# Board Game Suggestions



## Grogg of the North

My children, D12, S10, and D8, all love playing board games with me. However, their enthusiasm for games like Battleship and Life eclipse my own. So I'm looking for suggestions on things we can play together. Either one on one or as a family. They can all handle Catan, though my 8 year old needs some help during the game. My 12 year old tried playing Spirit Island with my wife and I, but I think she was a bit overwhelmed. Hopefully that gives an idea on what complexity they can handle.

Thank you!


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## payn

I enjoy Ticket to Ride (Euro map my favorite). My nephew and friends daughter are pretty young and get how to play the game (even if they are still working on strategy).


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## AnotherGuy

You mentioned boardgame but I don't have any great suggestions that would include your D8 without some assistance.
You could try Small World and Clank! 
Small World lists the game for 8+ so perhaps check it out online and see if it could work for her. 
Clank! is great and fantasy based. Highly recommend it but might require a year or 2 before D8 can play on her own. Again check it out online. 

However there are 2 fun card games I can easily recommend:
Love Letter (there is a 4 player and a 6 player version); and 
Exploding Kittens - make sure you get the junior version because there is an adult version and the art is quite graphic. 

Good luck!


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## Dioltach

I'll recommend one that's always a great hit: Celestia. Or Treasure Island. Or Jamaica.


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## Smackpixi

Carcassone, Camel Up, Century (Golem Edition is cutest), King of Tokyo (Dark is less kid themed but better game).  Ticket to Ride (also like Europe) All good, not too complex and sufficiently chance based for anyone to win occasionally.  My experience is that kids can follow pretty complex rules with a play through or two, they do have a harder time grasping variant strategies though.

Zombie Kids/Teens Evolution, Castle Panic, Horrified, Forbidden Desert are some good cooperative games if those work for you.  Youngest can play many cooperative if you make them feel part of the team.

Edit to add Carcassone is great for introducing complexity.  If the base game works for you, slowly add expansions.


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## payn

Sushi Go Party is a good one for the family.


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## Cadence

The ones mentioned above are good.

For the classic board games, "This Game is Bonkers!" is still fun. 

My family's go to is multiple person solitaire (the classic 1-person card game except you all play on the same aces... don't where sharp rings or expect the cards to come away unscathed or usable for any other game - only one hand at a time is allowed for putting cards up).


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## Ralif Redhammer

King of Tokyo is a fun game that I found easy to pick up. Tsuro is enjoyable and simple.


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## Retreater

Need I say more?


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## Jahydin

Catacombs is a fun game for kids.

It's a dungeon crawl where you flick wooden heroes at wooden monsters to deal damage. Spells and arrows are also flicked. Good times!


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## Rabulias

Smackpixi said:


> Carcassone is great for introducing complexity.  If the base game works for you, slowly add expansions.



Another vote for Carcassone here.


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## Stalker0

Splendor.... super easy to learn, has a fun "gem" quality that younger kids tend to like, plays quick.


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## aco175

Played DC Deck Heroes a few times over the last couple months.  Found it easy to learn and fun to play.


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## Dannyalcatraz

I got exposed to various railroad games a long time ago. At first, I played out of camaraderie.  But after a few sessions, I got into them.  I eventually bought Iron Dragon.  (I need to get the older versions with other maps.)

I invested a bunch of money getting RoboRally and its expansions.  Good, clean fun, but occasionally frustrating and long.  It goes in and out of production, so it may not be an option.

I’m a big fan of the various incarnations of Acquire, but it may not be a good game for kids. Might be a tad dry & abstract.

I haven’t played Wingspan, but I saw some posts by people who have, and it looked solid.  And pretty!








						Wingspan
					

Attract a beautiful and diverse collection of birds to your wildlife preserve.




					boardgamegeek.com
				




A really good family _card_ game is Waterworks.  All you have to do is build a working water faucet…but other players can screw you over.

I’m also a big fan of the old dark comedic game Nuclear War.


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## payn

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I’m also a big fan of the old dark comedic game Nuclear War.



Is that the one with a spinner dial and you take turns nuking each other until only one player has population left?


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## Sabathius42

For a cooperative game I suggest Pandemic.  Spirit island is fun but it's pretty complex even for seasoned boardgaming adults.  Pandemic is very streamlined to play, is challenging, and is one of my few 10/10 games.

For a competitive game I recommend Space Base.  I have played this with 8 year old children and my 80 year old mom.  Its a great design that always has something for you to do in the game, even on other people's turns.  I also havent had anyone say they didn't like it, with a lot of rare guest occasional gamers specifically requesting to play it again.  Also 10/10.


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## Dannyalcatraz

payn said:


> Is that the one with a spinner dial and you take turns nuking each other until only one player has population left?



That’s the one!


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## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> That’s the one!




 Nevener played the board game. 

 Did play the video game on the Amiga 500.


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## payn

Dannyalcatraz said:


> That’s the one!



Family fun!


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## Cadence

aco175 said:


> Played DC Deck Heroes a few times over the last couple months.  Found it easy to learn and fun to play.
> 
> View attachment 271515



For deck builders, we've had a lot of fun with Ascension over the years.  (It has a cheap phone app if one wants to try it out that way).


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## Hades#2

Ticket to Ride is great. There is always the classic card game Uno. There are several card games available that are fun and not very complex to play.


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## Nutation

Apples to Apples _Junior._ I prefer the "kid" version of the card game to any of the adult versions. They all play the same, but the various versions for older players can become trivia challenges. By contrast, anyone can understand the cards that say "bubblegum" or "pickles".


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## Aeson

There is a Cards Against Humanity version for kids. Kids Against Maturity.


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## payn

Aeson said:


> There is a Cards Against Humanity version for kids. Kids Against Maturity.



I thought that was Apples to Apples? Im having trouble seeing a kid version of CAH lol.


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## Aeson

payn said:


> I thought that was Apples to Apples? Im having trouble seeing a kid version of CAH lol.



Limited-time deal: Kids Against Maturity: Card Game for Kids and Families, Super Fun Hilarious for Family Party Game Night https://a.co/d/hVfkHu1

A lightning deal for $12.49. I'm not sure how long the sale will last.


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## Rabulias

If we are looking at card games too, there is Fluxx and its numerous diverse themed sets like Star Trek, Doctor Who, Monty Python, Zombies, and Astronomy.








						Fluxx
					

The latest and greatest version of the card game with ever changing rules! Easier than ever with just the four classic card types that fans the world over have come to know and love. It starts out simple: draw one card and play one card – but New Rule cards quickly make things chaotic. Even the...




					www.looneylabs.com


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## Dannyalcatraz

See also Munchkin.


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## Aeson

Dannyalcatraz said:


> See also Munchkin.



There are so many versions to choose from. You'll be sure to find one you and the dicelings will like.


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## Blue

CuBirds
Point Salad
Mountain Goats
Carcassonne
Dixit
7 Wonders Architects
Azul
Turn the Tide
No Merci (a/k/a No Thanks!)
Kingdomino
PARKS
Stella (Dixit Universe)
Incan Gold
Splendor

All should be good at their age ranges, interesting for you, and at least four players.  And if you want to introduce them to RPGs, a question-and-answer RGP story card game "For the Queen" would be my recommendation.


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## Aeson

I just remembered seeing this game being played in an episode of an anime series. I didn't know it was a real game until I looked it up. It looks fun.









						Marrakech
					

When Assam lands on your carpet, the player who moved him must pay you.




					boardgamegeek.com


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## Argyle King

Tsuro is good for mixed ages. Simple game on the surface (without dice or counting,) but there is some amount of learning to think ahead. Get the normal version though. There are a few which have added mechanics. I think the basic game is better.

Technically not a boardgame, but Popdarts are a lot of fun. https://a.co/d/1OpGvCO


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