12 Best Family Playing a Board Game Picks for 2025
Nothing beats the joy of family playing a board game together. These picks guarantee giggles, teamwork, and memories for every age group.
Gather ‘round the table—nothing says fun like a good family playing a board game session! We’ve all struggled to pick a game that keeps everyone happy—Grandma, wild kids, or that uncle who always bends the rules. Our list brings you picks that are easy to learn but never boring, creative, and perfect for a good laugh (or a sneaky victory). We hunted for games with colorful boards, simple rules, and the magic that gets everyone talking, even between turns. So if you want more smiles at your next family playing a board game night, you’re in the right spot!
On this list:
12 King of Tokyo
We keep coming back to this one for our family playing a board game nights. Nothing breaks the ice like big monsters fighting over Tokyo. The rules are simple, but the action feels dramatic. We always laugh at the silly monster attacks, and even when the dice don’t love you, it’s fun to see how things play out. If you have young ones or non-gamers, don’t worry—everyone picks it up fast, and the quick play keeps things moving. It’s become a family tradition for us to roar at the winner (or loser).
11 Ticket to Ride
Whenever our family is playing a board game, Ticket to Ride hits the table. We love connecting cities and blocking each other’s routes in the sneakiest ways. It’s easy enough for the kids but has just enough strategy for the adults. We do keep score with snacks (loser shares their chips). The game always gets some playful banter going, and even Grandma gets fierce with train cards! There’s something special about seeing a long train route come together at the last minute.
10 Sushi Go!
This is our go-to when we want a quick and lighthearted family playing a board game start to the evening. Cute art, fast turns, and a surprising amount of sneakiness. Passing cards around the table turns into a sushi heist, and the kids love shouting out the names of their sets. We often play two or three rounds, since it’s fast and each round feels different. Perfect for beginner gamers or if you’re in a hurry to eat actual sushi afterward!
9 Codenames: Pictures
When our family playing a board game includes both teens and adults, Codenames: Pictures makes us all feel like secret agents (with questionable skills). Instead of words, you’re guessing silly pictures based on clues. Our youngest once tried to link a cat, a boot, and a UFO, and we still don’t know why. The laughter (and facepalms) are endless, and you can play in teams, so even the shy folks get involved. Easy to set up and play again and again.
8 Carcassonne
We break out Carcassonne when the family playing a board game mood calls for building and plotting. Laying tiles to create cities and roads is like a friendly puzzle, but don’t be fooled—there’s sneaky blocking too! Young kids can play with help, and adults get ultra competitive over who gets the biggest city. We often ‘accidentally’ place tiles to mess up each other’s plans, but all in good fun. Watching the map grow is almost as fun as winning.
7 Outfoxed!
Kids get to play detective in this charming game for our family playing a board game night. Outfoxed! is all about finding clues and working together, so no one ends up in tears (except maybe the fox). Our little ones love moving the pieces, and it turns into a race to catch the thief. It teaches cooperation and deduction but never feels stressful. Perfect for younger kids or tired parents who want to win without breaking a sweat.
6 Dixit
Whenever we want to see how weird our family playing a board game can get, we grab Dixit. The dreamlike art sparks wild stories and inside jokes. Some of us really get into it and make up wild, nonsense clues. Sometimes it’s more fun to see what crazy guesses people make than actually winning. It’s a gentle competition and great for creative minds. We always end up telling stories about past rounds.
5 Azul
If your family playing a board game likes to argue over who can make the prettiest patterns, Azul is a top pick. We all get serious about tile placement, but someone always manages to ruin our big plan with a sneaky grab. It’s part puzzle, part strategy, part ‘why did you take my tile?!’. Beautiful pieces, quick turns, and you feel clever when it all comes together. It’s surprisingly calming—unless you’re losing, of course.
4 The Game of Life
We get loud and silly every time the family playing a board game brings out The Game of Life. Choose college, get a job, get married, and end up with too many plastic pegs in your car. There’s luck, there’s laughter, and we always argue over who gets to spin. It’s light on strategy, heavy on nostalgia, and perfect for families who want to laugh about who gets the best mansion or the worst job. We still talk about that time Grandma retired a millionaire.
3 Sagrada
For families playing a board game and who love color and puzzling, Sagrada is a hit. Draft dice and build a beautiful stained-glass window. It’s easy to teach, and there’s lots of ‘don’t you dare take that die!’ moments. Our table turns silent with concentration, then bursts into noise when someone pulls off a clever move. Plus, the finished windows always look cool, even if you end up with gaps. It gets played a lot at our house, especially when Grandma wants to show off her luck.
2 Zombie Kidz Evolution
If your family playing a board game has both young kids and adults, Zombie Kidz Evolution is an absolute treat. You work together to defend your school from silly zombies, unlocking surprises as you play more. We all cheer when we unlock a new envelope (it’s like game night Christmas). It’s not scary, just goofy, and teamwork always wins the day. Quick games mean everyone gets another turn, and we love seeing the game grow over time.
1 Cascadia
This one stands out as our best for family playing a board game. Cascadia is relaxing, beautiful, and feels just right for all ages. Everyone drafts tiles and tokens to build their own little outdoor scene with animals. No one can block you, so there are no hard feelings or board-flipping moments. The rules are simple, but you can get crafty with your patterns. We’ve played with grandparents and little kids, and everyone had a good time (and usually wants to play again right away). Cascadia wins for being fun, peaceful, and never causing an argument—unless you argue about who made the cutest bear family.
