Board Games Appeal to Children and Adults Alike Looking For Relaxing Fun

Board games are a great way to get together with family and friends and have some fun. Board games can be competitive against each other, but more and more are becoming exciting co-op adventures where you have to beat a strict set of rules to complete your game. Still other games are fun and casual and result in a lot of laughter. Really, there’s far less of a “winner” in these games since everyone gets to win by laughing and having a good time. 

The most important thing about picking board games is just choosing something that you’re going to enjoy. There is an ever growing number of games, so it can be hard to sort through which ones are ideal for you. Resources and websites exist to help people choose, and this article is no exception. It’s just a small article mentioning a few games that are perfect for different sets of people, but it’s a great place to start. 

Great Games to Play With Kids

Board games are a great way to get kids to start to think tactically and logically. They apply game rules to their actions and try to find a way to win the game. They do this while still having fun though, which makes them a great learning tool. Some of the best board games to play with kids include: 

• Candyland - This is a classic. While some naysayers say it promotes an obese lifestyle, it’s just some simple and relaxing fun. 
• Connect 4 - Connect 4 is a simple game in essence, but instills in kids slime basic game theory and mathematics without them realizing it! But really, it’s just fun. 
• Mouse Trap - Disclaimer: you will probably lose a piece or two of mouse trap within a couple of years. It’s just unavoidable. But playing a game where you slowly build a ridiculous machine as your mouse tries to escape to the cheese is good fun with kids. 
• Operation - This is another fun game for kids where you use steady hands to try to take out the joke portions of the body from a man with an atrocious haircut.
• Monopoly - Monopoly is a good game to teach children about the concept of money and some math. However, it should be worth noting that monopoly can become rather cut throat and families that are perhaps ultra competitive with each other might want to stay away instead. 
• Risk - Like the name implies, playing this is a risk with children. They may enjoy it, but the drive for world domination may also influence them to become the next Napoleon. 

Casual Games 

Casual games are often intended to make people laugh and have a good time while they are playing them. The gameplay tends to be fairly quick and have short rounds, so yet another can be started up quickly. This is great for groups where some people may be into board games, while others are still on the fence. Some good casual game options include: 

• Monikers - This is a card game that takes the best aspects of Taboo and Chirades and combines it into three rounds of fun. This game leads to a lot of inside jokes. 
• Cards Against Humanity - Note that only people and groups with darker senses of humor can really enjoy this game, else it’s just going to be offensive. This game spawned a crazy and is largely responsible for the explosion of party games targeted at adults. 
• Uno - This is a classic and relaxing game that people have been playing for decades. Uno has even created a sequel version called “Duo. 

Strategic Games for Adults

This is the category where true adult board game enthusiasts tend to end up. These games tend to have several different mechanics and will offer up a differing way to win the game. Games can take from 45 minutes to 8+ hours depending on the game and how slow people play. If you can find a core group that loves games, you can play some really special games. 

• Terraforming Mars - In this game, your goal is to Terraform Mars into a livable space by building cities, raising the temperature and ensuring there’s enough water on the planet. There’s a huge number of mechanics and ways to play. In addition, it features multiple expansions meaning that you can always add more to the game after a few playthroughs. 
• Pandemic Legacy - The legacy style of game offers something new and fresh in the board game world. Instead of replaying the same game, each game is part of a narrative. Rules change according to the story and you will make permanent alterations to the board and often destroy cards and pieces. Some people don’t like that the game will “end”, except it provides a huge amount of value during the playtime and can be between 12 and 24 playthroughs depending on how good you are. 
• Settlers of Catan - This is often the first strategy game that people get into. Settlers has also provided a large number of expansions to try and keep it fresh. If you get into Catan, just remember that sheep are overrated!