The 20 Best Family Board Games Everyone Can Enjoy

Introduced in 2015, Codenames has blown up into one of the most popular family board games in recent years—earning the #3 spot on Amazon’s Best Selling Games list. The guessing game pits two teams against each other to cleverly use clues to try to uncover their team of secret agent’s code names before their opponents. Games are short—usually lasting 15 minutes allowing teams to switch frequently for endless amounts of fun.

Think of Telestrations as a modern, more interactive version of Pictionary or the telephone game using images instead of words. Players must draw a certain object on their note pad and continue passing it around for others to guess what it is. What keeps this game at the top of our list though are the laughs and hilarity that ensue.

This classic game gets a sleek new look, thanks to Pottery Barn’s sophisticated sense of style. The board game is created from crafted wood and features a textured faux leather insert, while cards and pieces come in muted colors that won’t be an eyesore in your home. 

For those who prefer a strategic game that’s slightly more challenging, it doesn’t get better than Catan. Built for 3 to 4 players, you can easily buy an expansion pack to serve up to 6. Here, players build settlements and try to expand them as they connect cities and roads by purchasing resources or goods. Make no mistake though; the winner is usually the player who outsmarts the others.

For a spooky twist on the classic board game, we can’t think of a better option that Betrayal at House on The Hill. Players all start as allies, but as they begin to venture into other parts of the house, room tiles are placed at random, crafting a different story each time. Eventually, the “haunt” begins and the session’s “ghost story” is revealed. While most players work to defeat the ghosts and monsters, there is always at least one who betrays the other players and takes the enemy’s side.

Fun for the whole family regardless of age, this game’s out-there name is fitting for its whimsical and imaginative experience. The game essentially acts like UNO, except the concept is to prevent yourself from having to draw a card, which could make you “explode” or leave you out of the game. Need a board game for 6 players or more? Amazon has the option to buy versions of this for up to 10 people on the same page.

This classic murder-mystery game will always be one of the best family board games of all time. For ages 8 and up, it’s hard to not be enthralled by the iconic characters, thrilling twists, and sense of nostalgia the game produces, all while easily entertaining the entire family.

This exciting game of physical skill is as easy as it gets: build a tower of blocks, carefully remove a block at a time, restack the block at the top, and hope that it doesn’t collapse on your turn. Sounds simple, but what ensues is a game that can make you both squeal with joy and huff-and-puff with frustration. If you have kids, watch their faces as the tower collapses—it’s worth resetting it up to keep playing over and over.

One of the best family games of the year, Spontaneous is a game that’s all about music. One player says a word and the race is on for the other players to sing or shout a song containing that word. For those who may not be as musically inclined, have no fear, the box is clearly marked “no talent required” and for this game, a struggling singing voice makes for a more enjoyable time than a professional one.

This iconic two-player game never gets old. It is a great game to play with kids that helps to teach them problem solving and logic skills. It can also be very enjoyable for adults, providing nostalgia and making them feel like a kid again. All in all, Guess Who is a classic that can be handed down generation to generation.

While some games can feel repetitive, Labyrinth ensures that no two games are the same, thanks to the maze of both fixed and moving pieces players must maneuver through in order to win. The game’s strategy can stay on the surface level for playing with children, or can easily intensify: trying to trap players in dead ends, guessing player’s destinations, or not allowing them to return to their starting position all make it ideal to play amongst adults as well.

A favorite 2-player game amongst families, this game is a great way to start segueing into other strategic games. Players must pick the optimum positions to place ships on their board while their opponent tries to locate and sink them, all before you sink theirs. It’s also a great option to give siblings to play together while you go off and have so much needed peace and quiet.

Amazon’s best-selling family board game is a classic that all members of the family can enjoy and escape with. Kids can feel like adults by choosing careers, vacations, and other life decisions as they navigate through the twists and turns of actual life. It also gives children a sense for parts of living they may not know about yet: mortgages, retirement, family planning etc. to help give them a better grasp on all that adulthood entails.

Azul is a relatively new game to the market that captures the beautiful aesthetics of Moorish art. Artisans, or players, must compete to decorate the walls of a royal palace by ensuring they draft the correct quantity and style of tiles. Azul introduces art history into a board game that’s fun, expressive, and imaginative. It’s easily one of the best board games of 2020.

The original family card game is back and better than ever.  The exciting and often ruthless card game allows the players to be in control of the game: skipping, reversing, and making other players draw to deter them from going out. This is one of the most budget-friendly ways to ensure family fun that both you and your family will keep reaching for.

If you have young kids, this is the game for you. It packs just as much fun as it does knowledge, helping kids learn how to count without requiring a high level of reading skills. Ideal for ages 3 and up, we guarantee your kids have never had more fun while learning.

Pottery Barn’s luxury edition of scrabble is for die-hard players and new ones alike.  This version comes in solid wood and rotates for convenience. The cool color palette keeps things fresh, while their tonal letters provide an elevated look to the traditional game set. We suggest starting your family out young to help your kids develop a strong vocabulary.

This exciting game challenges players to balance and suspend wire pieces to hang from the structure’s tabletop stand, without causing it to collapse. It is creatively stimulating and also teaches children hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills. Think of it as Jenga, but in more of a freeform sculpture that moves with every play.

If you and your family need to expand some energy, there is no other game choice than Twister. This classic, interactive game has players bending and moving all around the life-size game board. With no limit to how many people play at once, this is one of the best games that families can play together.  The precarious positions and laughter that results is some of the best fun a game can offer.