Each year we build our board-game-playing library because it’s a great non-screen-involving way for us to build relationships in our family. We’ve collected an enormous assortment of board games, some of which were fantastic finds, some of which turned out to be… total flops. We hoped for others to benefit from our own hit-and-miss finding of board games by sharing our family’s most beloved, most used, and most enjoyed resources. 
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Favorite Family Board Games and Card Games
The following list includes our favorite family favorites for board games and card games for ages 8 and up. If you have questions about any of them – or if you suggest other games you think we should check out – feel free to jump down to the comments and let us know!
A Bible-Based Favorite
Redemption. A Bible-based alternative to trading card games like Pokemon. Extremely fun once the rules are learned. Each card includes a Bible verse.
The following strategy board games are also related to history and/or geography. (They may be also be related to other topics such as science, as is the case with Sonar.)
Sonar. A team-based game for four players. Like Battleship, this game pits two submarine crews against each other in an epic struggle for ocean dominance. (For a larger group, opt for Captain Sonar which requires 8 players. Our teens love this game.)
Sagrada. A quick, competitive game where players use beautifully colored dice to build the stained glass windows of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain.
Memoir ’44. This easy-to-learn and fast-paced game includes 16 historical scenarios from WWII. A longtime favorite of our oldest son who owns almost all of the expansions, including Pacific Theater, Eastern Front, Mediterranean Theater, Operation Overlord, Winter Wars, Breakthrough, etc., etc.
Catan. This game remains a long-time favorite of our children, especially our second son who owns almost every expansion. His favorite of all the expansions is Catan Explorers and Pirates. If you’re shopping expansions, ensure you’re not purchasing extensions. (Expansions have to be purchased before extensions.)
7 Wonders. 30-minute strategy game related to ancient times, recommended for children ages 10 and up.
Trekking the National Parks. Visit the National Parks virtually with this beautifully designed game that’s quick to learn and fun to play! Be forewarned – this game will likely add a few national parks to your bucket list!
Pandemic. A cooperative game for (two to four players) that challenges our family to work together to save the world from a deadly disease! Each person plays their part. Great reinforcement of world geography.
Imhotep. Become an ancient Egyptian architect and attempt to end up in the most valuable positions at five construction sites. Strategy game that takes about 40 minutes to play. (This one may be more difficult to find now, but it’s worth the search!)
The Quest for El Dorado. A top pick of our 12-year-old, this adventurous deck-building game has more than 100,000 possible layouts.
Carcassonne. A medieval-themed tile-laying game in which players build up the countryside around a fortified city with cities, roads, fields, and monasteries. A special treat for when you’re studying the Middle Ages!
Splendor. Some of the games our oldest boys play now incorporate too much strategy for my mind to handle. However, this strategy game is one I’m able to keep up with! Lots of fun!
Scrambled States of America. I think we enjoy this game mainly because we love-love-love the books by Laurie Keller.
Ticket to Ride. A cross-country train excursion game, the objective is to see the most cities in North America in a 7-day period. Players collect cards enabling them to claim railway routes to connect cities throughout North America. Suggested for ages 8 and up, although younger children can play with help from parents. For children (or parents) who struggle with learning rules to games, Ticket to Ride London is a great game to start with. We’ve also enjoyed Ticket to Ride Europe and Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails.
Codenames. This quick game requires some creative thinking and is intended for players over age 10. Gameplay is for 4 to 8+ players and lasts for only about 15 minutes. I’ve included it with history because it’s a tough one to categorize. Codenames can be played in competitive teams or as a cooperative game.
The following games are related to science or nature study and are games our children thoroughly enjoy playing regardless of whether we’re studying that concept in our homeschool.
Wingspan. A beautiful game where players use eggs and resources to grow a hatchery with a diverse group of North American birds. Great for budding ornithologists.
Valence. A favorite of fourth son since he was about six years old, this card game teaches chemistry concepts, such as molecule formation, acids and bases, and chemical reactions, in a fun, interactive way. All game interactions are representative of real-world science.
Marble Run. This is not a game, but we have enjoyed experimenting with marble runs. Purchasing multiple sets allows for massive creative works!
The following cooperative games are some our family enjoys playing together. In addition to those listed below, another cooperative game mentioned previously is Pandemic.
Forbidden Island. An exciting and fast-paced cooperative game that usually takes about 30 minutes to complete. Whether playing this as a family or with a group of moms, this cooperative game is quick, engaging, and simple to learn! We love it!
Forbidden Desert. A bit more challenging than its predecessor, this is a favorite of our children because they get to “build” the flying device to escape the desert.
Castle Panic. (Warning: includes fantasy creatures such as goblins, trolls, and orcs.) In this cooperative game for 1 to 6 players, build defenses to protect the castle from goblins, trolls, and orcs.
While most strategy games include a good deal of logic to play, the following games tend to focus more on building logic and/or spatial-reasoning skills.
Clue. Albeit a murder mystery, our family loves this game and has shared many laughs from it. I know we sound a bit psychotic (which we kind of are around here), but this is what happens when you decide to use alliteration in all your guesses. (You might be a homeschool mom if… you use Clue to teach English grammar.) I love this game because it teaches some simple rules of logic. It’s been a joy to see when each child starts to understand how to use logic for better game play.
Labyrinth. This easy-to-understand game is great for both children and adults as you attempt to grab the treasures in a moving maze. Great fun!
Gravity Maze Marble Run Logic Game. This single-player game is great for children and adults!
Laser Maze Logic Game. This single-player game is great for children and adults!
Kanoodle – Brain Twisting Solitaire Game. A great brainbending stocking stuffer for older elementary, teens, and tweens.
Qwirkle. A game of strategy that can be played by children as young as 5 or 6. Simple rules so that young children can play, but involves a good dose of strategy that keeps all of us on our toes. A favorite of our second son.
Blokus Strategy Game. This strategy game reminds me of Tetris!
Mastermind. A quick & simple strategy game where players take turns setting and solving secret codes. Teaches deductive reasoning and logic.
Wing It! This game of storytelling is like no other. Our teens love to play with their friends. The stories become outrageous.
Poetry for Neanderthals. This hilarious game was a great ice-breaker for our co-op’s middle school drama class. It was also a great intro into our unit on poetry recitation.
Rory’s Story Cube Sets – Original -Actions – Voyages. A fun way to practice impromptu storytelling! If you’re shopping for Christmas, it makes a great stocking stuffer!
If you’re searching for other gift ideas, be sure to check out our literary gift ideas for lit lovers, our favorite educational toys for little learners, and our gift ideas for Star Wars and Star Trek fans.
