The best family games to play at home

The best family games to play at home for improved bond. Contains affiliate links.

We love playing games together as a family. The children are now at an age where they can all join in and understand rules and fair play and it has brought about a new dimension to family life.

In a world of technology, where people stare at screens for hours each day, choosing to switch off and play games as a family is a great way to reconnect and bond while you laugh and have fun. Take time out of your busy schedules to have some family fun, enjoy quality time and try some new games.

This post will walk you through some of the best games we have discovered and play regularly together.

For families with the space, creating a simple games room at home can make screen-free time even more appealing. Whether it’s a dartboard for friendly competitions or a pool table that everyone can learn to play together, having dedicated games available encourages spontaneous play, shared laughter, and regular moments of connection without the need for screens.

DIY games

Who am I?

An easy game to set up but not so easy to guess the answer! All you need are some sticky notes or pieces of paper with some tape, which players then secretly write down the name of someone well known. This can be a celebrity, cartoon character, or even someone you all know as a family.

Each player then sticks that paper to the head of another player, who then has to guess the name. To do this, on their turn a player can ask a question that will give a yes or no answer. If they get a yes, they can ask another question, carrying on until they get a no. Play then moves to the next player and continues round until everyone has guessed the name on their head.

Consequences

More for older kids who are able to write but even younger kids could pair up with someone else to join in and think of funny answers. All you need is a piece of paper (you can use a group one or have one each) and a pen. The idea is that each player takes turns to add to the sequence of events as the slips of paper are passed around, folding down the paper to keep their answer hidden before passing it along again.

When you’ve passed the papers round and written answers for all 10 rounds, each person can take turns to read out their full story (or if you’ve just done the one then choose one person to read it out).

So an example would be “Miss Trunchbull met Frosty the Snowman in the library. He said “you smell of cheese”, she said “I like to dance the Tango”. He fainted on the floor, she picked her nose. They both got arrested for stealing crayons from school.”. Absolute nonsense but children find it a completely hilarious game!

Board games

Cluedo

Such a classic board game and one that spans generations. Young kids may prefer to work with an adult to work out the answers but it is still a great game to play together.

Qwirkle

Technically not a board game but one of our all-time favourites to play. Hard to explain the rules but essentially you can have any number of players and each of you have 6 tiles. The idea is to use your tiles to complete rows of colour or shape, without repeating any colours or shapes already used.

Scores are based on the number of tiles in the row once you’ve placed your tiles down. The winner is the player with the highest score at the end.

Labyrinth

This is one of the best family board games I have played. A simple concept but lots of fun. Game pieces (maximum of four players) are moved around the maze as you try to collect the objects allocated to you at the start.

However, on each turn, players are allowed to move the maze around, blocking other players in or even knocking them off the board to reappear at the other side. The winner is the first player to collect all of their objects and return through the labyrinth to their starting place.

Mahjong

A great addition to any family game list is multiplayer Mahjong, a classic tile-based game that combines strategy, memory, and observation. Players build winning hands while paying attention to what others discard, making each round dynamic and engaging. It’s perfect for families who enjoy thoughtful, slower-paced games that still feel competitive.

Card-based games

Uno

A classic family game that is easy to play and great for number recognition practice too.

Monopoly Deal

A twist on the classic game and one that is perfect for travel as well as at home in your living room. Collect properties, charge rent and hope to pick up the cards which mean you can steal from other players. First player to collect 3 sets is the winner!

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This is designed to muddle your brain and it sure does! Place down a card from the top of your pile and continue the phrase “taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza” according to what was said before you. If the player before you said Taco, you said Cat and the next player will say Goat.

If your card happens to match the word you’ve said (you said cat and you lay down a cat) then it is a race to slam your hand down on the discard pile. The last player to lay their hand down has to pick up the whole pile. Play then resumes until someone discards all of their cards.

Card games (with a deck of cards)

Go fish

A fun card game where you must ask other players if they have the card you need. If they don’t, you’ll have to “go fish” for it in the pick up pile.

Pairs

Such a simple game but it can be competitive nonetheless. Lay out all of the cards on a surface (either in rows or in a muddle) and take turns to turn over two cards. If they are a pair then you keep them and go again, if not then they are turned over and you have to remember where they are in case you discover their pair somewhere else. Most pairs wins.

Golf

This is such a fun game and one that we are quite addicted to right now. You can play with either 9, 6 or 4 cards per hand but we like to keep it quick and simple with 4 cards.

The dealer gives each player 4 cards, which are laid out in a square (2×2 rows). The remainder of the pack is placed in the middle with one card turned over to start the discard pile. Players are allowed to have one look at the 2 cards nearest to them before the game starts.

Play starts with the player to the left of the dealer either taking the top card in the pack or the card from the discard pile. They can choose to swap it with any of their 4 cards (only having initial knowledge of the front 2) or they can choose to discard straight away.

The cards are valued at: King=0, Ace=1, Jack & Queen= 10 and all of the number cards are taken at face value. The aim of the game is to have the lowest score possible. The best hand being 4 Kings.

Of course, if you choose to swap one of your unknown cards, you may end up swapping out a great card – which is then available for the next player to take!

Play ends when a player knocks on their go, to signal that they feel they have a winning hand. The other players have one last opportunity to swap and then hands are revealed. Lowest score wins!

Rummy

There are 2 ways of playing Rummy, this is the UK version. The aim of the game is to be the first person to make their hand into 2 types of combinations – runs or sets.

Players are dealt 7 cards, which will allow them to either create a run of 7 cards, or a combination of sets and runs. When it is their turn, players pick up a card from the stock pile or discard pile. If it is a card they want then they discard another from their hand, or they can discard it straight away.

Acceptable combinations would be:

When you’ve got a hand with complete combinations you call rummy and show your hand!

Bluff

You need to keep a straight face with this one as you try and bluff your way through the game. The entire pack is dealt between players besides the final card, which starts play. Let’s say that card is a 10, the player to the left of the dealer begins and can put down any 9s, 10s, or Jacks they hold. So cards with a value of one less, equal to or one above the card last played.

However, it is only the first card that is played face up. Once play starts, all cards are placed face down. Which means, if you don’t have the “allowed” cards, you can simply lie and place down any cards.

So if the starting card is 10, you may end up putting down 2 aces but stating that they are “two 9s”.

Of course, if someone thinks you are bluffing, they can call you out. If they are right, you pick up all of the cards in the discard pile. If they are wrong, they have to pick up the cards. And if nobody calls you out on the bluff, play carries on and the next player has to lay down cards according the value you said you laid down.

First person to get rid of all of their cards wins!

Solitaire

While many card games are played in groups, classic solitaire is a timeless single-player option that’s perfect for quiet moments or winding down after more energetic games. It helps build patience, focus, and strategic thinking as you work through the deck and uncover new moves. It’s a perfect game to learn with your family.

Video games

I know I said at the start that it is important to switch off from screens, but there is no denying that there are some awesome games out there that the whole family can enjoy. We have a Nintendo Switch and have a few favourites.

All of these games allow for multiplayer options and bring about a sense of teamwork and fun for everyone.

Mario Kart

This is so much fun, especially if you get the steering wheel adaptors for the controllers. Whizz around the track and try to win each race. The amount of joy that children get from seeing their parents join in with computer games is a lovely to see.

Super Mario Bros U Deluxe

Work as a team to try and make it through the various levels of this classic game from our childhood. But instead of playing solo on a tiny Gameboy screen, you can play as a family and have a tonne of fun while you’re at it.

Just Dance

A great example of active games that are available. Choose from different categories such as musical genre or difficulty rating and show off your moves to try and beat the other dancer’s scores. A great workout for your body as well as being a proper laugh!

Car games

I just have to mention some of the car games we play as a family as they always make us laugh and make long journeys more bearable.

Hide and Seek

Yes you read that right! This is a great game for all ages and really gets you thinking. Choose a location that everyone is familiar with (home is the best choice) and one person goes first. They think of somewhere to hide and it is up to the rest of you to try and ask questions to pinpoint where they could be.

Are you upstairs? Yes. Are you in the bathroom? No. Are you in a bedroom? Yes. Are you in your room? No. Are you in our room? Yes. Are you under the bed? No. Are you behind the curtain? Yes!

Guess the object

Not an easy task but it’s a great one to get you all thinking on those long trips. The first player has to think of an object in your home, it could be a kettle, the sofa, a toothbrush or a pair of socks – doesn’t matter. It is then up to the rest of you to ask questions to find out what object they are thinking about.

Is it something you find upstairs? Yes. Is it something you find in a bedroom. No. Is it something you find in a bathroom. Yes. Is it something you use to clean yourself? No. Is it something you use to clean the bathroom? No. Is it fixed in place? Yes. Is it the bath? No. Is it the sink? No. Is it big? No. Is it a tap? Yes!

I went to the shops

This is one to test your memory skills and is one we play on car journeys or something just on the way to school. Players take turns to add items to the shopping list, but have to remember all that has gone before them too.

For example…

I went to the shops and bought a banana.

I went to the shops and bought a banana and a washing machine.

I went to the shops and bought a banana, a washing machine and a pair of sandals.

How long can you make the list before forgetting items. Younger players might need some prompting (as might adults actually…) but it is fun for all the ages.

The alphabet game

This game has so many variations but we like to play the animal version. But you can pick any topic and the rules are the same. Starting with the letter A, take it in turns to name as many different animals that begin with that letter. If a player cannot think of an answer then they get a point and move onto the next letter in the alphabet. Play continues until the letter Z and the player with the least points is the winner.

Of course you don’t have to keep score, sometimes it is just fun trying to complete the challenge itself.

Car counting game

This works best if you are driving along A or B roads rather than motorways as it is harder to keep track of cars if they are whizzing past you at speed. Everyone must choose a number between 1 and 100. Although ideally you want it to be between 20 and 60 so you don’t end the game too soon or lose interest.

Next, you have to decide a theme for the cars – this could be cleanest car, dirtiest car, most impressive car etc…

Say go! And start counting cars that pass you by. Let’s say the numbers chosen were 24, 46 and 73 – when that number car passes you it can be assessed against the theme criteria. If the criteria was shiniest car but car number 24 was filthy, it isn’t in with a chance. When car 46 passes by and is really shiny then you may have a winner… but then 73 goes past and is so shiny you need sunglasses to look at the dazzle – 73 wins it!

A surprisingly competitive game considering it is all based on chance!

Numberplate game

An oldie but a goodie! Read out the last 3 letters on the numberplate and come up with a silly sentence. So, RL70 BTA would become Billy teaches art, or Brenda tickled Amanda, or Bright turquoise armadillo. The aim of the game is to have a laugh and enjoy being silly together.

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I hope this has given you some ideas for next family game night as well as some different games to try next time you go on a long journey. Setting aside quality family time is so important and having a family game night tradition once a week can help keep that time locked in.

Do you have a list of fun family games you’d recommend?