One of the perks of 2020 was all of the extra time that our family was able to spend together. In doing so, we played more family games than ever before!
We enjoyed the classics, tried top-recommended titles, and discovered new games in the process.
What did we play and what were our favorites? Here's a peek at our most-played games listed by category.
Note: The ages listed are recommended on the game boxes. However, all of the mentioned games were enjoyed over and over again by my kids who are 6 & 8.
Our Top 5 Games of 2020 are notated with ⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐.
CARD GAMES |
Apples to Apples
Ages: 12+
Players: 4-8
Time: 30 minutes
Description: Flip an adjective (green card) face up. Each player chooses a noun (red card) from their hand. A judge picks the best match to award a point. The first to get 4 points wins.
What We Love: This game is great for early literacy! Though there is a junior version of this game, you can easily adapt the original to work for early readers. To make it more appropriate for the younger crowd, sort through the cards to remove the mature topics. We find that we still use more than half the available cards when we play with our kids.
Exploding Kittens
Ages: 7+
Players: 2-5
Time: 15 minutes
Description: Take turns drawing cards in this strategic game of wits. Just don't pull the Exploding Kitten card because that means the game is over- unless you can defuse it, of course!
What We Love: The silly illustrations are suitable for a more mature audience, but the gameplay is quirky and fun for a wide range of players. My kids' favorite part is playing the "NOPE" card which revokes your opponent's last move.
Sleeping Queens
⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐
Ages: 8+
Players: 2-5
Time: 15 minutes
Description: The ultimate objective is to collect queen cards. Beware! Opponents can put your queens to sleep or steal them with a knight card.
What We Love: This game is excellent for developing early math skills through matching and adding numbers to ten. The quirky illustrations and quick playing time make this a family favorite in our house.
DICE GAMES |
Tenzi
Ages: 7+
Players: 2+
Time: 20 minutes (longer with more people)
Description: Time is of the essence! Be the first to roll all 10 dice to land on a specific number. Get all ten and yell, "TENZI!" to win the round. This fast-paced game can be played in so many different ways that you'll want to be sure every player is aware of the same set of rules.
What We Love: This game can be played with large groups of people and works well across different homes via a video call because all you need is 10 dice.
Bunco
Ages: 4+
Players: 2+ (in even numbers)
Time: 30 minutes
Description: With each round, players try rolling three dice for a very specific number. If the number shows up, mark a point on your scorecard and continue rolling until that number doesn't show up again. Pass the dice to your opponents to try the same. The round ends when someone gets a Bunco or a team at the head table earns 21 points.
What We Love: This game of luck is fun for all generations! It can go on and on for as long as you want and can also be played with large groups of people across multiple homes via a video call because all you need is dice and a notepad to keep score.
TILE GAMES |
Battle Sheep
Ages: 7+
Players: 2-4
Time: 20 minutes
Description: Lead your sheep to greener pastures in order to occupy the most spaces.
What We Love: The arrangement of board pieces changes every time you play, so your strategy has to adjust with each gameplay experience. The sheep tokens are high-quality pieces and will stand the test of time.
Carcassonne
⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐
Ages: 7+
Players: 2-5
Time: 35 minutes
Description: Strategically build roads and cities to earn the most points.
What We Love: Gameplay and strategy are relatively simple, so even the youngest of players have a chance to beat their adult counterparts without much guidance.
Dinosaur Tea Party
Ages:7+
Players: 3-5
Time: 20-30 minutes
Description: The object of the game is to guess your opponents' characters.
What We Love: One of my favorite games growing up was the classic, "Guess Who." Dinosaur Tea Party brings me back to my childhood of playing that game but with a modern twist. The addition of multiple players and a whimsical tea party of dinosaurs makes this game extra fun.
Keys to the Castle
Ages: 8+
Players: 2-4
Time: 10-20 minutes
Description: Collect keys and unlock doors to move your character across the path. Be the first to reach the other side to win.
What We Love: In addition to adorable characters and simple gameplay, this game is really quick! I like to pull it out for an after-school boredom buster when I want to connect with my kids and don't have a lot of time.
Settlers of Catan
Ages: 10+
Players: 3-4
Time: 60 minutes
Description: Collect resource cards to build roads and cities. The first player to earn 10 victory points wins the game.
What We Love: Using strategy and math, this game offers a great introduction to economics. As an increasingly popular game, it's easy to find other people who have experience playing and are willing to jump right into a game.
SINGLE-PLAYER GAMES |
Code Master
Ages: 8+
Players: 1
Time: As long as you'd like
Description: Work your way through 60 levels of logic games.
What We Love: This single-player game is a great introduction to computer programming. Though it's fun to work through the levels together, this game is great for someone who's looking for a little alone time.
Dog Crimes
Ages: 8+
Players: 1
Time: As long as you'd like
Description: Uh oh! There has been a dog crime and you must figure out who is responsible. Solve 40 challenges from beginner to expert.
What We Love: This game will really stretch your brain as you use logic and reasoning to solve the puzzles. Plus... dogs!
COOPERATIVE GAMES |
Forbidden Desert
⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐
Ages: 10+
Players: 2-5 players
Time: 45 minutes
Description: Work together to gather gear and head back to the launchpad to escape the desert. Be careful not to get caught in the dust storm or run out of water. If one person dies, the whole team loses!
What We Love: This is the first collaborative game any members of our family had ever tried and we were all highly impressed. I like that the players win as a team or lose as a team, and it's a game that changes every time you play it, so new strategies must be implemented.
BOARD GAMES |
Clue
Ages: 8+
Players: 2-6
Time: 60 minutes
Description: Players travel through a mansion collecting clues that solve a murder. The player who can correctly identify the suspect, weapon, and location will win the game.
What We Love: It's a classic that never seems to age. We loved it as kids and now our kids love it as much as we still do. As a bonus, there's a fun movie (Clue, rated PG) that brings the characters to life.
Sequence
Ages: 7+
Players: 2-12
Time: 15 minutes
Description: This game merges a traditional deck of cards with the classic feel of a board game. Line up 5 tokens in a row to earn a sequence.
What We Love: I really like that this game can be played in teams or individually, so we can switch things up as more players are available. A little bit of luck and a little bit of strategy will go a long way.
Ticket to Ride
⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐
Ages: 8+
Players: 2-5
Time: 30-60 minutes
Description: Build routes across the U.S. or Europe between different cities to earn the most points.
What We Love: First of all, who doesn't love trains?! This strategy game is great for introducing geography and is fun across generations. The sheer size of the board is exciting and draws you right in.
Trekking the National Parks
⭐ PUBLISHER FAVORITE ⭐
Ages: 10+
Players: 2-5
Time: 30-60 minutes
Description: Travel across the U.S. to claim parks and collect tokens. Gameplay ends once a player has claimed five parks. Add up the points to see who takes the victory.
What We Love: As avid road trippers, we love getting to reflect upon our own personal treks while playing the game. The game is great for studying geography and starting conversations about the unique features of real places around the country.
