorite board or card game? Are you hoping to add more play and gameschooling to your homeschool day? Look no further, my gamer friends. I’ve got you covered. As promised, I’m sharing 100+ games that you’re going to want to play.
In random order, here are 100+ board games you’re going to love:
Did I miss your family’s favorite board or card game? When you finish reading, leave me a comment below!
1. 7 Wonders or 7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders is a very popular strategy game for 3-7 players. Each player is a leader of one of the 7 great cities of the ancient world. A player can win in one of three ways, by achieving military, scientific, or civilian supremacy. 7 Wonders Duel is a 2-player version of the game.
2. Agricola or Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small
Agricola is a strategy game for 1-5 players. In this game, the players are farmers are 17th-century farmers who are working to build their farms, improve their homes, and breed animals. Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small is a two-player version that plays similarly to the original but focuses only on the animal husbandry aspect of the game.
3. Arboretum
Arboretum is a strategic card game for 2-4 players. In this game, players compete to create the most beautiful path through the garden. They do this by selecting the correct cards and placing them in an orientation that scores the most points.
4. Azul
Azul is a beautiful abstract strategic tile placement game for 2-4 players. In this puzzle-like game, players are artisans competing to decorate palace walls. To win, a player must draft the correct style and number of tiles and arrange them strategically to maximize points.
5. Bananagrams
Bananagrams is a word game for 1-8 players. The game includes 144 letter tiles. To play, each player creates their independent word grid/crossword as quickly as possible. When a player exhausts their letters, all players take a new tile from the tile pool. The first player to complete a word grid after the tile pool is exhausted is the winner.
6. Calico
Calico is an abstract strategy game for 1-4 players that is reminiscent of a puzzle. Players compete to make the comfiest quilt to attract as many cats as possible. Each quilt has a required pattern and players have certain color combinations they must adhere to. Points are scored for cats, buttons, and how well players were able to complete the required quilt pattern. The player with the most points wins.
7. Memoir ’44
Memoir ’44 is a historical WWII battle game for 2-8 players. My boys love this game and have learned so much from it! Memoir ’44 is historically accurate and educational with engaging battle scenarios and oodles of optional expansion packs.
8. Carcassonne or Carcassonne: The Castle
Carcassonne. is a tile-placement strategy game for 2-5 players. In this game, players are building medieval territories. Using tiles, players fill in the surrounding land with things like roads, cities, monasteries, and fields. The player who makes the most strategic moves will earn the most points and win the game. There are tons of Carcassonne expansion packs. Carcassonne: The Castle is a 2-player version of the original game in which all tile placement is contained within the castle walls.
9. Wordical
Wordical is a word-themed card and dice game for 2-8 players. In this game, players compete to build the highest-scoring words by rolling vowel dice and combining the letters with the consonant cards in their hands. It’s a great stealth spelling/reading/vocabulary game!
10. Catan or Rivals for Catan
Catan is a wildly popular strategy board game for 3-4 players and oodles of available expansion packs. Gameplay involves strategy and logical thinking with a dollop of luck thrown in. Rivals for Catan is a 2-player spinoff of the game. Like the original version, players roll dice, collect resources, and spend resources to build settlements connected by roads.
11. Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is a board game for 2-5 players. In this game, players construct railway routes across the United States and parts of Canada. A great way to sneak in some stealth geography, Ticket to Ride also has other versions, like Ticket to Ride Europe and Ticket to Ride Rails and Sails, so you can play your way across the globe.
12. Throw Throw Burrito
Throw Throw Burrito is a hilarious game of cards and squishy-burrito chucking for 2-6 players. Players race to collect sets of cards while dodging burritos. It’s also available in an extreme outdoor version with gigantic inflatable burritos!
13. Codenames or Codenames Duet
Codenames is a very social deduction party game for 2-8 players. In this game, two spymasters and their teams compete with each other. Each spymaster knows the secret identities of 25 agents, but the teammates only know the agents by their codenames. Spymasters give one-word clues and teammates must work to guess the identities while avoiding the assassin. There is a two-player version of this game and it is called Codenames Duet.
14. Cover Your Assets or Cover Your Kingdom
Cover Your Assets is a quick-to-play economic-themed card game for 2-6 players. Players compete to build towers of matching assets by making matches, and they also swipe from opponents. The first player to accumulate $1,000,000 in assets wins. My youngest son loves this game but he prefers to play Cover Your Kingdom, which is a 2-8 player adaptation of the original, featuring interesting creatures and additional layers of strategy.
15. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a strategy game for 2-5 players. In this game, players assume different roles and work to score the most points by managing colonists, creating buildings, shipping goods, and working on their plantations.
16. Cribbage
Cribbage is a classic card game for 2-3 players that incorporates a board with pegs for scoring. The first player to reach 121 points is the winner. It’s an age-old favorite and has tons of stealth math!
17. Dragonwood
I know, I know. I have talked about this one so many times, but it’s THAT good. (Years ago, I included it in my 5 Irresistible Games Kids Will Love article and I stand by it!) Dragonwood is a fantastically fun card and dice game that appeals to gaming families but also works for families new to gaming. All ages can play and enjoy this one and the game is designed for 2-4 players!
18. Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a fairly complex futuristic sci-fi game for 1-5 players. It’s the 2400s and players work together with major corporations to terraform the planet Mars. The gameplay involves the completion of projects that help to make Mars habitable.
19. Othello
Othello was one of my favorite games growing up. Othello is an abstract strategy tile-flipping game for two players. It’s simple to learn and fun to play! The goal is to capture your opponent’s tiles by surrounding and then flipping them (to your color).
20. Camel Up
Camel Up is a game for 2-8 players in which players bet on five camels that race around a pyramid. Play involves dice rolling, bluffing, and betting. My kids have loved this one for years!
21. Alhambra
Alhambra is a strategic game for 2-6 players. In this game, players are architects of medieval Spain. To win the game, players must employ the most talented team of workers to build their Alhambra.
22. Dominion
Dominion is a popular deck-building game designed for 2-4 players with tons of expansions. Each player is a monarch who wishes to build dominion. Each player starts with a small, identical deck of cards. Players must race to buy cards to accrue unclaimed land, hire minions, create buildings, improve their castles, and build their wealth. The player with the most points wins.
23. Sheriff of Nottingham
Sheriff of Nottingham is a hilarious social bluffing card game for 3-5 players. In this game, players take turns being the Sheriff of Nottingham, while other players are merchants attempting to smuggle goods into the city to sell. Some merchants are honest while others are savvy liars smuggling contraband into the city’s walls. Gameplay involves betting, bluffing, role-playing, and negotiating. It’s a perfect party game.
24. Castle Panic
Castle Panic is a cooperative strategy game for 1-6 players. In this game, players work together to defend their medieval castle against attacks from various monsters. My youngest has loved this game for many years, as you can see from the photo below. If you love this game, too, he highly recommends the Wizard’s Tower expansion pack.
25. Magic Maze
Magic Maze is a quick-to-play cooperative game for 1-8 players, In this game, players must work together silently to rob a shopping mall. It’s hilarious to watch players work together without speaking! If you enjoy this game, my youngest wants you to know about Magic Maze Maximum Security, which is an expansion pack that he loves.
26. Dutch Blitz
Dutch Blitz is a quick-to-play card game that can be played with up to 8 players. This is a great family game that involves numeric sequencing during play and addition and subtraction skills for scoring.
27. Balderdash
Balderdash is a hilarious bluffing word game for 2-6 players. In this game, players take turns being the Balderdasher. The Balderdasher rolls the dice to select a category, then they read the choice out loud to the other players. Each player writes down what they think the word means, meanwhile the Balderdashere writes down the actual answer. The Balderdasher shuffles the answers and then reads them all aloud. Players vote on the most believable answer. (I’ve included this game in our gameschool storefront because it’s a stealth language arts game!)
Balderdash has so much stealth writing!
28. Chess
Chess is a fantastic 2-player math game for all ages! Did you know chess is a mandatory school subject in Armenia? And many schools around the world offer chess clubs as extracurricular activities. (Love chess? This magnetic chess travel board is GOLD.)
29. Tokaido
Tokaido is an artistically beautiful game for 2-5 players. Players are traveling the “East Sea Road” in Japan, competing to be the most advanced traveler. On the journey, players discover locations, meet other people, taste food, visit temples, and collect items. The best traveler is the one who has had the most interesting, varied adventure.
30. Evolution
Evolution is a strategy game for 2-6 players. In this game, players work to adapt their species in an ever-changing ecosystem where food is scarce and predators abundant. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and it’s a perfect game to use for science.
31. Imhotep
Imhotep is a strategy game for 2-4 players. Imhotep is played over six rounds. In the game, players are ancient Egyptian architects who build monuments by transporting building materials on ships to various locations. Gameplay involves strategy and luck. The architect with the most points at the end of the 6th round is the winner.
32. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a strategy tile-drafting game for 2-7 players. In this game, players are master builders who have been asked by Mad King Ludwig to design castles. For each castle project, players are matched with another player/master builder. Each player must work collaboratively on one castle with the player on their left, while also working collaboratively with another player on the castle to their right. The winner is the builder who handles the two castles the best.
33. CreateUres Mythical Creatures Drawing Game
CreateUres Mythical Creatures Drawing Game is a game for 1-20 players. I feel like no one has ever heard of this game, but our family has played it so many times. I have used these cards as art prompts and story prompts. That means this game can be both an art game and a language arts game! On their turn, players flip over five category cards (small subject, medium subject, large subject, detail, and habitat). The player then draws a creature based on the five cards (or, if you’re using this as a story prompt, players can verbally tell a story about the character or write a story).
34. Exit (series)
The Exit game series is designed for 1-4 players but plays best as a 2-player game. These are cooperative escape room games that can only be played once, but they offer fun riddles and puzzles, making for a memorable experience.
35. Say Anything
Say Anything is a hilarious party game for 3-8 players. To play, players take turns reading a question. Everyone writes down their answer. The person who reads the question gets to choose their favorite answer from the pile. Get ready to cry-laugh with this one!
36. Welcome To…
Welcome To… is a city-building game for 1-100 players. (Yes, you read that correctly!) In this game, players are architects competing to build the best new town in the United States in the 1950s. Gameplay involves adding parks, pools, buildings, etc. to develop the best town. It plays like a roll-and-write dice game without the dice.
37. Wits and Wagers
Wits and Wagers is a party game for 3-7 players that includes bluffing, betting, and a dollop of trivia. No real trivia knowledge is required, so younger children can play too. One player reads a question aloud and then everyone writes down a numerical answer. And then all players bet on which guess they think is closest to the answer without going over. Unlike other trivia games, correct answers aren’t required as points are earned through the betting process.
38. Five Crowns
Five Crowns is affordable, travels well, and is flexible as it can be played with up to 7 players and also includes a solitaire version. This is one of my faves and is another highly-addicting card game. (Don’t believe me? It has five stars with over 20k reviews on Amazon!)
39. Dice City
Dice City is a strategic dice game for 1-4 players in which players build medieval villages. To accomplish this, players erect buildings, create trade routes, and/or bolster their armies.
40. Poetry for Neanderthals
Poetry for Neanderthals is a hilariously funny party game for 2-12 players. In this game, players compete to guess words based on clues provided by another player. There’s a catch, though! Players can only give one-syllable clues. If a player makes a mistake and uses more than one syllable, they get bopped with an inflatable club and lose points.
41. Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye is a strategic tile-laying game for 2-5 players. In this game, players are chieftains who are building kingdoms to score maximum points.
42. Castles of Burgundy
Castles of Burgundy is a strategic territory-building game for 2-4 players. The game takes place in the Burgundy region of High Medieval France following the Hundred Years’ War. Players are aristocrats building settlements and castles, operating silver mines, raising livestock, and trading along the river, earning victory points along the way.
43. Dixit
Dixit is a storytelling card game for 3-6 players. During the game, players take turns as storytellers. The storyteller selects a card from their hand and gives a clue. The other players choose a card from their hand that best fits with the clue provided. The cards are mixed, along with the storyteller’s card, and then players vote on which card was the storyteller’s card.
44. Fluxx (series)
Fluxx is a great card game for 2-6 players with constantly changing rules. Plus, there are tons of versions of this game, from Pirate Fluxx to Marvel Fluxx to Chemistry Fluxx!
45. Machi Koro
Machi Koro is a city-building dice game for 2-4 players. In this game, players compete to grow Machi Koro into the largest city in the area. They do this by building, collecting income from their developments, and stealing from their neighbors. This one can be highly-addicting. A couple of years ago, my kids played it nonstop for months!
46. Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert, and Forbidden Sky
Forbidden Island is a cooperative game for 2-4 players. In this game, players work together to search a ruinous and dangerous island for four sacred treasures. But players must do so quickly because the island is sinking! If you love Forbidden Island, be sure to check out Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Sky.
47. Genius Square
Our family fell in love with this logic game a few years ago. Genius Square is super addictive and fun. It was such a hit in our home that we decided to up the challenge by buying…
48. Genius Star!
Genius Star is my favorite logic game of all time. It can be played as a solo-player game or with two players. The goal is to race to find the solution. Bonus points if you complete the puzzle with the golden star!
49. Everdell
Everdell is a beautifully-illustrated strategic worker-placement game for 1-4 players. In this game, players work to erect a city of animals and buildings. My youngest says this is the prettiest game we own!
50. Blokus
Blokus is an abstract strategy game for 2-4 players. Players compete to place all of their pieces on the board. Each piece must touch another piece of the same color but can only touch the corners. If you loved Tetris as a kid, you’ll love Blokus!
51. Quiddler
Quidder is a word game using cards and is for 1-8 players. The object of the game is to use all the cards in your hand to make one or more words. The number of cards dealt increases each round (from 3 cards in round one to 10 cards in the final round). The player with the most points wins.
52. Hive
Hive is a highly-addictive abstract tile placement strategy game for two players. If you love games like Chess and Onitama, you’ll likely love Hive. The object is to surround your opponent’s queen bee (with tiles) while guarding your queen. Each tile represents an insect and has its unique way of moving, adding to the strategy! Hive Pocket is the travel version of Hive.
53. Jaipur
I love this game! Jaipur is a strategic trading game. This game combines strategy and luck and has a high replayability value (ask me how I know!). My youngest and I have played this a million and one times!
54. Kanoodle
Kanoodle is an award-winning, super fun three-dimensional two-player logic game. Players must complete 3-D puzzles as quickly as they can. The gameplay involves logic and spatial skills.
55. Kingdomino
Kingdomino is a strategic card drafting and tile placement game for 2-4 players that is reminiscent of dominoes. It is simple to learn and offers a high replayability factor. If you love this one, be sure to check out Queendomino!
56. Word on the Street
Word on the Street is a word game for 2-10 players. Gameplay can be individual or in teams. In this game, players or teams take turns. On each turn, the player/team is presented with a category and they have 30 seconds to think of an answer. Then, they move the letters in the word to their side of the game board. When a player or team moves a letter off the board, it is theirs. The first to gain eight letter tiles is the winning player/team.
57. Rat a Tat Cat
Rat a Tat Cat is an addictive card game for 2-6 players. Gameplay involves memory, strategy, and addition. In this game, players are dealt four face-down cards. Players are allowed to peek at two of them when the cards are dealt. Players take turns picking cards from the draw pile. They can use the card to replace a face-down card or they can discard it. Players must keep track of the face value of their cards and their position. The player with the lowest score wins. Our family has played this game countless times over the years. Our deck is old and well-loved!
58. Lost Cities
Lost Cities is quite possibly our family’s favorite two-player card game. Players are explorers on research journeys all over the world. Players earn points on their journeys. The player with the most points after three rounds is the winner.
59. Mille Bornes
Mille Bornes is a racing card game for 2-6 players. In this game, players are racing cars with the end goal of being the first player to reach 1,000 miles. (It’s a great stealth math game!)
60. Sagrada
Sagrada is one of my favorite games and my children love it, too. This gorgeous game is easy to learn and has high replayability. Designed for 1-4 players, Sagrada incorporates executive functioning and logic skills and scoring involves quite a bit of math.
61. For Sale
For Sale is a quick-to-play economic-themed card game for 3-6 players. Gameplay involves bidding and bluffing and the goal is to gain the highest-ranking properties. Players try to purchase the most valuable properties for the least amount of cash and then flip them for the most profit.
62. Love Letter
Love Letter is a highly-rated card game for 2-4 players. Players compete to win the affection of the princess by having their love letters delivered to the princess. Gameplay involves deduction, risk, and a little bit of luck.
63. GUBS
GUBS is a quirky card game for 2-6 players. Players enter a fantasy world and race to create the best colony before the letters G, U, and B are overturned. I often use this game as an example of the power of gameschooling. It’s not an educational-with-a-capital-E game at all, but my son was so enamored with it that the game made him a reader.
64. Bohnanza
Bohnanza is a bean-farming card game for 2-7 players. In this game, players compete to plant and collect the largest sets of beans for gold, but they must use strategy and negotiation skills because planting space is limited! The gameplay includes trading beans and negotiating with other players.
65. Molkky
Molkky is one of our family’s favorite 2-player outdoor games. Popular in Europe, Molkky is for 2 or more players. It can be played in your backyard, at the beach, or at a party. I love Molkky because it works on mental math skills as players add the points on their pins as they knock them over. (Our family tries to do this without a scorecard for an added challenge.)
66. Ecologies
Ecologies is an educational biology game for 1-6 players. I discovered this beautifully illustrated science game on Instagram years ago and, after much hemming and hawing, I decided to buy it. No regrets! The game was designed by a biology teacher and includes 77 organisms, 7 biomes, and vintage art. Your kids will learn a ton as they play!
67. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a fact-placed hilarious card game of hand slapping, silly gestures, and tons of laughter. This game is for 2-8 players and also comes in Halloween and Christmas versions. Speaking of which, have you heard about holiday gameschooling? It’s tons of fun!
68. Monopoly Deal
Let’s face it, sometimes you don’t want to play traditional Monopoly. If you’re not up for a full game, consider playing Monopoly Deal. This card game is for 2-6 players and can be played in just 15 minutes.
69. Dungeon Mayhem
Dragon Mayhem is a fast-paced and quick-to-play Dungeons and Dragons card game for 2-4 players. In this game, each player is a D and D character. Players battle in a treasure-filled dungeon and the last player still standing is the winner.
70. No Thanks
No Thanks is a card game for 3-7 players. In this game, players have the choice to take a card or to say “No Thanks” and pay one chip for the card. Taking the card earns you points and you also claim all of the chips that other players have paid to avoid taking the card. The goal of this game is to avoid points and each chip cancels out one point. The goal is to have the lowest score at the end of the game.
71. Onitama
Onitama is a 2-player abstract strategy game. The game is beautiful and it’s easy to learn, yet it offers a nice challenge. If your children enjoy playing chess, Onitama would be a great addition to your shelf.
72. One Night Ultimate Werewolf
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a quick-to-play card game for 3-10 players that incorporates bluffing, deduction, and role-playing. This is a perfect party game! In this game, each player takes on a different character. The goal is for the players to guess who, among them, is the werewolf. Games are super fun and are played in ten minutes. There is a free app that can be used in place of a moderator. To take your play to the next level, add One Night Ultimate Daybreak, One Night Ultimate Alien, and/or One Night Ultimate Vampire!
73. Organ Attack
Organ ATTACK! is a funny and educational organ-harvesting card game for 3-6 players. Featuring hilarious illustrations and text, the goal of the game is to remove the other players’ organs via illnesses and afflictions before they remove yours. The last player to retain at least one organ is the winner.
74. Sleeping Queens
Sleeping Queens is a bluffing card game for 2-5 players, and it was created by a child! This is an easy-to-learn game that kids love, and it has stealth math! The queens have fallen asleep under a spell and players must wake them up. Gameplay involves quick thinking, strategy, and a little luck. The goal is to wake up the most queens and to steal queens from opponents. The player with the most points wins.
75. Telestrations
Telestrations is a hilarious party game for 4-8 players. Remember the game “telephone” that we all played as kids? Well, Telestrations is the visual version of that hilarious game. Players sketch a Telestrations word and pass their drawing to the next player who must guess what was drawn and pass their guess to the next player who must draw what they see. You’ll be cry-laughing while playing this one!
76. Pandemic
Pandemic is a cooperative game for 2-4 players. In this game, players must work together, using their characters’ strengths, to defeat four diseases that are spreading across the globe.
77. Paperback
Paperback is a card game for 2-5 players that melds word-building and deck-building. Players must use their hands to form words and purchase more powerful letters. Many letters have abilities that are activated when used in a word. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.
78. Lords of Waterdeep
Lords of Waterdeep is a fairly complex game of strategy and city-building for 2-5 players. In this game, players take on one of the roles of the powerful Lords of Waterdeep who are competing for control of Waterdeep, the City Of Splendors.
79. Potion Explosion
Potion Explosion is a family favorite over here! This game is designed for 2-4 players. Players are in their senior year at an academy for wizards and witches. Players must learn to handle the dangerous ingredients and transform them into magical potions! (Do you love fantasy and Harry Potter? Check out THIS POST.)
80. Five Tribes
Five Tribes is a strategic worker-placement game for 2-4 players. In this mythical game, players are competing for control of the tribes of Naqala to become the most important leader of the city. Each tribe has unique abilities, which adds to the strategy of this game.
81. Not Parent Approved
Not Parent Approved is a card game for 4-10 that will have your kids laughing nonstop. Inspired by Cards Against Humanity, the game is played in rounds. In each round, one player reads a question card and the other players select the funniest answer card from their hands. The most hilarious answer is the winner of the round!
82. Rush Hour
Rush Hour is an award-winning single-player logic game. The player must race to get their car out of a traffic jam. Prompt cards get increasingly complex, offering a challenge for all ages. If you love puzzles and logic games, you’ll love this one!
83. Sushi Go
Sushi Go is a fast-paced card game for 2-5 players. In this game, the object is to curate the best combination of sushi dishes are they fly by. Players score points for making the most maki or for collecting sets of sashimi. The player with the most points is the winner.
84. Orleans
Orleans is a fairly complex medieval strategy game for 2-4 players. In this game, players are located in medical France. Each player must work to assemble farmers, merchants, knights, monks, craftsmen, etc., to win supremacy via trade, construction, and science. Orleans has multiple paths to victory which adds to its replayability factor.
85. Scrabble
Scrabble is popular the world over and is fun for all ages. This letter tile game is for 2-4 players and, at first glance, it appears to be a language arts game. And, it is! But there’s a ton of addition and multiplication throughout the game, especially if you give your kiddo a funky pen, scented marker, or dry-erase board and ask them to be scorekeepers!
86. SET
SET is an award-winning card game for 1-20 players that involves visual perception skills. It is fun for all ages with a high replayability value. Players compete to make sets of 3 cards based on specific attributes (number, shape, color, shading). SET can be played with any number of players, including a solo player version.
87. Tapestry
Tapestry is a fairly complex strategy game for 1-5 players. In this game, players are working to create civilizations through the advancement of technology, science, exploration, and/or military strength.
88. Splendor
Splendor is a game for 2-4 players that incorporates card development and chip collecting. In this game, players compete to create Renaissance Europe’s best jewelry business. This game is easy to learn and fun to play for all ages. It makes a great date night game and a fantastic family game.
89. Clank!
A couple of years ago, my youngest son introduced me to Clank!, a strategic deck-building game for 2-4 players. In this game, players sneak into a dungeon to retrieve at least one artifact and collect points without waking the dragon. The player who makes it out alive with the most points is the winner.
90. Stone Age
Stone Age is a fairly complex worker-placement strategy game for 2-4 players. This game takes place in prehistoric times. Players must collect wood, break stones, and gather gold from the river. Each player works to grow their civilization through trade, expansion of their territory, and gathering of food.
91. Swish
Swish is a card game for 2-6 players that uses logic skills, transformational geometry/spatial skills, and visual perception. Players must flip, rotate, and stack transparent cards to make matches (known as “swishes”).
92. Targi
Targi is a 2-player game where two nomadic tribes compete over desert trade routes. It’s high on strategy and low on luck, which is a win for many gamers.
93. Beat That!
Beat That! is an engaging dexterity game for 2-8 players. In this game, players accrue points by completing various hilarious challenges. With 160 challenges, this game will keep your kids happily engaged for a long time!
94. The Fox in the Forest
The Fox in the Forest is a fairy-tale-themed trick-taking game for two players. The player who wins the most tricks is the winner. This game is a good match for animal and fantasy lovers.
95. The Mind
The Mind is a cooperative card game for 2-4 players. In this game, players work together to complete 12, 10, and 8 levels of play. During each level, players work together to play cards, numbered 1-100, in the discard pile in ascending order. The trick is that players cannot talk to each other or share what cards are in their hands.
96. Wingspan
Wingspan is one of my all-time favorite games! This educational strategy game can be played with 1-5 players and is highly educational, especially if you’re a bird lover!
Here is an example of a Lazy Unit Study on birds. It includes the game Wingspan.
97. Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a classic dice game for 2 or more players. Yahtzee involves both luck and strategy… and a ton of scoring! Scoring involves addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Yahtzee is also a great way to teach probability and statistics!
98. Antiquity Quest
Antiquity Quest is a set collection card game for 2-8 players. My little guy loves this one! The game can be played individually or in teams of two. Players compete to acquire the best antiquities collection. The better the collection, the more it is worth. Gameplay involves planning, strategy, and logic. Scoring involves adding collections worth thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Psst! Tons of stealth math in this one!)
99. Patchwork
Patchwork is one of our favorites! My husband and I play it on date nights. (Are you looking for two-player games for couples?) This 2-player game is simple to set up and play but offers a fun challenge. If you loved Tetris as a kid, or if you are a fan of Blokus you’ll adore this one.
100. SKYJO
SKYJO is a colorful, fast-paced card game that, in our family’s opinion, is highly addictive. The game plays in under 30 minutes and is for 2-8 players (great for large families!).
101. Star Realms
Star Realms is a 2-player deck-building game that my boys are obsessed with! This game is affordable, easy to learn, highly engaging, and travels well, making it easy to play on the go.
102. Jamaica
Jamaica is a pirate-themed racing game for 2-6 players. Players race to become the richest pirate by sailing, stealing, and fighting, all while keeping their crew content so as not to face a mutiny!
103. Santorini
Santorini is an abstract strategy game for 2-4 players that is based on Greek Mythology. Santorini is super accessible, so it’s one of those games that all ages can enjoy.
Here’s another Lazy Unit Study and it includes the game Santorini.
104. Pentago
Pentago is an award-winning 2-player logic game with a rotating board. Players take turns placing marbles in an attempt to place five marbles in a row, but after each turn, one quadrant of the board is rotated 90 degrees!
105. Small World
Small World is a strategic territory-building game for 2-5 players. In this game, players compete to take control of a world that is too small for them all. Featuring 14 fantasy races and 20 special powers, players seek to find the best combination of features and expand their territories. My boys love this one!
106. PicWits
PicWits is a hilarious party game for 4-10 players. This game plays similarly to Apples to Apples, but it uses photos and captions. The best, most hilarious caption wins!
107. That’s Pretty Clever!
That’s Pretty Clever is a dice-rolling game for 1-4 players. The goal of the game is to score the most points. The game involves strategy and luck. Players must choose their dice carefully to accrue maximum points.
108. Race for the Galaxy
Race for the Galaxy is a fairly complex card game for 2-4 players. In this game, players build space civilizations by playing cards that represent worlds, technical developments, and/or social advancements. In this game, players explore space, conquer other galactic civilizations, and build a space empire.
109. Qwirkle
Qwirkle is a colorful abstract strategy game for 2-4 players. The game includes tiles with certain patterns and colors. To play, players score points by connecting tiles. Players connect tiles by matching a single tile attribute (eg., color or shape, but not both) with a tile already in play. Players earn extra points for completing a line that includes all six shapes or colors.
110. King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo is one of our family’s most-played games at the moment. Designed for 2-6 players, King of Tokyo is a strategic dice-rolling game in which players take on certain characters (monsters, robots, aliens, etc.) and fight each other for control of Tokyo. (My youngest refers to this as “Dragonwood’s cousin” and it doesn’t make sense, but also it sort of does!)
111. Flash Point
Flash Point is a cooperative game for 2-6 players. In this game, players work together to rescue humans and animals from a burning home. But players must do so quickly because the fire is spreading quickly! The game offers two levels of play, standard, and expert, which is great for big-time gamers.
112. Odin’s Ravens
Odin’s Ravens is a fast-paced strategic card game for two players. Every morning, Odin sends his two ravens out and across the planet in search of news of what is happening on earth. These two competitive ravens must race to gather information and get the first to return to Odin.
113. Q-Bitz and Q-Bitz Extreme
Q-Bitz and Q-Bitz Extreme are logic games for 2-4 players. Both games incorporate visual skills, speed, memory, and pattern recognition. Love puzzles? You’ll adore these!
114. Blobby’s Pizza
Blobby’s Pizza is produced by Semper Smart Games and designed for 2-6 players. Blobby’s Pizza is a pizza-eating contest game featuring monsters. The gameplay incorporates fractions, decimals, and percentages. This game also includes advanced play options and is a perfect stealth math game!
115. The Game
The Game is a cooperative card game for 1-5 players. Together, players race to discard all 98 cards into four decks, each with certain discard rules. Players can’t share their hands, but they can make suggestions.
116. ThinkFun Games
Am I saving the best for last here? Our family has always said we’ve never met a ThinkFun game we didn’t enjoy, and so rather than list a bajillion of them, I thought I would suggest ThinkFun games, especially their 1-player logic games. There are a ton of them, from Cat Crimes to Word-A-Round to Pathwords to Gravity Maze, to Solitaire Chess, and so many more!
Mystic Market is a ThinkFun game for 2-4 players that is a hit among kids who love fantasy books like Harry Potter!
And that’s a wrap! I could go on and on with my family’s favorite board games, but I am going to stop here. Did I miss your favorite? Please let me know!
Now that we’ve covered 100+ board games, would you like to see more play-based learning resources?
Here are my three top resources for parents and educators who would like to learn more about play-based learning and gameschooling:
1. Never Board Learning
Join Never Board Learning today and have more fun tomorrow! Learn more here!
2. Gameschooling 101: How to Add More Play to Your Homeschool Day [Self-Paced Course]
Would you like to:
- Add more play to your homeschool day while also crossing off many of those academic “must-do” boxes.
- Teach your children to problem solve, think creatively, and think outside the box- something our kids need now more than ever!
- Build a family culture of play and joyful curiosity. In short- a home they’ll want to come home to!
- Work on all-important social and communication skills.
- Quit trying to find the perfect tools and embrace the now, building memories with your children.
- Stop worrying at 3 am and start enjoying your family’s homeschool journey.
If so, you’re going to love our self-paced course, Gameschooling 101. Learn more here!
3. 7-Day Gameschool Kickstart
If you’re not ready to commit to a course or a community, check out our FREE 7-Day Gameschool Kickstart. This program will help you to create a simple, sustainable play habit that can change not only your homeschool routine, but the entire atmosphere of your family life!
