The Very Best Board Games for Everyone on Your Holiday Shopping List

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While the modern board game may only be a couple of centuries old, we know that ancient Egyptians played games together (and one of those games is on this list)! Board games have a long and rich history, and despite the technology available to us today, few things bring friends and family members together better than a great game. Whether you want to race horses, build cities, make a mosaic of tiles, test your trivia knowledge, or even fly a UFO and kidnap miniature rubber ducks, there’s a game that’s perfect for you, your kids, and your friend group looking to add some old-fashioned style fun to any party. I’ve spoken to game lovers I know, relied on my own experience as a dad playing games with my kids, and dug into the annals of history to compile a cool list of 30 board games featuring many legendary classics as well as some exciting new titles. Roll the dice on any of these games this holiday season (or any time of year) and you’re guaranteed to have some fun!

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Original Horse Racing Game

Have you ever played that game at a county fair where you shoot water at a target to move a horse along the track in hopes of winning a big stuffed animal? This gorgeous wooden tabletop game is like that, only it’s not a water gun but dice and cards that will move your thoroughbred toward the finish line. Kids as young as 3 can play this uncomplicated game suitable for small families or big parties because there’s a maximum of 11 horses at the starting gate!

Ages 3 and up.

Risk

There are now a variety of versions of Risk, including a deluxe Game of Thrones edition and one for Warhammer that are best for adults 18+, but there's still no topping the original game of global domination that was a favorite of my late brother, Greg. Because it’s a game that’s good for players ages 10 and up, Greg would regularly play Risk with his kids during many family game nights as they were growing up, giving them indelible memories of him and their wonderful childhoods. This is one of the reasons great board games are still so important and will forever be cherished by families.

Ages 10 and up.

Trivial Pursuit

This all-time classic board game that could be found in nearly every household during the 80s is still beloved by those who crave the challenge of proving that they are true Renaissance people capable of correctly answering a wide array of questions ranging from sports to science, history to literature, and so much more. Nowadays, you have Trivial Pursuit choices, including a super fun Generations version that brings the whole family into the game like never before, with questions that each age group should be able to answer, and branded iterations for popular franchises like Harry Potter.

Ages 16 and up.

Jumanji

You and your kids ages 8 and up already adore the movies, both the classic original with the late great Robin Williams and the remakes with the buff Rock and hilarious Kevin Hart. Now, own the game that started it all! Don't worry though, your family won't actually activate Jumanji’s magical powers and be pulled into the game...probably!

Ages 8 and up.

Wingspan

The first thing you’ll notice about Wingspan is the stunning cover art on the box which has been catching my eye for many years. Thanks to a swift start pack of cards included, you and your friends or older kids (14 and up) will quickly fly into the roles of bird enthusiast, aviary researcher, bird collector, and ornithologist. In this strategic game, you’ll try to discover new birds and attract them to the wildlife preserves and habitats you build.

Ages 14 and up.

The Game of Life

No board game has a longer lifespan than Life. The actual Milton Bradley, the man who the famous game company is named after, invented what was then called the Checkered Game of Life in 1860, the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected as America’s 16th president! And still today, despite our WiFi capabilities and complex global world, millions of families love to move their little cars around the board, get college degrees (or not), find careers, buy homes, and spin the wheel to add babies to their lives. Much has changed since the days of Lincoln, but Life goes on and on.

Ages 8 and up.

Monopoly

The original version of Monopoly was created by Lizzie Magie way back in 1903 to show how wealth distributed to individuals is a better economic model than one dominated by human and corporate monopolies. It’s still a great game today, but I recommend giving the gift of a branded edition, like Ted Lasso Monopoly inspired by a show that Magie herself would probably enjoy because it’s all about the value each member of a team has in achieving great things together.

Ages 8 and up.

Flamecraft

If you sit at the center of a Venn diagram that has dragons, castles, mythical artifacts AND board games on it, this fantasy world-building game that takes about an hour to play is going to be loved by you and your kids ages 10 and up!

Ages 10 and up.

Ticket to Ride

For a board game fan like me, it seems as though Ticket to Ride has been around forever! After all, the original game and its various expansions and spinoff editions (like the faster-paced Berlin game, which brings subways and streetcars into play) are ubiquitous in the game aisle today and have sold over 8 million copies. Amazingly, Ticket to Ride is only 20 years old this year, and while there are newer versions that incorporate other modes of transportation, at its core, this is a game about steam trains, the dawn of railroad development, and geography that is elegant and easy to play, and even easier for anyone ages 8 and up to fall madly in love with. For younger train lovers, check out Ticket to Ride Ghost Train which is suitable for ages 6 and up.

Ages 8 and up.

Mind The Gap

I am an unabashed Anglophile and so the British saying Mind the Gap easily drew me into this trivia board game that spans multiple generations, from Boomers to Gen Z. Anyone age 10 or older will enjoy this fast-paced game that can played cooperatively or as a competition to prove which is truly the greatest generation.

Ages 10 and up.

Wordle The Party Game

Every morning, on the way to school, my 16-year-old daughter and I play the daily Wordle on her phone. It’s one simple way we connect and get our day started brightly. This year, the physical board game version of the popular smartphone word game that is targeted toward those 14 and up is entering our lives, to encourage us to leave our phones charging in the other room and to try new variations of the game, including a timed mode to earn extra points for solving each word puzzle quickly.

Ages 14 and up.

The Lunar Dial

A lot of kids love crystals, zodiac signs, stars and the moon, and other celestial powers. If that sounds like a teenager in your life, The Lunar Dial, a board game with tarot-sized playing cards and a gorgeous game board that was inspired by the top True Crime podcast Morbid deserves a place in their stocking this year.

Ages 14 and up.

Honey Buzz

This competitive tile placement board game is unique for a couple of reasons. First, players ages 10 and up will try to create the most productive and profitable hive for the right to be crowned queen bee! Second, unlike most of the other best board games, Honey Buzz can be played in 1-person mode, giving solo board gamers a new challenge to go along with their solitaire addiction! No matter how you play, you’ll likely get hungry. A cheese board with some goat cheese drizzled with honey makes the perfect accompaniment to this beautiful game.

Ages 10 and up.

Fire Tower

A lot of the best strategy board games focus on collaboration, but not Fire Tower. This game is competitive, with players aged 14 and up aiming to protect their towers from the harsh power of nature as fire, water, and wind spread across the board. This clever and highly original board game is tactical and requires being nimble and creative with your thoughts and strategy.

Ages 14 and up.

Taco vs Burrito

This delicious card game is perfect for Taco Tuesday or any day of the week! It was created by a 7-year-old, so of course it’s great for younger kids (ages 6 and up). In Taco vs Burrito, players work to create the most valuable meal, proving that the best board games don’t require an actual board to encourage vivid imagination, cognitive skill development, and strategic thinking. Consider picking up an expansion pack to keep the food combinations fresh and fun!

Ages 6 and up.

Machi Koro 2

The newest version of my own personal, all-time favorite game puts a different spin on Monopoly, and with much faster gameplay. Perfect for bright 10-year-olds and wise grown-ups alike, Machi Koro is an easy-to-learn and quick-to-play game in which you’ll work to plan and build a town of bakeries, sports stadiums, flower shops, and bustling ports, that’s profitable in a race to become the best mayor ever.

Ages 10 and up.

Richard Scary’s Busytown Seek and Find Board Game

Get down on the floor to play this cooperative game with Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm, and the rest of the Busytown gang on a massive 40-inch long game board. Kids ages 3 and up will learn how to solve problems by thinking critically while having so much fun.

Ages 3 and up.

Community Garden: The Board Game

Growing an actual garden is rewarding, what with all the tasty carrots, lettuces, and tomatoes you can harvest. But a community garden, especially like the one my family volunteers at that gives back to those in need in partnership with a food bank, is even more fulfilling. This brilliant and beautiful independent board game ideal for anyone ages 10 and up is all about gathering resources like water and compost, ‘planting’ fruits and veggies, and developing the most bountiful plot of land, while at the same time helping to ensure your fellow gardeners see their crops flourish too. If only the real world was this just, fair, and kind! Maybe, with this game, the next generation will work to get there together.

Carcassonne

You don’t have to have ever traveled to the real-life Medieval French city of Carcassonne to understand that this tile-building board game is really fun and simple to learn. Players ages 7 and up will place roads, flowers, knights, monks, and more around the city to score points and win. This is a classic game that can be played as casual or competitive as you’d like.

Ages 7 and up.

Balderdash

Bluff your way to victory in this absurdly funny creative writing game. You’ll have a memorable time with a group of however many players you’d like to invite and flex your imaginative muscles to create weird yet believable new definitions for words in an attempt to convince others that you are the ultimate wordsmith!

Ages 12 and up.

Scrabble

Available as an inexpensive board game, a cool retro edition, or a deluxe wooden version, this classic game of word building and triple letter scores is still as fun and exciting today as it was in 1938 when architect Alfred Mosher Butts invented it. Younger wordsmiths will love the adorable Scrabble Junior board game!

Ages 8 and up.

Mancala

With nothing more than a wooden board that has 14 indentations and many colorful stones, you and one other player as young as 6 will face off in a strategic and remarkably simple counting game that’s been found carved into Egyptian ruins dating back to 1400 B.C.!

Ages 6 and up.

Trekking The National Parks

Whether you’ve been to one or all 63, this National Parks board game created by an outdoor-loving family who personally trekked to all of them, from Denali in Alaska to the Everglades in Florida, will quickly become a favorite of your family. There are quite a few rules to learn and remember, but gameplay is easy to pick up and just like the parks themselves, you’ll want to revisit this board game again and again.

Ages 10 and up.

Connect 4

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of this simply brilliant game! And there still isn’t a more affordable or easier-to-play game in the world than Connect 4. Unchanged and perfect for all ages capable of slotting a red or yellow game piece into that famous vertical board until someone gets 4 in a row, Connect 4 deserves a place in every family’s game collection.

Ages 6 and up.

Sequence Cats

We’re cat people and so this version of the classic game of Sequence was a family favorite when my daughters were little. We’d spend hours oohing and aahing over cute Himalayans and Tabby cats that looked just like ours as we built sequences to try to win the game.

Ages 7 and up.

Calico

Cats and comfy quilts go together like cookies and milk, meatballs and spaghetti, and board games and families! In this gorgeous puzzle board game, you and your kids ages 10 and up will place tiles to "sew" quilts that will attract kitties. To me, that sounds like a dream weekday afternoon or early weekend morning activity.

Ages 10 and up.

Catan

In this all-time classic world-building game that was first played in Germany in 1995 under the translated title, The Settlers of Catan, you’re a settler seeking to establish dominance on the island of Catan by gathering supplies like lumber, wool, and brick to construct roads and cities. It may sound complex but Catan plays quickly and is great for players as young as 10-years-old.

Ages 10 and up.

Azul

In this stunningly designed game, you will create elegant, colorful, and evocative mosaics, like those you might see in Lisbon, Portugal, and Gaudi’s broken tiles all over Barcelona. Azul is soothing, sublime, and suitable for all ages.

Ages 8 and up.

Abducktion

If you want a weird but wonderful logic game that’s played fast enough to squeeze in a game before breakfast on a busy school and work day morning, buy a copy of Abducktion. You and your kids ages 12 and up will be duck-kidnapping interns who work on a UFO, and the game comes with a silicone UFO and tiny rubber duckies. This is so cute and so strange!

Ages 12 and up.

Twister

If you are in a battle with a sedentary lifestyle thanks to streaming channels, video games, social media, and phone apps, the classic game of Twister might just be what the doctor ordered! Encouraging movement, flexibility, and fun, able-bodied people of any age will get twisted up together while laughing hysterically.

Ages 6 and up.

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