Board Games Night: Classics and New Favorites

There’s nothing quite like a board games night with friends or family to create fun, memorable bonding experiences. Board games have a wonderful way of bringing people together for some friendly competition, lots of laughs, and quality social time away from screens.

While video games have surged in popularity, there’s something special about the classic appeal of gathering around a table with loved ones to play boardgames. From rekindling that competitive spirit to exercising your brain with strategic gameplay, board games offer a refreshing dose of interactive entertainment.

Whether you’re a board games aficionado or just looking for new social activities, having an epic game night is easier than you think. This guide will cover some of the all-time classic board games that you’ll want in your collection, as well as awesome new games to try that are sure to become fast favorites. Let’s dive into creating the ultimate board games night!

Timeless Classics No Game Night is Complete Without

When it comes to beloved board games, there are certain iconic options that simply need to be part of your game night lineup. Not only are these games ultra-fun to play, but they also provide a hit of nostalgia and tradition that makes the whole experience that much more special.

Monopoly

Let’s start with arguably the most iconic board game of all time: Monopoly. There’s a reason this real estate tycoon game has been a staple for decades – it perfectly combines strategic thinking with negotiation skills, high stakes, and just a touch of manipulation and sabotage.

Part of what makes Monopoly so memorable is how it can bring out people’s competitiveness in hilarious ways. As properties start getting snatched up and players land on expensive spaces with big costs, the trash-talking and dramatic pleas for mercy invariably start flying. Toss in the joy of watching your buddy go bankrupt after making one investment too many, and you’ve got all the makings of an epically fun game.

While the original Monopoly is a must-have, the game has also spawned countless fun new versions over the years. From Disney character editions to special “cheater” variations that let players get a bit devious, there’s a Monopoly iteration for everyone. My personal favorite is my family’s vintage 1960s set that my mom has had since college, recreating a classic game night from her younger days.

Clue

For those who love a good mystery, you can’t go wrong with the beloved classic Clue. This game tests your deduction skills and ability to read other players’ body language as you try to figure out whodunit with which weapon and where.

Was it Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the candlestick? Or perhaps Miss Scarlett committed the crime with the revolver in the kitchen? Using a combination of strategy, attention to detail, and a little bit of luck, you’ll need to sift through the clues and red herrings to solve this murder case before your opponents do.

Part of what makes Clue such a blast is that, like the best mysteries, there’s bound to be a big reveal or unexpected twist at the end that makes everyone go “Aha!” As with Monopoly, Clue has been reimagined with creative new editions like a glitzy Las Vegas version that adds some extra pizzazz and role-playing fun to the experience.

Whether you play the original or a souped-up variant, Clue is a surefire way to scratch that itch for amateur sleuthing and inject some intrigue and suspense into your game night. Just don’t hold any grudges after being wrongly accused!

Trivial Pursuit

For a real brain-buster of a game, you’ll definitely want to add Trivial Pursuit to your collection. This beloved trivia game is the perfect way to put your obscure knowledge about topics like history, sports, entertainment, and more to the test.

As you move around the Trivial Pursuit board attempting to collect pie-piece wedges for each category, you’ll face ultra-challenging questions that will stump even the most knowledgeable players. But that’s all part of the fun – learning new facts from the questions you miss or reveling in the sweet taste of victory when you manage to pull an impressive answer out of thin air.

Whether you opt for the classic general knowledge edition or a themed Trivial Pursuit focused on topics like pop culture, movies, or a particular academic subject, it’s an addictive trivia competition that is sure to get everyone engaged. Just be prepared for some spirited debates over which answers are correct – all part of the charm of this board game institution.

New Favorites That Will Become Treasured Additions

While the classics are always a solid choice, part of the fun of board games night is also trying out fresh new games that get everyone’s competitive juices flowing. Here are some fantastic modern board game gems to add into your rotation.

Codenames

If you consider yourself a wordsmith with a talent for clue-giving and deduction, you’ll absolutely love Codenames. This game breaks players into two teams, with each squad selecting a “spymaster” to provide coded clues. Using those clues, teammates have to guess which words on a grid of vocabulary are their assigned terms without accidentally picking the words that belong to the other team – or much worse, the “assassin” word that causes an instant loss!

What makes Codenames such an addictive party game is how it combines creativity, quick thinking, and just the right amount of risk. When spymasters give a clever one-word clue, you can feel the tension in the air as teammates grasp for the concept. Then there’s the elation of solving a clever clue – or the anguish of picking the assassin card and crashing out of the game. Breaks between rounds are bound to be filled with roasting and playful accusations of sabotage, all in good fun.

For maximum enjoyment, Codenames works best when your spymasters take the opportunity to get delightfully punny, clever, or even a bit devious with their clues. Think you can handle the covert action?

Exploding Kittens

If you’re in the market for a fast-paced card game to play at your next game night that is sure to produce tons of laughs, look no further than Exploding Kittens. This utterly unique game bills itself as “a Russian roulette of kitties” – and that description is pretty spot-on.

The goal is to strategically skip over any “exploding kitten” cards that come your way, using creative plays of action cards like kittens that can help defuse the situation or skip your turn entirely. Inevitably though, the moment arrives when someone draws an exploding kitten card. If they don’t have a defuse card, they are knocked out of the game in hilariously over-the-top fashion.

What makes Exploding Kittens such a riot to play is the high stakes ridiculousness combined with the light irreverent humor. Between the silly illustrations, surprise face-palms when a friend forgets to play a defuse card, and constant “oh no, not the kittens!” jokes, you’ll be chuckling all night long while attempting to claw your way to victory. It’s a refreshing break from ultra-serious strategy games.

Ticket to Ride

Fans of thoughtful yet intuitive gameplay combined with an appreciation for nice artwork and components should definitely add Ticket to Ride to their must-play list. This award-winning game has developed a loyal following for good reason.

In Ticket to Ride, every player is an amateur railway tycoon attempting to connect iconic cities across a map through clever train route planning. The longer the route you complete between two locales, the more points you earn. But you’ll need to balance connecting safely nearby destinations with seizing opportunities to make high-risk, high-reward treks across the map when possible.

Beyond the compelling yet accessible gameplay, what really makes Ticket to Ride so enjoyable is the ability to play a game over and over without it feeling repetitive or stale. Since the routes between cities change every round based on players claiming paths, there’s always a fresh new challenge. You won’t just be doing the same routes over and over.

The production value of the game board and train car pieces doesn’t hurt either, immersing you in the experience of building your railway empire. For social deduction and strategy fans, Ticket to Ride is an instant winner.

Catan

Of all the “modern board game classics” that have surged in popularity over the past couple of decades, few have achieved the iconic status of Catan. This game of resource-gathering, settlement-building, and negotiation is a lengthy affair but one that is endlessly engaging for those who appreciate deep strategic thinking.

In Catan, players take on the role of would-be settlers establishing colonies on a frontier island filled with a finite amount of natural resources like wood, wheat, ore, and more.

These games are sure to make your quality time memorable with your special ones.