10 Board Games better than Monopoly!
Seikatsu
Seikatsu is a gorgeous tile laying game for 2-3 players. The objective of the game is to score the most points and you do so by having the most beautiful view of the garden! Each turn you’ll have a reserve of two tiles. You’ll choose one those two to place on the board and the immediately score points for each adjacent bird of the same type. At the end of the game, each player will score points based on the number of like types of flowers in each row. It’s a careful balancing act where players will be faced tough decisions having to decide if they want to benefit themselves or crush their opponent's dreams!
Barnyard Roundup
Barnyard Roundup is a family friendly bluffing game where players are making offerings to each other the catch is, they don’t always have to tell the truth and it’s the receiving player’s duty to determine if they believe that person is being truthful. If they correctly guess then they’ll reap the benefits, if they are incorrect, however, the bluffing player reaps the rewards. This game features beautiful artworks and can be taught in just 5 minutes. You can play a full game in about 10-20 minutes. It’s recommended for ages 6 and up and I’d say that’s an accurate estimate!
Kingdomino
Kingdomino is a game where each player acts as a lord looking to expand their kingdom. You will explore the land discovering wheat fields, lakes and mountains. This game might remind some of dominoes. The game ends when each player as completed a 5 x 5 grid and then players score points based on the way their tiles have been placed onto the board. The more similar type of tiles you have touching the better each player will score. This game plays 2-4 players in under 20 minutes and is recommended for ages 8 and up, that said, I personally think you can each a younger child to play it, they just might not win as there is a fair bit of strategy put into the game, making it as fun to play with your adult friends as it is to play with your children.
Sushi Go
Sushi Go is a drafting game where each player is given a hand of cards and is then faced with the decision of choosing one of the cards in their hand to keep and score at the end of the round. There is a base game as well as a deluxe version that gives you more game play options but also requires significantly more set up time. If you don’t mind the setup time, I recommend the bigger version, however, the original is more travel-friendly and makes it incredibly playable in a car or plane right.
Herbacious
Herbacous is a set collection card hoarding game in which players are drawing herbs off the top of a deck and deciding if they would like to keep it for their private collection or place it into the community garden. This game challenges players as they are pushing their luck against one another and need to properly time when they’ll pot their plants into their varying containers. This game takes about a minute to learn and plays in 15-20 minutes. As long your children can understand the different sets they’ll need to collect, they’ll be able to play this game. This is also a fantastic travel game and I’ve played on a plane ride more than once!
Animal Upon Animal
Animal Upon Animal is an animal stacking dexterity game for 2-4 players in which the mission is to get rid of all of the animals. On your turn, you roll a die that will tell you how many animals to place. If you knock over the pile of animals, however, you’ll have even more animals to place giving your opponents a lead toward the finish line. This game comes in several versions, the mini, regular and giant. There are also versions that feature farm animals and mountain animals! We recommend the $11 small version to start and then you can upgrade to the bigger version if you decide that you like it! The small version is great for playing at a restaurant while waiting for your meal!
Bob Ross: The Art of Chill
Bob Ross: The Art of Chill is a game in which each player is painting a Bob Ross Masterpiece. Players will be collecting points throughout the game by collecting the right colors, mixing them and then using the correct tool to paint each feature of the masterpiece, in there of course, are happy little trees, fluffy clouds, and almighty mountains. Be the first to paint each of the features and collect bonus points. You can also master techniques which will score you additional points if you use that technique in future paintings. This game is a Target exclusive so if you want it you’ll have to get it there! It plays in about 45 minutes and is recommended for ages 12 and up. While Hailey is capable of playing, she’s not quite capable of winning so I would say that age could be dropped down to 10 years old but I couldn’t recommend it for anyone under 10. You can find this game at Target! *Cat not included with the game
Get Bit
Get Bit is a game that I love so much that I painted a custom box for it. In this game players are simultaneously playing one of the 8 cards in their hand, the catch being that if another player also plays the same number card as them, neither of them will move. At the end of each round, the player at the back of the line will “get bit” by the shark who’s looking for his afternoon snack. This game is fast-paced, hilarious and fun and to make it even better, you will actively be removing components from the character you are playing in the game, just be careful not to lose any of them! This game plays in around 20 minutes and is recommended for ages 7 & up, although Hailey has been playing since she was about 5. *Custom Box not included
Get Bit
Get Bit is a game that I love so much that I painted a custom box for it. In this game players are simultaneously playing one of the 8 cards in their hand, the catch being that if another player also plays the same number card as them, neither of them will move. At the end of each round, the player at the back of the line will “get bit” by the shark who’s looking for his afternoon snack. This game is fast-paced, hilarious and fun and to make it even better, you will actively be removing components from the character you are playing in the game, just be careful not to lose any of them! This game plays in around 20 minutes and is recommended for ages 7 & up, although Hailey has been playing since she was about 5. *Custom Box not included
Click Clack Lumberjack
Click Clack Lumberjack takes about 15 seconds to learn and the play time varies from a few seconds to around 20 minutes. In this game, the goal is simple: Gather as much wood as possible without knocking the tree down. You’ll be given an Axe and two wacks per turn but be careful, if you hit it too hard you could knock down the cores of the trees which are negative points! While this game might not be ideal for a restaurant, it’s kind of perfect for a bar or a party. It’s a great game to play with children or drunk adults, which are functionally the game thing. Think of this game as Jenga extreme!
Sparkle Kitty
Sparkle Kitty is a fast-paced, family-friendly word game which was created after a parent asked themselves why they were playing games that they couldn’t play with their children! You are a princess in a tower trapped by an evil cat, thus the name, Sparkle Kitty. The goal of the game is to get rid of the tower cards and you do that by playing cards from your hand by matching either the symbols or the colors on the card and then you must speak the words in front of you, whatever they may be! There is also dark magic in the game which can add a word to the words you need to speak every turn! Don’t forget to say them of you might end up with even more cards to get rid of! The first player to run completely out of cards frees their princess and wins the game!