40 Amazing Games for Family Game Night

PLUS HELPFUL WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR GAMES

Well, yall have been asking for this post for over a year now! I wasn't trying to not make it, it just kinda happened. I guess I may have subconsciously known how much work it would be to link, list, describe, & take photos of them all! ha! I actually got sweaty getting them all out & taking photos. Probably shouldn't admit that...ANYWAY

Family game night is something my girls look forward to every Friday. {#mfamilyfridays} It slows you down, it brings families together to have traditions, it brings lots of emotions...mostly laughs. But it's fun to work through other emotions with your kids too, like anger & frustration & learning how to be a good sport! Some games even work on playing together as a team! It has a multitude of benefits & just so gosh darn fun! I am constantly pulling for family game night to come back to every home & I hope this might encourage you to start! Keep reading to find out what they are!

Here are our favorite family games they range between card games, board games, dice games & well a little bit of everything. I did not include every game we have in our game cabinet. Some of them are vintage & they can no longer be found. Or we are still trying them out to see if it stays.

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What to look for when buying family games?

9 times out of 10 the trendy games that have to do with a TV show or movie are games that will not hold attention long or be the game you choose over & over. I am not saying EVERY single one but a majority. So, I always suggest straying from those.

- Age Suggestions

We play plenty of games that don't go with our girls' ages. However, if you are blindly going into buying a game definitely look at the age suggestion. Your probably safe if it is at or below your child age, but maybe look up more about a game if the age is above.

- Don't be afraid of the classics. They are classics for a reason!

I tried to break up the games into somewhat categories to help a little & not overwhelm! I somehow forgot to photograph some & some I have listed are games I know are great but we don't own because of our girls' age yet!

Pro tip:

YOUTUBE THE DIRECTIONS

I am far from uneducated, but some of the directions for games make it seem SO complicated & hard to understand. There are games we have almost returned because we were like "okay, this is too complicated" or made no sense. My tip is to youtube the directions!! There are actual channels dedicated to this! They explain them better & show how to play the game! It's a total, ahem, game changer. *slaps knee*

Every game listed is in our cabinet because we love it but games with stars {**} are the games we constantly play & are the ones we would suggest everyone to buy!

GAMES EVERYONE CAN PLAY

1. CONNECT 4

Great 2 player game! This game is great for all ages! For young ones, if they know the concept of patterns or a great way to teach them!

2. SEQUENCE | SEQUENCE FOR KIDS

This is a card & chip game that lots of fun! The concept is placing a chip on the board to a corresponding card you have, to get 5 in a row or sequence rather to win. ;) If you have kiddos above the age of 6, I would say skip the "for kids" sequence. We made that mistake and it was much too easy! Go straight to the traditional one!

3. GUESS WHO

This game is all about guessing who the other player has chosen by using a variety of yes or no questions & process of elimination! If you can get your hands on the classic do it! I haven't been able to find one & would love both! The new one we have pictured is still fun, & comes with multiple cards to play, rather than just people. There are animals etc. to change up the guessing game!

4. CANDY LAND

This is the game I always suggest as the first family board game to buy with young kiddos! There is no reading required. Players draw cards & move their pawns to the color card they choose! Easy Peasy! This is one that is still fun TV or movie-themed because the general sense of the game is the same!

5. HEDBANZ

HedBanz is another great game for non-readers because the card has pictures on that, that are simple! You strap the band on your head & without looking place a picture card on the band! You have one-minute sand clock to guess what the card is on your head by asking funny questions! Like "Do I have feathers" "Can you eat me?" "Do I have 2 legs?" You can also play this by having the family explain the picture & you guess!

FAMILY CARD GAMES

6. SPOT IT **

This game is simple & so much fun! Super fast-paced & probably one of the most played games in our house. It takes seconds to learn. The game functions on a simple mechanic-- 55 circular cards, each of which features a number of symbols and has exactly one of those symbols in common with every other card in the deck! You have to find which symbol on your card, that card on the table has to yell out the symbol & put it down. First-person to empty their hands wins! This game comes lots of different forms! Splash for at pool & other adults game versions! We love that this one we can take with us anywhere! We keep a game in my car & purse! *this is Kensleys favorite!

7. UNO**

Uno is easy to pick up & impossible to put down! It another easy one that would be good if your kiddo has patterns down because all it takes to win is a little coordination between colors & numbers! It one that is quick to learn & so much fun to play! There is different variations of this one too, with UNO dare, Splash & characters!

8. PLAYING CARDS

This one is just a basic deck of cards. We have Mickey ones, all sorts of characters & themes & a classic deck. There are a ton of games to play just with a basic deck of cards.

Spoons
Go Fish
War
The games are endless

9. SKIP-BO

Skip-Bo is a competitive card game where players skillfully build their own stacks of sequentially numbered, ascending cards! Each pile is built up numerically in sequence 1-12. The first playe to deplete their pile wins! This one is a little more complicated for younger kiddos, I recommend the Junior version for them!

10. DUTCH BLITZ**

I grew up playing this, I swear every day with my family! It's a competition that you try to get rid of your 10-card Blitz pile before anybody else! It not as easy it sounds, because players don't take turns. You have to be the fastest to place your cards in a sequence and in the same respective colors on the center Dutch piles while using as many cards from your own Blitz pile as possible. When you run your Blitz pile out of cards you win! The directions are confusing, but I promise this one is so much fun! Def a one I suggest YouTubing to watch & learn!

CULT FOLLOWING CARD GAME

These games are lesser-known but have a HUGE fan base. Check out some of the reviews on these! These games are ALL constantly played. I think most are made by GameWright, which is the maker of some of our favorites! All of these games I would suggest for ages 7-8+.

11. SLEEPING QUEENS

A Royalty rousing card game, the Pancake Queen, The Ladybug Queen and 10 of their closest friends have fallen under a sleeping spell & it's your job to wake them up! Using strategy, quick thinking and a little luck to wake them from royal slumbers. Play a knight to steal a queen or take a chance on a jester! You have to watch out for wicked potions and dragons! The player who wakes up the most queens wins! Sleeping Queens is neat because it was dreamt and made up from a little girl! In the game box or tin, there is a little bit about her, & it's pretty neat! *Kennedys Favorite Game

12. SUSHI GO**

Even the non-sushi lover will love this game! It is a fast-playing card game with the goal of grabbing the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by from player to player. Score points for making the most maki rolls or for collecting a full set of sashimi. Certain cards, like adding wasabi to nigiri triples it's value! After all the cards have run out, you gather who has the most points to win! Don't worry if you don't know the names of the sushi, I don't either!

13. EXPLODING KITTENS **

What a name right? 😆 Exploding Kittens is a highly-strategic version of Russian roulette. You take turns putting cards on the table & drawing a new card. It's all fun & giggles till you explode by drawing an exploding kitten. BUT, you can avoid exploding with defusing cards or play cards to skip you, attack other players, etc. This game is a HOOT each card is hilariously illustrated. Great party game & a game just adults will love!

14. DRAGONWOOD

Another cult following game, this one is a goblins & gold, dice board game. Collect sets of adventurer cards in order to roll dice, which you use to explore the mystical land of Dragonrealm. Gather the most gold & become ruler of the realm!

KEEP READING TIL THE END FOR HELPFUL HINTS TO ORGANIZE YOUR GAMES!

ELECTRONIC GAMES

15. UNO ATTACK**

A fun take on the classic UNO game! This game causes FIGHTS in our house. Lord, if you get a draw in this game you have press the button & there is no telling the number of cards will come out. However, it doesn't stop us from playing it because it's so gosh darn fun!

16. CATCH PHRASE

I miss old the Catch Phrase that you hit the side for the disc to move but alas the fun is all the same! This game brings out my mothers' VERY competitive side! You grab it, guess it, pass it! Try to get your teammates to guess the word or phrase that appears on the screen by describing it in any way possible, but do it fast! You don't want to get caught holding the unit when the buzzer goes off because the other team scores a point! This is the most fun in a big group!! There is also an unfiltered adult version! THIS is a great holder to keep the unit in!

17. PERFECTION

Did you forget about this gem!? Nothing gets my heart & anxiety racing like this game! Set the time & try to get all the shapes into their corresponding spots before the timer goes off & pops all of the shapes out! I love that this game doesn't require having a box! On the back there is a little door to keep all the shapes in & it doesn't require batteries! How cool is this Disney version we saw on our last trip?

DICE GAMES

18. LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT

LCR is a fun, fast-paced dice game that you won't be able to put down! You have marked LCR dice that you roll to determine where players pass their chips. The last player with chips is the winner and wins the center pot!

19. TENZI *******

I can't put enough star on this to be our hands-down absolute favorite game EVER. We will play this for hours & end each game by saying "just one more game" for 20 games! Tenzi is a fast dice rolling game, you have to roll all 10 of your dice as fast you can by getting them all the same number and yell “TENZI”! Which is just the main way to play Tenzi, there is an entire game expansion pack that comes with 77 other ways to play. Truly a BLAST! I think the age range on this one is huge too because they do not necessarily need to be able to count the dice, but just get them all the same number. So if they have patterns down, I think they could play this one!

20. QWIXX

Qwixx is another fast family dice game. It is simple to play but each decision is crucial - the more numbers you cross off, the more points you score. With no downtime between turns, you'll have a chance to gain from each and every roll. Whoever gets the most points win!

21. SHUT THE BOX**

This is an old classic. Raise your hand if you like games that also sharpen math skills?! & kids aside, I can sit with this game for HOURS myself. I like to think it keeps my mind healthy ha! I wanna say there are 3 different games you can play using different number combinations & scoring methods!

22. YAHTZEE

Classic dice game with a casino cool vibe. Roll a straight, try for a full house, or risk it all to yell {yes, sorry house rule you have to YELL} YAHTZEE on a 5-of-a-kind!

Have Yahtzee already but ran out of paper? Don't forget you can buy just a scoring pad HERE!

PIG GAMES?

Lol I didn't know where to place these but they both are pigs so... Pig game category it is.

23. PASS THE PIGS

I used to play this in elementary school! It's kinda like a dice game, but with pigs? We have this in both the classic size {not pictured} & this "Big Pigs" version. You use the pigs as dice, & roll them as many times as you dare on your turn, to score points. Just don't roll a 'pig out' or an 'oinker'. First-person to score 100 points wins! This is a great travel game too, keep it right in your purse! Well, the classic size, not the "Big Pigs" lol

24. STINKY PIG

Brandon won this one as a white elephant gift at work a few years ago. We hadn't played it until a friend of mine had posted how much they loved it! It will have the whole family laughing. Push "Stinky's." belly & then pass it around as it sings, pass him left, right or roll again but watch out for "toot". You don't want to be left holding Stinky when he toots or you take a token & it is the player with the fewest tokens that wins!

DISNEY GAMES

GAMES FOR THE DISNEY LOVER

I mean obviously, I have a Disney category.

25. YAHTZEE JR

This doesn't necessarily need to be Disney I recommend this in any form. Classic Yahtzee can be confusing for kids so this makes it super easy with symbols & with a board. Yahtzee Jr is still a dice game, all about rolling the right combo to score big! Just in a much simpler format!

26. COLOR BRAIN - DISNEY EDITION ***

You may think you are a Disney fan, but wait till you play this game! Another that rarely is put away because we love it so much! It is super quick to learn! You can have teams or go by players, you get 11 color cards & to answer the question like "The feather in Caption Hooks hat" you have to quickly throw down the color you think it is! After everyone has put down the card you flip the card to see if you got it right! The first to get 10 points wins! If you are not a Disney fan, there is also a normal version!

27. HEDBANZ DISNEY EDITION

Can you tell we really like this game? Just as explained above, each play puts on a headband & places a card they can not see in their band. You ask questions to try to figure out the character on your band!

28. DISNEY PARKS CANDYLAND **

This is a fun take on CandyLand and is the most similar to the original board game! Same as always but instead of the land of sweet there are Disney themed lands. Like Snow White Mine, or Cinderellas Carousel. Must have for the Disney loving family!

BOARD GAMES

29. HANGMAN

Classic game taken off of paper! Players try to guess their opponent's mystery word first without getting hanged! You use tiles to create a hidden word & then take turns choosing letters in an attempt to decode the other's word. For every wrong letter chosen, more of the hangman is exposed!

30. DON'T WAKE DADDY**

I had this game in the 90's & was so so thrilled when they recreated it! You play by getting around the game board without waking daddy & making him "jump"! If you have a stroke of unlucky you have to click the alarm clock & hope your click isn't what set off the daddy to jump up in bed! This was a Toys R Us exclusive, which is why I think it is so pricey online. I don't believe they make it anymore. However, as of the date of me posting this list, it is on sale! I think this game is worth the extra money, but not in the $100s! Yikes! Check local thrift stores as well!

31. SORRY**

I don't know what brings out the worst of us UNO or this game! LOL By drawing cards, players move their pawns around the board, hoping to eventually get all their pawns in "home". Sorry is known for it's "sweet revenge" since players can send each other's pawns back to the starting line, thus forcing one another to lose ground & being again. In this game, there is no telling who will win. Be careful who you spend your "sorry" card on, looks can kill at this house 😝😝😝

BLOCK / TILE GAMES

32. QWIRKLE***

This is a new addition for us & we haven't stopped playing it since. Qwirkle is a simple game of matching colors & shapes that require tactical maneuver, quick thinking & a well-planned strategy! You have to watch closely for ways to score big with a Qwirkle by getting 6 tiles in a row! It's a mix between Dominoes & Scrabble! It's easy to learn & fun but challenging for kids & adults!

33. JENGA

Does this one need a description? Stack the wood blocks in a tower & take turns carefully pulling out a block & placing it on top! It's easy at first, but the more blocks get pulled, the tower starts to get unsteady. Whoever the tower falls on loses! HERE is a fun rainbow version if you like some color in your life!

34. RUMMIKUB

Rummikub has been played in my house my whole life. It's easy to learn & fast-moving, & different every time it's played. It combines luck & strategy, and it changed quickly so every player has a chance to win until the very end. Players take turns placing numbered tiles in runs & 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!

FUN FOR GROUPS

35. SPEAK OUT

You can't not laugh during this game! This is a ridiculous mouthpiece game the players try to say different phrases while wearing a mouthpiece that won't let them shut their mouth. We got this game when it first came out, & I only recommend getting the kids vs parents version if you have kiddos. The mouthpieces are made for adults that don't fit, well at least comfortably kiddos mouths. This version has kid-sized mouthpieces with it!

36. GOOGLY EYES

It's a battle that challenges your vision and will leave you googling for more! One player from each team or you can just do each player against everyone, wears zany, vision-distorting glasses and starts to draw while everyone tries to guess what they are drawing! Is that a carrot or a pencil? The player takes turns drawing and guessing. You have to try to get everyone to guess before time runs out!

37. PICTIONARY

Who doesn't love Pictionary? Draw a clue card, sketch it out & get your teammate or family members to guess it! The rules are simple! Those that have younger kiddos maybe want to look through all the cards ahead of time. I felt like some of them were a little inappropriate for our family, we just took those out!

38. PICTIONARY AIR

Same as explained above, but with a 2020 twist with technology! The twist is you use the pen included & draw the sketch in the air, your teammates or family will be holding an iPad/Tablet & your sketch will appear on the screen to guess!

39. PIEFACE

This thing blew up on social media! It is so fun but messy! Players load up the arm with whipped cream or the included sponge for a less messy option, then take turns sliding their heads through the mask and spinning the spinner! Watch out, because the amount of click you spin on could set the arm off & you will get a face full of whipped cream! Keep towels and/or wash clothes on hand for this! & probably do it in the kitchen!

40. MINUTE TO WIN IT

GAME ORGANIZATION: RULES/DIRECTIONS

Don't you hate when you go to play a game & can't remember how to play or need to refresh & you can't find the rules anywhere? ME TOO! We keep all of our game directions in one binder with all the games. It makes it so much easier, keeps the papers neat & not getting folded it up or ripped on accident in the shuffle of getting out games & putting them away.

I have also seen where people tape them to the inside off the box top, but I found that they would rip. A good idea may be to get a paper binder protector sleeve and tape THAT in the box, then put the rules in it to get in & out!

GAME ORGANIZATION

Now how to keep all these games organized?

First, if you don't need the box get rid of it! I like finding little cases on Amazon for the small games to protect them & that do not take up much room.

Games like Qwirkle came with a great box {yeah, there are good & bad boxes trust me} but it also came with a great bag to keep all the tiles in. So, we recycled the box & kept the felt bag for the tiles.

Brandon made our built-ins, especially for our games. So we are lucky we have that storage because our house lacks storage for so many game boxes!

Here are a few ways others have organized theirs!

In drawers: