Monopoly may be the best-selling board game of all time, but if you’re looking for new games to play with the kids, it’s worth branching out. These completely different board games to play with the family bring something fresh to game night — from fast dice games to clever strategy hits.
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Playing a board game together is one of the easiest family activities there is — and it’s amazing how competitive everyone gets, no matter what age they are! There are plenty of board games to play with the family, but if you’re tired of the usual suspects, here are 15 games worth adding to the shelf.
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Different Board Games to Play With the Family
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Pass The Pigs
Be the first to 100 points by throwing your pigs and seeing how they land. Will you get a Leaning Jowler? A Double Snouter? Or maybe the infamous Piggy Back?
Each turn, a player throws the two pigs, and points are gained or lost depending on how they land.
2 or more players, ages 7+
Buy Pass The Pigs from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a clever, exciting tile-laying game for 2–5 players that builds the area around the southern French medieval city of the same name. Players lay roads, cities, cloisters and meadows, then deploy their “meeples” — farmers, knights, monks and thieves — to claim them.
The rules are easy to pick up, and no two games are ever the same, since the board is built from scratch each time. This is a world bestseller and major award winner, and a genuine must for any board game collection.
2-6 players, ages 8+
Buy Carcassonne from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
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Catan
In Catan (previously known as The Settlers of Catan), players negotiate and trade raw materials to build settlements and roads, creating a whole new island each time they play.
Each turn, dice are rolled to determine what resources the island produces. Players collect these to build up their settlements, aiming to reach 10 victory points and win the game.
The base game can be expanded with additional packs, increasing the number of players up to 6.
3-4 players, ages 8+
Buy Catan from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
Dixit
Dixit is a multi award-winning game that tests logic, bluffing and powers of deduction, all with wonderfully simple rules.
Each round, a player becomes the storyteller, describing one of their cards with a word or phrase. Other players choose a card from their own hand that best matches the clue. All the cards are revealed, and players vote secretly to guess which one belongs to the storyteller.
Dixit is brilliant, simple and great fun, and it suits almost any age group. Extension packs with extra cards mean it never gets old.
3-6 players, ages 8+
Buy Dixit from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
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King of Tokyo
In King of Tokyo, you play mutant monsters, gigantic robots and other aliens, all happily thumping each other to become the one and only King of Tokyo.
On your turn, you throw six dice with symbols that let you win destruction points, hoard energy, restore your health, or whack other players out of your territory.
The fiercest player is crowned King of Tokyo — and ends up facing all the other monsters alone!
2 to 6 players, ages 8+
Buy King of Tokyo from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
Cranium Junior
You’ll need all your acting, puzzling, sketching and code-cracking skills to win this brain-teasing family favourite.
There are four colour-coded activities for kids to try each round: spell, puzzle, act, hum, or just guess your way to victory!
2 or more players, ages 5+
Buy Cranium Junior from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Labyrinth
Labyrinth is a race for treasures in a moving maze, and one of the best-loved board games to play with the family.
Be first to collect all your treasures by shifting the walls of the labyrinth to create a clear path. Players take turns searching the maze for their magical objects and characters, carefully moving through the constantly changing layout.
It’s up to you to strategically move the walls to open your own path — while blocking everyone else’s.
2-4 players, ages 7+
Buy Labyrinth on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
30 Seconds Junior
30 Seconds Junior is a team game where each player has 30 seconds to explain as many of the five concepts on their card as possible. The more terms your team guesses, the further you move on the board. The first team to reach the finish line wins.
3 or more players, ages 5+
Buy 30 Seconds Junior here
Blokus
Blokus is a simple game anyone can play. Each player has 21 pieces, and there’s just one rule: each piece you play must touch another piece of the same colour, but only at the corners.
Protect your territory by fitting as many of your pieces onto the board as you can, while strategically blocking your opponents.
2-4 players, ages 7+
Buy Blokus on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride can be learned in under 15 minutes and enjoyed again and again, whether it’s your first time building a rail empire or a long-time favourite.
Players embark on a cross-country train adventure, collecting cards that allow them to claim colour-coded railway routes across a map. The longer the route claimed, the more points earned — but the more cards needed to claim it.
By building longer routes connecting multiple cities, players try to complete destination tickets for bonus points (or take a penalty if they fail!).
2 to 5 players, ages 8+
Buy Ticket to Ride on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Animal Upon Animal
There’s pandemonium on the farm. Who can stack the hen on top of the sheep? And is there any space left for the dog?
Animal Upon Animal is a stacking game — roll the die and stack the matching animal on its tile, along with any animals already stacked there.
2-4 players, ages 4+
Buy Animal Upon Animal from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
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Othello
Use cunning tactics to outwit your opponent in Othello. In this classic, fast-paced strategy game, you must trap your rival’s playing pieces and turn them over. The lead can change in an instant with the flip of a disk, and whoever holds the most pieces of their colour at the end wins.
2 players, ages 7+
Buy Othello from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Battle Sheep
Opposing sheep herds go head to fluffy head in a strategy game the whole family will love. The goal is to occupy the most pastures with your sheep. On their turn, players split a stack of sheep and move part of it as far as it can go in a straight line to a new pasture.
Watch out for sneaky sheep, and plan your moves carefully to fence out the competition! A different board is assembled before every game, so Battle Sheep is fresh every time you play.
2-4 players, ages 7+
Buy Battle Sheep from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Azul
In Azul, you play a tile-laying artist tasked with embellishing the walls of the Royal Palace of Évora. Players take turns drafting coloured tiles from suppliers onto their own player board.
Later in the round, players score points based on how their tiles are placed, with extra points for specific patterns and completed sets — and penalties for wasted tiles. Whoever has the most points at the end wins.
2-4 players, ages 8+
Buy Azul from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Boardgamer.ie
Abalone
In Abalone, players take turns pushing marbles around the board, aiming to push six of their opponent’s marbles off the edge. A column of marbles gains “weight” from the number of marbles lined up, so you’ll need a heavier group to push an opposing column along that axis. With six possible directions of play, it’s genuinely tricky to defend every side at once.
2 players, ages 7+
Buy Abalone on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a board game “different” from the usual family favourites?
Games like the ones above move away from classic roll-and-move formats. You’ll find bluffing games (Dixit), tile-laying strategy games (Azul, Carcassonne), physical stacking games (Animal Upon Animal), and quick-fire party games (30 Seconds Junior) — so there’s something for every mood and age group.
What age group are these games suitable for?
It varies by game. Simpler games like Animal Upon Animal and Cranium Junior work well from age 4 or 5 up, while strategy games such as Catan, Carcassonne and Azul are generally better suited to ages 8 and up. Each game listed above includes a recommended age range.
How many players do I need for family game night?
Most of these games work well with 2-6 players, making them flexible for smaller families or larger gatherings. A few, like Othello and Abalone, are designed specifically for two players — handy for a quieter one-on-one game.
Are these games good for beginners?
Yes. Several, including Ticket to Ride, Blokus and Pass the Pigs, are known for being quick to learn, so you can be playing within minutes rather than working through lengthy rulebooks.
Where can I buy these board games?
Buying links for each game are included above. Availability and pricing can change, so it’s worth checking the retailer’s page for current stock and cost before you buy.
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Do you have any of these board games at home? What other unique board games to play with the family would you recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
