Board games are wonderful to play with your entire family. They can help you to bond, to communicate, and even teach valuable skills, no matter your age. While enjoyment will depend on a range of factors, from gaming experience, to education levels, and dexterity, there are plenty of fantastic family and kid-friendly board games that will bring everyone together.
Here’s the ScreenHub picks for the best family and kids board games to play together, whether in co-op or multiplayer fashion – all tried and tested by our team.
Our Top Picks
Andor: The Family Fantasy Game
Players: 2-4
Andor: The Family Fantasy Game is a wonderful fantasy-themed adventure where players travel together along magical roads, on a quest to save wolf cubs, while also defeating a roaming dragon. What’s best about this particular board game is that it’s designed specifically for family gameplay. You’ll travel in a pack, with all players getting to choose their characters, and then take on each quest together, while also being able to perform individual actions.
It gives all players a sense of ownership, with each action requiring you to make careful decisions about where to go next, and how to advance. Depending on the age of the child players, adults can guide them with suggestions, or protect them, in the case of random events. It’s all about teamwork and communicating, which is a valuable skill that board games can teach.
MicroMacro
Players 1+
MicroMacro is a board game franchise that tasks players with solving various criminal cases by hunting down clues on a giant paper map. To start with, you’re given the first part of the scenario, and you must then work backwards to figure out exactly what’s going on, and how each part of that particular crime took place.
There are multiple versions of MicroMacro available, including a dedicated version for young kids, but as long as you treat the subject matter with respect (there are some cartoony adaptations of death here), and you feel your child is at an appropriate age, any version will do. No matter which MicroMacro you pick up, you’re in for a thoughtful time that’ll really stretch your mental muscles. What’s best about playing this game with kids is you can decide, as a family, how much you (the adult) wants to be involved, leaving the glory of finding solutions to the younger generation.
boop.
Players: 2
boop. is a little board game all about kittens lying around on a cosy bed. It’s very strategy-focussed, with players required to place kittens, while figuring out how best to get three cats in a row. The challenge lies in the twist of boop. which is that each time you place a kitten, it pushes every other kitten one space away.
That means players must think carefully about each cat placement, and work out a solution by puzzling through each move. For younger players, it’s an excellent board game that teaches puzzle solving, with a hint of light competitiveness. All of that, plus it’s very cute as well.
Cat Crimes
Players: 1+
Cat Crimes is a very light-touch board game that asks you to solve crimes committed by cats. Like boop. it’s entirely cosy by design, and allows players to put their thinking caps on. At the start of each round, you’ll be introduced to a particular crime, and you’re then given clues that must be worked through and understood to effectively identify the criminal. Of course, when these crime lords are ‘Sassy’ and ‘Mr. Mittens’ you can’t really hold them accountable.
While Cat Crimes is much lighter than most other board games on this list, it’s great fun for kids and families alike, and serves very cool little puzzles to work through. You might not need to help a child player through this one (there are puzzles for all skill levels), but with such cosy gameplay, you’ll likely want to.
Meadow
Players: 1-4
Meadow is a wholesome adventure board game that follows players as they wander through a lovely meadow, and see all sorts of plants and creatures in their travels. The ‘official’ goal here is to collect cards with the most ‘valuable’ species – but really, it’s more about discovering new sights, and appreciating the beauty of nature.
While Meadow does have a slightly complicated set-up, the actual gameplay is relatively simple and easy to follow. The subject matter also makes it perfect for younger players, with flora and fauna being a very educational topic. You might need to prepare for questions about each bug or animal discovered, but that’s what makes Meadow such a joy.
MonsDRAWsity
Players: 3+
MonsDRAWsity is an ultra-funny board game all about drawing monsters badly. In a brief set-up, players are given descriptive verbal clues to the identity of a particular monster criminal. Then, they must use this to draw their own interpretation. The worse they are at drawing, the better, really. This is a game all about being silly and drawing funny, weird beings. It gets the creative juices flowing, and it’s always hilarious to see what other players have created. This is the sort of board game that kids will absolutely devour, and it’s great to play in a family setting.
Disney Villainous
Players: 2-4
Disney Villainous is one of the most perfect board games for older kids, particularly those who love Disney films. Each player chooses a particular villain (based on the version of Disney Villainous you have), and this choice grants them a particular villainous goal. In rounds of the game, players will work towards this goal by initiating certain activities (gathering strength, deploying special cards) while attempting to reach their goal and also thwarting the other villains.
While there are quite a few rules to learn for this particular game, once you understand your options in each round, you can pretty much just fly ahead. Beyond subject matter, Disney Villainous is great for kids because it teaches strategy and competitiveness.
EXIT: The Game – Kids
Players: 1-4
The EXIT: The Game – Kids board games are all inspired by traditional escape rooms, with each mini-box introducing a new central mystery to complete. The ‘Kids‘ franchise variants are particularly neat because they’re all-ages adventures, without any particular jump scares or dark themes that may frighten kids (as often seen in the other EXIT: The Game adventures).
Every box comprises an array of cool puzzles that are relatively simple to solve, and can be played with everyone working together. There’s also a focus on education in these boxes, with many of the adventures themed around fun topics (like Jungles or Halloween).
Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo’s Treasure
Players: 2-6
Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo’s Treasure is a spin on the larger Mysterium game (which frequently ranks as one of the best board games of all time) with kid-friendly themes and streamlined gameplay. While the game is still focussed on ghosts (which could be a frightening topic), the darker themes are abstracted by cartoonish art.
It’s also not about murder itself, but about finding treasure – which makes listening to the ghost’s clues a lighter-hearted experience. There’s very neat puzzles in this treasure-finding, with players able to work together to figure out exactly where the mystery leads.
Once Upon A Time
Players: 2+
Once Upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game is a simple, imaginative card game that lets you create a story with your kids, but in gamified fashion. In rounds, players will draw particular cards, each of which feature traditional elements from fairy tales. They will then make up a story about these themes, sharing a few sentences inspired by this prompt.
Certain players also have their own unique ending in mind, which they’ll attempt to ‘achieve’ by guiding the story one way or another. What follows is a war of storytelling, with players collaborating, but also working against each other, to realise their one true ending in a way that makes perfect, fairytale sense.
Cluedo Junior
Players: 2-6
Cluedo Junior is a simplified and somewhat sanitised version of Cluedo that transports the mechanics of the beloved board game into a puzzle game about science. Players work together to solve various special mysteries, none of which involve murder or mayhem, which might be a relief to some parents.
Of course, the original Cluedo is also great for kids, with this introducing darker themes in cartoony, fun fashion. Many of us played Cluedo growing up and weren’t irrevocably changed by the subject matter, so it’s worth saying it’s still a fantastic game for kids. If you do want games more like the OG Cluedo but with lighter themes, you can also check out themed Cluedo editions, like the Scooby-Doo release.
