10 Games for Family Game Night

Are you looking for games to play with your family on game night? Here are ten games for the family game night everyone is going to enjoy. Some of the games have been around for years, while others are more recent entries on the market. No matter your age or gaming experience, there’s sure to be at least one game here that will be a hit with everyone!

BOP IT

Bop It, is a favourite in our family. Yes, it’s noisy but so much fun. If you grew up in the 80s like me, then you’ll probably remember the game, Simon says. Where you follow the pattern displayed, hitting pads on an electronic board. Well, “Bop It” is an updated version. The game has been around for years, BUT they have bought out many different versions and recently discovered a Chewbacca version. Beyond excited was the reaction in my family. Now you follow instructions, like bop it, pull it and twisting the Bopit Chewbacca. The best bit is that the sounds that come out are that of Chewbacca and Han Solo. There are lots of other Star Wars Bop IT versions you can get, and I want them all! 

One of the benefits of the bop it games is that they can also be played solo. Not a fan of Star wars, don;t let my geekness put you off there are lots of versions of the game.

APPLES TO APPLES

Apples to Apples is a party game for 4 to 10 players. The game’s object is to win cards by playing phrases or sentences that are judged to be the best match for a given topic card. In the basic game, each round, one player takes the topic card and reads it aloud. The rest of the players then choose one of their cards to play. The other players must try to pick the best match for the topic. Finally, the player who plays the best card gets to keep the topic card, and then a new player becomes the judge for the next round. The first player to collect seven cards wins the game. If you have played or heard of cards against humanity, this is a family-friendly version.

CLUEDO or CLUE

Yep as a fan of all things murder mystery, I love a game of Cluedo. My mother is like some kind of super sleuth and is hard to beat at this game. Our family loves playing this together as it combines strategy and luck, so everyone has a chance to win.

We actually have a few different game board versions. They are all, in essence, the same game with a few tweaks. Our favourite is the Harry Potter version. As a family, we are pretty much obsessed with anything Harry Potter. If you are a fan, this has to be a must-have game for your family game night. Instead of finding the killer, you need to find who made a student vanish, what spell was used and where. There is also the addition of house points and spells. And to top it all off, the board also changes with built-in wheels you rotate. Fantastic fun and a great spin on the traditional Cluedo game.

Another of our favourites is the Star Wars version; it is a 3d style board game, a lot of fun. The aim is to save the galaxy as you play as your favourite characters, Han Solo, Leia and Chewbacca, to name a few. This one though, I would say is for older players just because the gameplay seems to be longer than other Cludo games. Our youngest would get bored before we could find out which planet would be destroyed.

CHESS

Chess is a two-player board game that originates in India, where it is thought to have been played since the 6th century AD. The game arrived in Europe in the late 10th century. It spread rapidly throughout the continent and was a popular pastime among the nobility. Chess is basically a strategic game that requires thinking ahead to outmanoeuvre your opponent. 

Now for a different spin on the traditional game and to make game night more interesting, why not try playing with a chocolate chess set. You can get these as novelty gifts around Christmas time. If you are felling creative though, you can buy chocolate chess piece molds and make your own.

Playing games like chess is excellent for building logical thinking, and you can make it more fun by purchasing character chess sets. My other half and son love to try and outplay each other. They have been known to play for a few hours at a time! We have a cheap little wooden set but I know that my son would have loved this Super Mario chess set!

UNO

This is a fab card game. I have a pretty large family, and this is the one game you can guarantee EVERYONE wants to play. We must put a few packs together, as so many of us play at once. The game is pretty simple to follow. Cards are dealt, and you must follow the directions on them. Skip, change the direction of play and pick up cards, as you discard any cards you match. The person left with one card must shout UNO.

If you are playing with little ones or people with arthritis in their hands, give these card holders a try, they are a game changer. Easy to use for little fingers and won’t break your bank either.

My niece is somehow gifted when she plays UNO and always seems to win. I’m sure we don’t follow the rules to the letter, but there is always a heck of a lot of laughter when some poor soul is left to pick up a pile of cards as my niece lays down her final card…a pick-up four! Her giggles are infectious, and the grin on her face is hilarious.

As with a lot of games you can get themed card packs with all kinds of characters. Here are a few fun themes that might tempt your family into a game

• CLASSIC UNO
• SONIC UNO 
• MARIO UNO 
• STAR WARS UNO 
• JURASSIC PARK UNO
• MINIONS UNO

 

TICKET TO RIDE

Ticket to Ride is so popular because of the easy-to-learn rules and its fast, fun gameplay. The object of the game is to collect cards of various colours, and then use those cards to claim railroad routes between cities on a map. The first player to connect all of their cities wins the game. There are newer game variations added with different cities or using taxis instead of trains, but the strategy behind the game is still the same.

You can look at the game lasting between 40-90 minutes not too long but long enough to entertain. Don’t be fooled by what I think looks like a rather dull box. The game is definitely a lot more fun. Grab a copy here.

EXPLODING KITTENS

Exploding Kittens is an engaging card game full of tacos, kittens, and even goats. This strategic card game requires players to draw matching cards, all while avoiding the Exploding Kitten! Expansion packs are available to make this more of an “adult” game, so make sure you are getting the right version for your family!

DOBBLE / SPOT IT!

This card-matching game challenges players to race to find matching symbols. This is a great game for all ages and is a bit like snap, but you must match symbols on your cards. I know it sounds boring, but this is another game that all generations can play. It will have you laughing and can be done and dusted in 15 mins. Great if you have kids (or adults) with a short attention span. There are lots of different versions like Harry Potter, Minions and more. There is bound to be a theme that you like.

MONOPOLY DEAL

Monopoly Deal is a card game that simulates the popular board game Monopoly for two to six players. All the fun but not the hours of gameplay can put off many people. The goal of this game is to be the first player to go bankrupt or have the least amount of money by the end of the game. Each player is dealt a hand of cards and then takes turns playing and moving their piece around the board. Win the game by going bankrupt or being the first player to land on and own all four properties in one colour group.

CHECKERS

Although this is an old game, it is perfect to have tucked away for a quick 20 minute strategy type game. Checkers is a board game for two players. Played on a chess board but only using the black squares. It’s such a popular game for all ages because it is super easy to pick up. Each player has a set of pieces traditionally red or black. Pieces start in the bottom row and move towards the top row. Overall, the aim of the game is to capture all of the opponent’s pieces by jumping over them diagonally with a piece of your own. Sometimes the simple traditional games are those which are played the longest. Don’t dismiss the game we have spent hours playing.

Not sure on the rules you can find them here: https://www.ultraboardgames.com/checkers/game-rules.php