Other Family Board Games
Photo: Simon Hill
There are so many family board games. Here are a few that we liked.
In the world for $28: Someone reads an “On Earth” card, which might say “where we set up a colony on a distant world,” and players read “We Want” cards such as “bananas for life” or “a thriving coffee shop.” A family-friendly twist Cards Against Humanity (with the same weakness), but players also try to sell their card as the best choice which adds a nice twist.
Cat in the Box Deluxe Edition for $31: There are a few mechanics at play here, including bidding on how many tricks you think you’ll win before play begins, but what makes this game unique is that you also get to decide on your card suit. It seems complicated at first, but young children who are used to playing card games will be able to grasp this.
Wingspan for $55: This may be the pinnacle of nature-themed board games and will appeal to anyone who loves our feathered friends. It combines factual information about different bird species and their needs, habitats, and abilities, with a healthy dose of technical depth.
Dorfromantik: Duel for $41: Based on a video game Dorfromantikcreated for the cooperative board game, this turn pits you against another player as you draw tiles to build an area and try to complete tasks along the way. With matching sets of red and blue, it’s all about who builds the best place to satisfy their compatriots and score the most points. Play time is less than an hour. You can play with two teams, but it works best as a two-player game.
Hey Hey Relay for $15: This super silly dice game is a race between two teams with challenge cards that encourage silly words and gestures before you move on. It’s fast and chaotic to play, but probably best for younger kids (makers suggest ages 6 and up). My kids didn’t like it as much, but this could be a fun party game.
Post a show for $30: This cooperative game casts players as stockists and shippers and challenges them to ship orders correctly by guessing the correct tiles based on clues given as to how they are stacked. The time limit adds pressure, and this can be fun for the right team (you need to be on the same wavelength), but we found waiting for stock to set up was dull for shippers, and scoring was exhausting.
Flip 7 for $8: The joy of pushing your luck is the draw of this mixed card game, as you hit or stick Blackjack style, trying to get seven different cards face up. Special action cards and modifiers combine items, allowing for tactical play. Suitable for three or more players aged 8 and up, it only takes 20 minutes to play.
Intensity: Top 10 Fantasy Game for $30: The title cards have 10 items within a category, and the opposing team has 60 seconds to guess as many as possible. The cards are divided into two colors (easy and hard), which makes it easy to play with children or adjust the difficulty on the fly. This works well for any age or group size, but be prepared for lots of shouting and laughing.
You Must Be My Kitten! for $26: A simple twist on the liar’s dice that focuses on taunting and calling bluffs; I’m of two minds about this game. On the one hand, the game is nothing special, but on the other, cute cats! My busy daughter immediately wanted to play, and we had a few funny laughs at the number of glasses, hats, and bow ties on these birds.
Poems of Neanderthals for $20: Each card has a name, and your seemingly simple task is to make your team guess correctly within the time limit by speaking only one letter. If you break the rules, the opposition can hit you with an inflatable “No” stick. Suitable for two to eight players ages 7 and up, it’s loud, silly, and generally makes everyone laugh.
Risk of Accident for $9: Fast and frantic, this simple card game for two teams is all about trying to have the highest-scoring cards revealed at the end of each round. There are no turns, you can block the other team’s cards, and the rounds are timed, but you have to guess when the round will end. Very simple and very fast to play, this game can be chaotic.
That Increases Quickly by $20: This game is fast, simple, and fun for up to eight players. It includes situations like “I invented a new game, what is it?” players must give suggestions from the least dangerous (1) to the most dangerous (10) based on the number assigned to them in each round. The round leader should try to get it right. It works best with smart players who know each other well.
Sounds like Fish for $23: Another fun team game from Big Potato, the challenge in Sounds Fishy is to spot the false answers. Each card raises a question, but you only get one correct answer. It’s for four to 10 players, and we’ve found it to be fun but tough when there’s a lot of people.
Cards Against Humanity: Family Plan for $29: You can play this party game with up to 30 players, and it will produce quite a few baby giggles and giggles. Like the adult version, there isn’t much of a trick here, but finding the perfect combination to crack everyone is satisfying.
Don’t bother
We were not that serious in these games.
Photo: Simon Hill
Train yourself: As a group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse at the top of a skyscraper, you must choose the right flight path to grab the resources you need, determined by cards. The tight time limit makes it difficult to pick the right routes from the chaotic mess on the game board, and it can be combined differently for replay value. But the background felt inconsistent, and we all agreed that it wasn’t very fun to play.
Connecto: Connect different symbols on your board with a dry erase marker based on a randomly drawn challenge card to make a picture of something (like connecting the dots). The first to guess what it should be wins the round (the others are just like what they are meant to be). Longevity is at a premium, as there is no fun in replaying solved puzzles.
Cat and Mouth Game: Incredibly simple, this art game challenges you to shoot rubber balls through the cat’s mouth with magnetic paws, but they end up everywhere. Games are often one-sided, and my kids got bored quickly. It is also not possible to play with real cats in the area.
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