My Top Ten Family Games

Over the years, game night has changed dramatically for my family as the kids have become adults. Gone are the days of playing Rat-Tat-Tat, Sorry, and Spongebob Square Pants Life Edition.

My husband and I were to the point of shaking our heads, wondering what we could play with our 26 and 21-year-old kids that was fun.

Activate Adult Mom Mode

I needed to stop thinking of them as my babies and start getting into the swing of what is trendy for the twenty-something age group. After scanning website after website, reading many reviews, and watching YouTube videos, I found a fantastic group of board games to play with my adult kids.

Many of the games are great for younger kids but there are a few are more suitable for adult children. I'll make sure to highlight the ones that aren't ideal for younger kids or grandparents!

So, over Christmas, we had game nights with each of the new family games, and it was a huge success! So much so that I would love to share the results with you.

This post does not contain any affiliate links. I am just a Mom trying to help other families discover games to make family time memorable!

1. Christmas Categories - The Original Holiday Party Game

Ages 10 and up

If you have played Scattergories, then this is right up your alley. With charming Christmas-themed questions and letter cards, you must answer the corresponding question at the start of the chosen letter.

Here is an example:

The letter card is a T

You have to answer five questions that all start with the letter T.

Sample question: Name a Christmas party favor.

You have to answer all 5 cards within the one-minute timer. I can tell you that is a challenge, and my family did a two-minute timer.

2. TAPPLE Word Games

Ages: 10 and up

TAPPLE is a great word to recall, and it is a fast-paced game. There is 1 Tapple wheel with letters, a built-in timer, and 36 cards (144 categories).

The premises of the game are that a category is picked, and you have to take turns giving the answer that matches the category. The challenge is that when someone hits the letter on the Tapple wheel, that letter is gone.

Example: Name countries

Now, you tap the letter that corresponds with the country; then your opponent taps the same until the timer rings. The tricky part is that letters start getting used up, and you can get stuck with letters that you may not be able to come up with a country with.

It's an thrilling game to play with a lot of laughter.

FYI: If you have a pet who gets nervous with sounds, this game may bother them. LOL, like my dog, Duke.

3. Our Family is So Weird

Ages: 14 +

This is a fun game, as long as your family is okay with being called out at times. Yup, that's right. It's a game where you get to laugh and expose all of your family members' weird and annoying habits.

You need at least three family members to play. Everyone takes a turn to be the judge (the best part, right?). The judge picks a card and reads it out loud, and then everyone else votes on who the card refers to.

Votes are revealed, and the player who gets the most votes wins unless there is a tie, in which case the judge picks.

It's a game in which you share stories and reminisce.

Can the game cause problems? Yes, it's possible, as family members see things differently at times. But that might be a good way to air it out through gameplay.

4. The Worst-CASE Scenario Card Game

Ages: 10 and up

Worst-CASE Scenario Card Game was so much fun! If you have family members who are Worst-CASE Scenario people (ME!), then this is the game for you.

Don't get stressed by the directions; they look long, but it's a straightforward game to learn.

The game's object is to rank five worst-case scenarios from 1 (Bad) to 5 (The Worst) based on each player's turn.

Then everyone matches the rankings to see how many were matched correctly. You get to see how well you family members know you.

Sample question cards are:

"Lost at Sea", "Eating road kill", "Chased by killer bees"

Again, this is a funny game that was our best game of all this Christmas.

5. The Voting Game

Ages: Adults Only

This game is for family and friends. It is again a voting game to see if you can reveal the shocking and hilarious truth about your people.

NOT a game to play with the Grandparents or stiff proper family members.

Sample question: Whose Google search history would you like to see the most?

With this game, you have to really know your audience. And with certain questions we just skipped over the ones that were too dirty.

6. Combo King Dice Game

Ages: 8 and up

Combo King Dice Game is an old but good one! You are dealt cards that have a combination of dice that you have to roll within 5 chances. If you can complete the card, you receive a chip or chips that the card rewards.

It's a pure, fun game for all ages and gives you casino vibes.

7. Blokus- Strategy Board Game

Ages: 5 and up

Blokus is for the spatial awareness of family members who love strategizing.

The goal is for players to take turns placing their 21 pieces on the board, but each piece needs to touch another's corner of the same color.

8. Royalty- Word Card Game A Classic 1964 Game

This was my parents' favorite game, and they gifted it to my family. You receive seven letter cards for your hand. You have to form one word from them. If the letters are in the same color, you get double the points.

The next player can play off your word and steal it, as long as they come up with a new word.

It's an excellent game for those who love word games.

9. Encrypted

Ages: 19 and up

Try saying, "Cap tin nob phiuss" out loud. Can you encrypt that phrase? Say it out loud a few times and see if you can guess what it is. Can you get it? You should as it's saying, "Captain obvious"

This was hilarious and good fun!

Better with teams than individuals, as some of the cards are very hard.

Orange Cards - US Culture (landmark institutions, food, celebrities, iconic quotes, TV, film, etc.)

Red Cards - General (trends, embarrassing confessions, American phrases, pop and party culture, etc.)

Black Cards - Adult (18+)

10. Play Nine The Card Game Of Golf

Ages: 8 and up

Being married to a retired Golf Pro, Play Nine, was a must for our household. What is fun for me is that due to my back problems, I can’t play golf anymore; however, I can play the card game, which makes it fun for me to play a shared love of the game safely without hurting my back.

Players being the round with eight cards there is a draw pile in the center. On your turn, you can draw from the pile, discard or trade cards from the pile with the cards you flipped over from your original hand. The goal is to get the lowest score for your round.

These are my top ten games for families with mainly adult children, although some of the games can be suitable for children a little younger. I hope you enjoyed my list and that you will add these games to your family and friends' game night!

Thank you for reading!

Please note, there are no affiliate links in this post.