The Best Family Board Games on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers

“It’s safe to say you’ve never played a game like this before,” writes one of the over 43,000 five-star reviewers of Exploding Kittens. One customer describes it “like Russian roulette,” while another reviewer writes, “The cards are hilarious and the pictures are completely inappropriately awesome.” And lots of reviewers appreciate that the cards are as “random” as Cards Against Humanity but less crude and more family-friendly. A mother who regularly brings this game on family camping and hiking trips says, “Kids can play on the same level as adults, and they love that.” She also says that it’s the perfect antidote to holiday small talk with extended family: “Instead of listening to Uncle Fred’s latest MAGA rant, or worse, I can bring on the Exploding Kittens.” And another parent who bought it for their teenage daughter calls it “a quirky, funny, and flexible game that provides actual interaction in a light and funny way.”

Almost nobody would describe regular, old Monopoly as fast, but reviewers say this ultimate version goes by way faster, and rounds can take as little as 30 minutes. “If you are tired of the never-ending original Monopoly, this is it for you,” one reviewer says. “Games can end quickly, sometimes way too soon and it makes you want to replay right away.” The differences don’t just stop at the speed of the game. Instead of cash, this version uses an electronic banking system, and some of the rules are modified from regular Monopoly. “For example, there are no hotels, and each purchased property gets 1 house,” one player explains. “The rent increases any time any player lands on the property. Instead of Chance and Community Chance Cards, there are Monopoly Cards (basically the same as the former) and Location spots that allow you to pay to move to any space on the board — you can go to a property you want to buy, a property you own to increase the rent, or move to a space near Go so you will collect on the next turn.” Even with the changes, lots reviewers say this game is just as fun as the classic. One even says, “It is one of the best purchases I have made for my family.”

When you mention fine motor skills, small children come to mind. But over 400 satisfied reviewers confirm that this game is “seriously great fun for all ages.” Several reviewers also describe it as a “learning tool,” with one explaining, “It takes a steady hand and a careful eye for balance.” A parent of three boys says “my 14-year-old can enjoy with his friends, my 7-year-old is doing very well with it, and even my 5-year-old is happily focusing on his fine motor skills.” She continues, “The quality and durability of it make it last in a house full of boys.” And a teacher writes, “It encourages players to think about weight and balance, because they have to carefully place the pieces to make sure they don’t knock anything over.”

“It is so gripping that after playing it FIVE times, my toddler cried when we finally said we would have to pack it up,” says a five-star mom reviewer. Other parents and grandparents report loving this six-foot-long puzzle game because “it doesn’t tax a toddler’s attention span or patience levels,” and “the quality and design is excellent.” Reviewers like that it’s engaging for kids and not annoying for adults. And this mom says, “So far, it has been the most enjoyable board game to play with my toddler.” Another appreciative reviewer, who works as a speech pathologist, writes, “The game presents many opportunities for conversation, counting practice, and event sequencing.”

This is another classic board game that customers say is still as good as they remember from childhood. One mom has nothing but good things to say about this game, especially the collaborative element. “We worked together to build it. It’s not that a 7-year-old CAN’T do it; it’s just that it takes two people to figure it out together, so it was a great exercise in teamwork,” she adds. Another says it’s also just fun to play as a family. “Anything that makes preteens and teenagers put down their phones for over a half an hour is wonderful,” she says, adding, “This game gets everyone involved and laughing together, which is my favorite.” Everyone in her family played together — from 2-year-olds to 50-year-olds — and it’s the game everyone asks to play when they’re all together.

Though drawing is a large part of this game’s appeal, lots of positive reviewers noted that you don’t have to be particularly good at drawing to enjoy playing it. One reviewer says, “The best part of the game is making fun of your friends and family for their poor guessing and drawing skills.” Another five-star reviewer writes, “What makes this game extra special to me is you get to actively participate the whole time. Also awful drawers aren’t really a drawback because their attempts add a whole new level of hilarity.” And this father who wasn’t sure he would enjoy a drawing game says, “I could describe this as ‘Telephone’ with a drawing twist. But that is a serious undersell. By the time I was done with my first game, I was crying from laughing so hard.”

Reviewers love this board game that involves singing because it’s fun for the whole family. That might sound a little cliché, but over 900 reviewers use that exact phrase to describe the game, including one purchaser who played it “at a Thanksgiving gathering with 20 family members ranging in age from 7 to adults.” They say it’s “one of just a very few games where you could involve young children, adults, and grandparents and all have a good time.” The game, in which players write down Trigger Words and other players sing songs containing the Trigger Words to advance, is great for “any family who wants to have a good time, is willing to laugh at each other, and can think fast on their toes,” according to another reviewer. After playing with their own family, they report, “The game brought laughs and tears running down our cheeks as the whole table would break out into a song.” A third reviewer agrees, noting that “this game was a riot” because everyone can play and have fun: “Half of us are not anywhere near decent singers, my dad actually can’t hold a tune to save his life, however, he belted out songs like no one’s business. It was hilarious, and we are looking forward to playing it again.”

“This is a good spooky board game to play with a small group of friends on a stormy night,” says one five-star reviewer, who describes the game as “incredibly immersive and detailed.” Over 200 five-star reviewers use the words “spooky,” “scary,” or “horror” to describe the game’s vibe, and lots of reviewers like that each time they play Betrayal at House on the Hill, it’s a little bit different. One reviewer, who leads a group game night, says that it’s the most fun he has ever had and that the artwork and design elements are “nice and spooky, while keeping a fun, playful atmosphere.” He says it would be “great for a Halloween game night, obviously.” And another gamer writes, “If you like horror movies or general spooky stuff, this is definitely the game to get.”

Abstract strategy games like Blokus are entirely based on the placement of their game pieces. That means there’s no luck or chance involved (unlike Battleship, above), so it’s nice for those who like to stay in control. “The beauty of Blokus is that the rules are incredibly simple so a young child can learn them quickly, in under two minutes, and yet the strategy and thinking levels needed to get increasingly better at this game are quite complex,” writes one parent. Another parent found it to be an “excellent game” for kids as young as 6, noting that there are “layers and layers of strategy,” and that it teaches “so many skills related to visual/spatial acuity, math, and strategy, all within a really enjoyable game.” Other reviewers liked that the games themselves are fairly short, often completed within 20 to 30 minutes, and can be played with two to four players. They’re so quick, “In that two-hour time span, we can average four to seven games,” writes one reviewer with a 15-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.

Shoppers looking for a family-friendly tile-laying game praised Tsuro highly. “I’ve played this game with my 5-year-old and my 10-year-old, and they both love it. It’s not a hard game to pick up, so if you’re looking for a game that the whole family can play, I highly suggest this one,” one reviewer writers. Players loved that you used tiles to build paths, and that you could try new paths in each game. One shopper, who says this is a great game to “break the ice in a gaming-night event,” explains, “The game is a tile-placement game. Simple as that. Each tile has a set of paths on it. When you place a tile in front of your dragon marker, you follow the path you create.” And plenty of reviewers enjoyed the game so much they’ve played again and again. “This has become a family favorite. It is also a game we know we can break out at any time, with any crowd anywhere, and have fun with,” says one satisfied shopper.

The whole concept of Jenga is pretty straightforward: Build up a tower, and then each player takes a turn of removing a block until the whole thing topples. Its simplicity is exactly why lots of reviewers find it’s the perfect game for the whole family. “This game has suspense with no real danger, appeals to all ages, is simple to play, and lasts forever,” one says. For adults it’s just fun, but one reviewer points out there is an educational aspect in it for kids: “If you want to work on their fine motor skills, the action of trying to push out a brick is very helpful and builds their concentration skills too.” Ultimately though, “It’s a fun game to play with large groups and definitely goes fast or slow depending on who you’re playing with.” And it’s one that’s nice for non-games, too, as “you can still converse and cavort while playing.”