10 Best Family Board Games of 2025 Reviewed
Gather your family around Codenames for endless fun. It mixes wordplay with strategy, ensuring everyone stays engaged and entertained.
Gathering the family around the table for a board game night is priceless. We’ve chosen games that bring laughter, challenge, and togetherness. When picking, we focused on ease of learning, replayability, and ensuring every age can join in the fun. We want games that help family bonds grow and memories that last forever. Our list includes diverse styles, from strategy to storytelling, catering to everyone’s taste. Ready to discover new adventures and unforgettable experiences? Grab your dice, gather the family, and let’s get started!
On this list:
10 Kingdomino
Kingdomino is a super fun and simple game that even the youngest members of the family can enjoy. It merges the thrill of dominoes with a tiny bit of strategy. We remember many evenings spent laughing over the scoring antics of the family trying, and usually failing, to match up the dominos perfectly. It’s easy to learn, plays quickly, and is colorful, which keeps the kiddos and grandparents engaged.
9 Ticket to Ride
As soon as somebody shouted, ‘I’ve got a train to build!’ family members from all corners of the room would rush to join in on the fun. Ticket to Ride is a classic for a reason – it’s easy to learn with enough depth to keep things interesting. It’s a guaranteed hit for family game nights where strategizing your railways while snacking on popcorn becomes a night full of laughter and playful bickering.
8 The Game of Life
The Game of Life is a family board game that might just help you with education and decision-making skills. Riding through life’s ups and downs on a plastic spinner always ends with laughter and fond memories. The game is renowned for reconnecting family members over the table, as you navigate through careers and family situations, all in the name of fun. Plus, there’s something oddly satisfying about reaching retirement before your siblings.
7 Dixit
A wild storytelling game that brings imagination to life, Dixit leaves many family members chuckling with amazement over how different we interpret the same picture. The art is beautiful and the storytelling aspect always gets the creative juices flowing. For a family that loves telling stories, this is a must-have. Every round ends with someone wondering how they didn’t see what everyone else did.
6 Catan
Catan is like the holy grail of family board games. We spent hours building cities and roads, and trying to anticipate who would block us next. It’s a blend of strategy and luck, so everyone gets a fair shot at winning. The family bonding here lies in the negotiating – trading sheep for wood has never been more intense! It’s a perfect entry-level strategy game for families who enjoy a bit of competition.
5 Carcassonne
In Carcassonne, your family becomes city planners of a medieval French landscape, matching tiles to build cities, roads, and fields while placing meeples strategically for points. We found it super easy to play yet with enough challenge to keep everyone invested. It’s also a calming game, as the beautiful tiles slowly reveal the landscape, bringing a sense of tranquility to the chaotic family game night.
4 Sushi Go!
When we were introduced to Sushi Go!, the idea of picking cards to create the best sushi dish was a hilarious and delicious concept. It’s fast-paced, easy to understand, and very tasty for family members who appreciate quick decision-making games. The adorable sushi art definitely adds a fun twist, and stealing a card someone clearly wanted is as satisfying as some actual sushi!
3 Splendor
Splendor is a game of gem trading and card collection that brings a touch of class and elegance to any family game night. The quick turns and simple rules make it a breeze to pick up, while the strategic depth keeps everyone coming back for more. We’ve had countless battles to become the wealthiest gem collector, always ending with someone claiming to be the true jewel expert of the family.
2 Pandemic
Pandemic puts your family in the role of disease-battling heroes, working together to save the world. This cooperative game is a refreshing change from competitive gameplay, and it fosters team spirit. Who knew preventing global catastrophe could be such a fantastic bonding experience? Even when we lose, which happens often, cheering each other on is half the fun.
1 Codenames
Codenames takes the crown as the best family board game because it mixes deduction and wordplay in a thrilling way. Each round is a test of how well you and your family members communicate and think alike. We’ve had endless fun trying to read each other’s minds and connect seemingly unrelated words. It’s always a giggle-worthy moment when someone makes an unexpected (and usually hilarious) association.
