Looking for something to do with the kids? How about playing a game together? Board games are a brilliant way to spend quality time as a family – here are 22 of the best board games for families, recommended by parents in the Mykidstime community!
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Playing a board game together is one of the simplest family activities there is – and it’s amazing how competitive everyone gets, no matter what age they are! Whether you’re looking for ways to fill a rainy afternoon or planning a proper family game night, these are some of the best board games around, chosen by parents who actually play them at home.
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Best Board Games for Families
#1. Monopoly
Buy! Sell! “Go directly to Jail!” Buy real estate, collect rents and build hotels – but don’t go bankrupt as you wheel and deal in one of the most popular board games ever published.
2–8 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#2. Scrabble
The classic crossword game that millions of families still enjoy today. Build crosswords for points, add to your score by landing on special spaces on the board, and if you can use all seven of your letter tiles in one turn, you get an extra 50 points!
There’s also a Scrabble Junior version available for younger players.
2–4 players, ages 8+ (5+ for the Junior version)
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#3. Connect 4
A well-known vertical game played with coloured checkers. The board sits upright in its stand, and players drop checkers into one of 7 slots, trying to be the first to get 4 in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
2 players, ages 5+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#4. Frustration
The aim of Frustration is to bring your four coloured pieces all the way around the board to “home” – first one home wins. You need to roll a 6 to get a piece moving in the first place.
The frustration really sets in when you can’t get the roll you need, or a rival player lands on your piece and sends it right back to the start – even when you were nearly home free.
2–4 players, ages 5+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#5. Pictureka
Find it fast, find it first! This is a fun, fast-paced twist on hide and seek. Pick up a card and race to find the matching object across the 9 game board tiles.
It’s finders keepers – whoever spots the object fastest (or first) keeps the card. Watch out though, the board itself can change: special mission cards instruct players to flip, rotate or swap one of the tiles mid-game.
Players take turns rolling the dice, drawing a mission card, and hunting for objects. Three different card decks keep things fresh – sometimes you’re matching an exact image, other times you’re hunting for anything that fits a category, like “things that can fly”. Collect enough cards and you’re the Pictureka champion!
2–4 players, ages 6+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
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#6. Ludo
A simple but classic board game for two to four players, where each player races their four tokens from start to finish according to the roll of the dice.
2–4 players, ages 4+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#7. Boggle
Boggle starts with a good shake of a covered tray of sixteen cubic dice, each printed with a different letter on every side. The dice settle into a 4×4 grid, with only the top letter of each cube visible.
From there, each player searches for words made from letters that are next to each other – horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
2+ players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#8. Articulate
Articulate is the fast-talking description game where players try to get their team to guess as many card entries as possible in 30 seconds – no “rhymes with” or “sounds like” allowed!
There’s also an Articulate For Kids version for ages 6+.
4+ players, ages 12+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#9. Rummikub
This is one of our favourite games in the Mykidstime team (and it’s great for maths skills too!).
Rummikub is played with 106 sturdy tiles. Each player needs 30 points to make their first “meld”, then, like the card game Rummy, players build runs of the same colour (e.g. Red 7, Red 8, Red 9) or sets of the same number in different colours (e.g. Blue 8, Red 8, Black 8). First to get rid of all their tiles wins.
2–4 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
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#10. Cluedo
This popular murder-mystery deduction game remains one of the best board games around.
Players move around the game board (a mansion), taking on one of the game’s characters, gathering clues to work out who committed the crime, with which weapon, and in which room.
3–6 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#11. Dixit
Dixit is a multi-award-winning, beautifully illustrated game where imagination is the real star. It tests logic, bluffing and deduction, while keeping the rules refreshingly simple.
Each round, one player becomes the storyteller and gives a phrase or word to describe one of their cards. The other players then pick a card from their own hand that best matches the clue. All the cards are revealed, and everyone votes on which one they think was the storyteller’s.
Dixit works brilliantly for any age group, and expansion packs mean it never gets stale – great for family game nights or an evening with friends.
3–6 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#12. Jungle Speed
Jungle Speed calls for sharp observation and lightning-fast reflexes – and a steady hand, which can be tricky when everyone’s dissolving into laughter.
A wooden Totem sits in the middle of the table, waiting for the quickest player to grab it. Each player has a hand of cards, and the aim is to be the first to get rid of all of yours. Every turn, players reveal a card, and if two match, those players race to grab the Totem. The faster player hands their cards to their unlucky opponent.
Some cards look almost identical, tricking players into grabbing the Totem by mistake, while others force everyone to grab at once or shake up the rules. Do you have the reflexes to win?
2+ players, ages 7+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#13. Villa Paletti
Legend has it that a builder named Paletti once tried to construct the tallest castle in the world in Italy. When he ran out of money partway through, he began taking columns from the lower floors to build higher up.
The result was the extraordinary Villa Paletti. Can you pull off the same feat? Players try to get their own columns onto the highest possible level before the whole structure collapses, or before no more moves are possible. Quick, fun and genuinely tense for the whole family.
2–4 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#14. Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game for 2–5 players, set around the southern French medieval city of the same name. Players build roads, cities, cloisters and meadows, then place their “meeples” – farmers, knights, monks and thieves – to score points.
The rules are simple, but the game never feels repetitive, since the board is built fresh from tiles every time you play. A world bestseller and multiple award winner – a genuine must-have for any board game collection.
2–5 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#15. Jenga
The classic block-stacking, tower-crashing game. Stack the wooden blocks into a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling out blocks one at a time until the whole thing comes tumbling down.
Is your hand steady enough to pull the last safe block before the tower falls?
2+ players, ages 6+ (though younger kids can usually manage too)
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#16. Hungry Hippos
Four hungry hippos want to munch a bunch of marbles! The faster you press their tails, the more marbles they gobble up – whoever’s hippo eats the most, wins!
It’s a great way to build hand-eye coordination in preschoolers. Start with just one marble in the middle for the youngest players, and add more as their skills improve.
2–4 players, ages 3+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#17. Guess Who
Another firm family favourite. It’s the flip-and-find face-guessing game generations of families know and love.
Each player picks a mystery character, and the other has to work out who it is by asking yes-or-no questions, like “Do you have brown eyes?” or “Are you wearing a hat?” Narrow it down, then make your guess.
2 players, ages 6+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#18. Candy Land
This nostalgic favourite has been delighting young players for generations. Choose your sweet character and travel the rainbow path towards Peppermint Forest, the Lagoon of Lord Licorice, and Princess Frostine’s Ice Palace.
Watch out for the tiles that send you backwards as you race towards King Kandy’s Castle. One of the best board games for preschoolers.
2–4 players, ages 3+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#19. Junior 30 Seconds
Junior 30 Seconds is billed as a quick-thinking, fast-talking Irish board game. It’s best played in teams (though two players taking turns works fine too), with teams advancing along the board by correctly identifying the names their teammates are describing.
You have 30 seconds to identify as many of the 5 names as possible. Describers can describe the names however they like, but can’t say the actual name on the card. The first team to reach the FINISH square wins.
4+ players, ages 7+
#20. Pie Face
A firm family favourite full of fun and suspense, where somebody’s bound to end up splatted! Add a dollop of whipped cream (or a wet sponge) to the “hand” of the game unit and start turning the handle.
It could go off at any moment, so keep your fingers crossed and hope it’s not your turn to get pie-faced! Score a point every time you turn the handle safely – first to 25 points wins.
Note: whipped cream not included.
2+ players, ages 5+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
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#21. Hearts (Online)
Hearts is a family favourite that mixes strategy with a good dose of luck. Players exchange cards across several rounds, aiming to finish with the fewest points by carefully avoiding high-penalty cards – especially the Queen of Spades. Its popularity has grown even further thanks to its online presence, making it one of the most-played card games around.
1–4 players, ages 8+
Available for free at Hearts.Land
#22. Spades (Online)
Spades is a strategic card game where players or teams bid on how many “tricks” they think they’ll win, aiming to be the first to reach 500 points.
It’s a great option for families, encouraging teamwork and critical thinking while keeping everyone entertained with a bit of friendly competition.
1–4 players, ages 8+
Available for free at Spades.co
Which of these best board games are your family’s favourites? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
Save This List For Your Next Family Game Night
Whether it’s a wet Saturday afternoon or a planned family games evening, it’s handy to have this list ready to go. Bookmark this page or save it to your phone so you’ve always got fresh ideas on hand next time everyone’s looking for something to do together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best board game for younger children?
For preschoolers and younger kids, simple games with clear rules and fast rounds work best – think Hungry Hippos, Candy Land or Ludo. They’re easy to learn, quick to play, and keep little ones engaged without long waits between turns.
What’s a good board game for a big family group?
Games that support larger groups, like Cluedo, Dixit or Articulate, work well when you’ve got more than four players, especially if there’s a mix of ages around the table.
Are these games suitable for family game nights with mixed ages?
Yes – many of the games on this list, such as Jenga, Guess Who and Pictureka, are easy enough for younger children to join in with, while still being fun for parents and older siblings.
Do we need a big group to enjoy a board game night?
Not at all. Several games here, including Connect 4, Boggle and the online card games Hearts and Spades, work well with just two players, making them ideal for smaller households or one-on-one time.
How do I choose the right board game for my family?
Think about the ages involved, how much time you have, and whether you want something quick and light or a longer strategic game. This list includes a mix of both, so there’s something for most rainy afternoons or family evenings.
Related Articles
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- 15 Fun Card Games for Kids
- 10 Insanely Easy Ideas For a Fun Family Game Night
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