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Best 30 family board games

Posted on by juma

I often struggle which games I should purchase and play with a certain play count. Thus, I did some research on boardgamegeek (a popular forum for board games, often just called “BGG”) and made a list of the best 30 family board games. Hopefully this helps you to find the best game for your gaming group.

Best 30 family board games sorted by BGG rank

BGG Rank Game # of players Best with Min Age Average playing time Weight
1 7 Wonders 2-7 4 10 30 2,3
2 Crokinole 2-4 4 8 30 1,3
3 Patchwork 2 2 8 23 1,7
4 Stone Age  2-4 4 10 75 2,5
5 Pandemic 2-4 4 8 45 2,4
6 Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries 2-3 3 8 75 2
7 Ticket to Ride: Europe 2-5 4 8 45 2
8 Splendor 2-4 3 10 30 1,8
9 Jaipur  2 2 12 30 1,6
10 Ticket to Ride 2-5 4 8 45 1,9
11 Sheriff of Nottingham  3-5 5 13 60 1,7
12 Carcassonne 2-5 2 8 38 1,9
13 Small World 2-5 4 8 60 2,4
14 Love Letter 2-4 4 10 20 1,2
15 King of Tokyo 2-6 4 8 30 1,5
16 Ticket to Ride: Märklin 2-5 4 8 45 2,2
17 Forbidden Desert 2-5 4 10 45 2
18 Fresco 2-4 4 10 60 2,6
19 Takenoko 2-4 3 8 45 2
20 Hanabi 2-5 4 8 25 1,7
21 Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 2-4 4 8 60 1,7
22 Small World Underground 2-5 4 8 60 2,6
23 Flash Point: Fire Rescue 1-6 4 10 45 2,2
24 Pandemic: The Cure 2-5 3 8 30 2,1
25 Airlines Europe 2-5 4 10 75 2,4
26 King of New York 2-6 4 10 40 1,8
27 Kingsburg 2-5 4 13 90 2,4
28 Catan 3-4 4 10 90 2,4
29 For Sale 3-6 5 8 20 1,3
30 Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 2-4 3 12 45 2,1
Family Board Games
7 Wonders, popular among strategy and family gamers alike

7 Wonders tops this list. Due to its short playing time it appeals to family gamers. Nonetheless it is a relatively deep game that appeals to strategy gamers alike!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Best 30 Family Board Games sorted by best player count

BGG Rank Game # of players Best with Min Age Average Playing time Weight
3 Patchwork 2 2 8 23 1,7
9 Jaipur  2 2 12 30 1,6
12 Carcassonne 2-5 2 8 38 1,9
6 Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries 2-3 3 8 75 2
8 Splendor 2-4 3 10 30 1,8
19 Takenoko 2-4 3 8 45 2
24 Pandemic: The Cure 2-5 3 8 30 2,1
30 Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 2-4 3 12 45 2,1
1 7 Wonders 2-7 4 10 30 2,3
2 Crokinole 2-4 4 8 30 1,3
4 Stone Age  2-4 4 10 75 2,5
5 Pandemic 2-4 4 8 45 2,4
7 Ticket to Ride: Europe 2-5 4 8 45 2
10 Ticket to Ride 2-5 4 8 45 1,9
13 Small World 2-5 4 8 60 2,4
14 Love Letter 2-4 4 10 20 1,2
15 King of Tokyo 2-6 4 8 30 1,5
16 Ticket to Ride: Märklin 2-5 4 8 45 2,2
17 Forbidden Desert 2-5 4 10 45 2
18 Fresco 2-4 4 10 60 2,6
20 Hanabi 2-5 4 8 25 1,7
21 Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 2-4 4 8 60 1,7
22 Small World Underground 2-5 4 8 60 2,6
23 Flash Point: Fire Rescue 1-6 4 10 45 2,2
25 Airlines Europe 2-5 4 10 75 2,4
26 King of New York 2-6 4 10 40 1,8
27 Kingsburg 2-5 4 13 90 2,4
28 Catan 3-4 4 10 90 2,4
11 Sheriff of Nottingham  3-5 5 13 60 1,7
29 For Sale 3-6 5 8 20 1,3

Most family board games play best with four players. The best two player game is Patchwork, the best game for three players is Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries, the best for four players is 7 Wonders and the best for five players is Sheriff of Nottingham.

Best 30 family board games sorted by average playing time

BGG Rank Game # of players Best with Min Age Average Playing time Weight
14 Love Letter 2-4 4 10 20 1,2
29 For Sale 3-6 5 8 20 1,3
3 Patchwork 2 2 8 23 1,7
20 Hanabi 2-5 4 8 25 1,7
1 7 Wonders 2-7 4 10 30 2,3
2 Crokinole 2-4 4 8 30 1,3
8 Splendor 2-4 3 10 30 1,8
9 Jaipur  2 2 12 30 1,6
15 King of Tokyo 2-6 4 8 30 1,5
24 Pandemic: The Cure 2-5 3 8 30 2,1
12 Carcassonne 2-5 2 8 38 1,9
26 King of New York 2-6 4 10 40 1,8
5 Pandemic 2-4 4 8 45 2,4
7 Ticket to Ride: Europe 2-5 4 8 45 2
10 Ticket to Ride 2-5 4 8 45 1,9
16 Ticket to Ride: Märklin 2-5 4 8 45 2,2
17 Forbidden Desert 2-5 4 10 45 2
19 Takenoko 2-4 3 8 45 2
23 Flash Point: Fire Rescue 1-6 4 10 45 2,2
30 Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 2-4 3 12 45 2,1
11 Sheriff of Nottingham  3-5 5 13 60 1,7
13 Small World 2-5 4 8 60 2,4
18 Fresco 2-4 4 10 60 2,6
21 Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 2-4 4 8 60 1,7
22 Small World Underground 2-5 4 8 60 2,6
4 Stone Age  2-4 4 10 75 2,5
6 Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries 2-3 3 8 75 2
25 Airlines Europe 2-5 4 10 75 2,4
27 Kingsburg 2-5 4 13 90 2,4
28 Catan 3-4 4 10 90 2,4
Love letter, fast and easy family game
Love letter, fast and easy family game
Catan, one of the most popular board games in the last twenty years
Catan, one of the most popular board games in the last twenty years

Love letter is the fastest game in this list whereas a Catan session lasts about 90 minutes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Best 30 family board games sorted by weight

BGG Rank Game # of players Best with Min Age Average Playing time Weight
14 Love Letter 2-4 4 10 20 1,2
2 Crokinole 2-4 4 8 30 1,3
29 For Sale 3-6 5 8 20 1,3
15 King of Tokyo 2-6 4 8 30 1,5
9 Jaipur  2 2 12 30 1,6
3 Patchwork 2 2 8 23 1,7
11 Sheriff of Nottingham  3-5 5 13 60 1,7
20 Hanabi 2-5 4 8 25 1,7
21 Survive: Escape from Atlantis! 2-4 4 8 60 1,7
8 Splendor 2-4 3 10 30 1,8
26 King of New York 2-6 4 10 40 1,8
10 Ticket to Ride 2-5 4 8 45 1,9
12 Carcassonne 2-5 2 8 38 1,9
6 Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries 2-3 3 8 75 2
7 Ticket to Ride: Europe 2-5 4 8 45 2
17 Forbidden Desert 2-5 4 10 45 2
19 Takenoko 2-4 3 8 45 2
24 Pandemic: The Cure 2-5 3 8 30 2,1
30 Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 2-4 3 12 45 2,1
16 Ticket to Ride: Märklin 2-5 4 8 45 2,2
23 Flash Point: Fire Rescue 1-6 4 10 45 2,2
1 7 Wonders 2-7 4 10 30 2,3
5 Pandemic 2-4 4 8 45 2,4
13 Small World 2-5 4 8 60 2,4
25 Airlines Europe 2-5 4 10 75 2,4
27 Kingsburg 2-5 4 13 90 2,4
28 Catan 3-4 4 10 90 2,4
4 Stone Age  2-4 4 10 75 2,5
18 Fresco 2-4 4 10 60 2,6
22 Small World Underground 2-5 4 8 60 2,6

 

Family Board Game
Pandemic, one of the most popular cooperative board games

Love letter is the easiest game in this list, it can be easily taught in three minutes. Other games such as Pandemic and 7 Wonders are among the heavier family games that also appeal to strategy gamers.

If you are as geeky as I am you should check out my blog post with statistics about the best 30 family board games like the correlation between playing time and BGG rank.

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