Every week I look forward to our family board game night, just the three of us around the table, enjoying the game and each other’s company. That’s why I take the search for the perfect family game pretty seriously. I want something we can all enjoy, parents and kids alike. Nothing too cutthroat or complicated, but still fun and engaging enough to keep us coming back. It’s a balance: the right mix of lighthearted play and just enough challenge to stay interesting.
So without further ado, here are ten games that keep showing up at our table. And no matter if we’re dodging fire spirits, stacking camels, or feeding one very demanding panda we’re having a great time.
10. Ziggurat
Publisher: MindWare
From legacy legends Matt Leacock and Rob Daviau comes Ziggurat, a temple-climbing, spirit-dodging, wizard-befriending adventure perfect for family game night.
In each game, your party ascends the sacred temple, offering worship to hold back an impending catastrophe. Along the way, you’ll dodge mischievous fire spirits, chat with eccentric shopkeepers, and—if you’re clever—encounter <redacted>. (No spoilers. I’m not a monster.)
What really sets Ziggurat apart is how it evolves. Each session adds in new challenges and rules, giving your family a satisfying sense of progression.
But honestly? The real MVPs are the achievement stickers. Our seven-year-old went absolutely feral for them—sometimes at the expense of, you know, winning.
Still, watching him light up and get fully immersed in the board game was a kind of victory in itself.
Want to create your own legacy?
👉 Begin by reading the full Ziggurat review
9. Harmonies
Publisher: Libellud
Few games are cosier, or more serene, than Harmonies, a peaceful puzzle about building the ideal habitat where animals can live together in, well… harmony.
Each turn, you’ll draft colourful terrain tokens and charming animal cards. The animals each have a preferred pattern of terrain you’ll try to recreate, while the terrain tokens themselves reward clever placement and structure. It’s a satisfying spatial puzzle that gently nudges you toward optimisation—without ever feeling too stressful.
Why it gets my recommendation here is because it’s interactive without being cut-throat. You’re all building in your own little worlds, but keeping an eye on drafting options. Which terrain tokens are still available, and what animal cards you need to draft.
Oh, and the artwork? Stunning. Vibrant colours, soft lines, and an aesthetic that’s basically a warm cup of tea in game form.
What if a board game felt like a deep breath?
👉 Find your zen with the Harmonies review
8. Lands of Galzyr
Publisher: Snowdale Design
After a long day, the last thing you might want is a competitive board game where your kids gang up on you and steal your money and items. Enter Lands of Galzyr. A gentle, cooperative adventure that feels more like slipping into a great storybook than playing a game.
You play as one of four charming animal heroes exploring the vibrant world of Daimyria. Taking turns to travel to different areas and trying to a gain as much reputation as you can by doing… pretty much whatever brings you joy. Browse the local markets? Reputation. Embark on a journey of self-discovery? Also reputation. Help a squirrel find his missing socks? You bet—more reputation.
What sets Lands of Galzyr apart is its excellent writing, endlessly colourful cast and richly woven world. Even months later, I still remember specific encounters. Funny, heartfelt, sometimes downright weird. It’s a game that unfolds slowly, inviting you to return again and again just to see what’s around the next bend.
Perfect for winding down, storytelling fans, and anyone who’s ever said, “I wish I could play a game without thinking too hard.”
Adventure doesn’t have to be loud to be legendary.
👉 Learn more about Daimyria in the full Lands of Galzyr review
7. Blue Lagoon
Publisher: Blue Orange Games
Blue Lagoon was one of the first “real” board games I played with my son, and it quickly became a family night favourite.
It’s a game of exploration and expansion, played over two cleverly linked phases. In phase one, you can place your tokens anywhere on the map, carving out routes, gathering resources, and establishing villages. In phase two, those villages become your only starting points. So you’d better have picked your real estate wisely.
It’s bright, breezy, and deceptively strategic. The rules are easy enough for kids to grasp, but the layered scoring and territory control give it lasting depth for adults. Plus, the tropical island theme and visuals make it a joy to have on the table.
Easy to learn, tricky to master, and just the right amount of “oh no, you blocked me!” to keep things spicy.
Bright, breezy, and sneakily competitive
👉 Sail into the full Blue Lagoon review
6. Forbidden Desert
Publisher: Gamewright Games
Honestly, any game in Gamewright’s Forbidden series could earn a spot on this list. Forbidden Island might be the most approachable for families, but Forbidden Desert is the one I keep coming back to—because few games suck me in like this one.
It’s fully cooperative (perfect if there’s a sore loser in your family), where you’re all stranded in a desert, racing against time to piece together a flying machine before the sun roasts you alive or the sands bury you for good.
As you explore the shifting dunes, you’ll scavenge weird gadgets, dodge dust storms, and watch your water supply dwindle dangerously low.
The tension ramps up fast, but so does the fun. It’s a game of real teamwork, clever item usage, and dramatic last-ditch rescues. Win or lose, you’ll find yourself saying, “Okay… again?” Before the table’s even cleared.
Can you build the machine before the desert buries you?
👉 Brave the sands in the full Forbidden Desert review
5. Kingdomino
Publisher: Blue Orange Games
In board game circles, Kingdomino doesn’t always get the hype it deserves—despite winning the Spiel des Jahres. But I’ll say this: it’s good enough that I bought it twice. Once after its award win, and again when my son was finally old enough to join in.
It’s deceptively simple, which makes it ideal for playing with kids. Adults might find it a touch light with only grown-ups at the table, but just barely. It hits that sweet spot where young players feel challenged, and older ones still have enough to chew on.
You’re drafting domino-style tiles to build a tidy little 5×5 kingdom, matching terrain types to score points. But the better the tile you draft, the later your turn is in next round. That simple mechanic adds just the right amount of strategy—and a few quiet muttered regrets.
It’s quick, colourful, and satisfying. Perfect for short attention spans, and still gives you the sense that you played a real game.
Tiny kingdoms. Tough choices.
👉 Explore the rest of the kingdom in the Kingdomino review
4. Fruit Fight
Publisher: CMYK
The newest game on this list is also the one I’ve played the most. Why? Because my son loves it and requests it every single game night. And honestly? I’m not even mad. Fruit Fight is that good.
Part of CMYK’s wonderfully weird Magenta collection (all solid family picks, by the way), Fruit Fight stands out with its dead-simple, push-your-luck gameplay that delivers as many laughs as it does heart-stopping moments.
Each turn you draw as many fruit cards from a deck—banana, cherry, grape, etc.— as you want, stopping whenever you like. Which you’ll want to do, because if you draw a duplicate? Boom. You bust and lose it all.
Play it safe and pass? Cool, your fruit’s protected… unless someone else draws one of the same fruits and decides to steal yours. Whatever fruit is still in your hand when your next turn starts is yours to keep and score.
It’s fast, it’s silly, and it somehow never gets old. We’ve played it fifty-plus times, and I’m still grinning. Unless someone takes my strawberries. Then it’s personal.
Silly, snappy, and absolutely bananas
👉 Peel back the chaos in the full Fruit Fight review
3. Takenoko
Publisher: Bombyx
Takenoko has one of the longest-running residencies in my board game collection and it’s not going anywhere. It’s the kind of game that’s overflowing with charm, perfect for family night and endlessly replayable.
From the colourful garden tiles to the tiny bamboo stalks stacking skyward and the adorable panda and gardener miniatures, everything about Takenoko is pure delight.
Mechanically, it’s pretty simple: complete secret objectives to earn points. But to get there you’re planting bamboo, irrigating land, and trying to build a perfect garden. All while a hungry panda blunders around chomping on your carefully planned creations.
The gameplay strikes a lovely balance of strategy and luck. You need to make good decisions, sure, but even the youngest players always feel like they’re in it. And that’s exactly what you want in a family game: fun for everyone, and a fair shot at the win.
It’s just… a joy. Pure and simple.
The only game where feeding a panda counts as strategy
👉 Chase the panda out of the garden in our full Takenoko review
2. Dorfromantik
Publisher: Pegasus Spiele
I said earlier that Harmonies was one of the cosiest games around, but Dorfromantik might just top it.
Based on the peaceful computer game of the same name, Dorfromantik is a cooperative tile-laying game where you and your fellow players build a picturesque countryside of forests, rivers, fields, towns, and train tracks.
Turn by turn, you add tiles to your vista trying to group together different terrain types to complete small objectives like connecting three town tiles or extending a winding railway.
At the end of each game, you total your completed objectives and check the campaign sheet to see how you did. Score well enough, and you’ll unlock milestone rewards: new tiles, fresh scoring rules, and just a little more complexity for next time. It’s a gentle progression, like watching a garden grow, that feels perfect alongside it’s Sunday morning gameplay.
1. Camel Up (Second Edition)
Publisher: Eggertspiele
Camel Up is the undisputed king of family board games. Because once you’ve played it, it’s nearly impossible to stop.
From the outset it seems simple, you place bets on a camel race. But these camels? Absolute agents of chaos. They stack on top of each other, piggyback around the board, and move in wildly unpredictable ways. Every time you think you’ve made a safe bet, your camel is suddenly on the bottom of a wobbly camel tower getting dragged the wrong way.
The game is full of laughter, groans, and last-second reversals. Kids love the wild randomness, adults love trying to out-think it (and then giving up and just embracing the madness), and everyone ends up cheering like they’re at the racetrack.
It’s fast, funny, and endlessly replayable. The perfect way to cap off a family game night. Win or lose, you’ll be begging to play again.
Bet big. Laugh harder. Stack irresponsibly.
👉 Find out how tall these camels will go in my Camel Up review
There are plenty of great games out there, but these are the ones we keep reaching for—fun, accessible, and packed with moments we still talk about long after the pieces are packed away. Here’s to more game nights, more laughs, and maybe one day, finally beating my son at Fruit Fight. Got a family favourite of your own? I’d love to hear what keeps your table coming back for more—drop it in the comments!
Loading ...
