More Family Board Games
Photo: Simon Hill
There are many family board games. Here are a few of our favorites.
Around the World for $28: Someone reads an “In World” card, which might say “where we’re setting up a colony on a distant planet,” then players read “We Want” cards like “a supply of bananas for life” or “a thriving coffee shop.” It’s a family-friendly tour Cards Against Humanity (with similar weaknesses), but players also try to sell their cards as a better option that adds a nice twist.
Cats in a Box Deluxe Edition for $31: There are a few mechanics here, including bidding on how many tricks you think you’ll win before the game starts, but what makes this game different is that you also have to decide the color of your card. It seems difficult at first, but young children who are used to playing card games will be able to figure this out.
Wingspan for $55: This could be the pinnacle of original themed board games and will appeal to anyone who loves our furry friends. It combines real knowledge about different bird species and their needs, habitats, and abilities, with a good measure of strategic depth.
Dorfromantik: Duel for $41: Based on a video game from Dorfromwhich spawned the cooperative board game, this round pits you against another player as you draw tiles to build a landscape and try to complete the task as you go. With matching sets of red and blue, it’s all about who creates the best environment to satisfy their villagers and earn the most points. Playtime is less than an hour. You can play with two teams, but it works best as a two-player game.
Hey Hey Relay for $15: This silly dice game is a race between two teams with challenge cards that trigger silly sounds and physical actions before proceeding. It’s fast and furious to play, but probably best for younger kids (producers recommend ages 6 and up). My kids weren’t too fond of it, but this could be a fun party game.
Show Shipping for $30: This cooperative game places players as storekeepers and shippers and challenges them to ship orders correctly by guessing the correct tiles based on the clues given and how they are arranged. The time limit adds pressure, and this can be fun for the right group (you need to be on the same wavelength), but we found the wait for the putters to set up difficult for the shippers, and the scoring difficult.
Turn 7 for $8: The fun of pushing your luck is the draw of this mixed card game, as you hit or hold Blackjack style, trying to get seven different face-up cards. Special action cards and modifiers mix things up, allowing for tactical play. Suitable for three or more players aged 8 and up, it only takes 20 minutes to play.
Tension: 10 Best Naming Games for $30: Theme cards have 10 items within a category, and the opposing team has 60 seconds to guess as many as they can. The cards are divided into two colors (easy and hard), making it easy to play with children or adjust the difficulty of the jump. This works well with any age or team size, but be prepared for lots of shouting and laughing.
You Must Be Kitten Me! for $26: A simple style of liar’s dice that focuses on blurring and calling people insane; I have two thoughts about this game. On the one hand, the game is nothing special, but on the other hand, a beautiful cat! My moggy-dominated daughter wanted to play right away, and we had a few laughs and angry bluffs over the number of glasses, hats, and bow ties on these cats.
Poetry of Neanderthals for $20: Each card contains a word, and your seemingly simple task is to get your team to guess correctly within the time limit by speaking in only one syllable. If you break the rules, the opposition can hit you with an inflatable “No” stick. Suitable for two to eight players aged 7 and up, it’s loud, silly and usually makes everyone laugh.
Risk Risk for $9: Fast and exciting, this simple card game for two teams is all about trying to have the highest number of cards revealed at the end of each round. There are no turns, you can cover the other team’s cards, and the rounds are timed, but you have to guess when the round will end. Very easy and very quick to play, this game can get confusing.
That Quickly Increased to $20: This game is fast, easy and fun for up to eight players. It features situations like “I just invented a new game, what is it?” players must make recommendations from the least dangerous (1) to the most dangerous (10) according to the number assigned to them for each round. The round leader must try to put them in the right order. It works best with smart players who know each other well.
Looks Fishy for $23: Another fun group game from Big Potato, the challenge in Sounds Fishy is to spot fake answers. Each card asks a question, but only one of the answers you get is correct. It’s for four to 10 players, and we found it to be more fun but more difficult with more people.
Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition for $29: You can play this party game with up to 30 players, and it will bring smiles and laughter to the youngsters. Like the adult version, there isn’t much strategy here, but finding the perfect combination to differentiate everyone is satisfying.
Don’t bother yourself
We were not very interested in these games.
Photo: Simon Hill
Calmness: As a group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse in a skyscraper, you must choose the right flight path to capture the resources you need, determined by the cards. The time limit makes it difficult to choose the right path from the chaos on the game board, and it can be combined in different ways for replay value. But the background feels uneven, and we all agreed that it wasn’t very fun to play.
I connect: Connect different symbols on your board with a dry-erase marker based on a randomly drawn challenge card to make a picture of an object (like connecting the dots). The first to guess what it should be wins the round (some are exactly as they are meant to be). Longevity takes a hit, as there is no pleasure in replaying solved puzzles.
Cat and Mouth Game: Incredibly simple, this skill game challenges you to throw rubber balls through a cat’s mouth using magnetic claws, but they end up everywhere. Games tend to be one sided, and my kids got bored right away. It is also impossible to play with real cats in the surrounding areas.
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