Why have a game night?
Game nights are a great way to spend some time with friends and family, while also enjoying some friendly competition. According to The Board Game Family, over 90% of people who play board games with their family feel closer to them, and also gives them a mood boost!
Connecting over board games has been around for centuries. Instead of awkwardly sitting around, the games make a great buffer and help the conversation flow.
Whether you’re making new friends or connecting with old pals, a night of board games is sure to help you have a fun and exciting time!
Below we list our 15 favorite board games and table games that we love playing with our friends on game night!
15 Board and table games for your game night!
- Mad Gab: Get the party started with Mad Gab, the hilarious table game that will have you and your friends “La Fing Outlawed” as you try to decipher groups of unrelated words into real phrases. You’ll be racing against the clock and each other to see who can decipher the gibberish.
- What Do You Meme: Everyone loves a great meme. Get ready to laugh ’til it hurts with What Do You Meme! The hilarious game of pairing captions with photos. Whoever plays the funniest combination wins the round and gets a point. It can get a little raunchy so watch playing it with the in-laws.
- Yahtzee: An all-time classic game that involves a lot of luck and a little bit of strategy. Roll the dice, keep the luckiest ones, and fill up your scorecard with a combination of straights, full houses, and Yahtzees to get the highest grand total. The player with the highest score after 13 rounds is the winner! A must have for any game enthusiast!
- Catan: Trade, build and settle your way to victory in this classic strategy board game. Balance the use of your resource combinations (grain, wool, ore, brick and lumber) to buy development cards. Build roads, settlements and cities, as you have hours of fun. With endless possibilities and combinations, every game of Catan is a unique experience you’ll never forget. Let the quest begin!
- Qwirkle: Put your strategy skills to the test with Qwirkle – the game of tactical maneuvers, strategical planning, and forward thinking! Featuring a massive amount of in-game choices, including 36 possible color symbol combinations. With easy-to-follow rules, it’s great for younger players too. It was a hit at the family Christmas party last year!
- Scattergories: A creative-thinking game that will get your brain ticking! Put your imagination to the test and score points by coming up with unique answers for each category, all based on a randomly drawn initial letter. It’s the perfect party game for 2 to 6 players and hours of fun for friends and family.
- Blank Slate: Mind readers rejoice! Players try to fill in the same answers as other contestants based on the given word cue card. Score points for matching any one other player’s word. Get ready for a new favorite game night activity with Blank Slate!
- Bang: Ready to grab your guns and play the wild west? Get everyone together for a round of BANG! This game brings you back to the old-fashioned spaghetti western shoot-out. With Bang, you’ll be randomly assigned one character card to unlock special abilities and a secret role card that will determine your goal. Become the Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw, or Renegade and see who can be the last one standing. It’s time for a showdown!
- Left Center Right: All you have to do is roll the dice to determine where you’ll pass your chips, and then watch as the suspense builds until the last player with chips wins the center pot! Throw some dollar bills in the pot to make things a little more interesting.
- Exploding Kittens: Ready to have a… blast? Exploding Kittens is a highly-strategic, kitty-powered game of Russian Roulette that’ll have you and your friends laughing out loud – and maybe even betraying each other in the process. This game of luck and strategy will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to avoid exploding and become the last left standing
- Cards Against Humanity: My favorite adult game to play with friends! Let the laughter and fun begin when you play this unique & irreverent card game. Get ready to challenge your wit and humor with Cards Against Humanity’s wild, edgy, and politically incorrect statements that will have you in stitches. This fill-in-the-blank style card game will be an instant hit t your party!
- Fibbage: While not necessarily a “board game,” Fibbage is the hilarious game of lies and bluffs where your phone is your controller! Come up with outrageous answers to crazy questions, and find the truth amidst all the lies! Have a blast playing trivia and lying your way to victory with friends.
- Bananagrams: Become the Top Banana at your party. Bananagrams is the fast and frantic word game that’s as simple as it is addictive. Players try to use all their letters to build a word grid faster than their opponents. With a banana-shaped case for easy packing, it’s easy to bring along to any party.
- The Blockbuster Game: Get ready to challenge your movie knowledge with The Blockbuster Game! Join forces with a team and battle it out in this exciting head-to-head buzzer game. Race against the clock as you name movies that fit the categories before your opponents do. Up the ante in round 2 by acting out, quoting and describing movies for bonus points. It will be a reel fun time!
- Truth or Dab: Spice up the party with Truth or Dab! Based on the Hot Ones series, this game will force you to tell your deepest secrets or set your mouth on fire with a dab of hot sauce. We recommend cooking up some chicken wings for you and your friends to enjoy during this game.
Other game ideas to play with your friends
If you and your friends are over the board games, we also have card games and drinking games to help keep the party going.
Shithead and Spoons are great card games to play with a group of friends. They’re fast-paced and the rules are easy to learn. Both games require minimal supplies, so you can be playing in no time!
While you have the cards out, you might as well play King’s Cup while you’re at it. This drinking game only requires a deck of cards and some drinks. Just pull the card and follow the rule associated with it!
Recap
Game nights with your friends will help you bond and enjoy your time together even more. Instead of going out to the bar, invite some friends over for a relaxing night in.
Are there any board games that you love to play with your friends? Comment below and let us know!
If you’re looking for other party game ideas, we’ve got you covered!
