Family Fun Night Game Recommendations!

Our family loves to play games together, and we are always looking for new things to try! As we head into the holiday season, I thought I would share with you some of our favorite games in case you are looking for fun family gift suggestions! These are not listed in any particular order; often we go through phases of playing one game on repeat for awhile, and then we will switch, but each of these was selected in a family poll as somebody’s favorite!

• Skyjo – this was a game we were introduced to a few years ago, and we LOVE it! It is a great game for families who have children at multiple skill levels … everyone can play and have fun! The recommended age is 8+, but our youngest was joining in on the fun from the time he was 5, and even the adults enjoy it! Just enough luck with the strategy to make it a great choice for everyone! We also found that we could increase the number of people who could play together by reducing the cards each person has to 9.
• Five Crowns – this is an inexpensive card game that the whole family will enjoy! Like Skyjo, this is a game that just two of us can have fun with together, or we can gather the whole family and play!
• Uno – this classic favorite has been around since before any of us were born, but it still gets a lot of table time during various seasons! We have enjoyed trying out variations such as Uno Flip, or specialized themed versions like this Mario game we acquired recently!
• Dixit – somewhere as a cross between a card game and a board game falls Dixit. Personally, this one wouldn’t have made my list because, while the concept is neat, I think some of the cards are just plain weird, but the kids all enjoy this one and so we play it fairly often. It has many expansion pack options, and our family felt like you needed at least one expansion pack to make it playable longer-term.
• Settlers of Catan – this is another game that has many expansion packs to add additional players or to create entirely new variations! It is designed for slightly older kids (recommended age is 10+) and I am hoping we will have the opportunity to introduce this one to some of our younger kids soon! Note that some of the expansion packs, such as this pirate-themed one, are recommended for ages 12+.
• Ticket to Ride – having entered the market originally in 2004, this game has been a family favorite for quite some time! We love playing the original version, but we also enjoyed teaching our younger kids the overall concept through Ticket to Ride First Journey! Both are a lot of fun for their intended audience!
• Code Names – this can be played with a large group as long as your teams can agree! This fun word game also has a Duet version that can be played with only two players, as well as several themed editions such as Disney, Marvel, and Harry Potter!
• Clue – this is another classic favorite that was one of the first “older kid games” we taught our children! This is another game where, in addition to the original, you can find some really fun variations depending on what your family enjoys. We have been hoping to try this Star Wars edition, but the Harry Potter version looks really fun too!
• Tenzi – this is frequently our “rainy day recess” game! We love racing against each other to get the sets or patterns we need. While you can play with any dice, the extra cards add another dimension of fun! If you already have the dice, you can purchase just the cards here!

Which of these games have you enjoyed? Any new ones you want to try? What games would your family add to a list of favorites? Share in the comments!