In our house, we have an entire closet filled to the brim with games.
An entire closet. It’s ridiculous.
Last summer, because cards and game pieces kept spilling out of the closet into the hallway, I decided it was time to purge. I went through the closet and turned three large boxes filled with games over to the local thrift store.
Then a month later, no joke, I was at the same thrift store purchasing one of the games I had just donated. Of course, I had to pay the price listed on the garage sale label that I had stuck on there.
I think we have a serious game problem…
Our Favorite Family Games
So today, since we have become familiar with soooooo many games, I’m here to share with you our family’s favorite games.
Apples to Apples
This is by far our favorite go-to game when all the family gets together. In this card game, you have red and green cards. Everyone is given a hand of red cards. In each round a “judge” plays a green card and then each player selects a card from his hand that they think best fits the green card. We’ve found that playing to the judge’s taste/personality helps you win the round! (If you play the “Green Bay Packers” red card for the “Legendary” green card, you’re sure to win a point at our house!)
UNO Attack
This game is always fun, always crazy, and always results in tons of laughter. It’s spin-off from the regular UNO game. There are a few crazy new cards thrown in that the regular version of UNO does not have, but the biggest kicker is the fact that every time you have to draw, you could end up with anywhere from nothing at all to a whole handful of cards. It just depends on how many cards the game decides to shoot out. The unpredictable factor makes this game tons of fun.
Ticket to Ride
This game takes a bit longer to complete so it’s great for those rainy days or days when you are snowed in. If you have boys who are fond of trains, this game is for them! In this cross-country train game, the goal is to connect your railway route. But watch out! Your opponent might be trying to connect their railway route, too, and get in your way. The more connections you are able to make the more points you get. And the person with the most points wins the game!
Blokus
Blokus is another game for four players. Each player is given their own color of odd shaped plastic pieces. The object of the game is to connect as many of your own pieces as you can, while strategically blocking your opponents. This game can sometimes create arguments, like, “Hey, I was going to go there,” and “You blocked me and now I can’t play!” So…it’s a good game to practice getting along. It’s a lot more fun with fewer than four players, though, because you have more space on the board.
Memoir ’44
This game may not appeal to the whole family, but the boys love it! It is a war game similar to Axis and Allies, but less complicated and much quicker to play. It is a two player game (although more people can play in teams) where each player controls either the allied or German forces. The game comes with a map that can be customized with different terrain features that are used to create various World War II battles. The directions come with several different battles and show where to place towns, hills, forests, etc. as well as the infantry, tanks, and artillery units for both sides. The directions also tell a little about the history of the battle and the objectives and advantages or disadvantages of each side. Once everything is set up, you have a chance to make your moves and create a little history of your own!
Spot It
This creative game is good for your brain! It’s so tricky sometimes, I don’t even believe it. It is a game of visual perception. The round cards are decorated with pictures and symbols. Your job is to be the first to find the match between any two cards. There is only one match between any two cards and it’s not always easy to “spot it!” The recommended age on this game is 7 and up but my daughter who is 4 can beat me, and often does.
Card Games
My kids are really into card games right now. Actually, I think they’re kind of addicted. Our favorite card games at the moment are:
So, there are some of our favorite family games…what are yours?
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