Game Night! Our Favorite Board Games

We love board games and talk about them a lot. So we decided to put all our favorites in one place!

Nothing says family time quite like a board game. From Chutes and Ladders for the little ones to more sophisticated games like Catan and Concept, our board game collections grow and change over the years along with our families. We put together some of our favorites and we’ll keep adding to this list as we come across other games we love.

Victoria loves the card game versions of classic board games. Less pieces to lose, easier to store – and usually faster to play! Some good examples are Monopoly Deal and Clue.

Games that the whole family can play – even the 4-year-old – are also winners. Try Spot it and Left Center Right.

Classic games that have stood the test of time – at least since we were kids long long ago – have the bonus appeal of nostalgia. Who hasn’t played and loved Rummikub, Battleship and Guess Who? And every Syrian-Jewish household has to have at least one set of backgammon.

Yahtzee is a classic – but must be played on a weekday.

Century: Golem Edition We needed a change from Ticket to Ride and wanted something a little more involved than the card games we like. We did some research and discovered the Century series of games. We really enjoy this one. 

We polled the kids in our lives to find the favorite games their playing, and the following were the winning picks:

Ticket to Ride – A fast-paced, award-winning board game. Connect iconic North American cities and build your train routes to earn points.

Anomia – For 3-6 players. Takes about 30 minutes a round.

Concept – Engaging and fun for the whole family. Use your creativity and imagination to solve the riddles from the visual clues. Easy rules have everyone playing in minutes.

Labyrinth – Good for a wide age range. You have to find the shortest route through the labyrinth to win! The game is for 2-4 players aged 7 and up, and the aim is to reach all your treasures and targets as you move through the labyrinth.

5 Second Rule – Just about every age can play – very quick and fun!

Ubongo – A fast-paced, addictive, and easy-to-learn geometric puzzle game. Players race against the timer and against each other to solve a puzzle of interlocking shapes.

Catan – For teens. Players Control their own civilization and look to spread across a modular hex board in a competition for victory points.

Harry Potter Game – If you have any Potterheads in your household, this is a real winner. We have this one for three years and it still gets stored on the lower easy-to-reach shelf. Two players are required but it’s enjoyed much more by three or more.

Colorku – This solo play game is Sudoku using colored balls instead of numbers. This is excellent for Shabbos. Also makes a great gift for an older relative who may spend a lot of time alone. Expansion packs 1 2 3 are available.

Bananaa Split – This game is easy to learn and fun for all ages. There’s not too much thinking required so it’s good for quick, easy play for the whole family.

Stratego – This is a classic strategy game with war and suspense. Our brothers played this when we were young and it’s fun to watch our kids’ enjoying the same game years later. 

See More Games We Love:
We put together a roundup of games we don’t mind playing with the kids on Shabbos and another one of games that are perfect for a party.

We also rounded up some great single player games for the younger kids but we need to add Gravity Maze for the older ones.

Short on space? Traveling? Our card game picks are for you. And see how we love storing them, too.