Card game
Our Most-Played Game Fits in a PouchLove Letter
We've played Love Letter more than any other game, even in line for roller coasters. Why this tiny classic is always with us.
Quick Games
Board games that take 30 minutes or less, for a quick round before bedtime. Played and rated at our own family table.
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Card gameTwo-playerA Whole Civilization in Half an Hour7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel packs a whole civilization into 30 minutes for two. Why it beats the big 7 Wonders for us, how it works with kids, and where it stings.
PartyCard gameYour Phone Becomes the DJ, Your Memory the TimelineHitster
Hitster turns your phone into a DJ and your memory into a timeline. Why we love this music party game, what you need to play, and who it's for.
Guides
Family Game NightThe Ferret First. Kängusaurus Rex Never.Mindbug through the eyes of our 10-year-old
Our 10-year-old explains her favorite and least favorite Mindbug cards: why she loves sneaky creatures and can't stand the big wipe-out cards.
Quick GamesFour Boxes. Which One Do You Start With?Mindbug
Mindbug First Contact, Beyond Evolution, Beyond Eternity or King of Tokyo? What sets the boxes apart, and which one we'd start with.
All 32 games
- FamilyDice game
Our Older Daughter Builds Her Own CityMachi Koro
Machi Koro is accessible, looks lovely on the table and is full of dice luck. Why our older daughter loves this city-builder, and where it lacks depth.
- Card gameTwo-player
One Card Face Up, One Face Down. Which Do You Take?Agent Avenue
Agent Avenue is a quick bluffing duel from the makers of Mindbug. Why it works so well for two, plays from age 6, and still doesn't quite match Mindbug.
- Card gamePartyFamily
My Wife Bluffs, and I See It InstantlyCockroach Poker
Cockroach Poker is bluffing with bugs. Why it gets funnier as kids get older, sometimes tips over with little ones, and works best with three to five.
- Card gameParty
A Game Where You're Allowed to LieCoup
Coup is pure bluffing: two hidden cards, five roles, one lie after another. Why I love it, my wife hates it, and why it's not a kids' game.
- Card gameFamily
Two Minutes of Rules, and the Youngest Actually WinsFlip 7
Flip 7 takes two minutes to explain, and our youngest wins without help. Who this push-your-luck card game is for, and who should skip it.
- Card gameFamily
The Mermaid Takes the King, and the Table Goes WildSkull King
Skull King was one of our first hobby games, and it works with 6-year-olds. Why this bidding trick-taking game keeps coming back to our table in waves.
Card gameLove Letter, but the Highest Card Doesn't Always WinStar Wars: Jabba's Palace
Jabba's Palace adds factions, new effects and shifting win conditions to the Love Letter formula. What the Star Wars version does differently.
- Card gamePartyKids
Everyone Has Fun, I LoseTaco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza: five words, one pile, lots of chaos. Why our kids beat me at it, and which groups it really works for.
- Card gamePartyFamily
"I Was Sure You Were a Guardian!"Tempel des Schreckens (Temple of Terror)
Tempel des Schreckens is the bluffing game we went looking for as a kid-friendly alternative to Coup. Why our older daughter plays it with her friends.
Card gameTwo-playerThe Meanest Mindbug BoxMindbug: Beyond Eternity
Beyond Eternity adds Boost and abilities that work from the discard pile. Why it's the most confrontational Mindbug box for us, and why it gets a 10/10.
Card gameTwo-playerEvolve, or More Creatures? Every Choice Hurts.Mindbug: Beyond Evolution
Beyond Evolution adds Actions and creatures that evolve in three stages. Why the constant trade-off works so well, and why the box gets a 10/10 from us.
Card gameTwo-playerThe Simplest Box. Still 10 out of 10.Mindbug: First Contact
Mindbug: First Contact is the base set of the card duel: simpler, clearer, a little rawer. Why it's our pick to start with, and why it gets a 10/10.
Card gameTwo-playerNot Another King of Tokyo, and That's GoodMindbug x King of Tokyo
Mindbug x King of Tokyo adds dice, energy and Power cards to the card duel. Why it isn't King of Tokyo, and why it still scores a 9/10 at our table.
Card gameFamilyReally Good, but Its Little Sibling Is Better7 Wonders
7 Wonders (Second Edition) is a quick, beautiful drafting game for 3 to 7. We tried it because we love 7 Wonders Duel. Here's how they compare.
- Card gameTwo-player
A Whole Civilization in Half an Hour7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel packs a whole civilization into 30 minutes for two. Why it beats the big 7 Wonders for us, how it works with kids, and where it stings.
Tile-layingFamilyPrettier Than the Original, Until the Glass BreaksAzul: Stained Glass of Sintra
Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is the prettiest Azul and simple enough for our 6-year-old. What we like, why broken glass hurts, and which Azul to pick.
KidsTile-layingThe One Kids' Game We Enjoy OurselvesDragomino
Dragomino is our 6-year-old's absolute favorite and a kids' game I genuinely enjoy. Why it works from age 4–5, and how you can quietly steer who wins.
Card gameTwo-playerThe Catch With Everdell Duo, and Why We Don't CareEverdell Duo
Everdell Duo is faster, meaner and more direct than the original with two players. The components? Less great. Our honest verdict, plus what others say.
Card gamePartyJust Don't Draw the Wrong CatExploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is a fast, silly card game about not drawing the wrong cat. Why it still works, where it bites, and how it plays with kids.
FamilyOur First Spaceship Lasted SecondsGalaxy Trucker
Galaxy Trucker has you grab junk tiles against the clock and fly the result into meteors. Our honest take on the second edition.
Family Game NightA Charming Ghost, but You Learn the Dance FastGeistertanz
Geistertanz has a dancing ghost, a magic candle and a charming idea. In play, it gets repetitive fast. Our honest verdict on Megableu's kids' game.
Tile-layingFamilyWe Love It. It Still Rarely Gets Played.Harmonies
Harmonies is a gorgeous, quick puzzle that feels like Azul meets Cascadia. Why we love it and why it still gathers dust on our shelf.
- PartyCard game
Your Phone Becomes the DJ, Your Memory the TimelineHitster
Hitster turns your phone into a DJ and your memory into a timeline. Why we love this music party game, what you need to play, and who it's for.
PartyOne Color, One Word. Sounds Easy.Hues and Cues
Hues and Cues asks you to describe a color in one or two words. Simple, surprisingly deep, maybe not forever. Our honest take and what others say.
KidsInto the First Dungeon at Age FourKarak
Karak was our youngest's first dungeon crawler at four. Why it's one of the best kids' games we know, why adults enjoy it too, and when kids outgrow it.
Dice gameTwo-playerWith Two, It Beats the OriginalKing of Tokyo: Duel
King of Tokyo: Duel turns the monster dice brawl into an intense two-player tug-of-war. Why we like it more than the original at two, and what to watch out for.
Card gameTwo-player7 Wonders Duel in Mordor, and the Map DecidesThe Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth
Duel for Middle-earth takes 7 Wonders Duel to Tolkien's world. Our first games after SPIEL in Essen, the map question, and how it compares to the original.
- Card game
Our Most-Played Game Fits in a PouchLove Letter
We've played Love Letter more than any other game, even in line for roller coasters. Why this tiny classic is always with us.
Card gameCute Neon Animals, Ice-Cold BluffsPrey Another Day (Schnitzeljagd)
Prey Another Day, called Schnitzeljagd in German, is a 20-minute bluffing game of neon forest animals. Our verdict and how it plays.
Card gameFits in Any Bag. Plays Bigger.SCOUT
SCOUT is easy to learn, surprisingly deep and small enough for any summer bag. Our first impressions, how it plays, and where it stings.
Co-opTwo-playerThe First Flight Was Bumpy. Then Came Sunday.Sky Team
Sky Team is a 20-minute co-op dice game for exactly two. It didn't wow us on the first flight, and it still keeps coming back to our table.
StrategyTwo-playerMy Daughter Loves It, I'm TornWingspan Asia
Wingspan Asia's Duet mode makes two-player Wingspan a real duel. Why my daughter prefers it, why I'm torn, and why the small deck shows its limits fast.
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