If you've ever sat down to play a game with the family, only to be met by arguments over what to play, you know that choosing is more stressful and takes more time than playing the board game itself. Thankfully, we've come up with a list of considerations for you to consider before any family game night to make the process more straightforward and fun for everyone.
It's usually best to play an age-suitable game for the youngest player. Young players can get bored quickly with some games, especially if they have complicated gameplay instructions or take a long time to play. Consider their skill, abilities, and attention span when picking a game. If your child is only young, you can begin playing a game that's better suited to them, and if they get bored or start to get tired, they can play something else, leaving you and the older children to play something else if needed.
Games like Ludo are a popular choice for both younger and older players, and active games like Botty Bopper are a great way to tire out youngsters, so they get a good night's sleep.
Whether you've got a quick 20 minutes whilst cooking dinner or a few hours to kill on a long, leisurely afternoon, picking a game to suit your time frame is necessary. Not only does it help to fill the time effectively, but it also has an impact depending on your child's age. Young children won't want to sit for longer than half an hour, whilst some older kids love to play for hours for in-depth quality time with the family.
Snappy Shark is an ideal game if you'd like something quick to play, whilst Monopoly remains one of the most popular long-form games.
If you're looking for a game to keep the kids occupied whilst you're busy, then single or two-player games, like Guess Poo, make great staples to your board game collection. But if you've got a larger family, or you get together to play frequently with others, then team games with a higher player limit like Draw Out and Family Pub Quiz are ideal to have on hand.
Smaller spaces mean you probably won't be able to play games with vast playing surfaces like Twister or large puzzles. If the space you're playing in is relatively small, then it might be a better choice to go for a card game since they don't require much surface area to play or a game that's primarily hand-held like Uno.
Chances are, if you or your child are being forced to play games that don't appeal, you won't have much fun. Consider whether you enjoy games of chance, like Bingo, where you never know what'll happen next, games of skill, such as Jenga, or strategic games like Battleship or Chess.
Are you the kind of family that likes to be active when playing games? In this case, something physical such as Doodle Doo might be the best entertainment. If you like to be relaxed and play something more calming, consider a sit-down game like Cluedo, which doesn't require too much activity.
Now that you have some questions in mind to pick the right game, why not explore our entire collection to find the ideal game for your next family game night?
