Looking for something fun 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 MyKidsTime parents.
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Playing a board game is one of those simple family activities that never gets old — it’s amazing how competitive everyone gets, no matter what age they are! Whether you’re looking for ways to fill a rainy day or planning a proper family game night, these are some of the best board games around.
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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 world’s most popular games ever published.
2–8 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#2. Scrabble
The classic crossword game that millions continue to enjoy after decades on shelves.
Build crosswords for points, and add to your score by landing on special spaces on the board. Use all seven of your letter tiles in one turn and you’ll bag an extra 50 points!
There’s also a Scrabble Junior version for younger players.
2–4 players, ages 8+ (5+ for the Junior version)
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#3. Connect 4
The well-known vertical game played with coloured checkers. Slot the board into its stand, then take turns dropping checkers into one of the 7 columns until someone gets 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 move your 4 coloured pieces around the board and back “home”. First one home wins — but you’ll need to roll a 6 to get a piece started.
The frustration sets in when the dice won’t play ball, or when a rival lands on your space and sends your piece all the way back to square one, even when you were almost home free.
2–4 players, ages 5+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#5. Pictureka
Find it fast, find it first! Pictureka puts an exciting visual twist on everyone’s favourite game, hide and seek. Pick up a card and try to spot the matching object among the 9 game board tiles.
It’s finders keepers — you win the card if you spot the object fastest or first, but watch out, because the board itself can change on any turn. Mission cards can instruct players to flip, rotate or swap one of the 9 tiles.
Players take turns rolling the dice, drawing a mission card and racing to find objects fast or first. Three different card decks keep things fresh — sometimes you’re hunting a matching image, sometimes an object 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
Looking For More?
Don’t let the weather dampen the fun — we’ve also got 25 of the best indoor games for 8–12 year olds to keep everyone happy!
#6. Ludo
A simple but classic board game for two to four players, where everyone 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 begins with a shake of the covered tray of sixteen letter dice. They settle into a 4×4 grid so only the top letter of each cube is visible.
From there, each player searches for words made from letters on adjacent cubes — “adjacent” meaning horizontally, vertically or diagonally neighbouring.
2+ players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#8. Articulate
Articulate is the fast-talking description game. Players try to describe 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 family’s absolute favourite games — and it’s great for maths skills too!
Rummikub is played with a set of 106 tiles. You need 30 points to “meld” and start the game, then, much like the card game Rummy, players build runs of the same colour (Red 7, Red 8, Red 9) or sets of the same number (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 is one of the best board games around!
Players move around the mansion as one of the game’s characters, gathering clues to work out who murdered the game’s perpetual victim, Dr. Black — and with which weapon, 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 does most of the work. It tests logic, bluffing and deduction, all with wonderfully simple rules.
Each round, one player becomes the storyteller and calls out a word or phrase that describes one of their cards. The other players pick a card of their own that best matches the clue, then everyone votes to guess which card belonged to the storyteller.
Dixit adapts to any age and works in any language, and expansion packs mean it never gets old — perfect for family game nights or evenings with friends.
3–6 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#12. Jungle Speed
Jungle Speed rewards sharp eyes and quick reflexes — and a steady hand, which can be hard to manage between fits of laughter!
A wooden Totem sits in the middle of the table, waiting for the fastest player to grab it. Each player is dealt a hand of cards, and the aim is to be first to get rid of all of yours. Each turn, everyone reveals a card — if two match, those players race for the Totem, and the slower one takes their opponent’s cards.
Some cards look almost identical, which can trick a player into grabbing by mistake. Others force everyone to grab at once, or change the rules on the fly. 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 man named Paletti once tried to build the tallest castle in the world, but ran out of money and had to take columns from the ground floor to build higher levels above.
The result was an amazing balancing act — the Villa Paletti. Can you repeat his daring feat? Players try to get their own columns onto the highest possible level, and the game ends when the structure collapses or no one can build any further. Quick, fun and genuinely challenging 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 that builds the countryside around the southern French medieval city of the same name. Players build roads, cities, cloisters and meadows, then deploy their “meeples” — farmers, knights, monks and thieves.
The rules are easy to pick up, and the board is built fresh from scratch each time you play, so no two games are ever the same. A world bestseller and multiple award winner — a real must for any board game shelf.
2–5 players, ages 8+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#15. Jenga
The classic block-stacking, tower-crashing game. How will you stack up against the laws of gravity?
Build the wooden blocks into a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling blocks out one by one until the whole thing comes crashing down. Is your hand steady enough to pull the last safe block before it topples?
2+ players, ages 6+ (though younger kids can usually get the hang of it 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 — whoever’s hippo eats the most wins.
Great for building hand-eye coordination in preschoolers. Start with just one marble in the middle for the littlest players, and add more as their skills improve.
2–4 players, ages 3+
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
#17. Guess Who
A family favourite in our house! The flip-and-find face-guessing game, with more characters than ever.
Each player picks a person, and the other has to guess who 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
A classic that’s been a nursery and playroom favourite for generations — always wanted to land on Princess Frostine!
Choose your sweet character and dance your way along the rainbow path, past the Peppermint Forest and the Lagoon of Lord Licorice, to Princess Frostine’s Ice Palace. Watch out for the tiles that send you backwards on your way to 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 the “quick thinking, fast talking” Irish board game. Best played in teams (though two players taking turns works fine if you’re short on numbers), teams advance around the board by correctly guessing the names their team-mates are describing.
You have 30 seconds to identify as many of the 5 names on the card as you can. Describers can say anything they like about a name — except the name itself.
First team to reach the FINISH square wins.
4+ players, ages 7+
#20. Pie Face
One of the more hilarious games to hit family shelves, Pie Face is packed with suspense — somebody’s bound to get splatted! Load the wet sponge or a splodge of whipped cream onto the “hand”, then start turning the handles.
It could go off at any moment, so keep your fingers crossed you’re not the one who cops a face full. Score a point for every safe turn, and first to 25 points wins.
PS — 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 avoiding high-penalty cards — especially the Queen of Spades. Its popularity has only grown thanks to its strong 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’ll win, aiming to be first to reach 500 points.
It’s a great pick for families, encouraging teamwork and critical thinking while giving everyone a bit of friendly competition to enjoy together.
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!
Related Articles
If your family is hooked on game night, you might also enjoy:
- 15 Completely Different Board Games To Play With The Family
- 25 of the Best Indoor Games for 8–12 Year Olds
- 15 Fun Card Games for Kids
- 10 Insanely Easy Ideas For a Fun Family Game Night
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best board games for a family game night?
It really depends on your family’s age mix and how much time you have. Quick games like Jenga, Connect 4 or Pie Face suit a short, high-energy burst, while games like Cluedo, Carcassonne or Dixit are better for a longer, more relaxed evening where everyone can get properly stuck in.
What age should children be to start playing board games?
Many games on this list are suitable from age 3 or 4, such as Hungry Hippos and Candy Land, which are designed with younger players in mind. Games with more strategy, like Monopoly or Carcassonne, tend to suit children from around age 8 upwards, though every child is different.
How do I pick a board game that suits a mix of ages?
Look for games with simple, fast rounds and a bit of luck involved, so younger players have just as much chance of winning as older siblings or adults. Guess Who, Jenga, Connect 4 and Pie Face are good choices for mixed-age family groups.
Where can I buy these board games?
Most of the games in this list are widely available from major retailers and online stores, including Amazon — we’ve linked to each one above to make it easy to find.
Fancy More Family Fun?
If board games have become your rainy-day go-to, take a browse through our other family games and activity ideas — perfect for whenever you need a fresh way to fill an afternoon together.
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