More family board games
Photo: Simon Hill
There are many board games for families. Here are a few details we like.
Tension: Top 10 naming games for $30: Topic cards have ten items in a category, and the opposing team has 60 seconds to guess as many items as possible. Cards are divided into two colors (easy and harder) making it easy for children to play or adjust difficulty quickly. This works well with any age or group size, but be prepared for a lot of screaming and laughing.
Indiana Jones Code for $24: An escape room puzzle game with an Indiana Jones style that is a licensing match made in heaven. The game is beautifully illustrated, with three cases to solve with a battle story set to beats from the original trilogy, narration from Indy's diary, and coin rewards for success. The puzzles are a bit hit or miss (sometimes too easy, sometimes too hard), but once solved, you won't want to play again, although you can always continue the game.
You Must Be My Kitten! for 10 USD: A simple take on liar's dice that focuses on deception and calling bluffs; I have two thoughts about this game. On the one hand, the game is nothing special, but on the other hand, the cats are cute! My fog-obsessed daughter immediately wanted to play, and we had a few laughs with absurd jokes about the amount of glasses, hats, and bows on these cats.
Poetry for Neanderthals for $25: Each card has a word and your seemingly simple task is to have your team guess the word correctly within a time limit by speaking only in single syllables. 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 often makes everyone laugh.
Danger Danger for $15: Fast and furious, this simple card game for two teams aims to try to come up with high-scoring cards 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. Super simple and very quick to play, this game can get chaotic.
That went quickly for $20: This game is quick, easy, and fun for up to eight players. With situations like “I invented a new sport, what is it?” Players must make suggestions from least dangerous (1) to most dangerous (10) based on the number assigned for each round. The leader of the round must try to arrange them in the correct order. It works best with witty players who know each other well.
Kitchen Fever for $48: A truly unique title that proves too many cooks can spoil the broth; This game can get chaotic quickly. Together you cook dishes for customers within a certain time. It's a bit complicated for young children. (I think 10 years or more is best.) If you like this, try video games Overcooked.
Sounds fishy for $20: Another fun group game from Big Potato, the challenge in Sounds Fishy is to find fake answers. Each card asks a question, but only one of the answers you get is correct. This game is for 4 to 10 players, and we found it more fun but more difficult with more people.
Zillionaires Road USA trip for $13: Each of the 49 tiles on the game board is a quirky roadside attraction, from Gum Alley to the National Mustard Museum, and players bid for them with the aim of winning four in a row . My kids love this, adults not so much.
Cards Against Humanity: Home Edition for $29: You can play this party game with up to 30 players and it will produce a fair bit of juvenile giggles and giggles. Like the adult version, there's not much strategy here, but finding the perfect combination to wow everyone will be satisfying.