There’s nothing better than a family gathering over a fun board game. In this article, we have collected the most interesting and popular board games without violence and horror that can unite different generations of players.
CARCASSONNE
Carcassonne is considered one of the best family board games . This is a strategy in which participants take on the role of feudal lords and increase their possessions using colored cards with images of various areas: roads, farms , city walls, and so on.
During the game , players create a map of a large territory and occupy its areas. Here you can use several strategies: for example, focus on developing your land, or, on the contrary, try to upset the plans of your rivals. The most important thing here is that the game has very accessible rules and high replayability , and therefore is perfect for the whole family.
CATAN: COLONIZERS
Catan is a peaceful game, although there is a certain competitive spirit. Players act as colonizers who have arrived on the island of Catan and are racing to conquer as many territories as possible.
To do this, it is necessary to build roads and establish settlements, but first you will have to obtain the necessary resources, trade and deal with the robbers who are hindering development. The one who scores 10 victory points the fastest wins.
The game is perfect for family leisure: it is designed for a large number of participants and allows you to use various gameplay tactics. Several additions can be added to the base edition, which will expand the title with new game mechanics, such as fortress walls, knights and pirates .
EXPLODING KITTENS
Exploding Kittens is a world-famous hit that consistently ranks among the best card board games. The game is characterized by fast gameplay, which allows you to gather your household members at any time for a game lasting half an hour.
Here participants play a kind of “Russian roulette,” but without risking their lives. Players take turns drawing cards from a deck containing “explosive kittens” that immediately explode as soon as someone takes them out. To avoid defeat, you need to use cards in your hand that allow you to skip a turn, force your opponent to draw more cards, cancel your opponent’s action, and so on. At the same time, players will certainly be pleased with the funny inscriptions and design of the cards.
TICKET TO RIDE: EUROPE
Ticket to Ride: Europe is another board game for the whole family. It is dedicated to travel , and gamers create their own routes, connecting cities by rail .
Each participant receives a route map, according to which he must draw a railway between two cities. How to do this is up to him to decide: the player who has laid out the longest and most inventive route, which will allow him to make the most interesting trip, wins. The game, by the way, is not limited only to Europe: thanks to the additions, you can also go on a trip to Asia.
FALLOUT SHELTER. BOARD GAME
The board game Fallout Shelter is based on the Fallout series , and takes players to a post-apocalyptic setting where humanity has been virtually destroyed after a devastating nuclear war.
Here, participants will have to compete for the post of caretaker of the Vault and take care of the residents entrusted to them. Players must expand the bunker , mine resources, fight monsters , and heal wounded characters. Cards for equipment items and a system for improving the characteristics of fighters will allow you to cope with challenges more effectively, and the participant who scores the most happiness points will become a full-fledged caretaker at the end of the game.
GAME OF THRONES: BETWEEN TWO KINGS
And this game is based on the popular Game of Thrones franchise, which, in turn, was created based on the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones : Between Two Kings is a card game in which it is important to use diplomacy, weave intrigue and use any tricks and tricks to defeat your opponents in the battle for the Iron Throne.
Using influence cards, players strive to win advisors over to their side, trade and apply various effects. The game is beautifully designed, and its “plot” involves key characters from the saga. Game of Thrones fans will definitely be delighted.
MACHI KORO
Machi Koro is a cozy game for those who love Japan and city building . Participants act as mayors, and each of them will have to build and develop their own small town, making it more prosperous and attractive than the cities of rival players.
Thanks to the cards that gamers have in their hands, they can earn income from buildings and build new businesses and attractions. The winner is the one who builds four landmarks in his city faster than others. Machi Koro is notable for its simple gameplay, pleasant visual design and addictive gameplay.
SMALL TOWNS
Another board game about construction, in which you need to create the most beautiful and functional city possible. Moreover, here the gameplay is richer in possibilities compared to competing games: gamers will have to sketch a settlement plan in a notebook and correctly place city blocks. After one of the participants completes the ninth building, the game ends and victory is awarded to those who scored the most points.
Small Towns is a pleasant and colorful game. It is very easy to master, and the gameplay involves gentle competition: here you can either fight for a place in the sun, or try to work together to create a prosperous metropolis out of several cities. It all depends on your desires and imagination.
MEZEN
Mezen is a game from domestic developers, inspired by cultural motifs and the style of Mezen painting. Participants here will become masters who create that very painting, and they will have to make combinations of chips with images of animals in order to create beautiful ornaments.
The gameplay of the project is very simple. There are cards with tasks that need to be completed. Participants flip and move their tiles, constantly changing their design. The one who most accurately fulfills the conditions of the task will receive more points, and the action will move on to the next task – and so on for ten rounds, after which the winner will be determined. Mezen will certainly appeal to the older generation, but it will also be of interest to young people.
ZOMBIE IN THE HOUSE
Despite such a gloomy name, Zombies in the House is quite a fun game , and it is perfect for family leisure. According to the plot, the characters who went on a trip are trapped in a house full of the living dead. They will have to use weapons and other objects to avoid infection, escape from zombies and escape to freedom.
The game is characterized by very simple rules: even your grandmother can master them. The monsters here are not scary at all, and a cooperative adventure can easily turn into a PvP confrontation.
INITIATIVE
Initiative is a good board for a family with children. Young players will be happy to feel like secret agents, and adults will help them solve quite difficult puzzles that the game throws up during the passage.
The main characters here are teenagers who bought an old board game at a sale. This act becomes the trigger for incredible events, during which players have to penetrate secret facilities, obtain evidence and fight enemies. Along the way, the participants progress according to the scenario, which is contained in the complete comic book. And when all the tests are passed, you can turn to additional tasks that are stored on a special website – by the way, translated into Russian.
7 WONDERS
7 Wonders is a game about building the Seven Wonders of the World. Each player (there can be from 3 to 7 participants) takes on one of the wonders and enters the race , trying to build it as quickly as possible, ahead of their opponents. To succeed, you need to trade and fight with neighbors, hire wandering philosophers, actors and preachers, send mercenaries to the enemy and fight off enemy agents. The player who scores more points by the end of the game will win.
The title made it into our rating due to its colorful design, simple rules and high dynamics – the average game takes about 45 minutes, so even busy family members will be able to find time to play. In addition, 7 Wonders can be called an educational board strategy: it can arouse interest in the Seven Wonders of the World and other historical events among those who play it.
CITY OF LUCK
A new urban planning strategy in which participants strive to build the city of their dreams. Each player receives cards with resources and buildings, and begins to compete with rivals for the title of the most successful mayor.
The game received attractive colorful cards with images of resources and buildings. The gameplay is highly dynamic: you need to develop your city, interfere with your opponents if possible, monitor the ever-changing market, accumulate resources and build effective buildings. The participant who scores the most points by the end of the game wins.
AGRICOLA
Agricola is an economic strategy set in the Middle Ages , where players will have to revive civilization after a devastating plague. This is an incredibly popular game that has received more than thirty honorary awards and is deservedly considered one of the best family board games.
Here, each participant represents a farming family, and he will have to immerse himself in peasant everyday life: plowing fields, building pens for livestock, growing and harvesting crops, improving his house, having offspring, and so on. The game allows you to choose specializations (for example, animal husbandry or agriculture), and has high replayability. Meanwhile, its rules are very easy to understand and remember, so if you want to play with the whole family, you can count on a low barrier to entry.
EVERDELL
Everdell is a fantasy adventure about conquering new lands. Players lead groups of settlers as they travel the world to establish new cities.
Actually, the party in this strategy begins with the creation of a settlement. Next, participants must obtain resources, develop the city, explore the surrounding areas and face numerous difficulties, survive four seasons and score the maximum number of points. Everdell has a very beautiful design (there is even a massive Tree that needs to be assembled according to the instructions), as well as a large amount of content that is expanded with the addition of additions to the base edition.
