10 Best Game Night Games

Looking for the best game night games to play with your buddies? We have packed the best ones for you. Check them out below. 

Your choice for the family game night should be one that everyone will enjoy, whether you want to play it with small kids, older kids, or simply adults. The company’s suggested age can be beneficial, but it’s also important to consider how the game is played and how players connect. Younger children may not benefit the most from a game with numerous instructions, a high level of intricacy, or extended gaming.

Likewise, a game that is extremely straightforward and has little potential for repetition could bore adults. Look for a game that is technically simple to play but offers additional depth or strategy chances for individuals who would appreciate greater complexity if you have a variety of ages to work with.

Best Game Night Games

1. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

When you have a game like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, the family game night may be enjoyable for everyone. It is one of the best game night games on the market. Simple rules apply: When calling out “taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza,” participants lay down cards, and if the card they set down corresponds to the shouted phrase, all players scramble to get their hands on the main pile of cards. Since the goal of the game is to dispose of all your cards, the last player to slap their hand down must accept all the cards, which disadvantages them.

Even though the game is straightforward, a fan describes it as “fun, easy to learn, yet hard!” They go on to say that there is just enough of a struggle that even if you have played before, it requires focus and concentration to win.

The game is packaged in a box that is lightweight and portable, making it a wonderful choice for game nights on the go. All ages will enjoy it, according to the reviews, but some suggest using softer hand slaps with younger children or elderly people.

2. Catan Junior

Catan Junior is a terrific place to start if you enjoy the game Catan but worry that it might be too difficult for the younger members of your family. Each player owns a few pirate lairs on a collection of tropical islands where the game is set. To go between islands, gather resources, and construct further lairs, players use ships.

According to reviews, this is a wonderful entry-level strategy game for both kids and adults because the rules are simple to understand, and the gameplay is quick yet still hard. Your children are familiar with the fundamental structure, making the transfer to classic Catan less difficult when they are ready to level up.

3. Gloomhaven

It is one of the best game night games on the market. There is nothing better than Gloomhaven for a multi-night family adventure game night. To clear out dungeons and ruins, each player assumes the role of a nomadic adventurer with unique skills. Players must choose their course of action after each scenario. Although each player has unique goals and keeps whatever loot they find individually, the game is semi-cooperative, so the entire family can play together.

The suggested age range for Gloomhaven is 12 and up, which makes sense given the game’s complex rules, smart strategy, and extensive setup. Both the company and the reviews suggest playing this game over numerous sessions as it is not easy to pick up. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t disregard this game for tweens and teens in addition to adults; according to a fan, Gloomhaven is “a terrific game for friends to play and parents and children to bond over!”

4. Exploding Kittens Party

The Exploding Kittens Party Pack can handle a group of 10 players, something not all games can. The Imploding Kittens extension deck, the classic Exploding Kittens deck, ten new cards, and even “kitty-themed dancing music” play when you open the package. You don’t need to purchase them separately. The guidelines are straightforward to learn: If you depict an exploding kitten, you lose; if not, you succeed. With over 10 million units sold worldwide and one of the most backed Kickstarter campaigns ever, this game is more than popular. It also has over 54,000 reviews on Amazon and a strong 4.7-star rating. 

5. Pandemic

Families can regularly play Pandemic, a strategy game, whether they are epidemiologists or not. It is one of the best game night games on the market. While trying to find treatments and eradicate the diseases, players must protect the planet from four pandemics. Everyone in the game plans their strategies together as a team, which is fantastic if you have children of varying ages because, as one reviewer put it, “Usually the smaller ones can not compete with the bigger kids.

In this game, everyone collaborates to win. Fans warn that the first game may take some getting used to because the rules are a little complicated. Pandemic had an amazing 4.8-star rating from over 11,000 reviews, so enthusiasm for the game may spread quickly.

6. I Should Have Known That

I Should Have Known That is one of the best night games out there. Players will be tested by more than 400 questions, the answers to which, well, you should know, such as “Is a penguin a bird?” and “Does the Statue of Liberty carry the torch in her left or right hand?” According to reviews, the questions blend easier and harder concepts to make it fun for people of all ages. The game’s rules are easy to understand, so families may begin playing right away.

7. Ticket to Ride

This is the game where you create train routes and score points while doing just that. Even though the very simple game offers a variety of strategic options and ways to score, the producer claims that learning the rules will only take 15 minutes, and reviews agree that it has an “easy learning curve.” With a compatible Echo device, you can use Alexa to play against her or to walk you through the rules for an additional twist. Many people agree that this game is perfect for the occasion, as seen by its remarkable 4.9-star rating after more than 17,000 reviews.

8. Beat That

Beat That is a highly interactive challenge game that offers various zanier game pieces among the more conventional ones like cards and dice for families that don’t desire a normal collection of games. It is one of the best game night games on the market. The game’s rules are straightforward, so you can start playing right away. You simply choose a challenge (which can be solo, cooperative, dueling, or battle royale), wager on your capacity to finish it, attempt it, and the winner(s) earn points.

The game includes chopsticks, cups, balls, dice, and a tape measure to assist players in completing the 160 dexterity-based problems. Although there are many challenge cards to keep the games interesting, users advised that families with younger children or older individuals may need to skip or modify challenges based on their physical capabilities. Many reviewers have loved playing the game with their family and friends, as evidenced by the game’s more than 16,000 reviews and an excellent 4.7-star rating, but since the game is meant to get everyone active, you’ll want to remember to warm up beforehand.

9. Outfoxed!

It can be difficult to find a game that appeals to both adults and children under the age of 5, but Outfoxed! succeeds. In this straightforward mystery game, players take on the role of chicken detectives on the prowl for the guilty fox who stole a pot pie. The game may be finished in no more than 30 minutes, which is advantageous when dealing with young children’s attention spans.

Additionally, by determining who might be a suspect and who needs to be ruled out, the game can help kids hone their logic and reasoning abilities. Additionally, it’s a fantastic method to expose younger children to cooperative games so they can cooperate, stay interested when it’s not their turn, and rejoice in victories together.

10. Plunder A Pirate’s Life

When you play Plunder A Pirate’s Life, get ready for lots of “arrrghhhs” and “shiver my timbers.” Your family can build ships, conquer islands, gather resources, negotiate perilous seas, and wage war against other captains. According to reviews, the game is reportedly quite simple to pick up but may require some initial setup time. A modular ocean model and double-sided board tiles allow for numerous replays and distinctive map arrangements.

Although the game’s box states that it is suitable for players aged 14 and older, a reviewer with a 10-year-old found it to be the ideal combination of simple enough for their child to learn but with deeper strategy if you’re searching for it. A board that “changes each game so no one tactic can win every time.” The game may be played competitively or cooperatively, so there are many opportunities for your family to compete against one another or work together.