LO CAL R ES O UR CES / S CH O O L S + PR ES CH O O L S
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High-scoring board and card games for family game night By Malia Jacobson
Bringing the family together for game night — what could be simpler? Families hit the game cabinet hard in 2020, fueling 20 percent growth in the board games market. But after a long pandemic year of rolling the same dice or shuffling the same cards, you may be feeling less than inspired. We get it. Here are 9 parenttested picks, complete with familyfriendly food pairings.
1. Chickapig: A Farm to Table Game
Price: $25 Type: board Number of players: 2–4 Best for: ages 8 and older Plan to spend: 30–60 minutes Pairs with: crunchy veggies, such as carrots, radishes and sugar snap peas This classic family board game feels as fresh as farm produce with its simple design, wooden game pieces and organic, folksy appeal. A collaboration between game creator and guitar maker Brian Calhoun (of Rockbridge Guitars) and musician Dave Matthews, this strategy game features fantastical creatures, hay bales and enough manure to keep kids giggling. “Not going to lie, I totally bought it because Dave Matthews is involved,” says Tacoma parent Breeayn Douhit. “Glad I did, though — it’s surprisingly fun!”
2. Sleeping Queens
Price: $10 Type: card Number of players: up to 5 Best for: ages 8 and older Plan to spend: 20 minutes Pairs with: milk and cookies When it’s been a long week and you’re beat, remember that family game night doesn’t need to last for hours or drain
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every last bit of your energy. Sleeping Queens is a blessedly brief card game for the grade-school set that was invented by an imaginative 6-year-old. Play multiple rounds for a longer game night or keep the evening short and sweet with a single 20-minute session.
3. Kids Against Maturity
Price: $30 Type: card Number of players: 4–8 Best for: ages 10 and older Plan to spend: 30–90 minutes Pairs with: kid-friendly snacks, from fruit roll-ups to cheese and crackers If you want to share the hilarity of the wildly popular Cards Against Humanity (CAH) game with your kids but can’t quite countenance its famously R-rated content, look no further. Aimed at kids who are outgrowing the much tamer Apples to Apples game but aren’t ready for CAH, Kids Against Maturity is suited for family play. Players combine words and phrases to uproarious effect, with plenty of silliness and potty-themed humor to keep kids completely entertained.
4. Splendor Price: $45
Type: card and token Number of players: 2–4 Best for: ages 10 and older Plan to spend: 30 minutes Pairs with: jewel-tone gummies School-age kids who love Minecraft or simply appreciate a well-crafted strategy game will enjoy Splendor. Players are merchants attempting to build a collection of gem mines and shops by collecting jewel-tone chips to acquire points. The
game has a historical feel without a complicated narrative, so families can easily enjoy it over and over again.
5. What Do You Meme? Family Edition Price: $20 Type: card Number of players: 4–8 Best for: ages 8 and older Plan to spend: 30–60 minutes Pairs with: hot cocoa bombs or another Instagram-worthy snack
Having trouble finding a game even hardto-please teens will love? Entice reluctant game-nighters back to the table with this sidesplitting family edition of the popular What Do You Meme? party game. Players use 300 caption cards and 65 photo cards to create the funniest memes, as decided by a rotating judge. Simple enough to play after a tiring day of work and/or remote schooling, this affordable game deserves a spot in your feed (or game cabinet).
6. Gnomes at Night
Price: $22 Type: board Number of players: 2–4 Best for: ages 6 and older Plan to spend: 15 minutes Pairs with: Bugles corn snacks (aka gnome hats) Searching for a kid-friendly game that’s more collaborative and less cutthroat? If highly competitive games are too intense for your younger children, check out Gnomes at Night, a cooperative maze
