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To me, there is nothing like playing a fun game with family or friends. Whenever the kids are on break from school, we take the opportunity to unplug and have a family game night. Even better, we love to gather with others to host a family game night (or day!).
Here is my list of the best games that you should consider for your next family game night in 2021. So gather around, grab some tasty snacks, and get ready to have some fun!
Best Family Board & Card Games for 2021
Sushi Roll – The Sushi Go! Dice Game
Sushi Roll is similar to one of our favorite card games, Sushi Go!. The major difference with this version is you play with dice instead of cards! This game is very easy to learn yet exciting enough to play over and over again.
Play is simple – you roll the sushi dice, pick one, and then pass all remaining dice to the next player. Continue in this manner until all of the dice have been claimed. Players score points based on what dice they have collected. At the end of 3 rounds, whoever has the most points wins!
This game is best for 2-5 players, ages 8 and older. Sushi Roll takes an average of 20 minutes to play and is a great ice breaker to start your gaming sesh.
Kids Create Absurdity
Kids Create Absurdity is a fun card game that will have kids and adults laughing until their bellies hurt! It is similar to the ever-popular games Cards Against Humanity and Apples To Apples. However, it contains age-appropriate content for an enjoyable family gaming experience.
To play, each player receives 10 orange answer cards to start their hand. The player going first acts as the judge for that round. The judge draws one blue question card and reads it out loud to the group. Each player then chooses one orange answer card from their hand that they think answers the question best. Usually, the silliest answers have the greatest shot at winning!
The judge then goes through reading the answers aloud and picking the one they think fits the question best. If your card is picked as the winner, keep the blue question card. The first player to collect 5 blue question cards wins!
This game is best played with 4-10 players and is perfect for 6 to 12-year-olds, although it is a blast for all ages to play.
Not yet convinced? Kids Create Absurdity has won multiple awards including the 2020 Moms Choice Award For Excellence, 2020 National Parenting Product Wild & Wacky Fun Award, and 2020 Tillywig Toy Best Family Fun Award, so it must be a great game! Plus the company guarantees that you will enjoy their game or you can send it back for a full refund!
Calliope Tsuro
Calliope Tsuro is an award-winning strategy game that is fun, quick to play, and easy enough for any experience level. There is also a bit of luck involved! Every time you play, the board changes, thus making it a unique gaming experience.
In this game, all players are challenged to create and travel the mysterious Path as it unwinds before them. With each passing turn, the Path will grow and you must anticipate other players’ next moves. Only the wisest player will remain on their Path to victory.
This family strategy game is best with 2-8 players, ages 8 and up. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play.
Pun Intended
So you think you are punny? Well, then Pun Intended is perfect for your next family game night!
I purchased this for my pun-loving sister as a gift for Christmas 2020 and she got such a kick out of it! Even my tween and teen were able to play, although some of the questions were a bit more challenging for them. Therefore, this game would best be played when kids and adults are evenly split among teams.
To play, divide up into teams. Each team will then take turns, having 1 minute to solve the 6 puns on each card. The answers will all start with the same first letter and you can give that letter to your team as a hint before play starts. You will score one point for each correct answer and the first team to 30 points wins!
The suggested age is 13 and up, although you might be surprised at how younger players can come up with some of these answers. The game takes 20 to 30 minutes to play.
Point Salad
Point Salad is a card game my tween asked for with his birthday spending money. I thought it sounded like fun, so we gave it a whirl. And now the whole family loves it!
In this game, players take turns building a salad of various vegetables from a “veggie market”. However, they also have to get point cards to score for the veggies they have collected.
Scoring cards will give you a certain amount of points based on different strategies. For instance, one card might give you 2 points for every carrot you have but deduct 1 point for every onion. Therefore you might not want to collect onions if you decide to keep that strategy card.
The game ends when all cards have been drafted. Players then count up their points and the one with the most is declared the winner!
Point Salad is for 2 to 6 players. The suggested age range is 14 and up however I am a bit puzzled as to why. The game is simple enough that I believe ages 8 and up is appropriate. It takes about 15-30 minutes of playing time.
Point Salad is a lot of fun for the whole family!
Hi Lo Card Game
Hi Lo is a card game of numbers, mixing some light elements of strategy with a bit of luck. It’s easy to understand and helps kids learn visual discrimination and probability.
In this game, players discard their cards following whatever the Hi Lo token shows. For instance, when it says “Hi” players discard a card that is higher than the current face-up card in the discard pile. When the token says “Lo” the card must be lower.
When players can no longer play a card in the direction the token states, flip the coin to change it. There are also power cards that can help you in the game too, like 10 points, skip the next player, and play two cards. The first person to 75 points wins.
This game is best for 2 to 6 players and is recommended for ages 8 and up. It takes about 20 minutes to play.
Trash Pandas – The Raucous Raccoon Card Game
We started playing Trash Pandas in 2020, and it is another fun family game! Here players push their luck to gain more actions, which in turn hopefully leads to more stashed cards. These stashed cards will turn into points at the end of the game.
To play Trash Pandas, first, roll the die and take the action chip matching what you roll. Decide to keep going to gain extra plays or stop there if you don’t want to push your luck. Be careful – if you roll an action you already have, you bust, losing your entire turn!
Once you decide to stop your rolls, perform your actions. Take some loot, stash cards for points, or cause your opponent some mischief by stealing from them or forcing them to continue their roll. When the deck runs out, the game ends and the raccoon with the most stashed away points wins!
Trash Pandas helps to reinforce visual discrimination and probability. It is great for kids ages 8 and up and plays well with 2, 3, or 4 players. It takes about 20 minutes to play.
Kings in the Corner
Kings in the Corner is an exciting group game with a Solitaire style, combining both skill and chance. It is a classic game for the whole family, even the grandparents will enjoy it!
At the beginning of each hand, players place one chip in the pot, which becomes the prize the winner will earn. Next, the first player places any cards from their hand into the tabbed stalls, with corners reserved for Kings.
Cards are played in Solitaire fashion and must be played as alternate colors in descending order. If a player can’t make at least one play, he/she must place one chip into the pot.
Get rid of all cards in your hand to win the round! All other players have to put one chip in the pot for each of the cards remaining in their hands. The winner takes the pot and counts up their points and another round is started. The first player to accumulate 100 points wins the game!
Kings in the Corner is for 2 to 6 players and great for ages 7 and up. It takes about a half-hour to 45 minutes to play and makes a fun choice for family game night!
Cover Your Kingdom
Cover Your Kingdom is an adaption of the ever-popular game Cover Your Assets. In this game, you will be aiming to restore your kingdom’s magic by recruiting magical creatures. Players form sets from their own hand or steal them from opponents.
The cards include puns and references to pop culture, making gameplay even more humorous. Be careful of cards like Thief, Wealth Redistribution, or Taxman as they can turn the game around in a second!
Cover Your Kingdom is a great choice for small or large groups, being easily adaptable to the players in your group. You can play the core game, add the 2 included expansion packs for a more advanced experience, or simplify the rules for younger players. It is wildly competitive and hilarious, making it perfect for kids, teens, and adults.
This game is great for 2 to 8 players, ages 9 or older. It takes about 30-45 minutes to play.
Throw Throw Burrito
Throw Throw Burrito has become another family favorite at game night! Combining the fun of dodgeball into a card game, you will try to match sets of cards faster than your opponents while avoiding squishy burritos being thrown your way! The cards that you collect will earn you points while getting hit with a burrito makes you lose them.
To play, players must find matches of three of a kind before anyone else. When a player plays a Burrito Card, the game of Dodgeball ensues. You will steal points from your opponents by hitting them with the squishy burritos. Some battles involve only select players, while others force the entire group to battle it out with burritos.
This game is for 2-6 players, for ages 7 and up. Be sure to clear away any breakables before playing!
Beat That! – The Bonkers Battle of Wacky Challenges
Beat That! is a board game with 160 different challenges that will have your family testing their physical skills! You win by betting on and completing a series of minute-to-win-it style challenges in one of four categories:
SOLO: Players attempt the challenge on their own
BATTLE ROYALE: Players all compete against each other
BUDDY UP: Players work cooperatively with a partner
DUEL: Players compete head-to-head against an opponent
Beat That! consists of 10 rounds. First players pick up a challenge card and read it aloud. Next, all players place a bet on their own ability to complete the challenge. Once bets have been placed, the play goes around in a circle with everyone attempting the challenge. Those players who succeed will bank their points. The player to collect the most points at the end of 10 rounds is the champ!
A fast and physical game that will have everyone up and moving, it encourages motor skills, dexterity, coordination, and teamwork.
Recommended for 2-8 players and suitable for ages 9 and older. Beat That! takes about 45 minutes to play and is best played in the middle of your lineup for game night.
Having a movie marathon instead? Why not play movie bingo and see how many you can check off before the end of the month!
