Family Games: Board Games for the Whole Table

What family games are

A family game is a board game that a mixed table can play together: kids and adults, sharp players and casual ones, the same rules for everyone. The publisher has to call it a family game, and the box has to welcome the youngest player at the table. On this page, that means a starting age of 8 or younger on the listing.

That rule leaves out plenty of good games. Big strategy games, party games built for adults and games with long rulebooks have their own pages. What's left is the shelf you reach for when Grandma, a 7-year-old and a teenager all want in.

The ten games in our list come from four publishers: Ravensburger, Hasbro, Restoration Games and Spin Master. They play very differently. Some are about shifting a maze, some about building a trap, one about guessing what's on your own forehead. The table above sorts out the numbers. The rest of this page is how to read them.

What to look at on a family game box

Starting age: read it first

The starting age is the most useful number on a family game, because it tells you the youngest player the publisher had in mind. In our list it runs from 5+ to 8+:

• 5+: Rivers, Roads and Rails
• 6+: Mouse Trap
• 7+: the six Labyrinth games and Hedbanz
• 8+: Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

Never buy below that number for a younger kid. A 7+ game handed to a 5-year-old usually becomes a game the adults play while the 5-year-old stacks the pieces.

Some listings also show an upper age. Labyrinth, Harry Potter Labyrinth and Super Mario Labyrinth all list 7 to 10. That upper number doesn't stop anyone older from playing. The Ocean, Minecraft and Pokémon Labyrinth listings show 7 and up with no cap, for what's basically the same family of games.

Player count: fill the chairs you have

Most games in our list seat 2 to 4. That's every Labyrinth with a stated count, Mouse Trap and Fireball Island. If your family is five or more, that rules a lot out.

Rivers, Roads and Rails is the exception, listed for 1 to 8 players. Hedbanz doesn't state a player count in our data, so check the box before a holiday crowd shows up.

A 4-player cap matters more than people expect. The fifth person at a 4-player game isn't playing, they're watching. Sometimes they're also keeping score, which is a nice way of saying they're bored.

Play time: short wins with mixed ages

Only two listings in our list give a play time. Rivers, Roads and Rails lists 15 minutes. Fireball Island lists 30 to 45 minutes. The rest don't say, and I won't guess.

For a mixed-age table, short is usually right. A young player can stay focused for one 15-minute game and ask for another. A 45-minute game needs a kid who can sit through it, and the 8+ on Fireball Island is a good sign that the publisher thought the same.

Solo mode: a family game for one

Rivers, Roads and Rails is the only game here whose listing says it has a solo mode. That matters for a kid who wants to play before everyone else is home. It's a family game that still works when the family is at soccer practice.

How it plays: the game type behind the label

"Family" is a label, not a mechanic. Under it, the games in our list work very differently:

• Moving maze: the Labyrinth games. The Ocean Labyrinth listing names 34 maze cards, 24 treasure cards, 4 playing pieces and a board.
• Build a contraption: Mouse Trap. Hasbro's page lists 24 contraption parts, a marble, a rubber band and 24 cardboard cheese wedges.
• Matching tiles: Rivers, Roads and Rails, which its listing title calls a matching game.
• Picture guessing: Hedbanz, played with headbands.
• Adventure board: Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar, the longest game here at 30 to 45 minutes.

Pick the kind of play your family already enjoys. A family that loves puzzles will probably like a maze. A family that loves noise will probably like Hedbanz. Hedbanz is the only game I know where everybody at the table knows the answer except the person asking.

Licensed themes: same game, different box

Four of the six Labyrinth listings carry a licensed theme. The listings name them Harry Potter, Super Mario, Minecraft and Pokémon. The player counts and starting ages sit close to the plain Labyrinth's: 2 to 4 players where the count is listed, and 7+.

So the theme is the choice, not the rules. If your kid lights up at one of those names, that's a fine reason to buy that box. If not, the plain Labyrinth or Ocean Labyrinth keeps the same kind of play without a theme.

Lucho's take: "It's the only maze where the walls move and nobody blames the driver."

Assembly and parts: check before the party

Some family games come ready to play. Others need setup the first time. Hasbro's Mouse Trap page says adult assembly is required, and the box holds 24 contraption parts. In our house, that means an adult holds the parts while June, who is 11, reads the diagram. She reads faster than I build.

The parts count also tells you something about cleanup. A game with a marble, a rubber band and two dozen plastic pieces needs a box lid that actually closes.

Check the age label on the listing. Toys with small parts are a choking hazard for children under 3. Hasbro's Mouse Trap page warns that the game contains a marble and is not for children under 3. CPSC rules require a choking-hazard warning on certain children's products that contain small parts, small balls or marbles.

Kinds of family games, and when to pick each

For the youngest player at the table

If your youngest is 5 or 6, the field is small. Rivers, Roads and Rails starts at 5+ and Mouse Trap at 6+. Everything else in our list waits until 7. The board games section has kids' and preschool games for younger players.

For a big table

When the table is 6 or more, look at the player range first. In our list, only Rivers, Roads and Rails lists up to 8. For more options built around a crowd, see party games.

For family nights with adults who play a lot

Fireball Island starts at 8+, seats 2 to 4 and runs 30 to 45 minutes, the longest play time here. That's the one in our list that leans toward a longer evening. For heavier games still, look at strategy board games.

For a laugh

Hedbanz is a picture-guessing game with headbands, ages 7+. Its listing says the edition may vary, so the box you get might not match an older photo. The other games in our list are quieter: you think about your turn, then you take it.

What isn't here right now

People also look for giant board games, Lucky Numbers, and family games themed on Frozen, The Office and Sesame Street. None of those are in our family list right now. When they meet the rule, they'll show up in the table.

Hilarious family board games vs quiet ones

Some families want a game that makes noise. Others want one where everyone can think. Both are family games. In our list, Hedbanz is the one built around asking questions out loud. Mouse Trap has a moment when the trap goes off, and that's usually loud too. The Labyrinth games and Rivers, Roads and Rails are about planning your own move, so the table goes quiet between turns.

Neither style is better. The best family game is the one your table asks for again. That's why I say first game, not best game: buy the one that gets to the table this weekend, and the favorite will show itself by spring.

Best games for families to play together: a quick match

Here's how the list sorts out by the facts on the listings. Start with the line that sounds like your house.

• Youngest player is 5: Rivers, Roads and Rails, at 5+ and 1 to 8 players
• Youngest is 6 and likes building things: Mouse Trap, at 6+, with an adult on assembly
• Everyone is 7 or older and likes puzzles: Labyrinth or Ocean Labyrinth, 2 to 4 players
• A 7-year-old with a favorite character: one of the themed Labyrinth editions, 7+
• Everyone is 8 or older and wants a longer game: Fireball Island, 30 to 45 minutes
• A loud crowd, ages 7 and up: Hedbanz
• One player, rainy afternoon: Rivers, Roads and Rails, the only solo mode listed

If two lines fit, pick the one with the lower starting age. A game the youngest can play keeps everyone at the table. A game the youngest can't play sends them to the couch, and the couch always has room.

Brands that make family games

The games in our list come from these publishers. Where we have a brand page, it's linked:

• Ravensburger: the Labyrinth games and Rivers, Roads and Rails
• Hasbro: Mouse Trap
• Spin Master: Hedbanz
• Restoration Games: Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

Who should skip family games

Skip this shelf if everyone at your table is a grown-up who plays games every week. These games are built so that a 7-year-old can keep up, and some adults will want more choices per turn. The strategy and party game pages will suit you better.

Skip it, too, if your youngest is under 5. Nothing in our list starts that young, and the small-parts warning on Mouse Trap is a reason not to leave it within reach of a toddler.

More board games to look at

• Best board games: a ranked list built from player counts and play times
• Classic board games: long-running titles in their current editions
• Mouse Trap: the contraption game, edition by edition
• Hedbanz: the headband guessing game
• The Game of Life: a spin-and-move family classic for 2 to 4

Pick the game the youngest can play. The grown-ups will cope.