Mel’s Mini Holiday Gift Guide: Games, Games, Games!
Disclaimer: this post is unsponsored (just sharing things I love); there are a few Amazon affiliate links scattered here and there. As always, feel free to shop around for the best deal!
I can hardly contain my excitement for today! I’ve been waiting a whole entire year (and keeping an insane amount of lists) so I could share some of our favorite things. Gift guides (good, practical gift guides) are worth their weight in gold. I read them like novels to get ideas for gift-giving and I because I love ’em, I love to share my favorites with you (and actually, many of my favorites have come from comments and emails you’ve left me – yeah, I love that).
I’ll be doing a couple other gift guides over the next week or so but today?
Today is all about GAMES! If you’ve read some of my favorite-things posts or gift guides in the past, you know we are a game loving family. It’s a little out of control. And boy, do I have some fantastic games to share with you today. I had so many games to talk about that I actually had to make myself scale it back to just 16 (I literally had double that number on my list).
These are games we are crazy about. Like, we play them all the time. Our game closet is packed with about 186 other miscellaneous games, but these (and others I’ve shared in the past) are the standouts. I know I always repeat this but for newcomers and as a reminder, while there are affiliate links below for games I’ve purchased at Amazon (feel free to shop around for the best deal!), none of the games below are sponsored by any company for review. It’s really important to me that you know I only recommend things that we genuinely love (basically no one’s paying me to blab on about these games). So let’s get started!
1. Bounce Off. A super fun, active game, it might get a little crazy (balls may have been known to bounce off brother’s heads in our house) but hey, when a game is played with as much as this one is, it’s worth it.
2. Doodle Quest. My sis gave us this last year and um, I wanted to kiss her feet because it kept my kids busy for hours (and still does). A great way to change up board or card games; this one is a keeper.
3. 7 ate 9. I’m not going to lie, this game challenges even me a little. It’s a really fast-moving card game that makes the kids think math facts are actually exciting. My brain hurts by the end (and my kids are usually teasing me about claiming 7 + 2 is actually 8 in order to win).
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4. Ok, you guys. Stick with me here because this game you see right here? Battle of the UFO’s? It’s the game of the season. I’m not even kidding. My Aunt Marilyn has it at her house and we are hooked. HOOKED! Simplest concept in the world, everyone wildly releases their spinning top into the center where they all whirl around and crash into each other. Last top standing wins. We have never had as much fun playing a game. Ever (kids and adults alike). This is a true mom and pop shop type deal. I believe it’s a husband and wife team that makes these games out of their garage to sell them at trade shows. Hand crafted out of wood (this thing is solid), this is the most unique game and I can’t wait to surprise my kids with their own for Christmas. They’ll die. If you want one of these, act fast. From what I hear, there’s not an endless supply and you need to channel your old-fashioned roots and place an order by phone (it’s worth it). Check out the Battle of the UFO’s FB page for more details. And this video from a family that plays it is awesome (plus the mom’s hashtags made me laugh).
5. Splendor. So much strategy. This is Brian’s favorite game and the two older boys really get into it, too (a bit advanced for our 8 and younger crowd). Talk about deadly silent turns while the person is contemplating their future in jewels. It’s almost scary.
6. Snake Oil. Hilariously funny, this game just cracks all of us up. You basically have to convince people to choose your two-card answer and explanation, and honestly, the weird logic and funniness never gets old. This is a great game for all ages (I’ve been known to get the giggles so badly, I’ve had to be dismissed from the room).
7. Tenzis. My brother-in-law introduced this game to us at a family reunion in June and it was nuts. Nuts in the fact that we were all fighting to play it. I love games that are perfect for all ages and this one is just that. The adults were just as engaged (ahem, and competitive) as the kids. These idea cards are fabulous if you are serious about your Tenzis. If you have a larger playing crowd, the party pack might be the way to go (that’s what we have).
8. Animal Trivia Challenge. Pretty much the only game played on lazy Sunday afternoons. The questions are challenging enough for adults (with easier selections for younger kids) and I’m not going to lie, I feel a little proud that I can go around spouting off facts like how many thousand pounds of shrimp a flamingo eats in a lifetime. Often we don’t even pull out the game board, we just quiz each other with the cards to see how many we can get correct in a row.
9. Dixit. Speaking of favorite games, this is mine right now. I absolutely love the creativity of this game! And I am downright intense about choosing the right card. Seriously. You may or may not want to ever play this game with me. Love this one.
10. Race to the Treasure. I love the cooperative game series from Peaceable Kingdom and this simple, fun game is awesome. It’s definitely geared for younger kids but that doesn’t stop my older kids from fighting over who gets to play with the littles.
11. Forbidden Island. Another cooperative game but this time it’s for older kids/adults and wow, this is a huge favorite at our house. I can’t even describe the panic as the water level rises and everyone starts figuring out how to work together to win. We love this one enough to make me think I should look into the other versions (I think there’s a desert one).
12. Hoot Owl Hoot. Ok, last cooperative game, I swear. This is Cam’s favorite (she’s the resident 3 1/2-year old around here). And surprisingly it hasn’t gotten old for the rest of us. Simple as can be, I have to say I wish this was around when my boys were little. It’s such a sweet, fun game where everyone works to get the owls into their nests before the sun rises.
13. Cover Your Assets. Oh my gosh, this game. We’ve taken it on so many road trips and introduced it to just about every friend and family member we have (we even left it in the glovebox for our friends driving back from Utah to Wisconsin after the kids had stayed up until midnight – !! – playing it together). Everyone in our family (6 and up) play this and love it. Of course Brian always gives the kids a business/investing lesson after but they’re usually too busy counting their assets to care (and my Uncle Dan, a retired criminal investigator for the Navy, always, always giggles – in a manly way – when the boys scream “let’s play Cover Your Assets!” and they unintentionally slur the last word in the game).
14. Phase 10 Dice. Nothing fancy here, but for some reason we prefer this over the classic cards. It’s a favorite for sure and amazingly, after having it for years, all the dice are still accounted for. Nothing short of a miracle.
15. Mastermind. Oooh boy, I have some hilarious stories about this game. But now is neither the time nor the place. Suffice to say that this might be my boys’ favorite game right now (an always changing target). It’s the game usually chosen on their “extras” (the night of the week they get to stay up 20 minutes later than their siblings and spend one-on-one time with me or Brian). I’ll admit, this version isn’t quite as sturdy as the one of my youth but it’s held up quite well in our house and I love how seriously thoughtful the boys get while playing. Just don’t ever choose a pattern of four pinks in a row for them to guess. That did not end well.
16. Ratuki. Say that ten times fast. Another fast-paced card game, this is a simpler version of Wackee Six and other games like that. It’s very, very fun and like all the others on this list, played very, very often.
I hope this has given you a good starting place for some awesome games! Leave any of your favorites in the comments below – sharing is caring.
103 Comments on “Mel’s Mini Holiday Gift Guide: Games, Games, Games!”
I’m a big fan of your recipes and just saw that you had posted about Cover Your Assets before. Grandpa Beck is my dad, it’s a family business. We’re so happy your family has enjoyed Cover Your Assets! Have you tried any of our other games? We’ve released a couple of new ones since this summer and I bet your family would really enjoy The Bears and the Bees. 🙂
How fun is that? Cover Your Assets is one of our favorite games EVER! I’ll have to look at the other new games. Thank you!
Thank so so much for this! I just discovered this and am excited to get some of these for birthdays/Christmas this year. One of my childhood favorites that is again available is Enchanted Forest by Ravensburger. (it’s on amazon) My mom sold Discovery Toys when we were little and this one of our favorites. You couldn’t find it again until recently and it’s a great family game for all ages.
Hi Mel! After playing a few of the games you like, I keep thinking your family would like Zooloretto. I bought it for my animal living daughter thinking that it looked so stupid, but it’s a family favorite.
I sent my husband to your gift guide to find a game for his sister’s family. He choose snake oil and they loved it! Their family is made up of adults and older children. Thank you!!
Hi Mel! Thanks so much for these game guides! Last year we got Sleeping Queens and my 8 year old has never tired of it.
This year I ordered the UFO game and the lady doing the orders called me last week to get my shipping info. She said they have been bombarded with orders and are now 4 months behind with what they can produce a week and how many orders they have! Apparently a lot of people reading your blog have placed orders for this game. Did you know you had such a far reach? 😉
Thanks again
Hey Jen! I’m so glad you’ll be able to get your UFO game by Christmas (hopefully!). I love that people have placed orders! I hope they can be patient with the cute mom and pop shop as they try to fill them all. 🙂
Thanks for this! I’m pouring over the list for grandkid Christmas ideas. The one I’d recommend is LRC – stands for Left Right Center. It was hard to find but I finally did at Walmart along with other games/card sets that can “hang”. Really fun — for grownups and little kids alike.
King of Tokyo — a favorite from the 5 year old to the adults.
Waaaah, Hoot Owl Hoot sold out! ;o) They should pay you advertising fees!!!!
I would love a Men’s Gift Giving guid for 2015!
Thanks for some great ideas! It’s always good to get recommendations with games because they are not cheap. Last year we discovered King of Tokyo. Our kids LOVE it!
I bought Battle of the UFOs based on your recommendation (and because I collect spinning tops). I can’t wait to get it for the holidays! Thanks!
I’m not sure if this is one you’ve recommended in the past, but our family really enjoys Bubble Talk. It’s a great game for kids and adults, with lots of laughs. It’s usually one we grab when we’re going to visit family or having a game night. (Even the “non game people” enjoy playing.)
“Toss you cookies” is a kids game that is an ADULT and kid favorite in our house/extended family and friend circles! Many a night has been spent with family and friends playing this!! A must buy!!
I think I want all of your 16 games for Christmas this year!
Thank you Mel for this game review. We were looking for games for our grandchildren and bought several of the ones you suggested. It was great to have a review and a recommendation and I look forward to this review now each year. Thank you for taking the time to help me.
Thanks for the list! I’ll send that to my game-loving husband to see if he needs any more ideas. He loves playing games with our kids (ages 7, 9, and 11). One of my favorite games, and one that even the kids can play, is called Resistance. It’s not too long, and because each round changes, you can play it over and over. One time my siblings and our spouses stayed up until 1:30 am playing it! So much fun!!
I love your holiday gift guides and games are my favorite. Thanks Mel!
Thank you, thank you! You have helped this Grandma finish off my Christmas list nicely. Love to give gifts that are ‘family tested’! 🙂
THANK YOU for keeping lists throughout the year just for this post- I intend to do that every year, but either lose my lists or forget the idea somewhere between the brilliant thought (or heartfelt plea of my children) and the pen/paper. You are the best!!
Mel, you read my mind! We purchased Sleeping Queens based on your suggestion and have LOVED it! I can’t wait to read through this list and purchase more great games! THANK YOU! 🙂
I love your gift guides! I only have daughters, so getting things for my nephews (who are around your sons’ ages) can be a bit difficult. Thanks for the great ideas!
If you haven’t seen Animal Upon Animal, check it out! It’s a really fun stacking game that I think is good for a variety of ages.
We do Santa at our house, but his gifts aren’t the main thing. We have 3 girls, so we get 3 gifts that are shareable and not addressed to a certain child…usually a game, a movie, and a book. It’s fun to be able play the game together in the morning!
Here’s the link to the game 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/HABA-3678-Haba-Animal-Upon/dp/B001IM4CSU
Thanks for the game recommendation, Becky! Never heard of that one.
LOVED this post! I’ve added two games to my kids’ Christmas list. We also adore Spot-it. It’s so small and portable and tons of fun. 🙂 p.s. Your Broccoli Beef is the best!!
Mel, thanks for a great list! I’ve already jotted a few down to pick up. We also have a lot of fun with Spot It and Tell Tale…plus they’re small and easy to take on trips. Tell Tale is great when you have a good group to spin the tale. It’s definitely one that has left many of us in tears and giggles. I love the wooden tops game…we have something similar called Battle Tops and you use a long pull strip to whip the tops into the arena. The kids love it, but I don’t know if they still make it. I can’t wait to see the rest of your gift guides…I need more ideas for my list! 🙂
Love it! Always looking for random games to give as gifts or use at company game days! Tenzi looks fun!
SMASH UP!
I’m not sure if I should be more excited or not embarrassed that I have only heard of one game on this list. Haha they all sound awesome! They will definitely be showing up around here as Christmas gifts. Thanks, Mel! Can’t wait for the other gift guides!!
I now want to buy all of these games. We have a few of them already! One that we REALLY like that is fun with big groups and really easy to learn is called Saboteur. Its kind of a card game. It is the best! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000IQC4N2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1447464393&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=saboteur&dpPl=1&dpID=51SYQdt0ZPL&ref=plSrch#
We’ve played Saboteur at my aunt’s house and loved it enough I think I recommended it in a past gift guide – thanks for the reminder!
Hey Mel! I was in ToyTown this week and asked what their favorite games are. They told me “Blink”. Have you ever played it?
Blink is a fun game where you match cards by shape, color, or number and try to get rid of your cards first. It’s a great game for a wide range of kids. It is also challenging enough to keep adults on their toes! It’s meant to be a 2 player game, but it’s easily modified to allow more players.
We have that one and love it, Les! I should have included it here but I was trying to narrow things down. It’s definitely a great one (and a little easier to play than the 7 ate 9 card game).
We love Blink! My 12 yr old loves it down to my 6 yr old! You can’t go wrong with it. We learned about it from my son’s 1st grade teacher who has about 15 sets in her classroom for inside recess days. After my son played it there, and loved it so much, we had to get it.
Seriously!!! One of my FAVORITE series of posts!!!! I LOVE these!! Thank you so much for all of the great ideas!!!
I’ve seriously been waiting for this! I have totally loved some of the things I have gotten for my kids off of your previous gift lists. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for all the great ideas!! Perfect for Christmas! I just wanted to tell you about my family’s new favorite game since you’re a “game family” . It’s called Qwixx, it’s a cheap dice game and I totally recommend it! 🙂
Awesome, thanks Emily!
Yes! Thank you for taking the time to make these posts! So excited you will have numerous posts this year! I always refer back all year round for birthday gifts as well! People are always asking where we got a certain game they have never seen before!
I was trying to decide which game(s) to buy for part of our gift to my husband’s family, and you gave me so many ideas! Thank you SO much!
Great list! Some of these are family faves at our house too! Our current favorite is Exploding Kittens which is a crazy card game. It’s super easy to learn too!
I don’t know why but the name of that game made me giggle. And then I felt guilty.
I love the comments that make me actually laugh out loud! You are funny, Mel:) (thanks for all the great gift guides!!!!!!)
We just learned to play Hare and Tortoise! Great game for all ages! It will be under our tree this Christmas season. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M1WEU9M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_10&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Also, we so enjoy playing Takenoko. http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-TAK01USASM-Takenoko-Board-Game/dp/B0049H9NVW/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1447447118&sr=1-1&keywords=takenoko
Thank you for sharing your post. Love to learn what others enjoy during family time.
Thanks for sharing your favorites, Jenny!
I love your gift lists! The fact that they are “non-sponsored” makes them so much more credible than many of the other gift lists out there. We purchased Sleeping Queens last Christmas (per your recommendation) and it’s the best $10 I’ve ever spent. Thanks!
Yay!!! I’ve been waiting for this! We’re doing exchanges at thanksgiving and I had no ideas! This saved me big time! You’re the best!
add on..just looked at Snake Oil online- seems same idea as Apples! thanks Mel!
Is it possible for a post to be too helpful, LOL? I think I pinned just about everything to my Christmas gift idea board! I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations from this list (or off it) to attract a non-game-loving child. My daughter (13) and I really enjoy games. My husband is neutral, but will be a good sport and join in. But my 11-year-old son really doesn’t like most games (or so he says…I don’t think he’s exactly open minded about it at this point). I would really like to draw him in. The game he liked best in the past was the junior version of Apples to Oranges. He has tolerated Clue. That’s about it! I so wish I could find something that we could all enjoy. Thanks.
Hurrah for gift posts! I am checking out some of these today! I am also voting for you to get TICKET TO RIDE! Best.Game- we love it. Also got ‘Apples to Apples Junior’ this year and my 8 year old son and 11 year old daughter play with both age groups of friends and in mixed aged kids and are SICK from laughter. One person picks an adjective card from the deck (i.e. ‘cuddly’) and each player has to choose a card from their hand to convince the holder of the adjective card that their example is the ‘best’ example of the group to represent the chosen word. SO. Funny. My 8 year old was earnestly trying to convince his fried why his card (forklift) had ‘cuddly’ qualities why his other buddy was pushing hard for the ‘cuddly’ qualities of a loaf of bread. If the card holder picks your card as the best argument of the group- you win that round. Fab game! Off to look at yours on Amazon- thanks!!!!!!!!!
I agree, Rachel! We have Ticket to Ride and love it. It’s been a game staple for years around here. And my kids LOVE the apples to apples JR game (or wait, maybe we have the Disney version, I can’t remember). Both great recommendations. Thank you!
my Amazon wish list just got bigger!!!! I love all of these ideas, the other two games in my wish list (buy them used, new they are way too pricey) are Scrutineyes and Compatibility.
I have been hoping you would do your gift guide posts!! I love them!! You give the best suggestions and our family now enjoys many of the things you have recommended! Thank you and I can’t wait for the rest of them!!
Mel, this is ONE OF MY FAVORITE posts you do! THANK YOU!
We are big fans of Grandpa Beck’s games. If you haven’t tried “Scheming and Skulking” yet, you really need to. We play it even more than ‘Cover your Assets’ which we used to play all the time. =) (Shameless plug — of course, we love “S’Quarrels” card game which my husband created.) We have a ton of games from my husband’s days as a board/card game sales rep, but I will have to check out some of these (like the UFO game) that we haven’t played. Thank you for the recommendations!
Thanks for the other Grandpa Beck’s recommendation, Megan, and for the game your husband created!
Glad to see Bounce Off made your list. That has become my gift for the Christmas season. Target has them buy 2 get one free this week which means I got 3 for $21. That’s $7 each!! I even bought some to give for birthday party gifts throughout the year. Can’t beat it!
That’s a great deal! Love it when that happens.
The funny thing about today’s blog is on Tuesday a friend and I were going through old blog entries trying to find your one on games because we needed it for an activity. So…..today I have texted all my children to go to your blog because it is a gold mine of information. Thank you so much. This really is a treasure for game lovers like us.
Thanks for the suggestions. My husband and I love games and area slowly growing our collection. Thanks for the younger kid game ideas as our oldest is only four and she wants to get in on the gaming action.
Some other games you should look into are spinner-a twist on dominoes and lot more fun, we played this with my grandparents all the time growing up
Pandemic-work together to stop outbreaks from spreading across the world. Definitely for older age group but still fun.
Thanks for the recommendations, Katy!
We are a game-playing family, too. In fact, we are building a new house and added a game room! I was surprised how many of these I hadn’t head of but I was even more surprised by how many of them ended up in my Amazon order moments after I read this post!! Keep the lists coming.
You should definitely check out Mysterium – we are obsessed! It is a great one for “gamers” and “non-gamers” alike, it is a cooperative game, and a wide range of ages can join in. When you finish playing it, if you lose, it is nearly impossible to not start over immediately. What a great game!
Thanks, Gwen! I’ve heard of that one but we don’t have it yet. I love the cooperative games a lot.
oh Mel! Thanks for this list. Just a big fat thank-you and high fives. Every year we do a “family gift” for each of my husband’s sisters…. I’ve struggled the last couple years as the kids have got older (teenage) trying to find something a 4 year old and a 16 year old would like. I’m off to use my old fashioned telephone and order up a couple Battle of the UFO’s.
Haha, thanks Ellen! I know the whole phone thing is like “what??” but I promise it’s worth it. We love that game so much.
Love this! I can verify that Tenzi is a family favorite. We LOVE that and my kids are ages 10-17. We also love the Mastermind. We have the old original version and it has been played lots. Thanks for the other suggestion Mel! I need to start some Christmas shopping. That UFO game looks cool! Looking forward to your other lists! THANKS!
Just curious, how old are your kids? I could look at the games individually to see recommended ages, but thought this might be faster. 😉
Hi Tiffany – I have an 11-, 10-, 8-, 6- and 3-year old.
I LOVE your gift guides — thank you so much!
On the UFO tops, how do you launch them? Is it necessary to buy the UFO launcher add on’s? Can’t quite tell from the video how they are launching them. Thanks!
Hi Karin – we’ve used the game at my aunt’s house (I’m ordering one of my own for Christmas) but from what I understand, the game comes with the six tops and they have a string/dowel system that winds on and that’s how they are launched (all of that is included in the game). It’s very easy to figure out – you wind the string onto the top until it’s tight and then thread the dowel through your individual hole in the octagon-shaped board and then when you pull the dowel really fast, it releases the top into the arena.
Thanks Mel! I absolutely love love love when you do this!
Thanks for the recommendations! I love that we have a huge collection of games and yet they are totally different than yours. I have 3 to recommend to you: Telestrations is one of our favorite party games for adults and now our kids. Get the 12 player version because the bigger the group the better. We’ve laughed to tears many times at this one. My kids love Super Farmer and I love that it originated as a way to keep people entertained during World War II bomb raids. Dominion is awesome for adults and now my oldest is starting to play it. We’ve had more people buy that after playing it with us than any other game. It’s a card game and the strategy is different every time so it never gets old. Man, I would love to have a game night with you guys!
Oh my gosh, Mel – I totally bought telestrations last year after you raved about it on your family blog again and we LOVE it. I thought I had recommended it on a past game guide but if not, I totally should have put it on here because it is SUCH a favorite. (Talk about laughing the hardest I’ve ever laughed…) I’ve never heard of Super Farmer and you’re like the 50th person to say Dominion so I really feel like I’m missing out on that one. And seriously, can we just find a way to meet up and play games??
I’ve been waiting all year for this post too! Now I can start Christmas shopping! 🙂
My daughter and I were just talking about what games we should get for Christmas last night!! My kids are at that age where they just want money for Christmas so Christmas morning is anticlimactic around our house. I want to get some games so we have something to do. I totally forgot you have post your favorite games. I’ll have to go read through the comments as well!
I agree that having a game to open on Christmas morning is so fun – makes the day exciting! 🙂
Thanks! I picked out a couple to look for under the tree after santa comes 🙂
If you haven’t played Telestrations you have to try it! Fun for all ages, it is my 8-year-olds favorite, but we have also played it at an adult party with lots of laughs.
I forgot to include that one, but I agree, Jennifer – we love that game!
When I saw your post was about games, I was totally thinking I needed to comment and tell you about Cover Your Assets and Tenzi. I am so glad you already knew about them, though. My family LOVES both games. My 10-year old nephew is absolutely ruthless when we play Cover Your Assets. And as for Tenzi? My mom owns both the party pack and the four pack, and my sister and I each own a party pack as well so we can all play. The only limitation is having enough room around the table. 🙂
Woo hoo! Definitely putting a bunch of these on our lists this year. We still love our blue track you suggested last year. Can’t wait to see the rest of the guides!
If you could only choose one game to give to a family of 4 (parents and college students) what would it be??
I have 2 married couples and 2 more kids between the ages of 20-26 and we LOVE the Ticket to Ride games. Both the original and Europe versions. Original is a little more basic and the Europe version adds several twists for more challenge.
We love the Ticket to Ride games! My husband actually created a method (?)/rules (?) to play using both the US and Europe boards simultaneously. It gets pretty interesting!
Um, brilliant!!
Oh goodness, that’s hard, Andrea. I think Tenzis or the UFO game or Cover Your Assets.
I was just going to share Ticket to Ride as well 🙂
What I love about this game is you do not know who the winner is till the game is over. Easy to learn and very fun for all ages. Watch DiceTower by Tom Vassel, if you want to learn how many games are played. Nice way to review before purchasing.
We LOVE Rat a Tat Cat. It is card game and our five year old, eight year old and adults enjoy it! It is for 2-6 players.
Jodi – I agree! We played the Rat a Tat Cat at a friends house and loved it, too.
thanks Mel! I’m already getting those “pre Holiday jitters” wondering what to give four Grandkids…you just solved part of the problem! Can’t wait for your other gift guides!
Your gift guides are some of my all-time favorite posts! And that is saying a lot considering 4 or 5 meals a week come from you. Thank you!!
I seriously just moments ago bought a bunch of games for Christmas. Target is having a buy 2 get 1 free sale. Wish I’d seen this post first. Love your suggestions and have acquired some family favorites from your past posts.
I’m getting my sister’s family games for Christmas this year–thanks for the suggestions!
This is very useful – thank you!
I love love love your gift guides! I was just wondering the other day if you were going to put together another one for this year!
Spot It! is one of our favorites! For kids or adults!
Dominion is another favorite – strategy game more geared toward adults, but older kids could definitely get it.
Yes, we LOVE Spot It! Man, I think we’ve had that game for five years now. It’s great. I’ll have to look into Dominion!
Wait! You don’t have dominion?!? I thought it was the big hit with the Walker family last year. My mom gave it to all of us last year and I’m sure she learned about it from Jeanette or Marilyn. It’s a must! Also, have they taught you the “Game of Mountain Dew” (thats obviously a made up title by Layne)? You play it with 2 sets of Rook cards. It’s my kids favorite go to game!
That’s funny, Missy, I feel a little out of the loop (should I be offended I didn’t know)?? I clearly need to look into both of those games. 🙂
I love your game/gift guides. I get lots of ideas for everyone from them. Thank you! Splendor is a new favorite in these parts (my 3 year old plays too (with tons of help), which means there is rarely silence when we are trying to make out our choices!)
My oldest is only 3, so my family friendly game is definitely for the younger crowd, but we got Richard Scary’s Busy Busy Airport for his birthday and we have likely played it 100 times. He loves it. And, it is surprisingly enjoyable for adults as well.
For adults (the box says 14+, I would guess that a 12 year old could play it), we loved Robinson Crusoe. It’s a cooperative game (that usually kicks our trash) that is tons of fun. I love that it woks well as a 2 player game, but we’ve enjoyed it with up to 4.
KT – we have both the Richard Scarry games and I agree, they are fantastic! Thanks for reminding me about those. I’ll have to dig them out of the game closet! I haven’t heard of Robinson Crusoe but now I’m intrigued.
Love your gift guides! Thanks for sharing! I got some fun stuff last year for family members so I’m looking forward to your future lists. Also, love that you included some games for the really little ones. I have a 3 and 1 year-old and we love games that they can play with us!