25 Best Board Games to Try With Your Family This Holiday Season

As the holiday season gets closer, it is time to break out all the old favorite board games. If you’re looking to spice up your competitions with new games we have a whole list for you to explore. From classics like Candy land and Connect4 to new releases like … I Should Have Known That! and Clue: Harry Potter Edition there is bound to be a new favorite board game for your family to play this winter.

1. … I Should Have Known That!; $17

Test your family’s knowledge of trivia with this brain-teaser of a game.

Amazon Top Review:

“Good Questions, lots of fun. The cards were the perfect mix of difficult and ... I should have known that. Played with my daughter who is a 4th-year college student (I lost miserably).”

Buy it: Amazon

2. Disney Classic Characters Matching Game; $12 

See if you can remember where the other Mickey Mouse is to match.

Amazon Top Review:

“Great sturdy tiles! My 3-[year]-old niece loves playing games with my Dad, and the matching game is their favorite. She always manages to school him in the game. And she adores the Disney characters on each tile as well. Would definitely buy again.”

Buy it: Amazon

3. Zingo Bingo; $20

Spice up how you play Bingo with the whole family with Zingo Bingo.

Amazon Top Review:

“This game is perfect for my 4.5-year-old that is in speech. He has apraxia and this is doing wonders [in] helping him practice his words in a timely fashion. Also, learning how to take turns and that you don’t always win!”

Buy it: Amazon

4. Guess Who?; $8 

See if you can figure out who your opponent is before they figure out who you are.

Amazon Top Review:

“My kid LOVES this game especially during lunchtime during remote school. The cards are thick enough to withstand their roughness and there is enough diversity amongst the characters to keep the game going. (I loved the original as a kid but there were only 5 girls and about 25 boys so it wasn’t always a fair game).”

Buy it: Amazon

5. Candy Land; $13

Race against family members to get to the castle first.

Amazon Top Review:

“This is perfect because it's simple and completely understandable for a younger child. The game is bright and fun. It also takes me back to my childhood so there's some nostalgia. As an adult, it's a game I don't mind playing multiple times in a row.”

Buy it: Amazon

7. Connect 4; $10 

Can you get four in a row before the other person?

Amazon Top Review:

“Anyone can play it. It's ready to go out of the box. You can play for minutes or an hour. Losing a disc somewhere under the couch isn't the end of the world. Kids [of] different ages can still play with each other. This is an essential go-to toy closet sort of item.”

Buy it: Amazon

7. Chess; $29 

Test out your Queen’s Gambit and Sicilian Defense to see who checks mate first.

Amazon Top Review:

“All in all, I am completely satisfied and will get lots of use out of it I am sure. I would recommend it if you want something nice and simple that will store your pieces nicely and is made well.”

Buy it: Amazon

8. Codenames; $15

As a spymaster, you’ll have to use the code names of agents to figure out whom they all are.

Amazon Top Review:

“Codenames really is genius in [its] simplicity. It's a fantastic party game because it can be taught in under 5 minutes and provides a ton of fun. It has definitely been a hit in my gaming group and with my family over the holidays.”

Buy it: Amazon

9. Marvel Spider-Man Web Warriors Chutes & Ladders; $17

Try out this classic game with a fun new twist thanks to your friendly neighborhood superhero.

Amazon Top Review: 

“It was a birthday gift for my five-year-old and it was a huge success. He really enjoys the game and loves the characters. Good quality product.”

Buy it: Amazon

10. Pandemic; $25

Since we are currently living in a pandemic, might as well play a version of it as well.

Amazon Top Review: 

“This is one of the best board games I've ever played that features a team dynamic. Unlike Settlers of Catan, which will ruin any and every relationship you ever had, this co-op will reveal the true colors of anyone daring to pick up a colored pawn.”

Buy it: Amazon

11. Monopoly; $20

This classic will not only teach you about money but about how your family deals with conflict.

Amazon Top Review:

“Monopoly is my 8-year-old daughter's new favorite game. Her math skills which have always been exceptional, have really improved in the money department. She's getting to know what a mortgage is and how to [lose] gracefully.”

Buy it: Amazon

12. Clue: Wizarding World Harry Potter Edition; $35

Discover who committed a murder inside Hogwarts and how they did it. 

Amazon Top Review:

“Our boys, 8 and 10, absolutely loved this game! The House Points and the rotating secret passage wheels added a whole new dimension to the original Clue game. I definitely recommend this game for any Harry Potter Fans!”

Buy it: Amazon

13. Scrabble; $18 

Show off your wordplay with this game and see who needs to review their thesaurus.

Amazon Top Review:

“It is great to keep your mind active and lots of fun also. Nice to sit and play board games with family and friends rather than each playing a game separately on each one's computer.”

Buy it: Amazon

14. Trekking The National Parks Board Game; $42

Experience the magic of the National Parks without having to leave your home.

Amazon Top Review: 

“We are really enjoying this game. At first, the set-up seemed a little daunting, but after doing it once, it's fairly simple. It was fun to learn about the parks as we played and it encouraged family conversation about traveling. A unique game!” 

Buy it: Amazon

15. Catan; $43

Create your own civilization and try to spread into other areas, but beware of robbers.

Amazon Top Review: 

“Beware! Don't try this unless you plan on getting addicted. Your life will forever be altered. You'll find yourself begging strangers to come over to play, watching YouTube videos to improve your game, [and] bribing your children.”

Buy it: Amazon

16. Operation: Star Wars The Mandalorian Edition; $15

What’s better than the classic game Operation? Trying to get objects out of The Child from Star Wars: The Mandalorian.

Amazon Top Review:

“Great gift! Lots of fun [I'd] recommend for any Baby Yoda lover.”

Buy it: Amazon

17. Hunt A Killer Death at The Dive Bar; $30

Test out your detective skills with this murder mystery game.

Amazon Top Review:

“We were amazed at the value of what we got and how much fun we had together. We went through every document and piece of evidence, took notes, made a timeline, deciphered the code, and correctly solved the murder!”

Buy it: Amazon

18. Battleship; $15

Play like a navy captain and see who in your family will be able to outwit the others.

Amazon Top Review:

“Honestly, although maybe a touch smaller than the old 1980's version, it's very similar. We haven't had issues with pegs falling out. The ships can pop out of place if you knock into the board, but if you keep it on the floor or a table, no worries. My son is already enjoying having a much better way to play this game!” 

Buy it: Amazon

19. Pictionary Air Kids vs Grown-Ups; $16

Try out this new version of Pictionary using a virtual drawing pen to see if the kids or parents will win.

Amazon Top Review:

“This game was beyond fun!!!! Even my six-year-old enjoyed it! [I would] Definitely recommend it for family game nights. We AirPlayed it onto our Samsung [TV] and it was PERFECT!!!!” 

Buy it: Amazon

20. Azul; $29

Design your own mosaic with tiles and compete for the highest score by making patterns.

Amazon Top Review:

“Great for a small group, short strategy game. It plays quickly and is fast-moving for the most part. We play Splendor quite a bit and like Settlers of Catan but were looking for a quick playing new game and this fit[s] the bill.”

Buy it: Amazon

21. Spontuneous: The Song Game; $30

Sing your heart out to win the game. Don’t worry you don’t have to have a Grammy to play.

Amazon Top Review:

“This game is fun for any family who wants to have a good time [and] is willing to laugh at each other and can think fast on their toes.”

Buy it: Amazon

22. Sorry!; $20

Get ready to apologize with a game of Sorry! Make sure to always watch out for other pawns that can bump you back.

Amazon Top Review:

“I've been looking everywhere for this and finally found it. I couldn't be more happy. Already played more than 20 games.”

Buy it: Amazon

23. Disney Villainous; $35

This is your chance to be one of your favorite Disney villains like Jafar or Ursula and spread your wicked plans.

Amazon Top Review: 

“Love it. Absolutely love this one. From the color to the artwork to the clever writing on the cards. The majority of the components are nice and the box feels premium.” 

Buy it: Amazon

24. Sequence; $20

Getting five in a row seems like an easy task, but just wait until your opponent’s see what you do.

Amazon Top Review:

“First played this game with friends from out of town. LOVED IT!! [I] Had to order our own set. Now we play often. My 10-year-old daughter loves to beat Mom and Dad. Great fun for [the] whole family.”

Buy it: Amazon

25. Giant UNO; $13

Hilarity will ensue when you start to play the classic game of UNO but with supersized cards.

Amazon Top Review:

“This giant UNO is great! When I was hit with a +4 [card] multiple times I turned to violence and smacked my brother in the head with the giant card. Overall, great product!”

Buy it: Amazon