The 55 Best Family Games to Play With Friends and Family

Looking to add another game to your game closet? This post is full of games you’ll want to get your hands on as soon as possible.

What is a family game?

A family game is one that can be played (and enjoyed) by the whole family. It works for young kids and adults. The best family games inspire excitement just by being placed on the table.

Games have a great way of connecting us, they give kids a safe place to practice winning (and losing) gracefully, they teach patience and sometimes even math or reading.

Plus, playing family games is a great way to just have fun… together. That’s why games at our house are a priority.

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Best Games for Family Game Night

Are you planning a family game night? You will find just the right family game below. Use these family game night tips to help prepare for the big night.

• Charades for Kids
• HedBanz
• Uno Dare – Scroll down for more games like Uno.
• Clue
• 10,000 (We alter this a bit and play 5,000 when we want to get a quick game it.)

Best Family Board Games

If a board game is in order, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. (Hint: my favorite is Barenpark!)

• Trouble
• Mysterium 
• Quoridor
• Barenpark
• Apples to Apples Scroll down for games like Apples to Apples.

Card Games for the Family

Looking for some card game fun? (Hint: We always gift Five Crowns, because we love it so much.)

• Throw, Throw Burrito – A card game with a movement twist. This one is great for silly fun.
• 3Up 3Down
• Five Crowns
• Exploding Kittens – Scroll down for games like Exploding Kittens.
• Sequence
• Nert
• Select 5 – Select 5 is a speed game. It’s fast and fun! (I was sent a promo copy of this game to try out.)

Board and Card Games for Teenagers

Some of these games are best for a quiet night of strategy games and some are better suited for a little silliness.

• Pandemic
• Ticket to Ride
• Munchkin
• Taboo
• Blank Slate

Best Games for Families to Play Together When You’re Short On Time

Family game nights are awesome, but they aren’t always practical.

With school, sports, and other schedule-filling activities, planning out an entire night to play games can be overwhelming. It can also mean it never happens.

Right now our busy schedules don’t allow for a set game time, which means we need to be ready with the best games for families to play together that match the amount of time we have. Luckily our game closet is well stocked.

So, how much time do you have? I have the best games for your family to play…

Best family games for 5 – 10 minutes – Sometimes you find 5 minutes in the day and nothing to fill it with. Maybe waiting for someone to arrive or the moments between activities. That’s when it’s awesome to have a good quick game on hand.

• Spot It
• Tic Tac Toe (This link takes you to Tic Tac Toe using sight words. You could also use letters or shapes.)
• Tenzi
• Art Dice (TinkerLab)

Best family games for 15 minutes – The games on this list are perfect for kids with a shorter attention span. They can be played once through pretty quickly… but if time allows it… you can play again and again.

• Ratuki
• Mancala
• Mastermind
• Golf
• Guess Who?

Best family games for 30 minutes – 30 minute games are great for relaxing between school and homework or connecting after dinner.

• Make ‘N’ Break
• Lego Game
• Mexican Train Dominoes
• Spoons (Coffee Cups and Crayons)
• Uno
• Sorry

Best family games for 1 hour or more – When you are looking for a way to fill an afternoon or evening, these games are perfect!

• Monopoly
• Rummikub
• Labyrinth
• The Game of Life
• Catan (We came across this game a year or so ago. EVERYONE loves it. It’s great for adults only and great for adults playing with kids. We decided to go with the original version (there is a Catan: Junior) and have been very happy with that decision. There are expansion packs you can buy (and a Catan 5-6 Player Extension that makes this four-player game a six-player game). I see this being a game that is worth investing in. It will grow with us and be a game we play for years to come.)

Card Games like Uno

Sometimes you want a new game but you’re actually looking for something similar to the one you already love. Here is a list of games like Uno. You’ll notice that Uno has released several twists on the original. There are also several theme or character Uno packs. Uno Splash is a fun version that has waterproof cards, might be just the thing if you play by a pool or at the beach!

• Uno Flip 
• Uno Dare (also listed under Best Games for Family Game Night)
• Uno Extreme
• Skip Bo
• SkyJo

Games like Apples to Apples

Apples to Apples has different versions and theme packs (like the Disney version). I’ve also included a couple of games that are like Apples to Apples.

• Apples to Apples Junior
• Apples to Apples Freestyle
• Code Names
• Scattegories
• Telestrations

Games like Exploding Kittens

If you’re looking for a different version of the same game Exploding Minions is cute! If you want a game that is like Exploding Kittens, you’ll find it below.

• Bears vs. Babies
• Sushi Go
• Taco vs. Burrito
• Unstable Unicorns (this one is for teens and adults)
• Poetry for Neanderthals

Board Game Tables

If you’re anything like us, you set up your games in the most convenient place. Sometimes at the dining table, sometimes on the coffee table, and sometimes on the floor. If however, you want a designated board game table, I’ve rounded up a couple that might work. 

• Foldable Game Table – This board game table is perfect to pull out for a game night and store away when you aren’t playing. 
• Game Table – If you’re looking for something more permanent, this beautiful table can be customized to fit your game playing. 
• Game Night Table Topper – This is a game table that sits on top of your table and can be stored away when not in use. 

What do you think the best games for families to play together are? How long do they take to play?