If you can't take slogging through hours of Monopoly anymore, it's time to break out the best family board games. Despite 🀅what you m꧙ight think, this is a vibrant and adventurous industry with modern classics that leave old-timers in the dust.
The trouble is knowing where to start. That's why the GamesRadar+ experts and I are on hand to recommend the best family board games here. Alongside suggestions for parties, lazy afternoons at home, and everything in-between, you'll find suggestions that'll suit all skill-levels or budgets (something that will become increasingly important if the China-US tariffs continue as planned, because publishers have suggested they could inflate the cost of board games). These must-haves get everyone involved, so even reluctant players should be happy to try them out. Oh, and don't assume they'll bore you to sleep if you're a tabletop veteran; I'd argue that they are some of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best board games overall. Take this g💜uide's top choice, Ticket to Ride, as an example. It's very acces🌳sible but has hidden layers of strategy to keep you invested.
To make sure we're only discussing the best of the best when it comes to family board games, this list is made up of options our experts have had extensive hands-on experience with. If it doesn't wow the GamesRadar+ team, it doesn't get on the list… and because we review board games for families as a living, that bar is pretty high. You can find out more in the '澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test' section further down the page. Not sure what you want, on the other hand? Check in with the '澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how to choose' section for advice.
Curated by
Curated by
Benjamin Abbott
Benjamin has spent more than six year💦s covering board game news, reviews, and features for GamesRadar+. He has also been writing professionally 𒁏since 2012. However, he began playing family board games from the moment he was able to roll dice as a child.
Recent updates
May 20, 2025: Alongside an improved 'how we test' section that more accurately reflects our process, this page has been updated with a new sections on the best family board games you should look forward to in 2025 (including Flamecraft Dual) and the best new games that arrived earlier this year (such as Flip 7).
April 25, 2025: This page has b𝓡een updated with a new 'where to buy' section that discusses the retailers we prioritize on GamesRadar+ when looking for discounꦦts on the best family board games.
There's nothing quite like Ticket to Ride. Easy to learn but spellbinding nonetheless, it challenges you to build a train line across continents. Although you can sabotage rivals by crossing their route, you don't have to - the fun lies in racking up as many points as possible. That makes the experience pretty zen on the whole. In fact, playing it helped us get through lockdown.
You won't find a better ice-breaker than this. Even though you're trying to collect eight cows (e.g. points) for your 'herd,' it's not really competitive. It's also straightforward enough to be enjoyed by all ages. That's because you'll be answering questions like "what's the best sauce," and you score if you're in the majority. Seeing as it's about what you think others will say, Herd Mentality is perfect for starting conversations. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Read more
For families with children (and even ones that are all grown-up, actually), Sushi Go is an essential purchase. Quick, straightforward, and endlessly replayable, it's the sort of thing kids can grasp quickly… but has a decent amount of strategy under the surface. Seeing as it comes in a portable tin and doesn't need much space, it's great for traveling as well; you can sling it in a bag and take it on vacation without any trouble.
In terms of enchanting family board games, Wingspan takes the cake. Challenging you to build the best wildlife reserve, it's oddly satisfying; you collect birds with special bonuses so that you can collect yet more birds, and so on. The lack of direct competition helps with this engrossing loop, and players will try to beat each others' scores instead. When combined with beautiful artwork, it's a real treat for older families.
Most trivia board games go out of date before long, but not Articulate. Relying on more general knowledge instead, it's still relevant years after it was published. That means anyone can give it a go, too; you don't need to be a font of niche facts. Plus, it having such a massive player count (so long as you're divided into teams, you can have 20 or more people involved), it's ideal if relatives are descending en masse.
This easy-going game has been going strong for more than 20 years, and it's not hard to see why; Carcassonne is accessible, endlessly replayable, and satisfying in equal measure. That's the reason it's often labelled as the perfect 'gateway game' for anyone hoping to graduate from Monopoly or Clue – it's a step up in complexity and tactics, but not so much that beginners will feel lost.
No matter whether you want to entertain the kids on a lazy Sunday or you're feeling sleepy post-Christmas dinner, the last thing you want is a complicated game that'll tax your brain. This is why 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Ticket to Ride is so brilliant. While there are tactics involved, it's a much more laid-back experience than other family board games on this list. 🌼It's the kind of thing you can learn in 15 minutes or less,🔯 too, so everyone will be able to join in regardless of their experience level.
Finally, it🔜's competitive but not to the point you'll fall out – players shou🥀ld still enjoy themselves even if they lose.
Buy it if:
✅ You want something easy that's still fun: If you're looking for an accessible game that won't bore you after a couple of sessions, Ticket to Ride fits the bill. Even though you can learn it in 10 - 15 minutes, it's tactical enough to keep you from checking your phone.
✅ Your family is new to board games: Ticket to Ride is often dubbed a 'ga൲teway' game because it balances accessibility with more complex mechanics than you'd fi🌠nd in something like Clue.
❌ You want a challenge: This isn't the most strategic game out there, even if it offers challenges of its own. Those looking for something to truly test their mettle will be disappointed.
❌ You'll play it a lot: I can say from experience that T🙈icket to Ride will lose its shine if you play too often. While it got my family and I through pandemic lockdown thanks to digital sessions, we eventually became over-familiar with its routes.
Features & design: Ticket to Ride whisks us back more than a hundred years to a tim🌟e when top hats were considered cool, and you're a businessperson hoping to earn their fortune on those new-fangled steam locomotives. Players score points by creating train routes across North America, Europe, or wherever your copy of the game is set.
Easy enough, right? Sort of – winning𝓰 isn't so straightforward. Because certain routes are worth more than others, the race is on to claim them before anyone else can.
Differently-colored train cards are critical for that. You need se🐎ts (ranging between two and half a dozen cards each) to place your tokens on a route, and these are drawn either from a face-up market available to everyone or blind from the deck. That means others can figure out what you're gunning for and act first if you're not careful. This gives Ticket to Ride a push-your-luck edge.
Yes, it's a lꦚittle more cutthroat than you might have expected. But hey, Ticket to Ride is pretty enough for you to let it off. Even the standard version comes with 3D train tokens, and the cards provide pops of color that leap off the table. The board itself is rendered in a quaint turn-of-the-century style as well, so this board game for families has personality to spare.
Gameplay: Because everyone is scrambling to earn cards and win routes (many of which cross over with one another), Ticket to Ride draws you in by the scruff of your neck despite it being so laid back on the whole. This also makes it a satisfying personal challenge, even if you end up losing; there's something pleasing about completing a long and complicated route, especially if you have to go around a rival's line. Indeed, needing to take the long way round may be frustrating in the heat of the moment, but coming up with a workaround is rewarding.
Speaking of which, all♍ that jostling for space injects an undercurrent of strategy. Which routes should you prioritize? And once you've finished your current batch, should you take any more? It's a fun conundrum to wrestle with, because failure to complete routes before the end will see those points taken off your total.
Then there's the question of which routes you choose. Do you risk building a longer line for maximum value? Or should you finish a bunch of shorter routes to score quickly? It's a similar dilemma to Jaipur, one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best card games, and will keep you invested for a while.
Just be careful not to overdo it. You might learn Ticket to Ride's routes if you play it too much (thus allowing you to guess what other players are working on right away), and that robs it of some magic. Although the gam⛦e got me and my extended family through the pandemic lockdown because we were able to 'play' together virtually via webcam, we did eventually become overfamiliar with Ticket to Ride so needed a break before getting it out again.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
This game doesn't overcomplicate things, and that's its greatest strength. It's easy to understand, but you still haꦗve plenty to think about during each match.
4/5
Accessibility
Ticket to Ride is blissfully straightforward, but it has slightly more to it than many family board games.
4/5
Replayability
You'll eventually learn this game's routes, and even though that does෴n't sink it entirely, it does reduce the fun fꩲactor.
3/5
Setup and pack-down
There are going to be pl✨enty of t꧒oy trains to pick up at the end, but it's generally not too taxing.
4/5
Component quality
Quality card stock, a hard-wearing board, and pla🍃stic train icons mean that this is a very good looking game.
5/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Benjamin Abbott
"Yes, Ticket to Ride has a competitive edge. But not to the point its players fall out. Aside from an occasional gold rush over routes everyone wants, it's a refreshingly sedate puzzle you work on by yourself. There's a layer of strategy chugging away beneath all that, though. Deciding when to push your luck or play it safe gives it the compelling hook it needs, so even though it's not the most complex board game for families, there's plenty enough here to engage with." Read more: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Ticket to Ride review
If my family is getting together and wants to play something, I'll always break out Herd Mentality first. It's the perfect board game for families that💃 don't even like board games; it's dead easy to understand, is low-pressure, and doesn't require any kind of specialist 🧜knowledge. It won't ever become outdated, either – this one hinges on what your group thinks instead of your ability to remember obscure trivia.
Seeing as it accommodates so many players (up to 20), it's also a solid pick if you have a particularly large clan of reﷺlatives.
Buy it if:
✅ You're looking for an easy-going, light-hearted game: It doesn't get more laid back than this, so Herd Mentality is perfect if you're hoping to kick off a games evening or need a low-effect choice. Catering to so many players is a bonus, too.
✅ You're playing with people who don't usually get involved: There's absolutely no pressure to Herd Mentality, and there isn't a 'right' answer to any of its questions either. That means iꦑt's🥀 great for those who aren't a fan of being in the spotlight.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want something strategic: There's very little by way of strategy with this one, and the only 'tactic' you'll need is the ability to second-guess what your family might write down each round.
❌ You don't know the other players well: Are you hoping to make a good impression by playing this with a loved one's family that you've just met, perhaps over Christmas? 🧔You may struggle, because it's much easier if you have an idea of how everyone will answer.
Features & design: Herd Mentality was designed by the company behind many of the best party board games, and that means it's wonderfully sil📖ly. Rather than posing trivia questions to make you think, it throws out bangers like "what is the best sauce?" You'll then scribble down y🌳our answer.
There's no 'right' answer, of course. Instead, you're trying to match what you think everyone else is going to say. You earn꧙ points if you're in the majority, 🗹and anyone in the minority gets penalized with the squishy pink cow of shame. This is basically a stress toy, so at least you can work through your angst if you get it.
While we're on that subject, the theming is absolutely on point. Each player is trying to build their 'herd' by collecting eight cows (e.g. point tokens), and all of these are amusingly bizarre. They are also taken from a central, grassy pen rather than a boring case, so full points for effort. When combined with the fuzzy black spots on its box, Herd Mentality is more than a little quirky.
Gameplay: This is a game that can be explained in 10 seconds flat, and that's a huge bonus꧃ if you're trying to corral rowdy family-members. There's next-to-no downtime either, as everyone is writing down or sharing their answers together.
Crucially, the fact that there's no 'correct' answer is helpful for those who don't play board games, or avoid them because they aren't sure what to do. It's also perfect if you have loved ones that are uncomfortable about joining in, or just prefer to watch – you'll find them starting to get involved from the sidelines by chipping in with what they think. My mom certainly does, and she never plays family board games with us.
Even if everyone disagrees, that can be fun in and of itself. You'll all joke about why you're right, or discuss someone else's surprising answer. That makes it a good opportunity tඣo learn something about each other and open up new discussions that get everyone talking.
What's more, it's hugely replayable. No two groups are the sameꩵ and will all answer differently. Herd Mentality is a family board game with plenty of longevity behind it as a result.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
Herd Mentality is a lot of fun, and it'llﷺ fill a very happy half-hour. It isn't the deepest game, though, so more experienced players may find it too stra🐷ightforward.
3/5
Accessibility
Literally anyone can play this game, and it's dead ea꧂sy to learn.
5/5
Replayability
Because there's no 'right' answer (and evꦡeryone's responses will be different), Herd Mentality can be rolled out again and again without losing its shine. You may eventually get tired of the formula,♊ but not for a while.
4/5
Setup and pack-down
All you need to get going with this one is a handful of cards, pens, and cow tokens. That makes setup a doddle, though the box's storage solutions aren't the best 🐼(I find that the pieces often come loose).
4/5
Component quality
I'm alway🍌s impressed by how sturdy Herd Mentality's tokens and 'pen' (e.g. token holder) are, not to mentionꦺ that delightfully squishy pink cow. The box's velvet patches are a surprise bonus.
5/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Abigail Shannon
"Herd Mentality manages to be exceedingly silly yet still involves a satisfying element of social 🌜strategy, especially if you know the group you’re playing with well. Side note: you’ve got to give props to Herd Mentality for supporting up to 20 players, this will definitely come in handy during big family-togethers."
No matter whether you're looking fo♉r family board games you can take with you on the go or something your kids will like, Sushi Go ticks those boxes. Besides being incredibly easy to learn, it doesn't take up much space in play or packed away. That makes it perfect for slinging in a backpa🧸ck.
It doesn't take long to finish a match, either. Playing with younger gamers or the chronically impatient? This won't get borin🗹g… and it won't make you want to tear your hair out if little ones insist on rematch after rematch.
Buy it if:
✅ You want something quick: Because matches of Sushi Go rarely last more than 15 minutes, it doesn't outstay its welcome. It also lives in the sweet-spot so far as children's attention-spans go.
✅ You want an on-the-go game: If you like to take family board games with you on vacation or out and about, Sushi Go is perfect. Besides coming in a little tin that won't take up much space, it only requires a small table to l�ꦍ�ay your cards on.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want a game for very young kids: Although it's very straightforward, this may still be too much for particularly young children. Planning a few goes ahead is crucial, as is adding up your score at the end.
❌ You want something very strategic: It requires some tactics, but this isn't an overly deep famil♊y board game. Whether that's a plus or minus depends on what you're looking for.
Features & design: Sus☂hi Go is different every time you pick it up. It works in a very similar way to Exploding Kittens, with players taking a card and passing the rest on… except 🍃here you need to build a selection of dishes that earn points over the course of three rounds. Whoever racks up the biggest score wins.
Some of these cards are worth a lot right away, others provide multipliers, and yet more require you to collect a set for bigger payouts. This means that there are multiple approaches you can take on your path to victory. (Just don't forgot about Puddings, which are only scored at the end of the game and may tip y🌞our score over the edge.)
The art accompanying all this is delightful. Each dish hasꦓ been given a cartoon makeover, which makes even me - someone who is notorious for avoi🎀ding seafood - want sushi.
Gameplay: The elevator pitch for Sushi Go is simple, but don't think it's shallow as a result. Because you'll be looking through your hand of cards before passing it to the next player (and can obviously tell what othersꦏ have picked), smart cookies can sabotage their rivals by taking the cards someone else needs. It's deliciously devilish, and most will pick it up quickly.
The game's rapid-fire na💫ture makes it a winner with🌃 little ones that don't have much patience, too. Matches don't take long and are easy to set up, so you can happily run an encore without much trouble.
Not that this is only for kids, of course. It'll be a hit with all ages, and is a great warm-up game before moving on to someth🍨ing with more depth. I have many fond memories of playing this with friends or family at parties, so it usually gets thrown into my bag if a get-together is due.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
It's not a particularly complicated game, but y🅺ou'll still feel invested as you gradually build a world-beating score.
3/5
Accessibility
Unlike some family board games, this one doesn't r🔯equire much explanation at all – you can be playing in no t𓆉ime.
5/5
Replayability
Every match of Sushi Go is different because you'll always be dealing with a different h⛎and of cards – and different priorities as a result.
4/5
Setup and pack-down
Seeing as it only includes a deck of cards that are stored in a 🔥sturdy tin, Sushi Go is very easy to organize.
5/5
Component quality
These cards feel as if they're built to last, and that storage tin should keep them safe when 𝄹not in use.
5/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Benjamin Abbott
"Sushi Go is a quickfire gem that won't get boring any time soon. It's light, breezy, and charming enough to turn you into an instant fan. Pᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚlus, the fact that it doesn't hꦺave a board makes it a great travel option for gamers on the go."
Play if you like: Cascadia, Life in Reterra, Everdell, Parks
Reasons to buy
+
Simple but effective mechanics
+
Thoroughly chilled out
+
Absolutely beautiful art
Reasons to avoid
-
Takes a while to learn
-
May be too complex for some
In b🌊oard gaming circles, Winspan is as close to a household name as you can get. The fact it walked away with one of the industry's most prestigious awards – the Kennerspiel des Jahres – in 2019 gives a clue as to why. With meticulously balꦦanced mechanics that offer numerous ways to win accompanied by heaps of replayability, it's the sort of family board game you can make your own.
Because there isn't just🍸 one way to win, Wingspan is deceptively deep as well. It's the kind of experience you're still likely to be enjoying years from now; the extensive deck and varied card abilities encourage a wealth of strategies.
Buy it if:
✅ You enjoy asymmetric board games: Even though everyone's working on similar goals, players are able to use whatever strategy they like to get there. If that sort of freedom appeals to you, Wingspan should impress.
✅ You love nature: Thanks to utterly beautiful watercolor artwork and a wealth of facts about the birds you're trying to colleꦐct, Win🎀gspan will delight the animal lovers out there.
Don't buy it if:
❌ Experimenting with playstyles sounds like a chore: Because there are so many approaches you can use in Wingspan, you may not get the most out of it if you don't experiment a little.
❌ Complex rules frustrate you: Wingspan isn't the easiest game to explain. If you're hoping for sometཧhing you can pick up and🌃 play right away, steer clear.
Features & design: The aim of Wingspan is to attract as many different birds to your nature reserve as possible using resources those species will like. These feathered friends may then give you special abilities that are used to attract even more birds, netting you points. Rinse and repeat for a thoroughly lovelℱy ܫtime.
It's not just a scramble to the finish line, though. There are numerous ways to earn points, and each rಌound has objectives of its own. This makes for a smart, layered experience you can properly dig into.
The art is equally high-quality. Watercolor paintings of each bird are just the tip of the iceberg; Wings𓆉pan also include🥂s delightful egg tokens and a bird box dice tower to use when rolling for resources. The game may be a little more expensive than others on this list, but it feels every bit as premium as the price tag would suggest.
Gameplay: Steadily increasing tension is Wingspan's secret weapon. You get fewer actions to use each round, so even though mistakes are easily f𒁏orgiven early on, players will have to be a lot more careful as the endgame draws near. You can also start to guess at your rivals' scores as time goes on thanks to shared objectives, so the excitement only builds with each turn.
Still, it's not what I'd call stressful. Because everyone is working on their own boards, and there's a distinct lack of 'aggressive' moves to mess with another player's progress, it's♕ not the kind of atmosphere that'll cause upset. If anything, it gives you the freedom to explore different tactics withou💖t fear of being undermined.
In much the same way, you won't feel thwarted by randomness here. There's an absurd amount of agencওy on tap because you can mix and match card effects as you se🌞e fit, allowing you to create resource-gathering engines that reward different playstyles. This ups the replayability in a big way, allowing you to revisit Wingspan for months to come without growing tired of it.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
Due to a clever blend of engine-building and slowly increasing tension, Wingspan is a masterclass o𝓀f design that quickly sinks its talons into you.
5/5
Accessibility
The main downside to Wingspan is learning it. This isn't a compඣlicated game by any means, but it can be overwhelming𝄹 at first.
3/5
Replayability
Thanks to its many cards and abilities, Wingspan has longevity to spare. You can play it numerous times and not have tౠhe same experience twice.
5/5
Setup and pack-down
This g🀅ame isn't a headache to lay out or put away, even though everyone has their own board. However, I can see those plastic eggs getting easily lost during pack-down.
4/5
Component quality
Although Wingspan🌞 is a little more expensive, the components reflect that with a suitabl𓂃y high quality. The bird feeder dice tower and plastic eggs are a very nice touch.
5/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Katie Wickens
"Affording varied play styles, Wingspan is a delightful game of feathered engine building. It's not the most competitive feeling game, but with steadily increasing tension, heaps of goals to weave into your strategy, and some oh-so satisfying combos this is one of the most replayable and satisfying freeform asymmetric games out there." Read more: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Wingspan review
If you'd rather avoid a free-for-all around the table, Articulate is on the money. It puts you into teams and is playable with 20 or more people, making this one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best cooperative board games for those with a big family.
Its brand of trivia doesn't go out of date either, so Articulate can be relied upon for years to come. Because these categories a🎉re suitably broad, even the trivia-averse won't feel lost.
Buy it if:
✅ You want an accessible team game: This is an incredibly easy game to understand, and you're working in teams, so even those who aren't regular board gamers should feel at home.
✅ You have lots of players: Because Articulate can be played with 20 or more people, nobodౠy has to be left out.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You struggle with pressure: Seeing as someone needs to be the 'teller' for each team every round, those who dislike the spotlight may be uncomfortable with this one.
❌ You want deep strategy: There isn't really any sense of tactics for Articulate beyond deciding what to do when you use the spinner🙈. (Should you push opponents back a space, or go forward yourself?)
Features & design: Rather than having you rattle off a stream of questions, Articulate is more like charades. After splitting into teams, a member of your group draws a card. Tꦚhey then have to describe whatever is listed on the card without saying those words (so anyone describing 'Washington D.C.' might yell "capital of the USA"). If the team guesses correctly, you move on to the next card – and so on – until 30 seconds is up. The amount you get right dictates how many spaces your team's token moves along the board. First to the finish line wins.
While this is simple 🌊enℱough, the board adds a wrinkle to proceedings. Each space dictates which category you'll be using next (ranging from Geography to Action), and some let you either move ahead or push your rivals back a space.
I just wish the components were as spicy. Articulate is a case of 'all work, no play' in te🌄rms of its design; everything is perfectly functional, yet bland.
Gameplay: Thanks to its simple premise and accessible rules, anyone can get involved with Articul♈ate. You don't even have to be a trivia boffin, either – success relies on how well you can describe something, not random t♔itbits. When combined with a broader focus (it trades topical references for something more generic that most people should be able to recognize), it's stayed relevant years after publication. This isn't a family board game that'll show its age a decade down the line.
OK, so it won't win any awards for strategy. I wouldn't call it pulse-racing either unless you hate being in the spotlight. But that simplicity is Articulate's trump card. Everyone can ge♛t involved, no matter their age or interest. It's great as a co-op game too, because all be chiming in with suggestions on your team.
If you vibe with it, you'll be able to keep playing for years as well. 🔯Articulate is buried beneath cards ca⭕rrying multiple words each (not to mention numerous categories), so you're unlikely to hit the same ones repeatedly. As a case in point, I've played the game since 2010 and I'm still not bored of it.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
Articulate knows that 'simple' is often best, and it doesnꦬ't overcomplicate things. It's elegant, easy to understand, and will entertain for years to come.
4/5
Accessibility
This is a very straightforward game, to the point that I'm pretty sure you could have explained the rules and be playing in u🐲nder a minute.
5/5
Replayability
Countless cards are included within the box, and each one has multiple categories to choose🤪 from. That means you can still be playing years from now.
5/5
Setup and pack-down
A central board with a spinner, a token for each team, and a deck of cards🐓 is as complicated as it gets.
4/5
Component quality
This is the one area Articulate falls down, if you ask me – its visual design ꩲis simple and the components won't stand up to much punishment.
2/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Abigail Shannon
"Perfect for revealing the true extent of the mental connection between you and your teammates (or just making a bit of a fool of yourself), Arti☂culate offers rapid-fire fun for all the family. Its exceedingly simple gameplay loop and high level of replayability means you can expect Articulate to make a regular appearance at family board game nights."
Play if you like: Ticket to Ride, Dorfromantik, Cartographeওrs, Terraforming Mars, Kingdomino
Reasons to buy
+
Simple to teach and master
+
Replayable and very expandable
+
Not tremendously competitive
Reasons to avoid
-
Relies on luck of the draw
-
Lacks deeper strategy
Carcassonne is seen as one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best classic board games for good reason; even though it's now available on a ton of digital♍ platforms, there’s something special about playing the game in its original, physical format that can't be beaten. Seriously, dropping a tile in exactly the right place to earn points is weirdly satisfying.
There are plenty of expansions to﷽ keep you busy once the core game has lost its shine, too. These add-ons include everything from castles and kings to mayors, so you should have plenty to chew on.
Buy it if:
✅ You want something short: Matches of Carcassonne rarely last longer than 30 minutes, so it's a great option if you're short on time.
✅ You don't want a tactical game: If you aren't a fan of strategizing or analysing every move before you make it, the easy-☂going Carcassonne will appea🦋l.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want something strategic: This game isn't particularly deep, so anyone that enjoys a more cerebral challenge will be left cold.
❌ You hate randomization: Luck of the draw plays a huge role in💟 Carcasson🍎ne's gameplay.
Features & design: Created in 2000 and inspired by the walled medieval town of the same name, Carcasonne's boඣard is created as you play. Everyone fills out a section of Southern France using tiles drawn at random, and placing meeples – little wooden people – earns you points for each completed city, road, or connected field. It's a simple concept, and one
Regardless of what happens, you can be guaranteed a rather handsome tapestry of tiles by the end of a match. Some may not like how the layout doesn't necessarily make sense (roads 🐓to nowhere, here we come), but it's a delightful patchwork of medieval life nonetheless.
Gameplay: Carcassonne is laid back by design, so it's a good family board game for꧙ those who want a more relaxing timꦓe around the table. That doesn't mean it's challenge-free, though. Having a strategy in mind while placing your pieces is crucial. Although luck of the draw is involved, leaving yourself enough space to finish landmarks is a challenge in itself.
Similarly, you can cut into a rivals' space or share control of their cities by linking your unconnected town with theirs. This ability to think on your feet and plan for possible moves keeps the game interesting. Plus, there's a lovely social element at play here because you're all contributing to the same, sh🍃ared board.
It won't occupy strategy gamers for long, but there's something satisfying about cashing in a chain of meeples as well. Carcasonne is the kind of game where the leaderboard can shift very quickly, es🦹pecially if you embrace chaos and try to sabotage other players.
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Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
This is a 𓂃phenomenally easy-going game, so even though it's not going to tax strategy aficionados, it's ideal as a casual family game.
3/5
Accessibility
You can explain Carcassonne and start playiཧng within moments.
5/5
Replayability
It's not going to keep you entertained forever, but its randomly-drawn tiles m♒ean that you'll always have a different exp♛erience each time.
4/5
Setup and pack-down
Carcassonne starts simple with a single tile being placed, so the biggest challenge is shuffling them ahead of play. Packing away is a bit more involved because you'ඣll have crafted an enormous cardboard mosaic, of course.
4/5
Component quality
Thanks to stu🌄rdy cardboard tiles and economic but effective meeples, Carcassonne i♕s built to last.
4/5
Expert verdict
Expert verdict
Katie Wickens
"This map-building classic is fun for the whole family. It's a gateway game that can ease even the most reluctant board gamers into the hobby with a simple dominoes-like ruleset that's layered with fascinating area control mechanics. Definitely one for the collection." Read more: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Carcassonne review
If you're not sure what you're in the mood for, don't worry - the GamesRadar+ team and I have some advice. We've been doing this fo♈r a long time now (I started writing about the best family board games for the site in 2018 and have played them since I was knee-high), so let us impart some hard-won wisdom that'🎶ll narrow things down.
Here's w📖hat I tend to ask when recommending board games for families:
🏆 Are your family board gamers? Knowing how much experience y🏅our players have with tabletop gaming is always he🌳lpful. If they've never played anything beyond Sorry, I wouldn't break out Wingspan. Go for something light and breezy like Herd Mentality instead.
🕐 How much time do you have? If you can figure ou🌳t how long you've got to play, you can narrow the list of candidates down significantly. Short on time? Avoid something like 7 Wonders and🌠 go for a party game like Sushi Go or Exploding Kittens instead.
🎲 What games do you already enjoy? Honestly, this might be one of the best w🍷ays to figure out what you want. If you hate murder mystery games, for example, something like 221B Baker Street won't appeal. Love trading games? Catan will be up ꦏyour street. Pinning this down helps an awful lot.
👨👩👦 How many players are there going to be? I know it's obvious, but this is a good question to ask when choosing the best family board games. If there are only two or three of you, getting ⛦something like Articulate (which requires four players at minimum) won't work. Equally, you're sunk if you try and play something like Sushi Go with eight people. Every entry on this list has the player count displayed prominently up top, allowing you to find a suitable option right away.
📆 What ages are the players? Here's another obvious consideration, but one you shouldn't ignore. While a game's age-rating can refer to the suitability of the co♛ntent within (exactly like movies), it can also be a helpful way to judge whether young children will struggle or not from the off - it hints at complexity. I wouldn't wheel out Catan for a kindergartner, for instance.
Want an overview of what's available, on the other hand? It's worth dropping in on our guide to the many 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:types of board games. Besides filling you i♚n on terms and genres that can be confusing unless you're a hobby veteran (like Eurogames), it's crammed with suggestions that could spark inspiration.
How we 🌳test board games is incredibly important to the entire GamesRadar+ team, and we won't ever suggest a product we wouldn't be happy to buy ourselves. Basically, we need to love something for it to get on this list of family board games.
As discussed in our guide to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test board games, our reviewers (who have years of experience covering the industry) live and play w💖ith a game for as long as possible to get the best sense of how it works. This helps us establish whether it'll be a five-minute wonder or not as well.
For much the same reason, we'll al😼ways run multiple sessions with different numbers of people to get an idea of how this changes the experience - if at all.
Our 🦹crit🐻ique is then divided into four distinct sections:
Introduction: This is where we introduce what makes the game special in a nutshell. You'll also find an itemized 'buy if / don't buy if' breakdown here.
Features & design: We give you the lowdown on a game's 'elevator pitch' in this section. We then go into the basics of how it actually works, along with a judgement on its physical components.
Gameplay: Most of our review will focus on the actual mechanics of a game. We weigh in on what the play experience is like, whether it's fun, and things we weren't so keen on.
Expert verdict Because it's important to get outside opinions, this section rounds up a trusted team-member's thoughts on the family board game in bite-size format.
You'll also see the following standardized set of criteria throughout our reviews and buying guides - a ranking system based on gameplay, accessibility (how easy it is to understand and get into), setup and pack-down, component quality, and how replayable it is.♋ Here's a quick example:
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Ratings
Criteria
Notes
Score
Game mechanics
How fun are the game's core systems?
?/5
Accessibility
Is the game easy to understand and get into?
?/5
Replayability
We discuss whether the game has longevity here.
?/5
Setup and pack-down
Our writers go into the pro🔯cess of setting up and putting away a game in this sec🦋tion.
?/5
Component quality
Are the tokens, cards, and more of a good qua⛄lity?
While there are countless family board games on of♐fer right now, a few rise above the pack. You'll find our experts' personal favorites on this page, but here💯's a shortlist:
- Ticket to Ride - Herd Mentality - Sushi Go - Wingspan - Articulate
It's a slightly different story if you're talking about sales, though. I've checked against different sources and my research indicates that chess, checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble, and Clue make the most🦂 money each year.𝐆 Risk, Trivial Pursuit, and Battleship follow close behind them.
Another good metric would be the Amazon bestsellers list. In our most recent search, I was surprised to find that younger entries li💦ke Codenames topped the list. Not that I'm complaining, of course; that game is 🅘brilliant. Wingspan and Ticket to Ride (two games that actually feature on our roundup of the best family board games) make the cut too.
What is the best game to play as a family?
Th🐼ere are a wealth of board games for families these days, and store shelves groan under the weight of them all. However, I'd always recommend ignoring these and trying Ticket to Ride first. It's a gentle game that doesn't require a lot of brain-power, but has enough strategy to keep you invested. It's not so competitive that you'꧙ll have everyone falling out, either - always a plus so far as I'm concerned.
Herd Mentality is also a favorite in ter💯ms of family board games. It's easy to get into and doesn't put pressure on its players; you're all submitting your answers at once rather being put on the spot individually. T൩his makes it ideal for those who don't like the attention that comes with certain games. At the same time, it's easy-going fun that won't leave you feeling bored.
Are board games good for families?
Board games are an incredibly healthy pastime for families. As mentioned in our guide to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查ꦰ询:how board games help cognitive heꦦalth, they're a tremendous way to improve social skills, problem-solving, and more. In the piece mentioned above, Game to Grow founder Adam Davis told us that board games build "frustration tolerance, working and sharing with others, logical sequencing, cognitive flexibility, imaginative thinking, a🧔nd appreciating the unexpected."
Which family board games should I look forward to in 2025?
This indu﷽stry never stays still, ꦦand new games are always landing on shelves. It's the team and I's job to monitor these releases, so here are the ones we'd suggest keeping an eye out for.
Flamecraft Duels | There's a chance it may not arrive until next year, but at the time of writing, this two-player version of the adorable dragon game is set to launch in December 2025. Besides carrying across the cozy, cottage-core vibe of the original Flamecraft that made it so family-friendly, this is much more portable an💮d specifically designed for a pair. That makes it a great choice for vacation.
Quacks | Formerly known as Quacks of Quedlinburg, Quacks is a beloved family game that sits alongside other favorites like Carcassonne. It's getting a new edition soon, and that should come out toward the end of 2025. Besides a snappier name, it over🔥hauls the art style with an eye-catching claymation effect. If you haven't tried the series yet, keep this on your radar.
The Sandcastles of Burgundy | This one is either out now or is arriving very soon, so I think I can get away with giving it a shoutout here. As a child-friendly version of the iconic Castles of Burgundy, it's a gre🐬at way of introducing kids to board gaming at large. I've actually seen this in person and was very impressed with its inviting design and straightforward gameplay.
What are the best new family board games of 2025?
We're roughly halfway through the year, and tha🗹t means an avalanche of games has dropped over the past few months. 𓄧Some are better than others in our experience, so these are the ones from 2025 that the GamesRadar+ team and I would prioritize.
Flip 7 | I didn't think I would vibe with Flip 7 at first, because it's so♈ simple. But that's the beauty of it; anyone can get involved, making it the perfect family board game. It challenges you to flip over cards without revealing the same number twice, all while mixing in ability cards and the chance to sabotage your rivals, so ♕this comes highly recommended.
Finspan | The folks behind our favorite family strate💯gy game, Wingspan, have surprised us with a new entry to the franchise for the last two years running. This time we got an ocean-themed version that takes us beneath the waves to collect different kinds of fish. Although it uses the same mechanics, it's more accessible than the other games.
Gloomies | I saw this very sweet❀-looking game earlier in the year, and it immediately captured my heart. Besides being cute as a button, it features gameplay similar to puzzle classic Azul mixed with the equally clever Mycelia. Well worth a look if you want something similar to those family board games, in other words.
Where can I get cheap family board games?
The best family board games can be expensive, especially in today's climate. That's why the GamesRadar+ team and I are always hunting down board game deals come rain or shine. Want to take up the search yourself? No problem. Here's a selection of retailers that I tend to check whenever I'm seeking out a bargain.
US - Amazon: - Target: -Walmart: - Miniature Market:
UK - Amazon: - John Lewis: - Argos: - Very: - Magic Madhouse:
I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, a𒁏nd now manage GamesRadar+🍒's tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.
