It’s that time of the year again when we spend more time with our family and friends and look for ways to have fun and make memories. Nothing beats a good board game to keep us busy and entertained, whether it’s a cozy night in or a festive party. But if you’re like me, you’re probably tired of repeatedly playing the same old games. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the top new board games to spice up your game nights and challenge your skills. Trust me, you won’t want to put these games away anytime soon!
Five Top New Board Games:
1. Ransom Notes
About this game:
- Ransom Notes is a party game where players use word magnets to create hilarious and terrible sentences in response to absurd prompts.
- Includes 840 word magnets, 6 metal submission cards, 250 prompt cards, and instructions. The game is easy to learn and play and can accommodate 3-6 players or more in teams.
- Designed to unleash the players’ creativity and humor and has infinite combinations of prompts and words. The game is mostly for adults but can be made family-friendly by removing some cards.
- Also, check out the expansion pack that adds nearly 200 more prompts, 120+ new words, and 4 extra trays to expand the game to 10 players. The expansion pack enhances the game with more variety and fun.
What the people say:
- “One of the most unique party games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing”
- “Potentially Better Than Cards Against Humanity”
- “A clever, funny, successfully conceived game, and we laughed a lot”
- “Very simple concept. Very much designed to be played by a bunch of people who are laughing and shouting and possibly drinking”
2. Codenames
About this game:
- Game description: Codenames is a social word game where two teams of spies compete to contact their agents using one-word clues. The game is suitable for four or more players with a cooperative variant.
- Gameplay: The spymasters give one-word clues relating to multiple codenames on the table. Their teammates try to guess the codenames of their color while avoiding the ones of the other team and the assassin4. The first team to contact all of their agents wins the game.
- Game components: The game consists of 25 cards with codenames, one card with a key that shows the secret identities of the agents, and 40 cards with clues for the spymasters. The game also includes a timer, an assassin card, and cards to mark the agents of each team.
What the people say:
- “It is very easy to learn, and once you have four or more players…you’ll have a blast! With friends and family…but beware…you might get a little bit heated if you guess wrong and the Assassin gets you!”
- “Great game. Doesn’t get repetitious over time so you can play it numerous times even if you have to reuse the cards. All my friends enjoy it. Highly recommended.”
- “Such an awesome game! Everybody had so much fun and people texted me asking for the name of the game so they could buy it for themselves! If you love games, this is a must have because every game is different and you can play an infinite number of times and not get bored!”
3. …I should have known that!
About this game:
- A trivia game: The product is a trivia game called …I should have known that! It has over 400 questions about things you should know, such as starboard, Japan, penguin, and Sleeping Beauty.
- A twist on scoring: Unlike traditional trivia games, you do not get points for answering correctly. Instead, you lose points for every wrong answer. The game is designed to be addictively entertaining and hilarious.
- A party game: The game is suitable for more than two players and can be played at parties or dinners with friends and family. The game promises to provide nonstop brain freezes, laughs, and embarrassing answers.
What the people say:
- “Had a ton of laughs with this game! Children & adults played nice together!”
- “I attend trivia once or twice a week, and we would get together and use this as practice rounds. Super fun, and you definitely learn a lot.”
- “Love this game. So much fun with a lot of people. You won’t be disappointed!”
4. You Laugh You’re Out
About this game:
- You Laugh You’re Out is a lively addition to the family party game. Act out ridiculous challenges to try to make each other laugh. But if you laugh, you lose!
- Includes 125 prompt cards, 36 laugh tokens, and one sand timer
- HOW TO PLAY: The funniest person goes first. They are the Joker. Jokers pick a card and have 30 seconds to make other players laugh by doing what the card says. If anyone laughs, they lose and must give up a laugh token to the Joker. When a player runs out of Laugh Tokens, the game ends. And the player with the most Laugh Tokens wins! Wanna play again?
- Can you keep a straight face when someone #39 Dances like their pants are on fire OR #103 Does an evil laugh without smiling?
- From the creators of Who’s Most Likely To party game
- For 4+ players ages 14+
What the people say:
- “When considering this, picture your sister-in-law or mother doing some of these actions. Then imagine capturing it on video. That alone is worth every penny. This game had me laughing waaay to hard!”
- “This was a very simple, fun way to get everyone loosened up and having a blast! The family members that played this ranged in age from 10 to 82, so chaos reigned supreme lol.”
- “A great game to get people laughing and having a good time. One of our favorite family game night games”
5. Who’s Most Likely to…
About this game:
- 250 prompt cards to decide who in the group is MOST LIKELY TO…
- A mostly clean and family-friendly version of the original best-selling game “Who’s Most Likely To…” that contains some of the same cards.
- This game can get real. Prepare to call out your friends and family!
- The more players, the better (seriously, 10+ people would be chill)
- For 4+ players and ages 14+
What the people say:
- “Bought this for my daughter’s 13th birthday sleepover, and it was a hit with 10 girls. They played it twice that night and there were a lot of laughs.”
- “So. Much. Fun! We played this at a family reunion with people from 11 – 70 years old and it was awesome. It was fun to see how well we knew our family members and also learn how others viewed us.”
- “Game was really fun. Played it wth group of 6 family members. Loved that you can play with as people as you like, so all can participate.”