33 Best Board Games to Play, According to Experts and Testers

To play, simply pick a card, read it aloud and then quickly write down two answers you think other players will write. Players will have a blast learning who among their playmates they're most in sync with. For four or more players ages 10+

Wordle is fun to play online, but it's a solo venture ... until now. With this game, you can bring the fun of Wordle into the real world and play with family and friends. A host picks a five-letter word, and then uses colored tiles to mark the other players' guesses and tell them if they have the right letters in the correct or wrong spots. After that word is guessed, it's someone else's turn to be the host. For two to four players ages 14+

When you have just a few minutes between dinner and bedtime, bust out this game, which is designed to be played in 20 minutes or less. A cooperative game, players work together to save their town from a host of sci-fi threats, like space aliens or spider robots. Players have to collect the tools and people (like scientists) necessary to fight them off before time runs out. For two to six players ages 8+

This one relies on players' spatial relation skills, since it challenges them to look at the room around them and describe how big or small objects are. That might not sound hard, but wait until you hear the units: Instead of inches or centimeters, players have to guess how tall things are in gummy bears, hamsters or bananas! It comes with four tape measures in "wacky units" to check the results. Good Housekeeping game testers had a lot of fun with this one, and also appreciated how simple it was to break out and play at a moment's notice. For two to four players ages 6+

This deck comes with cards numbered 1 to 100, and players have to play them in ascending order. Sound simple? The twist: No one can speak. Everyone has to learn how to play in sync with each other without talking! Families who get good at it can try The Mind: Extreme, which makes the gameplay faster and also runs the numbers backwards. For two to four players ages 8+

Kids can play this guessing game even if they don't know how to read yet. Kids try to guess the animal on the card by asking questions like, "What does it eat?" or "Where does it live?" If they're stumped for queries, picture tiles will give them hints about questions to ask. It'll get them working on their logic skills before they enter elementary school! In addition to animals, there's also games about food and about what you can find in a house. Good Housekeeping testers found older kids who can read still liked to play with their younger siblings. For two to six players ages 3+

In this musical game, each player takes turns saying a word while the other players try to blurt out a song that contains that word before time runs out. And don't worry, no singing skills are required to have fun. For four to ten players ages 8+

This looks like a Battleship-style, head-to-head game, but players here have to actually work together. The goal is to race around a labyrinth and recover stolen treasures before time runs out. Players have to sharpen their communication skills and help each other maneuver around the vertical, magnetic board in order to do it in time. For two to four players ages 6+

You can think of this game as a faster-paced version of Go Fish, but with airborne burritos involved. Players attempt to collect matching sets of cards faster than their opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging and throwing adorable, squishy burrito-shaped toys. For two to six players ages 7+

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It's a trivia game, but the questions are about a tricky topic ... your family! Players take turns reading question cards, like, "What's my favorite food?" Or "What was my first job?" The more you know about your family, the better you'll do. The game says it's for three to eight players, but reviewers say it can accommodate more if you want to break it out at the next big family occasion. For three to eight players ages 8+

This cooperative game challenges players to use their imaginations and spin good yarns. Everyone gets cards that help them prompt the story, and then each player uses a magic coin to mark where they want the story to go next, and the others must guess which path they've chosen. If everyone works together, they can guide the story to a happy ending. Testers said this was a good game for older and younger siblings to play together. For two to five players ages 6+

Take those pigs, shake 'em up and roll! Players get points based on how they land. Good Housekeeping testers liked how funny this game was, and how easy it is to bring this one on the go — it's perfect to take to Grandma's house. For two to four players ages 7+

If your family is just getting into the Pokémon trading cards and want to learn how to play the game, this gives you a step-by-step guide to how to play. Once it walks players through the first few moves, they're on their own. It comes with three decks — Pikachu, Eevee and Cinderace — so players can dive right in. For two players ages 6+

This card game gets its cues from (the very not-for-kids) Cards Against Humanity. The boss of the round asks a question, like "If I could get rid of something from the world, what would it be?" The other players have to answer with their response cards, and the boss chooses a winner, but the cards say "not parent approved" things like "funky armpits" or "my parents reading my texts." For four to 10 players ages 8+

Who's hungry? Yes, players actually cook during this game — and eat what they make! (Testers said that their kids really did try out new dishes this way.) Family members compete to earn the most points, and along the way they face mini challenges, like trying to identify an ingredient while blindfolded or doing prep with only one hand. For two to six players ages 8+

Think of this as a sweeter twist on games like Guess Who? Or Mastermind. Kids choose a sweet treat and a flavor, then use yes or no questions to try and determine their opponents. They have to use logic and deductive reasoning to guess correctly before their treats are guessed! For two players ages 5+

The leaders of each team act as spymasters and use one-word clues to communicate special messages, or card code names, to their teammates. It'll have them working on their vocabulary for sure. The team that solves more cards in the end wins. For four or more players ages 10+

Kids have to think quickly and have fast reflexes to do well int his game! Each turn, someone rolls a color die and a shape die, and then everyone springs into action. They have to stack up the chips that have the correct color/shape combo on it. (The pieces come together magnetically, and with a satisfying noise.) Whoever has the tallest stack at the end wins! For two to six players ages 5+

Don't worry: No kittens are harmed during this game. Players take turns drawing cards, and when a player draws an Exploding Kitten card, they "explode," or get kicked out of the game. There are action cards that can help prevent this scenario, including laser pointer cards, kitten yoga cards and kitten therapy to help players stay in the game. For two to five players ages 7+

This kind of party game will bring you back to your summer-camp bunk days. Players take turns flipping over cards while saying the words taco, cat, goat, cheese or pizza in order. If the spoken word matches the picture on the card, everyone tries to slap the pile, and whoever gets it first gets to keep the cards. Whoever collects the most wins! For two or more players ages 8+