Thank you, Mike! With 20 games to get through I tried to keep it short and sweet! And the pictures are almost all thanks to BoardGameGeek; I’m so glad people share so many pictures on there for me to sift through! 👍🏼
Excellent editing and style! Please make more of these lists! I know lists are a dime a dozen for board game channels but each one has its own take and personality. I'm very interested in your personal tastes in gaming.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I've got my top 100 games ranked but that was from back in August! Maybe I could update my list and do a "Top 50 Games of All Time" as my 50th video on this channel... but if I'm uploading one video a week, that won't be until this coming August! 😅 Maybe I'll do one before then! Plus I'd like to do a "Best 2-Player Games" sometime soon, too! Hope you'll stick around! I'd love to know about your personal taste in games, too!
I have yet to play El Dorado although it looks like a game that would be right up my alley! 🗺️ And I got a chance to play Karuba recently and really enjoyed it! So glad you have two games that you love! ☺️
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" Thank you for creating!
Splendor is such a fantastic game! I made a whole video reviewing it and while I did touch upon the expansion, I hardly ever get a chance to get it to the table because everyone always just wants to play the base game! 😅 I do enjoy some of the modules, though!
Thank you so much-I really appreciate that! ☺️ I made a whole video about my love for Stone Age if you're interested; you can check it out here: ruclips.net/video/H0vgJ6nfo_c/видео.html! 🛖 Thank you again for your comment!
Absolutely love the list, however I will say two other games my family absolutely LOVES. We love Wingspan, and also Dice Forge. I saw your comment about Wingspan, I can see what you're saying about it being a bit heavier, but I still think it should fall under family games, and it would be my #1. Dice Forge is one that my family and I were just recently introduced to, and oh my goodness, like my 8 year old instantly took a very strong liking to that game. Between the Azul games, our favorite is Summer Pavilion, and our least favorite Azul is Stained Glass. From everything I've heard about the upcoming Queens Garden, it's probably going to be a bit too heavy for my family
Hey there, Tony! Thank you so much for your comment! I agree that Wingspan and Dice Forge are both awesome recommendations, and BGG does have them both ranked as family games! As much as I enjoy Wingspan (it's been in my collection since June 2019), I do find it a bit tricky to learn for people newer to the hobby, and this video should really be called my top 20 *most recommended* family games, not my top 20 *favorite* family games... otherwise Wingspan would be on it! Dice Forge is one that I've only ever played on Board Game Arena, but that's a fun one, too! So glad your eight-year-old is liking that one so much! That's really awesome! ☺ I think I'd have to pick Summer Pavilion as my favorite Azul too, although for me, Stained Glass of Sintra comes in at a very close second! What don't you like about that one? You might be right about Queen's Garden... seems like they really bumped up the complexity with that one! It seems like it's on a different level than the previous three Azuls for sure!
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" Thank you for creating!
Wow, thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate you taking the time to share such kind words! ☺️ Do you have any of your own “best family game” recommendations?
My four-year-old loves Kingdomino right now. Stone Age is indeed an odd pick for family games. You're right that it's not that hard to teach, and even though there are simpler similar games out there (The River), families may enjoy the dice rolling element.
Kingdomino is so much fun! So glad you’ve got your four-year-old playing it, too! That’s a game I wouldn’t mind playing over and over despite its simplicity! (I hope you let your kid win from time to time?) 👑 And my brother thought Stone Age was a curious choice too, but it really depends on your definition of a “family game”. In my defense, the top three family games on BGG are Wingspan, Everdell, and Lost Ruins of Arnak, which I would argue are all harder to teach than Stone Age (which came in 19th)!
@@BoardGameDave Whaaaat? Those are not family games, except maybe in theme. One sleeper on my top 10 would be Dream Home. Definitely designed as a family game, so it's lighter than most stuff we play, but enough variance to keep it interesting.
@@DaleKeefer Haha, my thoughts exactly! But you can see why, after seeing the BGG family game rankings, I figured Stone Age would count! I think a whole separate list would be appropriate for "games to play with young kids", which is probably more what most people have in mind when they hear "family games". I just watched the 3 Minute Board Games review of "Dream Home" just to brush up on how that game plays. That actually does look pretty fun! I'm sure younger kids would really have a blast with it! (I think I would too, actually... gives me the same vibe as building mode in the Sims!)
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" ❤😊 Thank you for creating!
Awesome list. Many of these are already in my collection! But Incan Gold and Century Golem are solid recs. Onitama might be a great gift for my chess-loving Dad.
So happy I was able to introduce you to some new titles! (Incan Gold and Century: Golem Edition are both amazing family games!) And everyone I’ve shown Onitama to has really enjoyed it! I would bet that your dad would like it, too! 👍🏼
I’m SO looking forward to playing several of these games with my family this year when I go home for the Holidays 🥰. Especially The Mind! That one encourages lots of giggles 😝.
They’re all perfect games for the holidays! I hope we get to play many of these together, too! 🥰 And The Mind is a very giggly game… let’s make sure we play with Kylie when we get a chance!
That’s a really good point and a great reminder to be appreciate to have a family who will play board games with me… even if they only ever want to play Splendor! I’m sorry if that’s not the case for you, though! (I found that using social media was a great way to connect with other people in the area who love board games, though!) Stone Age is awesome, right? So glad you enjoy that game, too! 🛖
@@BoardGameDave I got 408 games now and around 35 expansions... over 200 unplayed still. We played Dobble (it got mini-games) with 3-players (my core family) this evening. Luckily it was a hit.
@@diamondmeeple Wow, that’s a lot of games! I really hope you get a chance to get a lot of those unplayed games to the table next year! Gotta chip away at the ol’ “shelf of opportunity”, as they say! (I’ve played Dobble! We were just talking about the Harry Potter version last night! That’s a fun one!)
My wife and all three kids love hours of board games. Its all about what you allow them to do. If you dont let your kids cram a phone or tv in their faces all day, they find fun things to do instead. Mr. Miyagi say, "no such thing as bad student. Only bad teacher."
Very nice work, I hope you keep posting and you'll grow in no time! There aren't many channels with this quality of videos, editing, content etc. and you have a great personality :)
@@BoardGameDave Social deduction and dexterity games :) they are usualy the most fun to play for me. Especially with dexterity it can get very creative with materials (see Nekojima - wood, ropes and tiny cardboard cats)
I’ve never played with either of the expansions! I’ll have to give the Herb Witches a try sometime! 🧙🏻♀️ Thanks for the comment and the recommendation, Jojo!
Great video!! Keep doing what you’re doing! The wife and I are experienced board gamers and your list is spot on! We haven’t played Stone Age though. We’ll be picking it up soon!!
Thank you for checking out the video and for your comment! Stone Age is such a great game, but it can be a little hard to find! Good luck! 🛖 (It is on BGA, for what it's worth!) 💻
Thanks for checking out the video and for your comment! I'm so glad you found some friends to play card and board games with! ☺️ What game do you think you'll dive into first?
This was a fantastic list of games! My family love playing the mind along with Sushi Go Party. I hope you have a great holiday season with the family Dave 😄
Thank you so much, Rich! The Mind is a newer addition to my family’s repertoire of games but my dad really enjoys it! I wish we played Sushi Go more; that’s such a great one! I hope you have a wonderful holiday as well, man! Thank you for the comment! ☺️
Thank you for the comment, Dani! BGA is perfect for when you’re not looking to buy any new games, and it’s also great for trying a game before you buy it! So glad this video was able to give you some new ideas for ways to connect with your kids! (Hope you are getting/got together with your family for the holidays?) ☺️
Hi there, Amy! A “Best Games for Two Players/Couples” is definitely on the horizon! That’s maybe the most-asked query in the board game groups that I’m in on Facebook and I’ve got plenty of recommendations! 👫 (Which friend Dave are we talking about here? I’m so sorry; I know a lot of Davids and I don’t think I recognize you from your profile pic!)
Wow! Wise Wizard Games! Thank you so much for checking out this video! 🧙🏻♂️ (Star Realms just barely missed this list but it’s one of the most-played games in my collection and I raved about it in my small-box games video!) The Mind and Codenames are so much fun! I prefer Pictures, but all of the Codenames games are fantastic! ☺️
Cool, it's Friday... still got the whole weekend ahead! Woo-hoo! I was waiting for that third explosion! Took a short while, but worth it. Needed just one more to finish off your gag reel.
It’s Sunday, Patrick! 📆 I changed up my upload schedule; it’ll be Sunday mornings for the foreseeable future! (And I was really trying to stay consistent for the ol’ Al Gore Rhythm, too!) 🤣
(I did get a bit carried away with that explosion effect! It’s from Minecraft and I just found it really funny… but you’re right, it would have been funnier if I would have ended the bloopers with that effect!) 💥
Just looked up to buy Stone Age in Ireland…. Looks like I’ll be waiting for my next US holiday to buy it and bring it home with me. It’s almost 200 to buy it anywhere in Europe
It is (or at least was) very expensive, you’re right! I didn’t realize that it’s an out-of-print game at this point! 🛖 Did you check prices for the anniversary edition?
Catan’s such a great one, too! One of the first “modern” board games I ever played, although it’s 29 years old at this point! Thank you for the extra recommendation! ☺️
Thank you, Randall! I appreciate the comment, especially about the hard work! Making these videos always takes more time than I think they will but I hope all that effort is evident in the final product! 👍🏼
Glad you found the video helpful, Frank! In my opinion, any of these would be great choices for your family! But it all depends on what kind of games/what themes you like, too! 👍🏼
I was just talking to a new friend at a wedding last night about how great Ticket to Ride is for new gamers! I gifted that game to my dad last Christmas and he really enjoys playing it with us kids! 🚂
Thank you, Lily! Sounds like we’ve got a similar taste in games! I love the Azul games and I can’t wait to give Queen’s Garden a try! Do you have any of the Azul expansions?
@@twinkle04evr I don’t either! I was just curious if you did; they just don’t seem to add enough to the game to warrant buying them in my opinion! I was actually at a board game café in Philly that had a copy of Queen’s Garden in their library but we didn’t have enough time to learn/play it! 😭
@@twinkle04evr Sounds like we have similar mindsets when it comes to getting rid of old games to make space for new ones! Although I find it tremendously difficult to part with any of my games! Hopefully Queen's Garden will be available for purchase soon; I'm always so jealous when I see other people playing it already!
I’m so excited to hear that, Luminya! Thank you for checking out the video! I’d love to know if you end up getting any of the games I suggested in this video! ☺️
@@BoardGameDave I am in the process of teaching my 20 month old grandson French. So he is a bit young for these particular games but your video gives me excellent ideas to bounce off my 2 sons. They are big board gamers and I like to discuss your ideas with them. Actually sometimes I am the one who finds the interesting games because they are so busy with work. So now my focus is French. I take the most interesting children's games I can find (if I can't find a French alternative) and I translate them to teach them to my grandson in French. Your video gives me ideas so that I know eventually which direction my grandson will take so that I can support and expand his interests. I am so grateful to ppl like you who take the time to explain these games and give us your reaction to them.
@@luminyam6145 Wow! Thank you so much for the comment and for giving me a small glimpse into your family! That is really great that you’re teaching your grandson French (I’m assuming as a second language)! It’s such a wonderful thing to be bilingual; something that you appreciate more as you get older! It’s nice that your two sons are big board gamers, too! What kinds of games are they into? It’s awesome that you get to be the one to check out new games for them and I’m glad I can be helpful in introducing you to some of the best games that I know of! I really appreciated you taking the time to leave that comment! Hope you had a wonderful holiday! ☺️
Another GREAT video!!! GREAT recommendations!! I own ALL of them except for King Domino, Century Golem, Quacks, Incan Gold and Stone Age. But Century Golem, Quacks and Incan Gold have been on my wishlist for a while 😊😊. I’ll have to look some more into Stone Age as it’s your number one 😊😊. Another game my kids really LOVE is QUARRIORS!! It’s an oldie but goodie!! Lots of Dice chucking and dice drafting 😊😊 Silver Bullet/Coin is another one they always want to bring to the table 😊😊
Thank you for your comment, Bridget! Sounds like you've got a pretty fantastic family game collection! 😊 I didn't realize when I made this video that Stone Age is actually a little hard to find right now, but if you can get a hold of a copy it's absolutely worth it! (I'll be making my Stone Age review video very soon!) 🛖 I don't think I've ever heard of Quarriors or Silver Bullet/Coin! I'll have to check those out; thanks for the recommendations!
@@BoardGameDave Thanks Dave!! 😊 As I type this my son and husband are at the Table playing “Hero Realms” - you should check that one out too 😊- it’s a nice fantasy themed Deck builder. (Just like Star Realms just a different theme). Looking forward to your Stone Age video 😊😊
@@bridgetmartin4269 That is so sweet! I actually played that for the first time at PAX Unplugged this past year! I really enjoy Star Realms and it's maybe my favorite go-to small box game! (Star Realms: Frontiers plays up to four players and has a great solo mode!) I hope you're planning on playing a game with your husband and son after they're done with their game? 😊
@@BoardGameDave Star Realms/ Hero Realms packs a lot in such a small package 😊 Glad you like it too! We try and plan family board game time on the weekends so it’s definitely on the agenda 😊. And as a result of watching more you tube game videos today another family game is on my Radar: “Cubitos” - have you heard of it or played it? It reminds me of Quarriors (they game I mentioned before) but instead of fighting with dice you are trying to win a race - looks pretty neat! 😊 Another one added to my never ending game wishlist 😊
@@bridgetmartin4269 It really does! 🚀 And yes, I actually just played Cubitos last month! It was a little bit too luck-heavy for me but as a family game I could see that really being a ton of fun! (I also chose to go backwards on the track one time so perhaps I shouldn't blame luck for that one!) 😂
Thank you so much, Jonathan! And that's a big question... and hopefully the topic of a future video (or video series) down the road! ☺️ I did review every game I own/have ever owned recently though, so that should give you an idea of some of my favorite games! ruclips.net/video/zAy2czhRfV0/видео.html
So we just pulled out Clue again labor day weekend lol. That is about the level my parents want to stay at. So I either play Qwixx, Clue or Risk with them , or I play Mage Knight, Castles of Mad King Ludwig and the rest of my collection I've accumulated during covid, by myself. So I mostly play & back games with a solo mode for that reason. Can't wait to get my hands on Oros and Nightmare Cathedral also.
Hey there, Nick! Thank you for the comment! I totally feel you about parents being reluctant to learn newer (and I think objectively better) board games! My parents were like that for a while but I've had a ton of success teaching my family Splendor (my dad and sister are obsessed) and I've taught them some lighter games like Incan Gold and Strike that they enjoy, too! 😊 I also enjoy solo gaming and actually just posted a video of some of my favorite solo games I played this summer an hour ago! (I've heard lots of good things about Mage Knight but that is a REALLY heavy game!)
Hi Dave, wow you weren’t kidding that this video snagged a lot of views! Congrats and it was a great video! Hope you remember me from before. I’m slowing building up my channel. You’ll notice that I finally have a logo. Looking forward to your future videos!
Of course I remember you, Penny! Great logo, by the way! ☺️ Yeah, I guess the algorithm really liked this one! (Although it’s no secret that top 10-type lists typically do very well on RUclips!) Thank you for checking it out! I’m excited to see what you do with your channel and I just subscribed so I don’t miss your first video! Good luck!
@@RelocateMeGermany Wow! All fantastic choices! ☺️ The last time I was in Germany I wasn’t as “into” board games as I am now; next time I’ll have to make sure I take time to appreciate being in the Mecca of board games! 🇩🇪
5:47 & 6:01 😂. Yeah Quacks of Quedlinburg is dope. Good for 4 max, pretty relaxing. I agree Patchwork is really chill too to the point I want both Halloween and Christmas versions purchased, lol. Nice that Sagrada is getting more attention too, that game is pretty underrated. And of course Azul is addictively classic. All the rest are pretty mild or easy to teach, glad I had more ideas to pull in my family members 😅.
You liked the Minecraft explosions! 😂 Quacks is relaxing except for the whole bomb-defusing-squad-level tension of pulling those cherry bombs out of your bag! 💥 I didn't realize there were so many versions of Patchwork until I was at my FLGS recently! It is tempting to buy more than just the one! And I love both Sagrada and Azul (in all its forms) and you're right; I see much more Azul on social media than Sagrada! Maybe Sagrada is due for some sequels! Thanks for the comment and I'm glad I was able to give you some new potential games to try out with your family!
@@BoardGameDave that's nice, btw I found your channel from Monique and Naveen of Before You Play. Glad I subscribed 🤗. Wishing for your channel to continue to grow bigger, keep it up.
Thank you, Gary! I’ve played both Wingspan and Parks and they’re both really beautiful and fun games! Wingspan’s the only one in my collection, though! They were both contenders for this list for sure… although I think when you’re teaching Wingspan to new players you realize that it’s a bit more complex than it feels once you’ve played it a few times! If nothing else, it’s certainly on the heavier side of the “family” genre!
I donk't know if you tried, but you could one of my best family games (as our list are quite simiallar): - Dream Home; - Monster Mansion. For me great family games.
Thank you for the recommendations! Dream Home seems like a lot of fun and it’s one I’ve definitely wanted to try! 🏠 I’ve never heard of Monster Mansion but it looks like fun! (I like the skull tokens!) 💀
POV: your kid is turning 7 and you’re tired of 1) playing Candyland and 2) trying to wrangle the pieces back into the Mousetrap box 😢 Me: There’s got to be more family friendly games for 7 year olds that are actually fun for everyone!!!
Hey there, Melissa! Seems like you've come to the right place! Thank you for being here! ☺️ So glad you found this video! My friend Jesse and I just filmed a video where we went over each of our Top 10 light-weight/gateway games as well so if you want 20 more recommendations you can check that video out, too! ruclips.net/video/C46QFtj1EP4/видео.html
My 7 year old (now 8) likes to play Lattice Hawaii, and it’s not boring like most young child games. The rules are fairly easy and it’s a very colorful and only lasts 20 ish minutes
The Crew is definitely a lot of fun! I need to get that game out again! 👨🏻🚀 Tak, on the other hand, I know nothing about! It looks super intriguing just from the pictures I’m seeing online, though! ♟️
I don't know too much about "The Game" but I just skimmed through the Watch It Played video and it seems very similar! What makes it so much better? ☺️
It’s so much fun with the right group of people! (Case in point: my mom really didn’t care for it at all! I think she didn’t understand why we’d play a cooperative game where one person doesn’t win!) 🤣
Hey there! I've been intrigued by Mosaic since I first heard about it; I love a good civilization game! Mosaic is especially interesting/appealing because it fits in this family-weight category which is really cool for a civilization game! I don't own a copy (and I'm not sure if anyone in my main gaming group backed it) so it might not get reviewed for a while but it's one I would definitely want to play! 🏛️
@@BoardGameDave NO. My game is JUST called MOSAIC. It is NOT that story of civilization game. Mosaic: Story of civilization is the entire title. My game's title is ONLY Mosaic. My game is tiles only (like dominoes). Unlike that other game there is no physical board.
Hahaha!! That's totally fair!! 🤣 If you're interested, Quackalope made a video of 7 games you can play while drinking-that might be more up your alley, maybe!! ruclips.net/video/DxxzZlLarhg/видео.html
I do like both of those games a lot! I actually talked about Alhambra in this video: ruclips.net/video/FzeJzEJRmAc/видео.htmlsi=AdgT-QtF88N-fJcl! Thank you for the recommendations! ☺️
Haven’t played Land Vs. Sea, but have Cascadia. Curious to hear if you’ve played both. I hear some say they only need one not the other. Another addition would be Karuba. I like it a lot. My wife hates it. Either way, solid family weight game.
@@oneysnyder2116 Thank you so much for your comments, Oney! I actually still haven't played Land vs. Sea but I've played Cascadia a couple of times and I enjoy it! (My girlfriend just played that one for the first time last weekend and really liked it!) Karuba looks like a lot of fun! Why does your wife hate it? 😂
@@oneysnyder2116 Yeah, that's understandable. I can see how it could be hard to look forward to playing a game when you're pretty sure you're going to lose! Glad to hear that she wins most games, though! 😊
My son is 7 and has loved Catan Jr, but is ready to move onto something more complex. Do you think My First Stone Age would be a good choice, rather than moving up to Catan or Stone Age?
Hey there, Bethany! Thank you for your comment! So I've actually played My First Stone Age: The Card Game with my nieces and while that's a little different than the game you're talking about, they're rated for ages 4+ and 5+ respectively. With that being said, if your son is a "gamer" and enjoys Catan Jr., I'd bet he'd be ready for Catan! Then I think Stone Age would just be one more small step from there! 😊 Hope that helps!
@@BoardGameDave My top ten that are not mentioned in this video would be Catan, Spirit Island, Pandemic, Citadels, Forest of Fate (not very famous and spoken about but great), Jaipur, The Crew, Tortuga 1667, Here to Slay, Forbidden Island.
@@MalekElMorabit Fantastic recommendations! Thank you for sharing! (I've played 6/10 of the ones you listed-Catan being my entry into more modern games, I would say!) ☺
Um. Lots of Asian games. You Japanese bro? Haha. I kept waiting to see if Stone Age was going to make an appearance. Wow first place?? Kinda biased huh? :) Did you consider difficulty for first time players? I would have thought a game like splendor seems less complex and shorter? I know Incan Gold is always an easy fun classic too for family fun time. I thought that would have been rated higher. Good quality vid. How about connect four? Is that a board game??? How about the penny game? Scat???
Only four Japanese-adjacent games! 🇯🇵 And that’s the great thing about having your own RUclips channel… I get to put the games in whatever order I want! 🤣 I did consider the complexity of the games, although that’s not what the rankings were based on! I think all of these games would make great gateway/intro games, although you’re right that Stone Age might be a step up from the others! As for Connect Four and Scat, I think at least the first would be considered a board game but I’m more trying to focus on more modern “designer” games!
@@BoardGameDave I don't often play with my family because we don't all have the same taste in games or the same free time. I played a lot of UNO, Yahtzee, and War with Dad as a kid. We had LIFE, Boggle, UNO and Scrabble when we went camping. I'm not sure how many of the games I own would be called family games, so I'm not sure which is my favorite.
Those are two more fantastic recommendations! I am a HUGE fan of Dominion (it was one of the earliest modern games I ever played) and Space Base is a lot of fun, too! I opted for Machi Koro over Space Base for this video for the simplicity, but between the two of them I would rather play Space Base! I heard recently that Machi Koro 2 is actually a big improvement which makes the game more similar to Space Base... I've got to check that out! 🎲
If you’re looking for some newer family game recommendations, I just uploaded my top 10 new family games here: ruclips.net/video/XuYzy-s7W5k/видео.html 🎁
Thanks for the comment! Those are great games and I’ve played both! TCGCP gets pretty rowdy every time I play it! And last time I played Throw Throw Burrito, my friend Josh tipped a folding table onto my bare foot, so… pretty intense game! (We were all playing outside and chasing each other around with burritos!) 🌯
I think card drafting is an interesting mechanism to a lot of people and this is probably the first card drafting game many people play! Plus it’s fairly easy to learn and has a fun theme! 🍣
These games are like for hipsters and very Asian themed. Hardly fun family games that are campy and old school, which most people clicking this video were probably anticipating
I think they're all extremely fun family games and I much prefer these games to the majority of "old school" games you might be thinking of for a variety of reasons! (This is a great video essay describing how games have evolved in recent decades if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/AhaylQfzCmo/видео.html)
Thank you for your comment, Dennis! Yeah, “family game” is definitely a very loosely-defined term in the hobby! Most of these would work with older kids who are familiar with at least one or two modern board games, I would think! But every game is specific to the ages, experience levels, and preferences of the players! I hope there were at least one or two games that you thought were helpful recommendations, though! ☺️
You are absolutely right! I’m sorry to have claimed that all of these games are currently available to buy… I’m wondering if people looking for the game would have better luck checking out their local game stores? I hope they do another printing soon; that’s too good of a game to be out of stock everywhere!
Stone Age is available on Board Game Arena (BGA) and we played it many times during height of the pandemic. I enjoy it so much I was tempted to purchase the game. Guess I will need to wait to see if it reprinted at some point. Yes, similar to Catan.
It’s definitely worth having a physical copy, especially if you enjoy it that much! You might be able to find a used copy online; I’m sure there are some out there! Hopefully they won’t be too expensive! 🛖
That's a really tricky question! I did a little looking online and it looks like people recommend Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition as a game that can play up to (apparently) 68 players! Beyond that, I would think you'd want to try some team games? Or maybe try a roll-and-write-style game-many of those can accommodate a very large number of players! (Cartographers for example boasts a 1-100 player count!) 🗺️
For the longest time I liked Stained Glass of Sintra the best but now that I've started playing Summer Pavilion more, I think that might be my #1 Azul! I still really enjoy Stained Glass and even the base game is a lot of fun, but there's something about SP that's really satisfying... probably those decorations that let you pull more tiles from the central board! There's still Queen's Garden that I haven't had a chance to play yet... that could definitely become my favorite Azul! Who knows? Which one's your favorite? ☺
@@BoardGameDave I don’t have any Azul game actually. But if I were to get one, it would probably be Summer Pavilion, since I heard that Stained Glass is the most complex & 2 friends have original Azul.
@@fightingkitchen7960 I would say Summer Pavilion and Stained Glass are equally complex but Summer Pavilion stays truer to the original Azul so it's probably easier to learn! There are the wild colors that change each round so that can be a bit tricky to remember, but otherwise it's not much more complex than the original Azul. I've been thinking about doing a "which Azul should I buy?" video but I feel like a lot of other channels have already covered the various Azuls!
That’s true! This was one of my earliest videos and I wasn’t using B-roll in my videos the way I do now! If you check out my most recent video (of 10 more great family games) I show a lot more of the games and less of my face! ☺️
This also just feel extremely forced and like you're reading the blib off the back of the board game. "Quacks of Luxemborgburger is extremely fun experience whether you're winning or losing... for the whole family, rated PG, for ages 3+" Like dude, what
This was a pretty early video on the channel so I might not have been terribly comfortable in front of the camera yet! (That might have been my first time using this home-made teleprompter thing I made so that might have been part of it, too!) And yeah, "Quacks of Quedlinburg" is a pretty bizarre name-I'm right with you there! 😅
What in the F are these random weird games. Your top 20 games doesn't include Uno? Or Checkers? Like come on, at least title your video appropriately if all you're gonna be doing is talking about random niche crap
Well, I suppose this is a subjective list of my favorite board games for the family! (And Uno and Checkers obviously aren't on that list!) I think my video is titled appropriately and these games actually are pretty well-known within the board game hobby! I assume you clicked on the video because you wanted to learn about some other games you might not know of? Mission accomplished! ☺️
This comment is unnecessarily harsh, why would you talk to a stranger this way? Especially one who is super kind and puts out great content. Content that gets 100k+ views and that almost 4k subscribers enjoy to view and therefore would disagree with your comment @StealthyDead
Great pacing. You keep it moving and have some good shots of the games.
Thank you, Mike! With 20 games to get through I tried to keep it short and sweet! And the pictures are almost all thanks to BoardGameGeek; I’m so glad people share so many pictures on there for me to sift through! 👍🏼
Excellent editing and style! Please make more of these lists! I know lists are a dime a dozen for board game channels but each one has its own take and personality. I'm very interested in your personal tastes in gaming.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I've got my top 100 games ranked but that was from back in August! Maybe I could update my list and do a "Top 50 Games of All Time" as my 50th video on this channel... but if I'm uploading one video a week, that won't be until this coming August! 😅 Maybe I'll do one before then! Plus I'd like to do a "Best 2-Player Games" sometime soon, too! Hope you'll stick around! I'd love to know about your personal taste in games, too!
My two favorite games are Karuba and El Dorado. We're senior citizens and love them.
I have yet to play El Dorado although it looks like a game that would be right up my alley! 🗺️ And I got a chance to play Karuba recently and really enjoyed it! So glad you have two games that you love! ☺️
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" Thank you for creating!
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I really appreciate it! ☺️ I hope you found these recommendations helpful!
Splendor is a beast! And it has expansions pack with 4 additional game modes in it!
Splendor is such a fantastic game! I made a whole video reviewing it and while I did touch upon the expansion, I hardly ever get a chance to get it to the table because everyone always just wants to play the base game! 😅 I do enjoy some of the modules, though!
Great personality…your love of board games is contagious 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jeff! I really appreciate that! ☺️
Great personality…your love of board games is contagious
Thank you so much! ☺️
Great choices, but you made a fan out of me for having Stone Age at #1. Fantastic choices and great presentation.
Thank you so much-I really appreciate that! ☺️ I made a whole video about my love for Stone Age if you're interested; you can check it out here: ruclips.net/video/H0vgJ6nfo_c/видео.html! 🛖 Thank you again for your comment!
Absolutely love the list, however I will say two other games my family absolutely LOVES. We love Wingspan, and also Dice Forge. I saw your comment about Wingspan, I can see what you're saying about it being a bit heavier, but I still think it should fall under family games, and it would be my #1. Dice Forge is one that my family and I were just recently introduced to, and oh my goodness, like my 8 year old instantly took a very strong liking to that game. Between the Azul games, our favorite is Summer Pavilion, and our least favorite Azul is Stained Glass. From everything I've heard about the upcoming Queens Garden, it's probably going to be a bit too heavy for my family
Hey there, Tony! Thank you so much for your comment! I agree that Wingspan and Dice Forge are both awesome recommendations, and BGG does have them both ranked as family games! As much as I enjoy Wingspan (it's been in my collection since June 2019), I do find it a bit tricky to learn for people newer to the hobby, and this video should really be called my top 20 *most recommended* family games, not my top 20 *favorite* family games... otherwise Wingspan would be on it! Dice Forge is one that I've only ever played on Board Game Arena, but that's a fun one, too! So glad your eight-year-old is liking that one so much! That's really awesome! ☺
I think I'd have to pick Summer Pavilion as my favorite Azul too, although for me, Stained Glass of Sintra comes in at a very close second! What don't you like about that one? You might be right about Queen's Garden... seems like they really bumped up the complexity with that one! It seems like it's on a different level than the previous three Azuls for sure!
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" Thank you for creating!
Wow, thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate you taking the time to share such kind words! ☺️ Do you have any of your own “best family game” recommendations?
This has been the best top games review I've found on RUclips. Thank you
Thank you so much for the comment! I really appreciate it! ☺️
My four-year-old loves Kingdomino right now. Stone Age is indeed an odd pick for family games. You're right that it's not that hard to teach, and even though there are simpler similar games out there (The River), families may enjoy the dice rolling element.
Kingdomino is so much fun! So glad you’ve got your four-year-old playing it, too! That’s a game I wouldn’t mind playing over and over despite its simplicity! (I hope you let your kid win from time to time?) 👑 And my brother thought Stone Age was a curious choice too, but it really depends on your definition of a “family game”. In my defense, the top three family games on BGG are Wingspan, Everdell, and Lost Ruins of Arnak, which I would argue are all harder to teach than Stone Age (which came in 19th)!
@@BoardGameDave Whaaaat? Those are not family games, except maybe in theme. One sleeper on my top 10 would be Dream Home. Definitely designed as a family game, so it's lighter than most stuff we play, but enough variance to keep it interesting.
@@DaleKeefer Haha, my thoughts exactly! But you can see why, after seeing the BGG family game rankings, I figured Stone Age would count! I think a whole separate list would be appropriate for "games to play with young kids", which is probably more what most people have in mind when they hear "family games".
I just watched the 3 Minute Board Games review of "Dream Home" just to brush up on how that game plays. That actually does look pretty fun! I'm sure younger kids would really have a blast with it! (I think I would too, actually... gives me the same vibe as building mode in the Sims!)
Instantly subscribed after seeing this video. Your enthusiasm for games is contagious. The video length and descriptions were all perfect. Awesome ideas for my own "boardgaming family" ❤😊 Thank you for creating!
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Kirsten! I really appreciate it! ☺️ I hope you found these recommendations helpful!
Awesome list. Many of these are already in my collection! But Incan Gold and Century Golem are solid recs. Onitama might be a great gift for my chess-loving Dad.
So happy I was able to introduce you to some new titles! (Incan Gold and Century: Golem Edition are both amazing family games!) And everyone I’ve shown Onitama to has really enjoyed it! I would bet that your dad would like it, too! 👍🏼
One of my favourite games I've ever played is bang! Always such a blast. The more players the more fun the game is.
Bang is a lot of fun! 🤠 I had a gaming group that used to play that all the time! I’ve got Bang: The Dice Game in my collection! 🎲
I’m SO looking forward to playing several of these games with my family this year when I go home for the Holidays 🥰. Especially The Mind! That one encourages lots of giggles 😝.
They’re all perfect games for the holidays! I hope we get to play many of these together, too! 🥰 And The Mind is a very giggly game… let’s make sure we play with Kylie when we get a chance!
Love his personally and energy! Thanks
Thank you, Ashley! I hope the list helped! 📜
Family.... how many are lucky enough to get a whole family who love hours of games :-(
I agree that Stone Age is a great game. It is such a great mix.
That’s a really good point and a great reminder to be appreciate to have a family who will play board games with me… even if they only ever want to play Splendor! I’m sorry if that’s not the case for you, though! (I found that using social media was a great way to connect with other people in the area who love board games, though!)
Stone Age is awesome, right? So glad you enjoy that game, too! 🛖
@@BoardGameDave I got 408 games now and around 35 expansions... over 200 unplayed still.
We played Dobble (it got mini-games) with 3-players (my core family) this evening. Luckily it was a hit.
@@diamondmeeple Wow, that’s a lot of games! I really hope you get a chance to get a lot of those unplayed games to the table next year! Gotta chip away at the ol’ “shelf of opportunity”, as they say! (I’ve played Dobble! We were just talking about the Harry Potter version last night! That’s a fun one!)
My wife and all three kids love hours of board games. Its all about what you allow them to do. If you dont let your kids cram a phone or tv in their faces all day, they find fun things to do instead. Mr. Miyagi say, "no such thing as bad student. Only bad teacher."
Very nice work, I hope you keep posting and you'll grow in no time! There aren't many channels with this quality of videos, editing, content etc. and you have a great personality :)
Thank you so much for the comment-that really means a lot! ☺️ I'm glad you stumbled across my channel! What kind of board games do you like?
@@BoardGameDave Social deduction and dexterity games :) they are usualy the most fun to play for me. Especially with dexterity it can get very creative with materials (see Nekojima - wood, ropes and tiny cardboard cats)
I love Quacks of Quedlinburg. The witch expansion adds more fun to it with extra items to buy
I’ve never played with either of the expansions! I’ll have to give the Herb Witches a try sometime! 🧙🏻♀️ Thanks for the comment and the recommendation, Jojo!
Great video!! Keep doing what you’re doing! The wife and I are experienced board gamers and your list is spot on! We haven’t played Stone Age though. We’ll be picking it up soon!!
Thank you for checking out the video and for your comment! Stone Age is such a great game, but it can be a little hard to find! Good luck! 🛖 (It is on BGA, for what it's worth!) 💻
Holy quack! That cherry bomb boom scared me!
Haha, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you… but I gotta do something to keep the video interesting! 🤣
@@BoardGameDave and it does the job! Keep up the good work!
@@mihastupar Thank you, Miha! ☺️
Great reviews. I just found some friends who like to play board and card games, so we're looking for some new ones. Thanks!
Thanks for checking out the video and for your comment! I'm so glad you found some friends to play card and board games with! ☺️ What game do you think you'll dive into first?
This was a fantastic list of games! My family love playing the mind along with Sushi Go Party. I hope you have a great holiday season with the family Dave 😄
Thank you so much, Rich! The Mind is a newer addition to my family’s repertoire of games but my dad really enjoys it! I wish we played Sushi Go more; that’s such a great one!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday as well, man! Thank you for the comment! ☺️
great list, The Mind and Codenames (regular not pictures) are two of our favorite games.
We like The Mind so much! I also really enjoy regular Codenames although I think I prefer Codenames: Pictures by just a little bit! ☺️
Good list. We are always trying to find good family games that our kids will enjoy.
Thank you so much for your comment! I hope this video was able to give you and your family some “next games” to check out and play! 😊
Nice list!
Thank you, Diego!! ☺️
Thanks for the list! I'm not in game-buying mode, but I found a few suggestions for games I can play on BGA with my far-flung kids.
Thank you for the comment, Dani! BGA is perfect for when you’re not looking to buy any new games, and it’s also great for trying a game before you buy it! So glad this video was able to give you some new ideas for ways to connect with your kids! (Hope you are getting/got together with your family for the holidays?) ☺️
Hi Dave! I'd love to see a video of you ranking your top 2 player/couple games! (For me and your friend dave to play!)
Hi there, Amy! A “Best Games for Two Players/Couples” is definitely on the horizon! That’s maybe the most-asked query in the board game groups that I’m in on Facebook and I’ve got plenty of recommendations! 👫 (Which friend Dave are we talking about here? I’m so sorry; I know a lot of Davids and I don’t think I recognize you from your profile pic!)
great list, The Mind and Codenames (regular not pictures) are two of our favorite games.
Wow! Wise Wizard Games! Thank you so much for checking out this video! 🧙🏻♂️ (Star Realms just barely missed this list but it’s one of the most-played games in my collection and I raved about it in my small-box games video!) The Mind and Codenames are so much fun! I prefer Pictures, but all of the Codenames games are fantastic! ☺️
Cool, it's Friday... still got the whole weekend ahead! Woo-hoo! I was waiting for that third explosion! Took a short while, but worth it. Needed just one more to finish off your gag reel.
It’s Sunday, Patrick! 📆 I changed up my upload schedule; it’ll be Sunday mornings for the foreseeable future! (And I was really trying to stay consistent for the ol’ Al Gore Rhythm, too!) 🤣
(I did get a bit carried away with that explosion effect! It’s from Minecraft and I just found it really funny… but you’re right, it would have been funnier if I would have ended the bloopers with that effect!) 💥
Just looked up to buy Stone Age in Ireland…. Looks like I’ll be waiting for my next US holiday to buy it and bring it home with me. It’s almost 200 to buy it anywhere in Europe
It is (or at least was) very expensive, you’re right! I didn’t realize that it’s an out-of-print game at this point! 🛖 Did you check prices for the anniversary edition?
I Loved your list. Just I I would add Catan on first😊😊
Catan’s such a great one, too! One of the first “modern” board games I ever played, although it’s 29 years old at this point! Thank you for the extra recommendation! ☺️
Great Video and list! Thank you for the hard work!
Thank you, Randall! I appreciate the comment, especially about the hard work! Making these videos always takes more time than I think they will but I hope all that effort is evident in the final product! 👍🏼
Thanks, Dave! This is a great help for me as i am always trying to find games to play with my wife and kids that arent super heavy.
Glad you found the video helpful, Frank! In my opinion, any of these would be great choices for your family! But it all depends on what kind of games/what themes you like, too! 👍🏼
Ticket to ride is the best strategy game!!! An old favorite for my family.
My dad loves Ticket to Ride-it's one of his favorites! 🚂 (Probably #2 behind Splendor!)
I really love ticket to ride. Its very easy to teach for beginners.
I was just talking to a new friend at a wedding last night about how great Ticket to Ride is for new gamers! I gifted that game to my dad last Christmas and he really enjoys playing it with us kids! 🚂
Sagrada and Stone Age are in my top ten games. I had the third Azul before, want to get the Queen's Garden, great video.
Thank you, Lily! Sounds like we’ve got a similar taste in games! I love the Azul games and I can’t wait to give Queen’s Garden a try! Do you have any of the Azul expansions?
No I don't
@@twinkle04evr I don’t either! I was just curious if you did; they just don’t seem to add enough to the game to warrant buying them in my opinion! I was actually at a board game café in Philly that had a copy of Queen’s Garden in their library but we didn’t have enough time to learn/play it! 😭
I would probably order it online by the end of this year, that's why I have to sell some every year to get new ones :)
@@twinkle04evr Sounds like we have similar mindsets when it comes to getting rid of old games to make space for new ones! Although I find it tremendously difficult to part with any of my games! Hopefully Queen's Garden will be available for purchase soon; I'm always so jealous when I see other people playing it already!
Excellent video, thank you. Gives me many ideas!
I’m so excited to hear that, Luminya! Thank you for checking out the video! I’d love to know if you end up getting any of the games I suggested in this video! ☺️
@@BoardGameDave I am in the process of teaching my 20 month old grandson French. So he is a bit young for these particular games but your video gives me excellent ideas to bounce off my 2 sons. They are big board gamers and I like to discuss your ideas with them. Actually sometimes I am the one who finds the interesting games because they are so busy with work. So now my focus is French. I take the most interesting children's games I can find (if I can't find a French alternative) and I translate them to teach them to my grandson in French. Your video gives me ideas so that I know eventually which direction my grandson will take so that I can support and expand his interests. I am so grateful to ppl like you who take the time to explain these games and give us your reaction to them.
@@luminyam6145 Wow! Thank you so much for the comment and for giving me a small glimpse into your family! That is really great that you’re teaching your grandson French (I’m assuming as a second language)! It’s such a wonderful thing to be bilingual; something that you appreciate more as you get older! It’s nice that your two sons are big board gamers, too! What kinds of games are they into? It’s awesome that you get to be the one to check out new games for them and I’m glad I can be helpful in introducing you to some of the best games that I know of! I really appreciated you taking the time to leave that comment! Hope you had a wonderful holiday! ☺️
wow, your energy is fantastic, you got a sub from me. Keep it up !
Thank you so much, Trung! I really appreciate that!
Great list!
Thank you!! ☺️
I'm not even an adult yet, but I'm watching this to know what to get for my kids. If I would even have any.
Wow! That's a really neat sentiment! ☺️ Never hurts to plan ahead!
Another GREAT video!!! GREAT recommendations!! I own ALL of them except for King Domino, Century Golem, Quacks, Incan Gold and Stone Age. But Century Golem, Quacks and Incan Gold have been on my wishlist for a while 😊😊. I’ll have to look some more into Stone Age as it’s your number one 😊😊. Another game my kids really LOVE is QUARRIORS!! It’s an oldie but goodie!! Lots of Dice chucking and dice drafting 😊😊 Silver Bullet/Coin is another one they always want to bring to the table 😊😊
Thank you for your comment, Bridget! Sounds like you've got a pretty fantastic family game collection! 😊 I didn't realize when I made this video that Stone Age is actually a little hard to find right now, but if you can get a hold of a copy it's absolutely worth it! (I'll be making my Stone Age review video very soon!) 🛖 I don't think I've ever heard of Quarriors or Silver Bullet/Coin! I'll have to check those out; thanks for the recommendations!
@@BoardGameDave Thanks Dave!! 😊 As I type this my son and husband are at the Table playing “Hero Realms” - you should check that one out too 😊- it’s a nice fantasy themed Deck builder. (Just like Star Realms just a different theme). Looking forward to your Stone Age video 😊😊
@@bridgetmartin4269 That is so sweet! I actually played that for the first time at PAX Unplugged this past year! I really enjoy Star Realms and it's maybe my favorite go-to small box game! (Star Realms: Frontiers plays up to four players and has a great solo mode!) I hope you're planning on playing a game with your husband and son after they're done with their game? 😊
@@BoardGameDave Star Realms/ Hero Realms packs a lot in such a small package 😊 Glad you like it too! We try and plan family board game time on the weekends so it’s definitely on the agenda 😊. And as a result of watching more you tube game videos today another family game is on my Radar: “Cubitos” - have you heard of it or played it? It reminds me of Quarriors (they game I mentioned before) but instead of fighting with dice you are trying to win a race - looks pretty neat! 😊 Another one added to my never ending game wishlist 😊
@@bridgetmartin4269 It really does! 🚀 And yes, I actually just played Cubitos last month! It was a little bit too luck-heavy for me but as a family game I could see that really being a ton of fun! (I also chose to go backwards on the track one time so perhaps I shouldn't blame luck for that one!) 😂
Got introduced to Catan and loving it
That was probably the first modern board game I ever played! Such a great game and an excellent gateway into other fantastic modern games! ☺️
love your channel buddy, what are your top 50 games of all time???
Thank you so much, Jonathan! And that's a big question... and hopefully the topic of a future video (or video series) down the road! ☺️ I did review every game I own/have ever owned recently though, so that should give you an idea of some of my favorite games! ruclips.net/video/zAy2czhRfV0/видео.html
Great video, awesome list!
Thanks again, Randall! ☺️
Awesome video and awesome channel! Subbed!
Thank you so much, Shai! I really appreciate your support; thanks for going out of your way to find my channel! ☺️
Those are great games. Thanks for the video 🥳🥳
Thank you for checking it out and for the comment! ☺️
So we just pulled out Clue again labor day weekend lol. That is about the level my parents want to stay at. So I either play Qwixx, Clue or Risk with them , or I play Mage Knight, Castles of Mad King Ludwig and the rest of my collection I've accumulated during covid, by myself. So I mostly play & back games with a solo mode for that reason. Can't wait to get my hands on Oros and Nightmare Cathedral also.
Hey there, Nick! Thank you for the comment! I totally feel you about parents being reluctant to learn newer (and I think objectively better) board games! My parents were like that for a while but I've had a ton of success teaching my family Splendor (my dad and sister are obsessed) and I've taught them some lighter games like Incan Gold and Strike that they enjoy, too! 😊 I also enjoy solo gaming and actually just posted a video of some of my favorite solo games I played this summer an hour ago! (I've heard lots of good things about Mage Knight but that is a REALLY heavy game!)
Holy crap... 10/10 list
Wow, thank you so much, Josh! Any more family games you would add to this list? ☺️
Hi Dave, wow you weren’t kidding that this video snagged a lot of views! Congrats and it was a great video! Hope you remember me from before. I’m slowing building up my channel. You’ll notice that I finally have a logo. Looking forward to your future videos!
Of course I remember you, Penny! Great logo, by the way! ☺️ Yeah, I guess the algorithm really liked this one! (Although it’s no secret that top 10-type lists typically do very well on RUclips!) Thank you for checking it out! I’m excited to see what you do with your channel and I just subscribed so I don’t miss your first video! Good luck!
@@BoardGameDave Thank you for your support and for being my first subscriber!
Anytime! Let me know if you have any questions as you get started! Enjoy the very first stages of your new channel! 🎉
Thank you for review! Bought 5 new games ))
That’s so awesome! Let me know which ones if you get a chance? ☺️
@@BoardGameDave Codenames, The Mind, Quedlinburg (we live in Germany and this city is just masterpiece 🤩) and few editions of Azul.
@@RelocateMeGermany Wow! All fantastic choices! ☺️ The last time I was in Germany I wasn’t as “into” board games as I am now; next time I’ll have to make sure I take time to appreciate being in the Mecca of board games! 🇩🇪
5:47 & 6:01 😂. Yeah Quacks of Quedlinburg is dope. Good for 4 max, pretty relaxing.
I agree Patchwork is really chill too to the point I want both Halloween and Christmas versions purchased, lol.
Nice that Sagrada is getting more attention too, that game is pretty underrated. And of course Azul is addictively classic.
All the rest are pretty mild or easy to teach, glad I had more ideas to pull in my family members 😅.
You liked the Minecraft explosions! 😂 Quacks is relaxing except for the whole bomb-defusing-squad-level tension of pulling those cherry bombs out of your bag! 💥 I didn't realize there were so many versions of Patchwork until I was at my FLGS recently! It is tempting to buy more than just the one! And I love both Sagrada and Azul (in all its forms) and you're right; I see much more Azul on social media than Sagrada! Maybe Sagrada is due for some sequels! Thanks for the comment and I'm glad I was able to give you some new potential games to try out with your family!
@@BoardGameDave that's nice, btw I found your channel from Monique and Naveen of Before You Play. Glad I subscribed 🤗. Wishing for your channel to continue to grow bigger, keep it up.
@@popgas3821 Thank you so much for checking out the channel! Monique and Naveen really are the best! I appreciate your encouraging words! ☺️
fantastic video!! 👍
Thank you so much for the comment and for checking out the video! I think I might make an updated list for 2022! What do you think? ☺️
@@BoardGameDave it's a great idea.🎉😃👍
@@ikigaijuegosdemesa Sounds good! I'll start thinking about what other games I would recommend for families! ☺
Great list you have here. Try out Wingspan & Parks are some really fun games!
Thank you, Gary! I’ve played both Wingspan and Parks and they’re both really beautiful and fun games! Wingspan’s the only one in my collection, though! They were both contenders for this list for sure… although I think when you’re teaching Wingspan to new players you realize that it’s a bit more complex than it feels once you’ve played it a few times! If nothing else, it’s certainly on the heavier side of the “family” genre!
Before you play recommended your channel 👍 subscribed!
Thank you so much for checking out my channel and for subscribing, Marty! Monique and Naveen are the best! ☺️
I donk't know if you tried, but you could one of my best family games (as our list are quite simiallar):
- Dream Home;
- Monster Mansion.
For me great family games.
Thank you for the recommendations! Dream Home seems like a lot of fun and it’s one I’ve definitely wanted to try! 🏠 I’ve never heard of Monster Mansion but it looks like fun! (I like the skull tokens!) 💀
Good job dude keep it up...subed
Thank you so much, Scott! I really appreciate that! ☺️
Good list 😁
Thank you, Steve! ☺️
Thank you!
Thank you for checking out the video! ☺️
Thank You!!!
Thank you for checking out the video!! ☺️
POV: your kid is turning 7 and you’re tired of 1) playing Candyland and 2) trying to wrangle the pieces back into the Mousetrap box 😢
Me: There’s got to be more family friendly games for 7 year olds that are actually fun for everyone!!!
Hey there, Melissa! Seems like you've come to the right place! Thank you for being here! ☺️ So glad you found this video! My friend Jesse and I just filmed a video where we went over each of our Top 10 light-weight/gateway games as well so if you want 20 more recommendations you can check that video out, too! ruclips.net/video/C46QFtj1EP4/видео.html
My 7 year old (now 8) likes to play Lattice Hawaii, and it’s not boring like most young child games. The rules are fairly easy and it’s a very colorful and only lasts 20 ish minutes
I like “The Crew” and “Tak”
The Crew is definitely a lot of fun! I need to get that game out again! 👨🏻🚀 Tak, on the other hand, I know nothing about! It looks super intriguing just from the pictures I’m seeing online, though! ♟️
I have a few recommendations too
1.candy land
2.clue
3.trouble
4.Jumanjii the board game
Nice suggestions! I think we grew up playing Candy Land when we were little! 🍭 I’ve never played Jumanji but it sounds fun! 🐘
“The Game,” is so much better than the Mind (game). I carry it in my purse. The Mind got returned to Target.
I don't know too much about "The Game" but I just skimmed through the Watch It Played video and it seems very similar! What makes it so much better? ☺️
I loooooove The Mind!!
It’s so much fun with the right group of people! (Case in point: my mom really didn’t care for it at all! I think she didn’t understand why we’d play a cooperative game where one person doesn’t win!) 🤣
😂😂😂@@BoardGameDave
Please review a game called Mosaic. It is one of the newest games selling at Barnes and Noble. The game was designed by me.
Hey there! I've been intrigued by Mosaic since I first heard about it; I love a good civilization game! Mosaic is especially interesting/appealing because it fits in this family-weight category which is really cool for a civilization game! I don't own a copy (and I'm not sure if anyone in my main gaming group backed it) so it might not get reviewed for a while but it's one I would definitely want to play! 🏛️
@@BoardGameDave NO. My game is JUST called MOSAIC. It is NOT that story of civilization game. Mosaic: Story of civilization is the entire title. My game's title is ONLY Mosaic. My game is tiles only (like dominoes). Unlike that other game there is no physical board.
@@Zurround Ah, gotcha! I'll have to see if I can find your game, then! Sorry for the confusion!
These all seem great but way too complicated for my family cause there’s always alcohol involved. Lol
That's so funny-someone left an almost identical comment before! 🤣 Maybe stick to the really light games, then! Apples to Apples or Jenga or UNO?
These all seem great but way too complicated for my family cause there’s always alcohol involved. Lol
Hahaha!! That's totally fair!! 🤣 If you're interested, Quackalope made a video of 7 games you can play while drinking-that might be more up your alley, maybe!! ruclips.net/video/DxxzZlLarhg/видео.html
Good job but where is alhambra or dixit?
I do like both of those games a lot! I actually talked about Alhambra in this video: ruclips.net/video/FzeJzEJRmAc/видео.htmlsi=AdgT-QtF88N-fJcl! Thank you for the recommendations! ☺️
thank you, you are so cool@@BoardGameDave
Haha, thank you! 🤣
Good stuff, sir!
Haven’t played Land Vs. Sea, but have Cascadia. Curious to hear if you’ve played both. I hear some say they only need one not the other.
Another addition would be Karuba. I like it a lot. My wife hates it. Either way, solid family weight game.
@@oneysnyder2116 Thank you so much for your comments, Oney! I actually still haven't played Land vs. Sea but I've played Cascadia a couple of times and I enjoy it! (My girlfriend just played that one for the first time last weekend and really liked it!) Karuba looks like a lot of fun! Why does your wife hate it? 😂
@@BoardGameDave I honestly think it’s her loss percentage. She wins more at most games, but can’t seem to pull through with this one.
@@oneysnyder2116 Yeah, that's understandable. I can see how it could be hard to look forward to playing a game when you're pretty sure you're going to lose! Glad to hear that she wins most games, though! 😊
@@BoardGameDave she does. I have fun win or lose though, so it’s all good!
Thank you
Thank you for checking out the video! ☺️
My son is 7 and has loved Catan Jr, but is ready to move onto something more complex. Do you think My First Stone Age would be a good choice, rather than moving up to Catan or Stone Age?
Hey there, Bethany! Thank you for your comment! So I've actually played My First Stone Age: The Card Game with my nieces and while that's a little different than the game you're talking about, they're rated for ages 4+ and 5+ respectively. With that being said, if your son is a "gamer" and enjoys Catan Jr., I'd bet he'd be ready for Catan! Then I think Stone Age would just be one more small step from there! 😊 Hope that helps!
Please do another 20 top fave games
I think I'll do an updated Top 20 family games video by the end of this year! ☺️ Any suggestions for the list?
@@BoardGameDave My top ten that are not mentioned in this video would be Catan, Spirit Island, Pandemic, Citadels, Forest of Fate (not very famous and spoken about but great), Jaipur, The Crew, Tortuga 1667, Here to Slay, Forbidden Island.
@@MalekElMorabit Fantastic recommendations! Thank you for sharing! (I've played 6/10 of the ones you listed-Catan being my entry into more modern games, I would say!) ☺
Good quality video
Thank you so much! ☺️
Um. Lots of Asian games. You Japanese bro? Haha. I kept waiting to see if Stone Age was going to make an appearance. Wow first place?? Kinda biased huh? :) Did you consider difficulty for first time players? I would have thought a game like splendor seems less complex and shorter? I know Incan Gold is always an easy fun classic too for family fun time. I thought that would have been rated higher. Good quality vid. How about connect four? Is that a board game??? How about the penny game? Scat???
HAHAHAHAHA
Only four Japanese-adjacent games! 🇯🇵 And that’s the great thing about having your own RUclips channel… I get to put the games in whatever order I want! 🤣 I did consider the complexity of the games, although that’s not what the rankings were based on! I think all of these games would make great gateway/intro games, although you’re right that Stone Age might be a step up from the others! As for Connect Four and Scat, I think at least the first would be considered a board game but I’m more trying to focus on more modern “designer” games!
I've played 13 or 14 of these.
Wow! That's impressive! What's your favorite family game to play? ☺️
@@BoardGameDave I don't often play with my family because we don't all have the same taste in games or the same free time. I played a lot of UNO, Yahtzee, and War with Dad as a kid. We had LIFE, Boggle, UNO and Scrabble when we went camping. I'm not sure how many of the games I own would be called family games, so I'm not sure which is my favorite.
@@BoardGameDave of the ones you listed, maybe Kingdomino? Though I did just buy Ticket to Ride San Francisco (rainbows!).
Space Base & Dominion can be good games families can play.
Those are two more fantastic recommendations! I am a HUGE fan of Dominion (it was one of the earliest modern games I ever played) and Space Base is a lot of fun, too! I opted for Machi Koro over Space Base for this video for the simplicity, but between the two of them I would rather play Space Base! I heard recently that Machi Koro 2 is actually a big improvement which makes the game more similar to Space Base... I've got to check that out! 🎲
@@BoardGameDave Neat!
Once you bust there's no going back 😏
🤣🤣🤣
What is the #1 board game of 2023
If you’re looking for some newer family game recommendations, I just uploaded my top 10 new family games here:
ruclips.net/video/XuYzy-s7W5k/видео.html 🎁
Taco, cat goat, cheese, pizza & throw throw burrito are also great party games.
Thanks for the comment! Those are great games and I’ve played both! TCGCP gets pretty rowdy every time I play it! And last time I played Throw Throw Burrito, my friend Josh tipped a folding table onto my bare foot, so… pretty intense game! (We were all playing outside and chasing each other around with burritos!) 🌯
@@BoardGameDave Yeah, they are pretty fun. Thank you also for the reply.
@@fightingkitchen7960 Of course! Always happy to respond to someone who took the time to comment! ☺
@@BoardGameDave 👍
You remind me of Boxed Meeples Channel
I'm subscribed to them! ☺️ Thank you for the comment!
Super filmy fall😊
Thank you! ☺️
I don’t understand why sushi go is popular.
I think card drafting is an interesting mechanism to a lot of people and this is probably the first card drafting game many people play! Plus it’s fairly easy to learn and has a fun theme! 🍣
These games are like for hipsters and very Asian themed. Hardly fun family games that are campy and old school, which most people clicking this video were probably anticipating
I think they're all extremely fun family games and I much prefer these games to the majority of "old school" games you might be thinking of for a variety of reasons! (This is a great video essay describing how games have evolved in recent decades if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/AhaylQfzCmo/видео.html)
I fundamentally disagree. Dave is right. These games are not hipster. I have had my whole family play these games. Ages 6 - 60
@@nicklarson3962 Thank you for your input, Nick! I really appreciate it! So glad your family is enjoying these games! ☺
Cant trust this list if you dont have Istanbul in it
Oh, man... Istanbul is such a good game! 💎 I've played it on the app a bunch but playing it in person at Origins was such a great experience!
Most of these games are way to high tech especially for the younger crowd!
Thank you for your comment, Dennis! Yeah, “family game” is definitely a very loosely-defined term in the hobby! Most of these would work with older kids who are familiar with at least one or two modern board games, I would think! But every game is specific to the ages, experience levels, and preferences of the players! I hope there were at least one or two games that you thought were helpful recommendations, though! ☺️
cant get Stone Age. its out of print
You are absolutely right! I’m sorry to have claimed that all of these games are currently available to buy… I’m wondering if people looking for the game would have better luck checking out their local game stores? I hope they do another printing soon; that’s too good of a game to be out of stock everywhere!
Stone Age is available on Board Game Arena (BGA) and we played it many times during height of the pandemic. I enjoy it so much I was tempted to purchase the game. Guess I will need to wait to see if it reprinted at some point. Yes, similar to Catan.
It’s definitely worth having a physical copy, especially if you enjoy it that much! You might be able to find a used copy online; I’m sure there are some out there! Hopefully they won’t be too expensive! 🛖
BRO what are games for 30 or more people
That's a really tricky question! I did a little looking online and it looks like people recommend Ultimate Werewolf: Ultimate Edition as a game that can play up to (apparently) 68 players! Beyond that, I would think you'd want to try some team games? Or maybe try a roll-and-write-style game-many of those can accommodate a very large number of players! (Cartographers for example boasts a 1-100 player count!) 🗺️
Which Azul game is your favorite?
For the longest time I liked Stained Glass of Sintra the best but now that I've started playing Summer Pavilion more, I think that might be my #1 Azul! I still really enjoy Stained Glass and even the base game is a lot of fun, but there's something about SP that's really satisfying... probably those decorations that let you pull more tiles from the central board! There's still Queen's Garden that I haven't had a chance to play yet... that could definitely become my favorite Azul! Who knows? Which one's your favorite? ☺
@@BoardGameDave I don’t have any Azul game actually. But if I were to get one, it would probably be Summer Pavilion, since I heard that Stained Glass is the most complex & 2 friends have original Azul.
@@fightingkitchen7960 I would say Summer Pavilion and Stained Glass are equally complex but Summer Pavilion stays truer to the original Azul so it's probably easier to learn! There are the wild colors that change each round so that can be a bit tricky to remember, but otherwise it's not much more complex than the original Azul. I've been thinking about doing a "which Azul should I buy?" video but I feel like a lot of other channels have already covered the various Azuls!
@@BoardGameDave Ok, I’d still probably go for Summer Pavilion.
It’s my favorite! ☺️ Have such a great time with that game!
Messi 2.0😂
You could show more of the game than of your face.
That’s true! This was one of my earliest videos and I wasn’t using B-roll in my videos the way I do now! If you check out my most recent video (of 10 more great family games) I show a lot more of the games and less of my face! ☺️
Dang bro. That's cold blooded
@@BoardGameDavelove your face and the vid (: merry Christmas bro
@@Majin10 Haha, thank you, Romeo!! Merry Christmas to you!! 🎄
This a joke???
🤔
This also just feel extremely forced and like you're reading the blib off the back of the board game. "Quacks of Luxemborgburger is extremely fun experience whether you're winning or losing... for the whole family, rated PG, for ages 3+" Like dude, what
This was a pretty early video on the channel so I might not have been terribly comfortable in front of the camera yet! (That might have been my first time using this home-made teleprompter thing I made so that might have been part of it, too!) And yeah, "Quacks of Quedlinburg" is a pretty bizarre name-I'm right with you there! 😅
What in the F are these random weird games. Your top 20 games doesn't include Uno? Or Checkers? Like come on, at least title your video appropriately if all you're gonna be doing is talking about random niche crap
Well, I suppose this is a subjective list of my favorite board games for the family! (And Uno and Checkers obviously aren't on that list!) I think my video is titled appropriately and these games actually are pretty well-known within the board game hobby! I assume you clicked on the video because you wanted to learn about some other games you might not know of? Mission accomplished! ☺️
This comment would be in my own personal list of the top ten most erroneous and ridiculously cranky comments I’ve ever read 😂.
This comment is unnecessarily harsh, why would you talk to a stranger this way? Especially one who is super kind and puts out great content. Content that gets 100k+ views and that almost 4k subscribers enjoy to view and therefore would disagree with your comment @StealthyDead
Sorry to hear that you’ve not heard of these games, and that made you feel dumb so you felt the need to lash out @StealthyDead
Hope you’re ok bro.
@@marks6928 This comment literally made Hannah and I laugh out loud! 🤣 Thanks, Mark!
Why do all the games have an evil under tone, but are labeled a "family games" not a good look
All of the games have an “evil undertone”? What do you mean? 🤔