My Favorite Classic Board Games

“I love board games. You’ll find me enjoying board-game nights rather than out at a bar.” ~ Drew Scott

Board Game Mania

This week the kiddos were on vacation, and while we had some glorious days filled with sunshine, we also had some disgustingly cold rainy days that made playing outside unappealing, even for this girl who use to walk miles in the rain. Finding activities for active littles can be challenging, but I am thankful they like board games.

I mean, who doesn’t? Even as an adult I love them!

As a kid in a large family, board games were a must and I am not at all ashamed to say that it helped cultivate my competitive spirit in a big way. Heck, my family could have created Mafia Monopoly, (when players team up against other players, perhaps not exactly legal and definitely not in the rules, but while quibble?) we would find creative (NOT cheating) ways to beat each other, and sometimes that would be teaming up with others for a short while. No it wasn’t backstabbing…much. Did I mention we are competitive?

From dinners out, to family get togethers you would find the cousins congregated at the end of the table, or in a corner, usually with the boys teaming up against us girls playing some board game. One of my favorite memories is playing the game Quicksand which in my opinion is a classic! You had to get across the board without getting “stuck” and if you did you would lose part of your body. Despite being little, I remember playing it at my great grandmother’s visiting hours and it kept us entertained for hours.

With us all in a full fledged pandemic, summer approaching, and more free time with kiddos, I thought I would share some of my favorite child appropriate board games, that even adults can enjoy too! Some links are affiliated with no extra cost to you, though I do get a small commission if bought through them. It helps pay for coffee, which in these times is necessary!

Card Games 

Okay, okay, I might be taking some artistic liberties from the get go since card games are technically NOT board games, BUT bear with me, because they are fun to play, and if you are an Uno aficionado, like I am, you know there is Uno Attack that does involve a “board” that shoots cards out. Cards are also the easiest way to play a game and stay entertained because they are so small and compact you can play them anywhere and play a wide range of  games from Rummy to War to Go Fish.

Yahtzee

Yahtzee is as much a number’s game as it is strategy and honestly luck of the dice. You have to fill a card with different dice combinations, and ultimately end the game with a higher score then your opponents whether it is one person or three others. The ultimate goal, is to get “Yahtzee” which is where you roll the same number on all five dice and you get fifty points. It really is an addicting game.

Clue

Clue just might be one of my favorite games not to mention all the catch phrases that have spun from it like, “Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with the Candelabra,” said in a dramatic British accent of course, as well as the different editions like Harry Potter. Heck it even made candelabras popular again! Clue is that classic game of whodunnit. Players have to solve the murder mystery of who, where, and what, which changes every game. It is always filled with laughs and lots of silliness!

Trouble 

Trouble is another nostalgia game from my childhood. In fact I think it was MY first board game. While you are suppose to make your way around the board, honestly it is just fun to push on the popper which rolls the dice, over, and over and over again.

Monopoly

Monopoly just might be the most classic, well known board game in the world. It has spawned hundreds of editions, making it not only a fun item to collect, but I also own quite a few versions. (Harry Potter, Marvel, and even the 2001 movie edition of the Grinch, titled Whoville-opoly) It is a game that can go on forever and ever, and EVER and as I mentioned earlier, forge mafia Monopoly alliances. Monopoly especially, brings out my competitive spirit as well as my bargaining skills.

Guess Who

Guess Who is another game full of nostalgia for me and one I love playing with my nephews and niece. A fairly easy set-up, with even easier rules, it is a two person game where players pick a person or an object and the first person to “Guess who” wins. You can be as direct or as creative (Are they wearing blue eye shadow) as you want.

Battleship, Checkers, Chess and Chinese Checkers

Battleship, Checkers, and Chess are also two player games full of strategy and critical thinking. I have been playing them since I was a kid and I love the challenge these games present. It isn’t just entertainment, but plotting multiple moves ahead. Another game of strategy that you can play with more then two people is Chinese Checkers. I love figuring out how to jump over the most marbles as I make my way to the other side of the board.

I feel like I just touched the surface of board games. There are so many, that to name them all, would turn this post into a book. Board games are a great way to bring people together, to create memories, and bring forth some fun, lighthearted, competitiveness. For adults, they also invoke that childhood nostalgia, and bring to life that impish part of our soul, that we tend to repress as we get older. They unite us and allow us some fun spirited escapism especially as we go through this pandemic, and we can play together whether in person or through Zoom.

Are you a fan of board games? Have you played any of these games? Do you have game nights? What is your favorite game to play?