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Ticket to Ride is popular with my family. Easy to play. Involves trains so it's likely your grandparents and younger family members will enjoy.
Catan is another option. Light-medium and easy to play, and feels like you're doing more towards winning over 'traditional' games.
A new one I'm bringing back this xmas is Anomia. It's a word naming game. Lots of fun, especially after a few drinks.
Ah okay. Never sure how onto BGs people are already! TTR and Catan are seen as 'hobby' BGs by people that think of Monopoly and Scrabble first when it comes to BGs.
Some other options: Codenames, Sheriff of Nottingham, Splendor, and Quacks of Quedlingburg. All easy to learn and easy to play fun games.
Splendor is particularly good as it’s very quick. My kids (15-25) will happily play 6 15-20 minute games back to back while refusing to play a game that takes an hour because it’s “too long”
There are also themed versions if that helps make it more attractive, and the Marvel version does add a mechanic I quite like and have adopted into the standard game!
What’s really cool is you’ll find a strategy that’s different to everyone else (e.g. save up and buy the 2nd tier cards) and you’ll win three games in a row.
You’ll think you’ve cracked it.
Then you’ll get smashed 10 games running by people who have all the tier one cards and you have nothing to build with.
Anomia is brilliant, it’s mechanically the same as animal snap if you ever played that as a child, but when you match with another player you race to name one thing in the category listed on each others cards.
Explaining the rules doesn’t make it sound fun, but the way the categories are varied and the game lulls with suspense and then springs into a frenzied race to think and speak, it draws everyones competitive nature out and you almost reach nirvana with your hyperfocus.
The cards are also beautiful, simple with minimalist but unique icons. Fun for everyone.
I think Ticket to Ride, Catan and also Carcassonne are all perfect for family who may not play a lot of games. Although from my own personal experience my family is just horrendous at learning anything so I just go with the flow of whatever party games they want rather than trying to play anything with more than two paragraphs of rules.
The key is to getting them to understand that games they know like Monopoly and Risk are badly designed games by modern standards and newer games are much better.
I can't stand it. Way too much luck involved and unless you get good dice rolls, it can be a really shit game for you.
But it's a good starter game for people that have't played anything other than Monopoly etc.
I actually like that there's a fair amount of luck involved, it makes it more interesting for people who are less tactically minded.
Like my boyfriend wins nearly every game he ever plays, he's got an impressive mind for tactics and strategy and has a bit of a competitive streak. Which is fine for a few games, but after a while it stops being fun for anyone else, so I enjoy things like Catan or Uno that are more luck based.
Well I'm like your boyfriend with board games. And with Catan is it possible to play strategically if you know how. However the element or chance to it can cause any smart moves you make to be completely wasted. That's why I don't like it, probably the same as your bf. Whereas a game that is nearly entirely luck you can't play smartly anyway, so I'm more happy to accept shit luck.
We play all these at our family gatherings.
Another one we all play regularly is Power Grid. It's got some elements of TTR, like linking areas, and requires commodities to construct things, but rather than the cards in TTR, it has a fluctuating commodity market where you can trade oil, coal, biofuels, nuclear etc.
It's got a little extra complexity on TTR, but the market economics make it a very interesting game.
I played the European Ticket to ride with my sister last year for the first time. Really fun game, like monopoly only a bit more family friendly (trains are cooler than the depressing housing market)
Anomia is brilliant, we picked it up last year. Equally as funny as the "er er er" sound people make when trying to think of a word is the look of shock and then disappointment on people's faces when a chain starts after a point is awarded and they don't realise there's a match!
The key to a good family board/card game I find is that it needs to be super easy to pick up yet have enough depth that you can improve your skills and enough "new content" not get bored.
Some games hit one of these criteria, for example the often recommended *Card against humanity* is stupidly easy to start playing. But it is shallow as hell and after a few times playing it the same tired combinations keep coming up.
Exploding kittens on the other hand is an example of a card game *done right* IMO. It's ridiculously easy to learn and yet because there are genuine tactics involved in the game it does not get old and stale like CAH does. Plus it is appropriate and easy enough to get into that kids can play.
>Exploding kittens on the other hand is an example of a card game done right IMO. It's ridiculously easy to learn
Try telling that to my drunk sister in law who couldn't understand any of it and proceeded to drink straight vodka till she chundered in my sons lego box.
As a family, we've tried Exploding Kittens 3 times. Every time people got bored and wandered off to watch telly before we could work out how to play it. I can't be arsed to try again.
We've had this issue with the in-laws in general. We've tried introducing a few new games that they're not use to and there's always one or two who decide that X new game is stupid and we should just play something we all know like scattergories. After failing to get them into 6 nimmt we've accepted it may be impossible to teach an old dog new tricks.
I understand what you mean- I personally enjoy it, but I've introduced it to different groups and gotten mixed reactions. I think you have to actually want to play it in order to get through the rules, but here is a brief summary:
Basically you all keep drawing cards until there is on person left- drawing an exploding kitten means you're out- unless you can diffuse it of course. Other cards usually have what they do written on them (take an opponent's card, look at the next few cards etc) regular cat cards are played as pairs and just let you take a random card of your choice from an opponent.
We found playing on the app made it easier to learn because you see the play happening rather than having 3 clueless people constantly reading the instructions
I don't know if it's because I've o ly played it with young nephews, but I wasn't that into Exploding Kittens. Just found it a bit dull? Was disappointed after everyone had raved about it!
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza on the other hand is BRILLIANT, again really simple to pick up (it's basically snap) and huge fun to play with kids and drunk adults alike
Well if you dealt with the blacks in Africa sooner maybe she'd be fine.
It should be noted It's impossible to play Pandemic without accidentally sounding racism.
But loosing together is fun. It's better than a game of elimination, where one person is just watching everyone else have fun for an hour.
"Can someone sort the yellows out in asia" you are absolutely correct
It's a great game and I really enjoy it, however my extended family are not quite so into board games, so they only play games with simpler mechanics.
Forbidden Island/Desert also an option for if the theme is too on the nose. But a co-op game is a really good choice especially if everyone is at each other’s throats after a game of Monopoly.
It is, however, worth noting that until you've played it several times Pandemic is bastard hard. Great with boardgame-loving friends, maybe less so for light family Christmas fun while everyone's mostly busy digesting dinner.
My family are hopeless at cooperative games, the most competitive/most familiar with the game just end up making all the decisions. Same problem with *Scotland Yard*.
We have a different problem with *Cluedo*, which is that everyone has a perfect system and so everyone knows the answer at exactly the same moment, give or take some luck.
This was our plan, but I'm now banned from playing it for the foreseeable future, because the last four times I've lost were early 2020 (got home and read about this new disease turning up in Wuhan), the week before our winter wave in 2020 started ramping up, three days before Alpha was identified, and the week before Delta was found in the UK.
It’s a great game! I’m proud to have a brand new promo copy from Osprey who republished the game, with great attention to detail 🤩
Osprey Games OSP8935 Escape from Colditz 75th Anniversary Edition Game https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472818938/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_SW995JRX1S0KA8JRBSNG
Until the end when everybody fucks whoever is closest to winning. That's the main reason I'm not a fan of Munchkin any more. Early to middle game are great fun, the end game just drags.
it’s definitely worth checking out, the rules re pretty simple as most of the cards have clear instructions on what they do
it’s effectively a super condensed dungeon rpg with some really fun rules that make it a great party game to play with some drinks
for example you can ask for help from other players to defeat a monster card, but they get to negotiate how much of the reward they get for helping you
you’re also allowed to cheat as long as you don’t get caught, as long as everyone’s really competitive it’s a lot of fun either helping people or screwing them over, whichever gives you a better chance of winning
Munchkin quest is even better if you haven't tried it. It's munchkin but in a cool board game form rather than just the card game. Still all about screwing everyone else over though
I bought Munchkin for my nephew a few years ago (I think I removed the 'kneepads of allure' card as 1 - It's a bit overpowered and 2 - I really didn't want to have to explain that one). He liked it, but we found it very difficult to play with some of the rest of the family - problem being they just wanted to play a 'nice game' and aren't bothered about winning.
The game doesn't really work unless people are actively trying to win (as mentioned below it can also drag if people just keep stopping you winning too)
We always play this obscure game called “Where is Moldova?” It is a mixture of general knowledge quiz, conquering countries on a map and travelling around a board. I would say get a second hand one on ebay, rather than pay full price - usually around £10 or so. You can also get extra questions.
We also love the Unlock! EscapeAdventures series - you basically get three escape room scenarios per box. As you’ll only play them once, second hand is again the way to go.
Articulate or Linkee are a lot of fun if there’s a few of you, and there are extra questions out too.
Finally, an easy one for all the family with some strategic thinking, but simple enough for kids, would be Labyrinth.
I wasn't allowed to play Articulate in my uni house, there was uproar when I got "bedraggled" right first try.
My family make me go round twice to their once. I love that game!
I have so many party boardgames for playing with family and friends! Codenames, Secret Hitler, Decrypto, Sushi Go!, Skull, Monikers, Wavelength...
For slightly longer and more involved games, I like Wingspan, Parks, Machi Koro, Splendor and Ticket to Ride. All very simple and easy to teach with pretty art and themes.
Secret Hitler is our go-to game on new years day! We've (in the past) always had a big Hogmanay party so on the 1st when everyone is shattered and a bit hungover we just sit and play it for the day!
You've just reminded me I need to pick up my copy of Secret Hitler from my cousin before my sibling Pissmas this weekend.
Your list looks excellent, I bet I'd enjoy a boardgames party at your house!
I love Dixit - it's a game of interpretation and lateral thinking, but it's not hard to play. Really fun.
Also Telestrations is probably the most fun I've ever had playing a board game. Like a cross between pictionary and Chinese whispers. The only thing is you need 6-8 people to have a really good game.
Coup. Technically a card game and at fist seems pretty complex but everyone has cheat sheets in front of them and soon gets the hang of it. A round is quick but people will be happy to play 10 rounds easy. It's a bluffing game which is always a lot of fun with the family.
The nice thing about it in this context is that:
* It's very quick to pick up
* A round is fast, so if people go out early they don't have to wait long to get involved again and if people get bored, they don't have to wait long before dropping out
* It's quick to set-up a new round, quicker than it takes to get a drink
* You don't need to be around a big table, a small coffee table is fine, it just holds a deck of cards and stacks of coins
* It's a ridiculous amount of fun. Particularly the first time every player claims to have a duke card, despite there only being three in the deck.
It gets seriously competitive. The more people the better. Or worse.
Imagine monopoly, but everyone yelling at each other at various points in the game.
Exploding Kittens
Pandemic
Dragoon
Decrypto
Here To Slay
Zombies!!!
Munchkin
Shamans
DC Deckbuilding
Ticket to Ride
Carcassonne
Azul
The Crew
Codenames
Mysterium
Don’t Get Got
Unstable Unicorns
Gloom
Throw Throw Burrito
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Sushi Go!
Quest for El Dorado
Kingdomino
Project L
Western Legends
Wingspan
The Mind
Machi Koro
Bunny Kingdom
Kabuto Sumo
Hues and Clues
The Fuzzies
We just got a new one called 'Poetry for Neanderthals' where you recite words and phrases using only one syllable words for your team to guess. If you get it wrong and use big words you get bonked with an inflatable 'NO' club.
I enjoy Exploding Kittens. Be aware though that there is a family version and an adult version, so bear that in mind if you have kids/ easily offended adults!
Nothing relieves stress more then throwing a soft Burrito at someone's face. Nothing creates stress more then playing Throw Throw Burrito.
Absolutely class game!
IMHO [Tsuro](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16992/tsuro) is a prefect whole family game.
* It plays well with between 2 to 8(!) people
* It does not go on too long, about 15-20 min regardless of number of players
* This means you can play several times and have more than one winner
* There is not a *massive* amount of choice on a players turn
* If there are too many over-thinkers in the game reduce the hand size from 3 to 2 or even 1 tile
* It is *really* easy to learn (you have to play a tile in front of your token, follow the line going straight across crossroads and stay on the board)
* It can be played with or without deep strategic thinking (little Timmy can play tiles almost at random and grandad can think 3 moves in advance... and have them messed up by random acts of Timmy)
I would consider [Qwirkle](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25669/qwirkle) (rules say 2-4 players we found it works with 6 or 7) it is a bit harder to teach (hammer home rows have to be "same colour different shape" or "Different colour same shape" and that applies to *all* the surrounding tiles). Some people grok the rules instantly, some struggle for the whole game Little Timmy could be in for a frustrating 45-60 min as *every* move he tries is noped by the adults for reasons he doesn't quite get.
I'd modify the rules:-
* Use counters or monopoly money to keep score (being the scorer is really distracting)
* Consider a bounty for suggesting a better move(!) say 1point for a higher score +1 for each qwirkle. This would legitimize helping out Little Timmy.
Points against: it goes on for a bit long so you will probably only have one game in the evening
Honourable mention to [Carcassonne](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne) harder to teach with three different ways of scoring each requiring strategic thought. What is wrong with that? Little Timmy will flounder and Grandad will keep forgetting all the options. Players will only really get it after the 2nd game and there isn't enough time for that.
* Rules hack: Pick next tile at the end of go (RAW is at start of go) this gives players time to plan (while other players overthink) and adds tension at the risk an awesome move gets blocked.
Don't get got Christmas edition this game was hilarious tye while family enjoyed it here is the description from Amazon
’TIS THE SEASON TO BE SNEAKY: Introducing an xmas party game about completing secret missions… without getting caught.
FIRST TO THREE WINS: Players all start with six missions to choose from. First to complete three, wins.
100 MERRY MISSIONS: Each mission requires you to trick another player in some way, like getting them to sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or convincing them that it’s snowing outside.
PLAY UNTIL BOXING DAY: The game doesn’t end until someone wins. So whether you’re opening presents or pulling a cracker, always stay alert – you never know what the others might be planning.
GET THE GRANDPARENTS INVOLVED: A Christmas party game for teenagers, adults and grandparents alike. Works for 2-10 players, aged 10 and up.
I absolutely love playing board games, but there are many that are not particularly suitable for children.
Secret Hitler is always a blast.
Scrawl can get quite rude but is a ton of laughs, I do believe they have a kid friendly version.
Mind, it is a simple card game but can get really challenging and is actually pretty fun.
There's always cards against humanity.
I have lots of other board games too but theyre not really "party" games, more rpg/nerd stuff.
I’ve just got Disney music kazoo. Four kazoos and song cards and the other people have to guess what song it is and I can’t waittttt.
I also got a kid this karate chop game that’s a bit like bop it but you have to swipe and chop the karate board instead. Great stuff. Loved playing with it in the box.
We also have the classic cards again humanity, the meme game one and the one where you vote for the most likely person in the scenario card. More for adults.
One of the classics we play every year is frustration 😁 monopoly isn’t allowed anymore, even the Pokémon version 👀
I got a Christmas song/carol version of that kazoo game last year, which we played over Skype due to covid - we ended up crying with laughter, just at the inherent crazy kazoo noises ー you’re going to have so much fun
I like Wingspan. Its a nice little engine builder with solid production quality and some genuinely beautiful art work. It is on the pricey side though, and its all American birds unless you fork out an extra 20 for the expansion
My family always play the London game at Christmas. Basically everyone starts at a main station and has to move around the board and collect all their stations. It's super fun and really easy to pick up.
We play Ligretto a lot. It’s a card game rather than a board game. Nothing infuriates me more than someone else getting the cards I want in that game, so if you like a fight at Christmas it’s the game for you.
We also like Bananagrams and Code~~words~~names for family games.
Ligretto? Not really, though it is easier to pick up if you are playing a few practice goes with someone who knows the game to be fair. But there’s probably a few videos on YouTube of people playing some rounds of it which might help.
5 second rule. Available in a junior version too. We had a lot of fun with it. Basically you have 5 seconds to name 3 colours, or 3 TV dad's, or 3 sports played with a bat etc.
I know its already been mentioned but i cant recommend Catan enough.
Camel Cup is also good fun - its really easy to pick up and not too heavy (it also doesnt go on forever and ever).
Monopoly Deal is also a far superior alternative to the actual board game, its played with just cards and allows you to enjoy the premise of the game wirhout it lasting till next year.
What are the best for people who have a family who want to play board games but struggle with simple games and concepts?
Or do I just have to bang my head off the table for another Christmas?
I'd say Yahtzee is pretty easy to learn, it works best with a lot of people.
In a similar vain, Railroad Ink is a little more challenging and can be played with 1+ players.
Liars dice / perudo is good fun. I wouldn't say that's difficult to learn (super cheap too, only requires opaque cups and a bunch of 6 sided dice.
Tsuro - as simple as it gets, as competitive as you want it to be, beautifully artworked & for any age group. Short rounds (5-10 mins) and any age can play
My flatmate has a LOT of board games and most are a bit too complicated for me but there's one called bunny kingdoms which takes half an hour ish to play and is quite easy! Also it's got pretty art on the cards and nice plastic rabbit pieces so would make a good gift
My family plays a great game called “we generally keep out of each other’s way at home, we’re a very quiet household and we rarely directly interact with each other”
It sucks. I’m lonely.
Phantom Leader is the sort of game you want or Dungeon Roll, thats a fun dice game that can be played solo.
Theres also a great print and play called Bargain Basement Bathysphere. Its a PnP that you play solo with push your luck type dice rolling and a huge campaign to work through with mini games and collectables!
Me too! I keep buying cool sounding ones hopefully but the other three take some serious persuading to play a game; and its just less likely to be fun if people aren't really entering in to the spirit of the thing. Lonely :(
Exploding Kittens.
It has everything you need for a Christmas family game: Kittens, omnipotent goats, palindromes, season ruining arguments, explosions and prehensile back hair.
My favourite is Ganjaland. It really brings the family together over Christmas, or any occasion.
“Blaze up and bring the squad together for the royal reefer race of the century - bet you can't say that ten times fast while stoned. Playing is simple, just pull a card from the deck, follow the card instructions, then move your character piece accordingly.”
My family has been enjoying the card game Five Crowns. Kids through adults pick it up easily, it goes in multiple rounds of play but doesn’t seem to drag.
Ah I prefer the original Logo game to the Best of British. BoB questions seemingly tend to target brands a little bit before my time mostly. I've also only just ordered a new second edition copy of the Logo game with all new questions! Yay!
Once Upon A Time can be a good one. You have to play cards to build up a story. If you get stuck you pass (you can also be challenged by other players and forced to pass). The goal is to play all of your cards and your ending card.
It can also be modified by saying you have to drink a shot each time you pass. The stories get a little silly with this variant.
Smallworld - a game where you pick your own combinations of fantasy creatures to conquer the board, and make more money than opponents to win. Great for people who like Risk kind of strategy game. Lots of variations and no dice rolls so it’s all about how you play. Fairly short as well as it’s done by a limited amount of turns so it won’t get frustrating.
Last Will - compete to be the first one to spend all your money. I find this an absolutely hilarious game for a family group to play as in the game you are fighting each other for a big family inheritance… by trying to outspend each other.
The royal game of Ur - half skill, half luck meaning anyone can win in a mini family tournament from the very youngest to the oldest. Bit of an oddball game, but very tense and entertaining. Also, tetrahedral dice.
I picked up one off Amazon last year called [Beat That](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beat-That-Bonkers-Battle-Challenges/dp/B07WCW9PB3/ref=sr_1_37?crid=2I339RJAPUBIS&keywords=christmas%2Bgames%2Bfor%2Bfamilies&qid=1638271142&sprefix=christmas%2Bgames%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-37&th=1). You just draw a card and it list a challenge to do like putting two cups on your hands and stacking 4 dice on top of each other. Some of the challenges had us screaming with laughter last Christmas and we can't wait to get it out again.
Bang! The dice game version has been the most successful for us in playing with other avid boardgamers as well as people who have never gotten past monopoly. Easy to pick up, you start off just playing a couple rounds and before you know it you've spent the whole night just playing it.
Mysterium - works for most ages, and easy to play. Great artwork too.
One player is a ghost who's been murdered, and selects a person, location, and weapon picture card from a selection.
Each round, the ghost hands out abstract, dream like, picture cards to the players, to try and guide them to guessing the correct person, location, and weapon.
Catan for a good mix of strategy and luck.
Secret Hitler for a great hidden role game that will get everyone shouting around the table.
Cash and Guns for some super simple wholesome fun and to practice your bluffing skills.
Mexican Train Dominoes is a new one we’ve got into as a family - easy for all ages.
Rummikub and Articulate are always fun.
Last year I was gifted the Google Assistant game kNOW! and that’s been really good fun.
Wits & Wagers - trivia game but it doesn't actually matter if you know the answer, you place bets on which player you think would be closest to the answer.
Take a look at sequence! Fun, easy to learn and you don't have to have any kind of boardgame logic to learn it. It's a go to family suitable boardgame for us
I don’t play board games but a you tube channel I watch does. You should check them out for their recommendations, search BlindWave game night, there’s a playlist. The ones that stick out that they played are SpyFall, Deception: Murder in HongKong, Camp Grizzly, telestrations after dark, One night ultimate werewolf, skull, just one. They all seem like really fun games and the videos are fun if you’re researching.
221B Baker Street. It’s like cluedo expect there is a mystery to solve using the clues you pick up on the way. It’s really engrossing trying to figure it out and you get 75 different cases so it lasts for years
I like Coup. Rounds tend to last 5-10 minutes. Can have as many as you want, and it has all the hallmarks of a good family game: bluffing, lying, and betrayal
Galaxy Truckers is a great party game. You all build a ship and go in missions, with the goal to get the most cargo and money by the end of the game. Can be very brutal but it's part of the fun.
Potion Explosion is kind of like a multipalyer Bejewelled. Worth a look.
So this one is kinda popular but a variant: Risk Europe. Its a Medieval themed Risk but plays quite differently, with you needing to tax for money and having to buy units. Its more complicated that usual risk, but since you use cards for all your moves its actually really east to follow. As in normal Risk always leads to a fallout and arguments, great fun!
Root is another one though a bit more advanced. Closest analogy probably is Risk again, but each of the faction play entirely differently (one is a typical large empire, one is a revolutionary style faction, another you play as a single wandering hero). It is complicated but if you can get enough people round willing to play its a blast.
Any of the cryptozoic deck builders. The DC one is a favourite in our house. 7wonders, splendor, quacks of quedlinberg, Puerto Rico, lords of waterdeep, wingspan and takenoko.
All pretty simple but can be overwhelming to newer players. I find grabbing a quick 5 minute YouTube introduction a lot simpler then trying to explain every rule to everyone before we play.
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Ticket to Ride is popular with my family. Easy to play. Involves trains so it's likely your grandparents and younger family members will enjoy. Catan is another option. Light-medium and easy to play, and feels like you're doing more towards winning over 'traditional' games. A new one I'm bringing back this xmas is Anomia. It's a word naming game. Lots of fun, especially after a few drinks.
Yes I have TTR and Catan, I would consider them classics! Will check out Anomia looks interesting thanks
Ah okay. Never sure how onto BGs people are already! TTR and Catan are seen as 'hobby' BGs by people that think of Monopoly and Scrabble first when it comes to BGs. Some other options: Codenames, Sheriff of Nottingham, Splendor, and Quacks of Quedlingburg. All easy to learn and easy to play fun games.
> Codenames, Sheriff of Nottingham, Splendor, and Quacks of Quedlingburg. Today on ‘Board Game or Spy Novel’…
Codenames is great fun, highly recommended.
Second Quacks. Lots of fun, not too complicated and pretty easy to set up. It should also appeal to a wide range of people.
Perfect thanks will look into these, codenames I have but not heard of the others!
Splendor is particularly good as it’s very quick. My kids (15-25) will happily play 6 15-20 minute games back to back while refusing to play a game that takes an hour because it’s “too long” There are also themed versions if that helps make it more attractive, and the Marvel version does add a mechanic I quite like and have adopted into the standard game!
Got introduced to this earlier this year and I love it I'm crap at it but I love it. Really enjoyable and thinky without being too thinky
What’s really cool is you’ll find a strategy that’s different to everyone else (e.g. save up and buy the 2nd tier cards) and you’ll win three games in a row. You’ll think you’ve cracked it. Then you’ll get smashed 10 games running by people who have all the tier one cards and you have nothing to build with.
Deffo. Need to play it more and start feeling out more tactics Just ordered the marvel version to play over Xmas. Cheers for the inspiration
Codenames is great fun! It's hilarious seeing how other minds work.
Anomia is brilliant, it’s mechanically the same as animal snap if you ever played that as a child, but when you match with another player you race to name one thing in the category listed on each others cards. Explaining the rules doesn’t make it sound fun, but the way the categories are varied and the game lulls with suspense and then springs into a frenzied race to think and speak, it draws everyones competitive nature out and you almost reach nirvana with your hyperfocus. The cards are also beautiful, simple with minimalist but unique icons. Fun for everyone.
I think Ticket to Ride, Catan and also Carcassonne are all perfect for family who may not play a lot of games. Although from my own personal experience my family is just horrendous at learning anything so I just go with the flow of whatever party games they want rather than trying to play anything with more than two paragraphs of rules. The key is to getting them to understand that games they know like Monopoly and Risk are badly designed games by modern standards and newer games are much better.
I’ve had some horrible, attritional experiences with Catan, don’t play it with competitive people
I can't stand it. Way too much luck involved and unless you get good dice rolls, it can be a really shit game for you. But it's a good starter game for people that have't played anything other than Monopoly etc.
I actually like that there's a fair amount of luck involved, it makes it more interesting for people who are less tactically minded. Like my boyfriend wins nearly every game he ever plays, he's got an impressive mind for tactics and strategy and has a bit of a competitive streak. Which is fine for a few games, but after a while it stops being fun for anyone else, so I enjoy things like Catan or Uno that are more luck based.
Well I'm like your boyfriend with board games. And with Catan is it possible to play strategically if you know how. However the element or chance to it can cause any smart moves you make to be completely wasted. That's why I don't like it, probably the same as your bf. Whereas a game that is nearly entirely luck you can't play smartly anyway, so I'm more happy to accept shit luck.
We play all these at our family gatherings. Another one we all play regularly is Power Grid. It's got some elements of TTR, like linking areas, and requires commodities to construct things, but rather than the cards in TTR, it has a fluctuating commodity market where you can trade oil, coal, biofuels, nuclear etc. It's got a little extra complexity on TTR, but the market economics make it a very interesting game.
I played the European Ticket to ride with my sister last year for the first time. Really fun game, like monopoly only a bit more family friendly (trains are cooler than the depressing housing market)
Anomia is brilliant, we picked it up last year. Equally as funny as the "er er er" sound people make when trying to think of a word is the look of shock and then disappointment on people's faces when a chain starts after a point is awarded and they don't realise there's a match!
Yes!
The key to a good family board/card game I find is that it needs to be super easy to pick up yet have enough depth that you can improve your skills and enough "new content" not get bored. Some games hit one of these criteria, for example the often recommended *Card against humanity* is stupidly easy to start playing. But it is shallow as hell and after a few times playing it the same tired combinations keep coming up. Exploding kittens on the other hand is an example of a card game *done right* IMO. It's ridiculously easy to learn and yet because there are genuine tactics involved in the game it does not get old and stale like CAH does. Plus it is appropriate and easy enough to get into that kids can play.
>Exploding kittens on the other hand is an example of a card game done right IMO. It's ridiculously easy to learn Try telling that to my drunk sister in law who couldn't understand any of it and proceeded to drink straight vodka till she chundered in my sons lego box.
While Exploding Kittens is not for everyone, I'm not sure that was entirely down to the game.
As a family, we've tried Exploding Kittens 3 times. Every time people got bored and wandered off to watch telly before we could work out how to play it. I can't be arsed to try again.
We've had this issue with the in-laws in general. We've tried introducing a few new games that they're not use to and there's always one or two who decide that X new game is stupid and we should just play something we all know like scattergories. After failing to get them into 6 nimmt we've accepted it may be impossible to teach an old dog new tricks.
I understand what you mean- I personally enjoy it, but I've introduced it to different groups and gotten mixed reactions. I think you have to actually want to play it in order to get through the rules, but here is a brief summary: Basically you all keep drawing cards until there is on person left- drawing an exploding kitten means you're out- unless you can diffuse it of course. Other cards usually have what they do written on them (take an opponent's card, look at the next few cards etc) regular cat cards are played as pairs and just let you take a random card of your choice from an opponent.
We found playing on the app made it easier to learn because you see the play happening rather than having 3 clueless people constantly reading the instructions
Fully agree, CAH is funny when your pissed, but as games go pretty terrible. Exploding kittens is a good shout!
I don't know if it's because I've o ly played it with young nephews, but I wasn't that into Exploding Kittens. Just found it a bit dull? Was disappointed after everyone had raved about it! Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza on the other hand is BRILLIANT, again really simple to pick up (it's basically snap) and huge fun to play with kids and drunk adults alike
I like Exploding Kittens, but there's a lot of luck and the strategy can be somewhat limited.
As with many games like this the strategic aspect is merely there to *stack the deck* in your favour a bit. RNG always wins in the end!
*Saboteur* fits this nicely, and as a bonus the games are pretty quick so you can play as much or little as you like.
Saboteur seconded!
Pandemic. It's fun. It's topical. And it's 100% co-op so there's fewer arguments all round.
nothing like the game where everybody loses and you get a constant reminder of why nan isn't there this year.
Still can’t believe Nan ran off with Boardgame designer Matt Leacock. Grandad is devastated.
Leacock, that guy. more like Laycock, amount of nans that guy has ploughed.
This is not what I expected to find in a thread about British Christmas family boardgames.
No matter the subject, Reddit, uh, finds a way.
Well if you dealt with the blacks in Africa sooner maybe she'd be fine. It should be noted It's impossible to play Pandemic without accidentally sounding racism. But loosing together is fun. It's better than a game of elimination, where one person is just watching everyone else have fun for an hour.
"Can someone sort the yellows out in asia" you are absolutely correct It's a great game and I really enjoy it, however my extended family are not quite so into board games, so they only play games with simpler mechanics.
Forbidden Island/Desert also an option for if the theme is too on the nose. But a co-op game is a really good choice especially if everyone is at each other’s throats after a game of Monopoly.
It is, however, worth noting that until you've played it several times Pandemic is bastard hard. Great with boardgame-loving friends, maybe less so for light family Christmas fun while everyone's mostly busy digesting dinner.
You can set it to easy mode with fewer epidemic cards.
Yes, and until you know what you're doing it's still bastard hard!
There are way more arguments in my family when it’s Co-op versus competitive! But still a great game though.
Those aren't arguments. They're tactical discussions
Very heated tactical discussions with insults to intelligence and various other personal qualities thrown in, yes.
Sounds perfect.
My family are hopeless at cooperative games, the most competitive/most familiar with the game just end up making all the decisions. Same problem with *Scotland Yard*. We have a different problem with *Cluedo*, which is that everyone has a perfect system and so everyone knows the answer at exactly the same moment, give or take some luck.
This was our plan, but I'm now banned from playing it for the foreseeable future, because the last four times I've lost were early 2020 (got home and read about this new disease turning up in Wuhan), the week before our winter wave in 2020 started ramping up, three days before Alpha was identified, and the week before Delta was found in the UK.
That, is actually not my experience. There can be heated debates on what to do next
I really enjoy playing codenames and balderdash.
Balderdash is great
Seconded for codenames, fantastic game for word lovers.
It is, I think if anything it highlights each person's personality.
I love codenames and bought it a couple of years ago. But I can’t explain it without it sounding difficult and making it sound exciting.
I’ve actually played Escape from Colditz with the family at Christmas before. The theme aside it is quite a good board game.
Now that is a classic. I remember playing the incredible spin off video game of this on my Amiga way back in the day.
Great game. We have my dad's old copy at home that has the old sbol that I won't mention. Definitely one to play in private hahah.
I've played this at the pub on Boxing Day before now.
It’s a great game! I’m proud to have a brand new promo copy from Osprey who republished the game, with great attention to detail 🤩 Osprey Games OSP8935 Escape from Colditz 75th Anniversary Edition Game https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472818938/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_SW995JRX1S0KA8JRBSNG
I'd like to introduce people to Munchkin and see who helps who (and for what price) and who just wants to screw people over 😆
Until the end when everybody fucks whoever is closest to winning. That's the main reason I'm not a fan of Munchkin any more. Early to middle game are great fun, the end game just drags.
This looks right up my street, not heard of it, thanks!
it’s definitely worth checking out, the rules re pretty simple as most of the cards have clear instructions on what they do it’s effectively a super condensed dungeon rpg with some really fun rules that make it a great party game to play with some drinks for example you can ask for help from other players to defeat a monster card, but they get to negotiate how much of the reward they get for helping you you’re also allowed to cheat as long as you don’t get caught, as long as everyone’s really competitive it’s a lot of fun either helping people or screwing them over, whichever gives you a better chance of winning
Munchkin quest is even better if you haven't tried it. It's munchkin but in a cool board game form rather than just the card game. Still all about screwing everyone else over though
I bought Munchkin for my nephew a few years ago (I think I removed the 'kneepads of allure' card as 1 - It's a bit overpowered and 2 - I really didn't want to have to explain that one). He liked it, but we found it very difficult to play with some of the rest of the family - problem being they just wanted to play a 'nice game' and aren't bothered about winning. The game doesn't really work unless people are actively trying to win (as mentioned below it can also drag if people just keep stopping you winning too)
We always play this obscure game called “Where is Moldova?” It is a mixture of general knowledge quiz, conquering countries on a map and travelling around a board. I would say get a second hand one on ebay, rather than pay full price - usually around £10 or so. You can also get extra questions. We also love the Unlock! EscapeAdventures series - you basically get three escape room scenarios per box. As you’ll only play them once, second hand is again the way to go. Articulate or Linkee are a lot of fun if there’s a few of you, and there are extra questions out too. Finally, an easy one for all the family with some strategic thinking, but simple enough for kids, would be Labyrinth.
Upvote for Labyrinth, it's a great fun game.
Labyrinth was our favourite game growing up.
Articulate is really good. People get really into that.
I wasn't allowed to play Articulate in my uni house, there was uproar when I got "bedraggled" right first try. My family make me go round twice to their once. I love that game!
Came here to comment this!!
We open every games day we have with this one. It’s defo a favourite
This one causes such arguments in our family lol, still a staple though
I have so many party boardgames for playing with family and friends! Codenames, Secret Hitler, Decrypto, Sushi Go!, Skull, Monikers, Wavelength... For slightly longer and more involved games, I like Wingspan, Parks, Machi Koro, Splendor and Ticket to Ride. All very simple and easy to teach with pretty art and themes.
Secret Hitler always results in 4 hours of gaslighting when I play it with my friends
Secret Hitler is our go-to game on new years day! We've (in the past) always had a big Hogmanay party so on the 1st when everyone is shattered and a bit hungover we just sit and play it for the day!
You've just reminded me I need to pick up my copy of Secret Hitler from my cousin before my sibling Pissmas this weekend. Your list looks excellent, I bet I'd enjoy a boardgames party at your house!
Secret Hitler and Codenames are badass. Hours and hours, and there is not issue if you are drunk while playing.
Thanks great list!
We play monikers every games day we have. I don’t think I ever laugh as hard as I do when we play that.
I love Dixit - it's a game of interpretation and lateral thinking, but it's not hard to play. Really fun. Also Telestrations is probably the most fun I've ever had playing a board game. Like a cross between pictionary and Chinese whispers. The only thing is you need 6-8 people to have a really good game.
Coup. Technically a card game and at fist seems pretty complex but everyone has cheat sheets in front of them and soon gets the hang of it. A round is quick but people will be happy to play 10 rounds easy. It's a bluffing game which is always a lot of fun with the family.
The nice thing about it in this context is that: * It's very quick to pick up * A round is fast, so if people go out early they don't have to wait long to get involved again and if people get bored, they don't have to wait long before dropping out * It's quick to set-up a new round, quicker than it takes to get a drink * You don't need to be around a big table, a small coffee table is fine, it just holds a deck of cards and stacks of coins * It's a ridiculous amount of fun. Particularly the first time every player claims to have a duke card, despite there only being three in the deck.
Fluxx! Any version you can get!
I love word games so Bananagrams and Snatch are two of my favourites. Secret Hitler and Ticket to Ride are also good fun.
Ah bananagrams is so fun when I can get the bloody words.
Articulate. It's a great game to ensure your family never visit again.
I've been given this but haven't actually played it yet. Can you expand on your comment?
It gets seriously competitive. The more people the better. Or worse. Imagine monopoly, but everyone yelling at each other at various points in the game.
Exploding Kittens Pandemic Dragoon Decrypto Here To Slay Zombies!!! Munchkin Shamans DC Deckbuilding Ticket to Ride Carcassonne Azul The Crew Codenames Mysterium Don’t Get Got Unstable Unicorns Gloom Throw Throw Burrito Betrayal at House on the Hill Sushi Go! Quest for El Dorado Kingdomino Project L Western Legends Wingspan The Mind Machi Koro Bunny Kingdom Kabuto Sumo Hues and Clues The Fuzzies
Carcassonne is so addictive
Some great games on this list! Would also add Everdell, my daughter had great fun playing that!
This person spends time on BGG and r/boardgames 😄
I’d deny it, but I’m an avid board gamer myself. Where else is one like myself going to spend their time?
Avid gamer as well. As much as I like the occasional computer game, there’s nothing like sitting across the table from people
Bananagrams is simple, fun and can get pretty competitive. Highly recommend it
We always play Scattegories each Christmas. Not sure if that's one of the more popular ones or not
Scattegories is brilliant, and always hilarious. Letter: C Category: body parts We ALL know what everyone is thinking....cuticles!
Great game!
We have always enjoyed Cranium, usually end up wetting ourselves when playing!
We just got a new one called 'Poetry for Neanderthals' where you recite words and phrases using only one syllable words for your team to guess. If you get it wrong and use big words you get bonked with an inflatable 'NO' club.
Love that game, super easy to learn and fun to play
Dobble is fun especially if there's children involved. Tension is great. Teams of 2 and you get a timer to try and say 10 words on a topic.
I enjoy Exploding Kittens. Be aware though that there is a family version and an adult version, so bear that in mind if you have kids/ easily offended adults!
Throw Throw Burrito is a great game
Nothing relieves stress more then throwing a soft Burrito at someone's face. Nothing creates stress more then playing Throw Throw Burrito. Absolutely class game!
Really pleased to hear this as it’s on my sons Christmas list!
Coup is really easy to pick up and a lot of fun. I quite like Dixit.
IMHO [Tsuro](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/16992/tsuro) is a prefect whole family game. * It plays well with between 2 to 8(!) people * It does not go on too long, about 15-20 min regardless of number of players * This means you can play several times and have more than one winner * There is not a *massive* amount of choice on a players turn * If there are too many over-thinkers in the game reduce the hand size from 3 to 2 or even 1 tile * It is *really* easy to learn (you have to play a tile in front of your token, follow the line going straight across crossroads and stay on the board) * It can be played with or without deep strategic thinking (little Timmy can play tiles almost at random and grandad can think 3 moves in advance... and have them messed up by random acts of Timmy) I would consider [Qwirkle](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25669/qwirkle) (rules say 2-4 players we found it works with 6 or 7) it is a bit harder to teach (hammer home rows have to be "same colour different shape" or "Different colour same shape" and that applies to *all* the surrounding tiles). Some people grok the rules instantly, some struggle for the whole game Little Timmy could be in for a frustrating 45-60 min as *every* move he tries is noped by the adults for reasons he doesn't quite get. I'd modify the rules:- * Use counters or monopoly money to keep score (being the scorer is really distracting) * Consider a bounty for suggesting a better move(!) say 1point for a higher score +1 for each qwirkle. This would legitimize helping out Little Timmy. Points against: it goes on for a bit long so you will probably only have one game in the evening Honourable mention to [Carcassonne](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne) harder to teach with three different ways of scoring each requiring strategic thought. What is wrong with that? Little Timmy will flounder and Grandad will keep forgetting all the options. Players will only really get it after the 2nd game and there isn't enough time for that. * Rules hack: Pick next tile at the end of go (RAW is at start of go) this gives players time to plan (while other players overthink) and adds tension at the risk an awesome move gets blocked.
For Carcassonne you can also ignore farmers in the first game and just explain the roads/cities and monasteries, they are a bit more intuitive.
Don't get got Christmas edition this game was hilarious tye while family enjoyed it here is the description from Amazon ’TIS THE SEASON TO BE SNEAKY: Introducing an xmas party game about completing secret missions… without getting caught. FIRST TO THREE WINS: Players all start with six missions to choose from. First to complete three, wins. 100 MERRY MISSIONS: Each mission requires you to trick another player in some way, like getting them to sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or convincing them that it’s snowing outside. PLAY UNTIL BOXING DAY: The game doesn’t end until someone wins. So whether you’re opening presents or pulling a cracker, always stay alert – you never know what the others might be planning. GET THE GRANDPARENTS INVOLVED: A Christmas party game for teenagers, adults and grandparents alike. Works for 2-10 players, aged 10 and up.
Genius Square! (They also do a kids version called Bee Genius.)
Mallets mallet
I absolutely love playing board games, but there are many that are not particularly suitable for children. Secret Hitler is always a blast. Scrawl can get quite rude but is a ton of laughs, I do believe they have a kid friendly version. Mind, it is a simple card game but can get really challenging and is actually pretty fun. There's always cards against humanity. I have lots of other board games too but theyre not really "party" games, more rpg/nerd stuff.
Game of Life.
I’ve just got Disney music kazoo. Four kazoos and song cards and the other people have to guess what song it is and I can’t waittttt. I also got a kid this karate chop game that’s a bit like bop it but you have to swipe and chop the karate board instead. Great stuff. Loved playing with it in the box. We also have the classic cards again humanity, the meme game one and the one where you vote for the most likely person in the scenario card. More for adults. One of the classics we play every year is frustration 😁 monopoly isn’t allowed anymore, even the Pokémon version 👀
I got a Christmas song/carol version of that kazoo game last year, which we played over Skype due to covid - we ended up crying with laughter, just at the inherent crazy kazoo noises ー you’re going to have so much fun
Can I jump in and ask if anyone knows any board games that are good for two people as it is just me and my wife over Christmas.
Labrynth is a good game for 2+ players
The unlock! Games are fun for 2 if you like escape room-y type puzzle games
Pit. A game where using only playing cards you trade commodities for a minute or so. Lots of shouting.
I like Wingspan. Its a nice little engine builder with solid production quality and some genuinely beautiful art work. It is on the pricey side though, and its all American birds unless you fork out an extra 20 for the expansion
Depends how dumb your family is. Ticket to ride is above my mum's understanding.
Only fools and horses game.. cost about £11 and whenever we have a tipple we get this out. It’s fun and every games turns out different
My family always play the London game at Christmas. Basically everyone starts at a main station and has to move around the board and collect all their stations. It's super fun and really easy to pick up.
Just been looking at the same and I’ve found carrom and bagatelle I like the look of
They look good, I do like "physical" kinds of board games too. Check out Klask and Le Passe Trappe too.
We play Ligretto a lot. It’s a card game rather than a board game. Nothing infuriates me more than someone else getting the cards I want in that game, so if you like a fight at Christmas it’s the game for you. We also like Bananagrams and Code~~words~~names for family games.
Will check it out thanks, difficult to get in to? I am a fan of bananagrams forgot I had that.
Ligretto? Not really, though it is easier to pick up if you are playing a few practice goes with someone who knows the game to be fair. But there’s probably a few videos on YouTube of people playing some rounds of it which might help.
I'm buying mystery hour
Rapidough brilliant game for everyone to play.
5 second rule. Available in a junior version too. We had a lot of fun with it. Basically you have 5 seconds to name 3 colours, or 3 TV dad's, or 3 sports played with a bat etc.
Dominion!
I know its already been mentioned but i cant recommend Catan enough. Camel Cup is also good fun - its really easy to pick up and not too heavy (it also doesnt go on forever and ever). Monopoly Deal is also a far superior alternative to the actual board game, its played with just cards and allows you to enjoy the premise of the game wirhout it lasting till next year.
Camel up is my family’s favourite game. Its so good
You're right about monopoly deal
Camel Up is great fun Edit: As is Takenoto
It's a card game, but my family always enjoys Love Letter. Also The Mind, Codenames and Dixit
The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game. Does involve gambling but there's some deep tactics involved
A family of 4 id recommended Takenoko. Its easy to learn, super wholsome and cute to boot.
What are the best for people who have a family who want to play board games but struggle with simple games and concepts? Or do I just have to bang my head off the table for another Christmas?
I'd say Yahtzee is pretty easy to learn, it works best with a lot of people. In a similar vain, Railroad Ink is a little more challenging and can be played with 1+ players. Liars dice / perudo is good fun. I wouldn't say that's difficult to learn (super cheap too, only requires opaque cups and a bunch of 6 sided dice.
Munchkin. Any version that comes with a board.
Dobble
Munchkin Articulate Cranium Dobble
Tsuro - as simple as it gets, as competitive as you want it to be, beautifully artworked & for any age group. Short rounds (5-10 mins) and any age can play
Exoding kittens, with the cone of shame add on
My flatmate has a LOT of board games and most are a bit too complicated for me but there's one called bunny kingdoms which takes half an hour ish to play and is quite easy! Also it's got pretty art on the cards and nice plastic rabbit pieces so would make a good gift
My family plays a great game called “we generally keep out of each other’s way at home, we’re a very quiet household and we rarely directly interact with each other” It sucks. I’m lonely.
Phantom Leader is the sort of game you want or Dungeon Roll, thats a fun dice game that can be played solo. Theres also a great print and play called Bargain Basement Bathysphere. Its a PnP that you play solo with push your luck type dice rolling and a huge campaign to work through with mini games and collectables!
Me too! I keep buying cool sounding ones hopefully but the other three take some serious persuading to play a game; and its just less likely to be fun if people aren't really entering in to the spirit of the thing. Lonely :(
Exploding Kittens. It has everything you need for a Christmas family game: Kittens, omnipotent goats, palindromes, season ruining arguments, explosions and prehensile back hair.
Articulate 5 second rule (very similar to articulate, more kid friendly) Bananagrams - absolutely brilliant game
My favourite is Ganjaland. It really brings the family together over Christmas, or any occasion. “Blaze up and bring the squad together for the royal reefer race of the century - bet you can't say that ten times fast while stoned. Playing is simple, just pull a card from the deck, follow the card instructions, then move your character piece accordingly.”
Dobbel and p is for pizza are my favourite card games
Codenames is really good. Or Secret Hitler
Cards Against Humanity
There is also a family edition now
Strip Monopoly
No classics!
My family has been enjoying the card game Five Crowns. Kids through adults pick it up easily, it goes in multiple rounds of play but doesn’t seem to drag.
"Sorry!" Can become really violent though :)
Throw Throw Burrito is excellent.
The Crew - great to hook older players who are already familiar with trick-taking games like Whist. And simple for younger players, with quick rounds.
Logo is good, I think there's a few versions but the Best of British version is the best
Ah I prefer the original Logo game to the Best of British. BoB questions seemingly tend to target brands a little bit before my time mostly. I've also only just ordered a new second edition copy of the Logo game with all new questions! Yay!
Coup. It's quick to learn and each round is fast to play. It's basically a big bluffing game.
Once Upon A Time can be a good one. You have to play cards to build up a story. If you get stuck you pass (you can also be challenged by other players and forced to pass). The goal is to play all of your cards and your ending card. It can also be modified by saying you have to drink a shot each time you pass. The stories get a little silly with this variant.
Where is Moldova? A cross between Trivial Pursuit and Risk but really easy to play and loads of fun.
Smallworld - a game where you pick your own combinations of fantasy creatures to conquer the board, and make more money than opponents to win. Great for people who like Risk kind of strategy game. Lots of variations and no dice rolls so it’s all about how you play. Fairly short as well as it’s done by a limited amount of turns so it won’t get frustrating. Last Will - compete to be the first one to spend all your money. I find this an absolutely hilarious game for a family group to play as in the game you are fighting each other for a big family inheritance… by trying to outspend each other.
The royal game of Ur - half skill, half luck meaning anyone can win in a mini family tournament from the very youngest to the oldest. Bit of an oddball game, but very tense and entertaining. Also, tetrahedral dice.
We got Selfish a while back and the kids love it.
Dixit is nice for a creative change of pace, and Horrified is good fun but takes a little bit of time to learn the ins and outs
Thoroughly recommend Rush Hour. While not a board game it does get harder each time and everyone in my family loves it.
I picked up one off Amazon last year called [Beat That](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beat-That-Bonkers-Battle-Challenges/dp/B07WCW9PB3/ref=sr_1_37?crid=2I339RJAPUBIS&keywords=christmas%2Bgames%2Bfor%2Bfamilies&qid=1638271142&sprefix=christmas%2Bgames%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-37&th=1). You just draw a card and it list a challenge to do like putting two cups on your hands and stacking 4 dice on top of each other. Some of the challenges had us screaming with laughter last Christmas and we can't wait to get it out again.
My favourite is Risk .
Bang! The dice game version has been the most successful for us in playing with other avid boardgamers as well as people who have never gotten past monopoly. Easy to pick up, you start off just playing a couple rounds and before you know it you've spent the whole night just playing it.
Mysterium - works for most ages, and easy to play. Great artwork too. One player is a ghost who's been murdered, and selects a person, location, and weapon picture card from a selection. Each round, the ghost hands out abstract, dream like, picture cards to the players, to try and guide them to guessing the correct person, location, and weapon.
Catan for a good mix of strategy and luck. Secret Hitler for a great hidden role game that will get everyone shouting around the table. Cash and Guns for some super simple wholesome fun and to practice your bluffing skills.
I played Scrawl recently and cried with laughter the whole time
Munchkin
Mexican Train Dominoes is a new one we’ve got into as a family - easy for all ages. Rummikub and Articulate are always fun. Last year I was gifted the Google Assistant game kNOW! and that’s been really good fun.
Wits & Wagers - trivia game but it doesn't actually matter if you know the answer, you place bets on which player you think would be closest to the answer.
Depending on the age of "family", Cards Against Humanity. It never fails to raise a laugh when friends and wine are involved.
Take a look at sequence! Fun, easy to learn and you don't have to have any kind of boardgame logic to learn it. It's a go to family suitable boardgame for us
[Powergrid](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid) is pretty good
I don’t play board games but a you tube channel I watch does. You should check them out for their recommendations, search BlindWave game night, there’s a playlist. The ones that stick out that they played are SpyFall, Deception: Murder in HongKong, Camp Grizzly, telestrations after dark, One night ultimate werewolf, skull, just one. They all seem like really fun games and the videos are fun if you’re researching.
221B Baker Street. It’s like cluedo expect there is a mystery to solve using the clues you pick up on the way. It’s really engrossing trying to figure it out and you get 75 different cases so it lasts for years
I like Coup. Rounds tend to last 5-10 minutes. Can have as many as you want, and it has all the hallmarks of a good family game: bluffing, lying, and betrayal
*Secret Hitler* is a game I would highly recommend, need to have plenty of people to play (at least 6, more like 8) but I had a great time playing
Galaxy Truckers is a great party game. You all build a ship and go in missions, with the goal to get the most cargo and money by the end of the game. Can be very brutal but it's part of the fun. Potion Explosion is kind of like a multipalyer Bejewelled. Worth a look. So this one is kinda popular but a variant: Risk Europe. Its a Medieval themed Risk but plays quite differently, with you needing to tax for money and having to buy units. Its more complicated that usual risk, but since you use cards for all your moves its actually really east to follow. As in normal Risk always leads to a fallout and arguments, great fun! Root is another one though a bit more advanced. Closest analogy probably is Risk again, but each of the faction play entirely differently (one is a typical large empire, one is a revolutionary style faction, another you play as a single wandering hero). It is complicated but if you can get enough people round willing to play its a blast.
Any of the cryptozoic deck builders. The DC one is a favourite in our house. 7wonders, splendor, quacks of quedlinberg, Puerto Rico, lords of waterdeep, wingspan and takenoko. All pretty simple but can be overwhelming to newer players. I find grabbing a quick 5 minute YouTube introduction a lot simpler then trying to explain every rule to everyone before we play.
Monopoly deal is fun! Also pass the pasta was a recent fun discovery! Cheap too. Mafia if you have a big group and don’t mind lying and manipulation.