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My family loves games. I wrote recently about strategy games that we all enjoy. And that’s a feat, considering that my husband and boys are pretty serious board-gamers (or “dork-gamers” as I affectionately call them). We have found several games that we all enjoy and not only do we play them frequently, but we just about always have one out somewhere in the house.
Besides strategy games, though, we also love a good party game! Scattegories, Taboo, Catch Phrase, Apples to Apples and Balderdash have been regulars for a long time.
I have a list of games for you today that you might not have heard of and are going to want to try. If you click on the pictures of the games, you can read more about them.
Do you like word games?
Quiddler
Quiddler is a card game in which you try to arrange the cards in your hand into one or more words. There are two bonuses each round, one for the longest word and one for the most words. There are 8 rounds each game, starting with 3 cards in your hand, then 4 and up to 10 in the last round. You can play with up to 8 players, and it’s a great game for visiting. What I mean is, it’s very laid back, and play moves slowly, so there’s lots of time for chatting.
Word on the Street
This is such a great word game! It can be played with just two players, or as teams, which makes it incredibly versatile. You draw a card that has a category on it, like “Fruits” or “Things at a Beach”. When you decide on the one word answer you want to give, you move the tiles for those letters towards you, all before the timer runs out. The game board is set up like a road, with lanes. The letters all start out in the middle, and each time one is used in an answer, it is moved one space. Throughout the game, letters go back and forth. The first player/team to get 8 tiles off the board on their side wins.
If making words isn’t your thing, the next few games might be more up your alley.
Snake Oil
A snake oil salesman was a savvy marketer who could sell dubious products to skeptical customers. In this talking game, everyone is a snake oil salesman, trying to convince that round’s “customer” to purchase their product. The customer might be a cheerleader, a ninja, or a businessman, depending on what card is drawn. Using two cards from your hand, you create a product and give your pitch. Play is similar to the game Apples to Apples, if you’re familiar with that. It’s most fun with at least 4 players, and could be played with as many as you’d like, but play would be slower. The box recommends no more than 10 players. This game will have you rolling on the floor laughing!
Wits & Wagers
This is a trivia game that you don’t need to know trivia to play, and it’s great to play with teams. The cards ask questions that no one is expected to know the answer to, like “How many pounds did the heaviest ever sumo wrestling champion weigh?” After all teams write down their guesses, everyone places wagers on which one they think is closest without going over. You can play it safe or bet it all! It’s most fun with at least 4 players/teams, and can accommodate up to 7. Teams of 2-3 work best if you’re not playing as individuals.
Dutch Blitz
This game was created by a German immigrant from Pennsylvania Dutch country. It’s a fast moving card game that you just have to know numbers and colors to play. The original game is for 2-4 players, but they have an expansion that allows you to play with up to 8. There are no turns in this game, everyone plays at once. (My advice is to remove drinks from the table before play or they can get knocked off.)
Game Buying Tips
Let me tell you my two tips about buying games. We buy just about all of our games from Amazon. It’s where we find the best prices, and you can find a lot of games you can’t find in stores. Except when we find them at Goodwill. That’s my second tip. Goodwill is a great place to check for games! We’ve found some winners there for just a few dollars.
One or more of these games comes with us to just about every family gathering, including holidays. They frequently come out when we have guests over, and travel with us to camps. We’ve even been known to leave games as gifts for hosts when we travel and give them as wedding gifts.
If you’re looking for more game suggestions check these out:
The Next Wave of Family Board Games
Do you love party games too? Did I miss one that your family loves?
You can find lots more games we love here.
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