Modern family board games have come a long way from just "roll-and-move". With so many fantastic board games to choose from, what are the best? What family board games should be on everyone's shelf so no matter the situation, they've got a great game ready to play for some fun family time?

1. 10 “Must-Have” Board Games for Families
BEST FAMILY
BOARD GAMES
www.TheBoardGameFamily.com

2. MODERN BOARD GAMES ROCK!
Family board games are a fantastic way to
spend time with family.
But there’s no need to be tied down with
the games of decades ago with so many
thousands of incredible board games
available now.

3. WHAT ARE THE BEST GAMES?
Sure Monopoly, Sorry, and Life are very
popular games because they’ve been
around for ages.
But there’s so much more to games than
just “roll and move”.

4. WHAT ARE THE BEST GAMES?
The “best” board game depends on who’s
playing.
• How many players?
• How old are the players?
• What themes do they like?
• How long do you have?
• Amount of luck vs. strategy?

5. HAVE A GOOD VARIETY
With all that in mind, it’s best to have a
variety of games on hand that can fit
depending on the situation.
Here’s our list of games that should be on
every family game shelf.
The right game for the right occasion!

6. Players compete to build train
routes and earn points based
on length and destinations.
Great balance of strategy and
luck. Simple to learn and play.
Adjusting your routes based on
your cards and knowing when
to block others are keys to a
good strategy.
Different versions to choose
from (we like Europe version
the best). But all of them are
great fun.
TICKET TO RIDE
Players: 2-5 Ages: 8+ Minutes: 45

7. An abstract strategy game with
colored Tetris-shaped pieces.
Players try to play all their
pieces to the board by only
touching corners of their own
color.
Great for developing spacial
recognition skills as well as
strategic planning.
As the game nears the end, it
gets tricky – and fun.
BLOKUS
Players: 2-4 Ages: 5+ Minutes: 20

8. Published in 1995, Settlers of
Catan established a new type
of game experience.
Even when it’s not a player’s
turn, all still participate.
Use resources to build and
expand your settlements and
cities.
The variable layout of the
resource tiles makes it a fresh
game every time you play.
SETTLERS OF
CATAN
Players: 3-4 Ages: 10+ Minutes: 90

9. Another hugely popular family
board game with a lot of
expansion games.
Players build a quaint
countryside full of cities,
farms, and roads by connecting
tiles to the expanding
countryside. Placing Meeples
(miniature people) on various
tiles will score points.
Great balance of strategy and
luck provides fun for families
worldwide.
CARCASSONNE
Players: 2-5 Ages: 8+ Minutes: 60

10. A cooperative board game
where players work together to
beat the game.
The team of various experts is
searching for treasure on a
sinking island.
With a variable board set up,
the game offers a new
challenge every time.
Players can also increase the
difficulty level when feeling
particularly daring.
FORBIDDEN
ISLAND
Players: 2-4 Ages: 8+ Minutes: 30

11. 2-Player deduction game to
keep family minds sharp.
Players create and solve codes
using colorful pegs.
Guesses of the code are
rewarded with subtle hints to
deduce the final solution.
Challenge to old and young
alike.
MASTERMIND
Players: 2 Ages: 8+ Minutes: 15

12. Everyone should own a chess
set and learn how to play it.
Players utilize the special
abilities of each type of piece
in their arsenal to eliminate
opposing pieces and capture
the King.
Planning ahead and evaluating
opponent moves help develop
strategic thinking.
CHESS
Players: 2 Ages: 6+ Minutes: 20

13. Team play creates a great
atmosphere for family
togetherness.
The simplicity of Play a card,
Place a token is easy for
everyone in the family to join
in. Get 5 in a row and your
team wins.
The luck of the card draw is
great for all ages as well.
Scales fantastically for any
number of players.
SEQUENCE
Players: 2-12 Ages: 7+ Minutes: 15

14. At least 1 word game is
necessary for a family board
game collection.
Whereas, Scrabble requires
word creation from scratch,
Boggle is a more like a word
search that everyone can
participate in.
Big Boggle gives an even bigger
grid of letters for more options
and words to find.
BOGGLE
Players: 1-8 Ages: 8+ Minutes: 10

15. While technically a card game,
Dominion needs to be on this
“Must Have” family games list
as well.
Extremely addicting with tons
of replayability, this game
started a whole new genre of
games: Deck-Building games.
Players build their deck of
cards to acquire valuable
victory points before the game
ends.
DOMINION
Players: 2-4 Ages: 10+ Minutes: 30

16. See full video reviews of these “Must Have” Family
Board Games – from a kid’s perspective at:
www.TheBoardGameFamily.com