We LOVE a good family game night. My family generally does these on Sundays. It's an ‘unplug day' and we hang out and play games, go to the park, etc. Music in the background and an array of snacks laid out and we dig into games and laugh all afternoon/evening. I wanted to lay out our top picks and then add a few more for your choosing. This gift guide will grow and continue to grow as we review more games and try new ones we find.
What can you do on a family game night?
Creativity is key when it comes to having a successful family game night; why not split into teams and come up with wacky challenges such as relay races? Take turns coming up with questions related to pop culture trivia and reward points accordingly – whoever earns the most points at the end gets bragging rights until next time! And don't forget snacks – no good game night is complete without some munchies!
Snacks for during the games
Is family game night a good idea?
Absolutely! Family game night is a great idea for families of all sizes, shapes, and ages. Not only does it provide an opportunity to have fun as a family, but it's also great for encouraging communication, enhancing problem-solving skills, teaching children about competition in a healthy way, and helping them understand the concept of rules.
Family Game Night Gift Guide
These are some we play and have posted about on Instagram. Feel free to follow along on IG – all our game posts are in the highlights to make it easy. These are highly recommended for a lot of fun and laughs.
With a little Luck, you'll be the first to make a row of four horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to WIN! While this game is easy to play, Luck is also educational. Teach your kids how to count and have fun at the same time. Luck comes packaged in its own travel bag. This game doesn’t take up much space like other board games and brings tons of fun while traveling.
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Cafe Chaos – Get ready for the most chaotic food fight where players throw epic food combos like Moldy Double Deep Fried Couch Cushion Candy. Have the fewest splat points at the end to reign supreme.
Pando – Even though PANDO is family-friendly, it packs a proper punch and forces laughter. Just how well do you know your close friends and family members?
Root Beet Float Challenge Game – Easy to set up and quick to learn instructions makes this the perfect game to play anywhere any time 2-8 people are gathered – at birthday parties, camping, family reunions, holiday gatherings, and game nights. Game adults love just as much as kids of all ages.
Incohearent family – This party game is the perfect addition to a hilarious family game night– Incohearent, our best selling game that’s been taking social media by storm, now made PG for family-friendly hilarity.
Cards against Humanity Family – It’s not just the regular game with all the adult stuff taken out. They rewrote the whole thing and playtested it with thousands of families. Also, try the glow in the dark version.
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Regal Games – Mega Card Family Pack – We loved all of these games, my kids ask to play these all the time.
Ticket to Ride: Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities through North America! LOOKING FOR NEW ADVENTURES?
Splendor: Splendor is a game of chip-collecting and card development. Players are merchants trying to buy gem mines, means of transportation, shops—all in order to acquire the most points.
Kids Against Maturity: Kids Against Maturity is the perfect parental tool to approach playtime and family time. Are you sick of the same old outdated games every game night? This instant classic was made and played by parents like you. With age-appropriate toilet humor and funny innuendos for adults, it can be enjoyed by all ages. Best results when played with 4 players or more.
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Latice Hawaii: LATICE HAWAII combines simple rules with evolving complexity for a unique game that’s easy to learn, quick to play, and with strategic potential to last a lifetime. Be the first to play all of your tiles. Play faster by matching tiles on two or more sides, landing on sun squares, or using wind tiles to shift tiles on the board.
Even more fun games
Sequence: It's fun, it's challenging, it's exciting, it's SEQUENCE! Play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it's a SEQUENCE. Learn to block your opponents or remove their chips, and watch out for the Jacks – they're wild! With a little strategy and luck, you'll be a winner.
Rummikub: It's really no surprise that Rummikub is so popular – it has all the elements that make a great game: it's easy to learn and fast-moving, it's different every time it's played, it combines luck and strategy, and it changes quickly so every player has a chance to win until the very end. Players take turns placing numbered tiles in runs and groups, rummy style. The ‘board' continually changes as players adjust the tiles on the table. Be the first player to play every tile on your rack to win.
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Skip-Bo: The ultimate sequencing card game for family and friends. Players will have to use their skill and strategy to create sequencing stacks of cards in ascending order like 3,4,5 and so on. The first player to use all the cards in their own stockpile wins. Consists of 162 cards and instructions to play.
Uno: UNO is a card game that's easy to pick up and impossible to put down! All it takes to win is a little coordination between colors (red, green, blue, and yellow) and numbers. This fun family card game takes only minutes to learn and is so much fun to play!
Connect 4: Challenge a friend to rule the grid in Connect 4 Classic Grid, the game where strategy drives the competition! Line ‘em up and go for the win! Choose the gold discs or the red discs and drop them into the grid. When you get 4 discs in a row, you win.
Battleship: Battleship game is the classic game of naval combat that brings together competition, strategy, and excitement! In head-to-head battles, players search for the enemy's fleet of ships and destroy them one by one. With convenient portable battle cases and realistic-looking naval crafts, the Battleship game puts players right in the middle of the action.
Clue: One murder… 6 suspects. In this suspenseful Clue game, players have to find out who's responsible for murdering Mr. Boddy of Tudor Mansion in his own home. Get the scoop on the mansion's rooms, weapons, and guests, and start detecting! Was it Plum with the wrench in the library? Or Green with the candlestick in the study? Eliminate information throughout the game in this classic whodunit. The player who correctly accuses Who, What, and Where wins!
Sorry: Slide, collide and score to win the Sorry! Game. Kids draw cards to see how far they get to move one of the pawns on the board. If they land on a Slide they can zip to the end and bump their opponents' pawns – or their own! Jump over pawns and hide in the Safety zone where opponents can't go. Kids keep on moving and bumping until they get all three of their pawns from Start to Home.
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Monopoly: It's the fast-dealing property trading game where players buy, sell, dream and scheme their way to riches. This version of the Monopoly game welcomes the Rubber Ducky, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Penguin into its family of tokens. Choose your token, place it on GO! and roll the dice to own it all!
It's In The Bag: The Ultimate Party Game! If you love charades, word guessing games and maybe even getting a little crazy with your game nights… then you're going to love It's In The Bag! It's like charades steroids! It builds upon the classic acting & phrase guessing games while adding a touch of ridiculousness to spice things up!
Watch Ya' Mouth: Hilarious, competitive card-based game in which teams of players, hampered by cheek retractors, attempt to speak out and interpret phrases.
Jenga: It's the classic block-stacking, the stack-crashing game of Jenga. How will you stack up against the law of gravity? Stack the wooden blocks in a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling out blocks one by one until the whole stack crashes down. Is your hand steady enough to pull out the last block before the tower collapses?
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Yahtzee: Roll it to the limit for the ultimate win with the Yahtzee Classic game. With a sleek shaker and 5 dice, you're ready to roll! Take turns rolling dice to try to score combos. At the end of each turn, you must fill in one empty box in your column on the scorecard. The player with the highest grand total at the end of all 13 rounds wins. It's up to the player whether they hustle for a full house or risk it all for a Yahtzee roll. Show it off, and let the dice fall where they may.
Trivial Pursuit: The Classic Edition of this Trivial Pursuit Game is the same gameplay you know and love, only with a 1980's retro appearance! Featuring classic gameplay and gameboard, this game contains 2,400 questions in 6 categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure. Players move around the board answering questions. When a player lands on a category space, they'll earn the corresponding colored wedge if they answer the question correctly. The first player to collect 6 different colored wedges and answer a final question correctly wins!
Sling Puck: A new and exciting Table Desktop Battle Ice Hockey Game for the whole family! A fast-paced dexterity sports board game that suits ages from young to seniors. You can have thrilling fun indoors or outdoors with your family. Lightweight and easy to carry. Ready to play either on the table or on the floor.
Taboo: Classic game of unspeakable fun: want a great party game that makes people laugh? Check out the taboo board game — FAST paced, fun game for large or small groups. For 4 or more players ages 13 and up.
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Scrabble: It’s the classic game of Scrabble with Deluxe features! You can take your game to the next level with this Deluxe Edition game. The wheeled gameboard turns so nobody has to read the board upside down, and its non-slip grid keeps the tiles in place. When the game is over, you can store it in the handy carry case! Get ready to word up with Deluxe Edition Scrabble!
Trouble: Pop into the racing, chasing game where everyone's in Trouble! Set up your pegs and then hit the Pop-O-Matic die roller. Depending on what you roll, you can move your pegs to the Start space, move your pegs forward – or watch other players move while you can't! Each of your pegs has to go all the way around the board to the Finish space, but watch out – if another player's peg lands on the same space as yours, your peg has to start over.
Exploding Kittens: A highly strategic, kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette. Basically, if you draw an Exploding Kitten, you lose and you are full of loser sad sauce. If you don’t explode, YOU WIN! Congratulations, you are full of greatness!
The Game of Life: In The Game of Life game players can make their own exciting choices as they move through the twists and turns of life. Move the car token around the gameboard from Start to Retirement, and experience unexpected surprises related to family, career, dream vacations, and other milestones of life.
Phase 10: Phase 10 is the rummy-type card game from the makers of UNO with a challenging and exciting twist! The object of the game is to be the first player to complete 10 varied phases with two sets of three, one run of seven, or seven cards with the same color. The twist is that each Phase to be completed is specific for each hand dealt.
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Guess in 10: EXCITING CARD GAME OF QUESTIONS – Ask up to 10 questions to guess the animal on the Game Card! Is it a carnivore? Is it a domestic animal? Does it live in groups? Think hard, ask intelligent questions, use your clue cards wisely, and be the first player to win 7 Game Cards!
Twister: It's the Classic Twister gameplay you loved growing up! Spin the spinner to see if players will place their hands and feet on red, yellow, blue, or green spots on the mat. Turn, twist, and tangle. But don't fall over, because the last player standing wins!
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Colorbrain: CRAFTY QUESTIONS: answer questions about the colors of the five Olympic rings, of the six power Rangers, and tons of other things that you think you're familiar with. COLORFUL ANSWERS: Colorbrain is one of the easiest board games for families to learn. Each team holds eleven Color Cards in front of them. Together, they have to figure out which ones to put down to answer the question.
Trivial Pursuit Family Edition: It's a quick-play family trivia game with over 1,400 questions. Gather everyone together for an awesome gaming experience! The Trivial Pursuit Family Edition game features fresh questions and a quick pace, including the Showdown challenge where 2 players compete for a wedge simultaneously. Play individually or in teams, taking turns moving around the board and answering questions correctly to win wedges.
3Up 3Down: A FAST-PACED DISCARD GAME WITH A SURPRISING FINISH: Looking for a new card game for the whole family? Well, the original 3UP 3DOWN is PERFECT for kids, tweens, teens, adults, families, and friends who love family-friendly board games and card games.
Apples to Apples Junior: The Apples to Apples Junior family party game is made especially for kids. Designed for younger members of the family, it's as easy as comparing “apples to apples.” With a hilarious mix of kid-friendly cards, it will keep younger players laughing while building vocabulary and thinking skills. Each round, the “judge” plays a Green Apple card, like “Amazing.” The other players choose their best match from the Red Apple cards in their hand, such as “The Last Day of School.” Trying to convince the judge that your card is the best answer is part of the fun!
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Never Have I Ever Family Edition: Induces laughs and incredible stories. Your crew will be faced with random questions and will have to answer truthfully. When you play and answer our amazing questions truthfully, you’ll learn amazing things about the people you thought you knew best.
Shut The Box: With simple rules, the dice game has been around for over 250 years. Players from 5 years old and up can enjoy the luck of the deal. It is a popular game in European pubs, which can bring friends a lot of fun, perfect for family gatherings, parties, picnics, and bars.
Back and 4th: Back & 4th is a fast-paced party game that’s fun for everyone! It’s perfect for a family game night or a party with a group of friends. Think $25,000 Pyramid meets Catchphrase. Play with as few as 4 players, or as many as 10 or more. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Each team starts with 1 minute on its timer. Players list things in categories to help their teammates guess the category listed on the card.
Chutes and Ladders: Climb up and slide down in the exciting game of ups and downs, Chutes and Ladders! The Chutes and Ladders board game for girls and boys has been around for over 60 years and has been enjoyed by families for generations. Players can see the square marked 100, but how will they get there? If a player lands their pawn on a good deed, they can shimmy up a ladder, but land on the wrong spot and they'll shoot down a chute!
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Mouse Trap: Snap the trap and win at Mousetrap! Run through the maze as Sneakers Mouse, Nacho Mouse, or Pepper Mouse spins on the cheesy spinner. When one of your friends' mice is in the cheesy trap area and you land on the right space, you've got a chance to catch them in the zany trap made of Hungry Hippo and Girafalaff contraptions. Keep scurrying and scampering until someone gets caught. If you're the first to trap a mouse, you win!
Spot It!: Test your observational skills and your reflexes with the award-winning gameplay of Spot It! A game of lightning-fast choices for two to eight players. With dozens of awards and possible versions married to elegant gameplay, Spot It! has become a global phenomenon. Five distinct mini-games within a set of Spot It! Ensure that the game will be different every time you play, and because it’s always your turn, there’s never any downtime!
Spontuneous: If you've ever heard a word that's caused you to spontaneously break into song, then Spontuneous is for you! The rules are simple. Each player writes down several Trigger Words on their Hit List. When it's your turn, you announce a word from your list and flip the timer. The first player to sing at least 5 words from any song containing the Trigger Word gets to advance on the board. Stay alert for those extra-musical challenge spaces scattered throughout the board!
Otrio: Otrio is very much like Tic Tac Toe, but supersized with a bit more strategy. It's perfect for ages 6 and up, and plays extremely fast. We suggest setting a timer before playing.
Othello: This classic, internationally-acclaimed two-player light strategy game challenges you to out-think your opponent. Trap and capture your opponent’s pieces by placing your disks on the board. Every time you “sandwich” one or more of your opponent's pieces you flip those disks to your color. But look out—your opponent will try to do the same to you! The lead can change with a flip of a disk in this classic, fast-paced strategy game that’s often not decided until the very last move.
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Heist: Can you and your team pull off the heist of the century in five minutes or less? Find out in the thrilling new electronic, cooperative game from the movable USA. This game mixes skill and action with teamwork. With five progressive game levels, Players of all ages will love this game.
No Stress Chess: With this revolutionary chess teacher, you'll be playing the world's greatest game in no time at all! unlike any other chess teacher, no-stress chess teaches you how to play using illustrated cards and an illustrated two-sided game board. Includes a two-sided chess board, 17 Charcoal pieces, 17 ivory pieces, 56 action cards, a black plastic card tray, and instructions.
Beat That!: This is the ultimate game for competitive crews, featuring 10 rounds of challenges that range from funny to tricky to outrageous tasks. From racing to stack a pyramid of cups with your just elbows to bouncing two balls into two cups at the same time with only one hand, this game will encourage you to get up and get moving.
Pictionary: Able to be played with any number of people, Pictionary has your family covered for a great night ahead. This hilarious quick-draw guessing game will keep everyone entertained and on their feet to find out who in the family is a phenomenal artist and who could use a lesson or two.
Throw Throw Burrito: Throw throw Burrito is what you get when you cross a card game with a dodgeball. Try to collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging, and throwing squishy airborne burritos. The cards you collect earn points, but getting hit by flying burritos loses them.
Don't Break the Ice: Tap out ice blocks one by one, but Don't Break the Ice! The object of this classic game is to keep Phillip the Penguin on top of the ice, but as the game goes on, the ice blocks start falling. One wrong block, and he'll go ker-plop! The player who can keep Phillip from falling, wins! Play 1-on-1 or as a team of 2.
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Candy Land: In this classic family board game that's perfect for little ones, each player moves along the board, finding candy-filled adventures along the way.
Unstable Unicorns: Build a Unicorn Army. Betray Your Friends. Unicorns are Your Friends Now. Unstable Unicorns is a strategic card game that will destroy your friendships…but in a good way. The game was one of Kickstarter’s top 100 most-backed projects of all time and won the 2019 People’s Choice Award for Toy of the Year.
Bugs in the Kitchen: There is a bug in the kitchen! Quick! Who'll catch it first? This bug is on the loose and moving fast! Guide the bug into your trap – one wrong turn and he'll get past!
Suspend Family Game: This award-winning “teetering, wobbling, shifting, tipping, unbalanced, balance game” is a must-have for family game night, Take turns hanging the notched, rubber-tipped wire pieces from the tabletop stand. With each added piece, the balance shifts and the sculpture transforms. But watch out! One wrong move could send it all crashing down, Suited for 1-4 players, this game is guaranteed to appeal to kids and grownups alike!
As you can see we love our games! This Family Game Night Gift Guide is here for all to enjoy and try new things. What are some of your family game night faves? Let us know in the comments and we can update our list.
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