Are you looking for the best board games for teens? Search no further! Here are tons of board games to help bring back family game night with teens.
What used to be a sacred weekly family tradition has been slowly dying off in recent years – Family Game Night! Bringing back board games may be the only good thing that happened from the last few years, and it is a sure cure for parents looking for fun ways to reconnect with their teens.
Families everywhere seem to think that when their kids reach a certain age, they are too old for board games?! This is simply just crazy talk. In fact, there will never be a time in their lives when family game night is more important than the teenage years.
Board games can bring us closer to our relatives and also strengthen friendships. And nothing is better than bringing a group together to compete in some party games.
Absolutely, part of the demise of family game night is the fact that most parents felt if they played one more game of monopoly they might lose what shred of sanity they have left. But there are so many new and popular board games for teens, you really can have fun and so will your teenagers.
You see, it can be hard to communicate with our teens.
They tend to want to hide in their rooms and spend hours on their devices. And for many of us, our older teens can drive themselves to school and so we lose the one sacred space we had left where a conversation might occur every now and then.
However, although they think they are all grown-up, teenagers are still kids at heart.
And they still love board games – at least the right games.
You need to find the ones that appeal to their whit, their dry sense of humor, or simply just an opportunity to totally take mom and dad down in a little friendly competition. They still want to get the exploding kitten card or laugh at Throw Throw Burrito. They might want to try a new board game, or maybe just sti down with a deck of cards. Make it work for your family.
That’s why we’ve made this easy for you and collected a great list of the most modern (and okay a few oldies, but goodies) that will have the whole family back together and looking forward to family game nights again.
You may also like these fun family card games to play with your teens.
If you want to skip right to the most popular board games for teens right now. Then here is a top ten of the newest and hottest board games for teens.
Top Ten Most Popular Board Games for Teens
- Earth – Earth is an open-world engine builder for 1 to 5 players with simple rules and countless strategic possibilities. It is a visually stunning game that engages players in building their own island with terrain and fauna and reveals unique connections every single time you play!
- Trekking -Featuring all 63 of the National Parks, this wildly popular game will take families on an adventure exploring all the natural wonders these public spaces have to offer right from your living room.
- 7 Wonders – Consistently ranked as one of the best boards game in existence for many years running, this strategic game makes you the leader of one of the seven greatest cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.
- Root – Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast wilderness. Players drive the narrative and the differences between each role create an unparalleled level of interaction and replayability.
- Scythe – It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries. Lead your faction to victory, building mechs, working the land, and exploring the mysterious factory, all while protecting your territory from the mechs of other encroaching factions
- Ark Nova – Build Your Zoo Your Way – With The Ultimate Goal Of Owning The Most Successful Zoological Establishment, You Will Build Enclosures, Accommodate Animals, And Support Conservation Projects All Over The World. You Can Even Release Animals Back Into The Wild.
- Key to the Kingdom – Race through the Demon King’s ever-changing domain. Use all of your cunning and luck to overcome outrageous obstacles and track down three pieces of a magical key. The first one to defeat the Demon King wins the game.
- Lost Ruins of Arnak – Explore jungles, find artifacts, and discover the Lost Ruins of Arnak! Lead rival expeditions to a newly discovered island. Through a unique combination of worker placement and deckbuilding, each expedition attempts to uncover the island’s secrets.
- Everdell – A fantastical city building game combining worker placement and strategic card play to create a new civilization. Gather resources to build fanciful Constructions and recruit colorful Critters to make your city thrive.
- WingSpan – You are bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. But being strategic in your bird habitats is key to winning and it takes more skill than one might think to cultivate the right flock.
The Best Board Games For Teens
Funny Board Game For Teens
Who doesn’t love a good game at a party? Seeing our big kids be silly with a quick, hilarious game of Relative Insanity can fill a whole house with laughter. Exploding Kittens is still a big hit for some quick fun in our house, but what’s great is our favorite games come out with a new edition or spin on the concept. Some are even offering expansion packs, which means the fun never gets old!
Exploding Kittens – A Russian Roulette Card Game, Easy Family-Friendly Party Games – Card Games for Adults, Teens & Kids – 2-5 Players
Not Parent Approved: A Fun Card Game for Kids, Tweens, Teens, Families and Mischief Makers – The Original, Hilarious Family Party GameGoat Lords by Gatwick Games | Hilarious, Addictive & Competitive Card Game with Goats! | Best Card Games for Families, Adults, Teens, and Kids | Great Game Gift and Travel Games | 2-6 PlayersWatch Ya’ Mouth Ultimate EditionRelative Insanity — Hilarious Party Game — From Comedian Jeff Foxworthy — Ages 14+ — 4+ PlayersTaco Cat Goat Cheese PizzaWhat Do You Meme? Core Game – The Hilarious Adult Party Game for Meme LoversFact or Crap Board GameThe Awkward Storyteller Party Game, Episode 2 Expansion Pack
Strategy Board Games For Teens
There is a reason why Dungeons and Dragons was so popular for GenX, and that’s because you had to use your brains and strategize in order to win. We love Catan, but we’ve also had a lot of fun with the Escape Room in a Box where we can get our teens’ friends involved, too. Oh, and if you’ve never heard of Wingspan, seriously it’s definitely more than just bird watching, you teens will be obsessed!
ESCAPE ROOM IN A BOX The Werewolf ExperimentThe Resistance: Avalon Social Deduction GameCATAN Board Game 25th Anniversary Edition | Includes The Base Game and The 5-6 Player Extension | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | for 3 to 6 Players | Made by Catan StudioPandemic Rapid Response Board Game | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Cooperative Board Game | Ages 8+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 20 minutes | Made by Z-Man GamesTicket to Ride Board Game | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Train Game | Ages 8+ | For 2 to 5 players | Average Playtime 30-60 minutes | Made by Days of WonderRisk: The Game of Strategic Conquest7 Wonders Board Game (BASE GAME) – New Edition | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Civilization and Strategy Board Game | 3-7 Players | Ages 10 and up | Made by Repos ProductionSEQUENCE- Original SEQUENCE Game with Folding Board, Cards and Chips by Jax ( Packaging may Vary ) White, 10.3Carcassonne Board Game (BASE GAME) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Board Game | Medieval Adventure Board Game | Ages 7 and up | 2-5 Players | Made by Z-Man GamesDominion: 2nd EditionWingspan Board Game – A Bird-Collection, Engine-Building Stonemaier Game for 1-5 Players, Ages 14+Ravensburger Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power Strategy Board Game for Ages 12 & Up – The Next Chapter of VillainousSplendor Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Game | Ages 10+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 30 minutes | Made by Space CowboysAzul Board Game | Strategy Board Game | Mosaic Tile Placement Game | Family Board Game for Adults and Kids | Ages 8 and up | 2 to 4 Players | Average Playtime 30 – 45 Minutes | Made by Next Move Games
The Best Board Games For Teens – Oldies But Still Goodies
Nothing beats the classic games of our youth, the kind where your luck is in a pair of dice and a little strategy. None of this fortnite stuff where you are killing your family members or some villain on the screen, While some of these have withstood the test of time, a few of these include a new twist that are total game-changers (sorry, couldn’t resist). So, nope, not your same old Monopoly game anymore.
Scrabble GameBattleship Classic Board Game Strategy Game Ages 7 and Up For 2 PlayersHasbro Gaming Trivial Pursuit Decades 2010 to 2020 Board Game for Adults and Teens, Pop Culture Trivia Game for 2 to 6 Players, Ages 16 and UpScattergories GameMattel Apples to Apples Party Box The Game of Crazy CombinationsAsmodee – Telestrations – Board GameHasbro Gaming Monopoly Game: Cheaters Edition Board Game Ages 8 and UpJenga Giant Family (Stacks to Over 3 Feet) Precision-Crafted Hardwood Game (Authentic Brand Game) (01506-19-noAcc)EuchreThe Original Rummikub – Fast Moving Rummy Tile GameRetro Series Clue 1986 Edition Game
Quirky Board Game For Teens
Some of these are a little more off the beaten path and might be for those who once in the day would have liked games like Magic The Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons. A few are a little more mainstream, but still a bit quirky and different if you’ve got teens who like to dwell outside the box. King of Tokyo is our family favorite and it’s slowly developing a cult following for college kids too!
Trekking The National Parks: The Award-Winning Family Board Game (Second Edition)King of Tokyo: New Edition Board GameDixit Odyssey Board Game | Storytelling Game for Kids and Adults | Fun Family Board Game | Creative Kids Game | Ages 8 and up | 3-12 Players | Average Playtime 30 Minutes | Made by LibelludThrow Throw Burrito by Exploding Kittens – A Dodgeball Card Game – Family-Friendly Party Games – Card Games for Adults, Teens & Kids – 2-6 PlayersStonemaier Games Scythe Board Game – An Engine-Building, Area Control for 1-5 Players, Ages 14+, GraySpy Alley Mensa Award Winning Family Strategy Board GameSushi Go! – The Pick and Pass Card GameBears vs Babies by Exploding Kittens – A Monster-Building Card Game – Family-Friendly Party Games – Card Games For Adults, Teens & KidsFantasy Flight Games KeyForge Mass Mutation 2-Player StarterLeder Games | Root: A Game of Woodland Might and RightHasbro Gaming Avalon Hill Betrayal at The House on The Hill Second Edition Cooperative Board Game, Ages 12 and Up, 3-6 Players, 50 Chilling ScenariosBlue Orange Games Photosynthesis Board Game – Award Winning Family or Adult Strategy Board Game for 2 to 4 Players. Recommended for Ages 8 & Up.Above and Below Game
Grab one or two or a whole bunch, give them as gifts (because who knows what to buy for tweens and teens as gifts these days!) Gather your crew and maybe a few neighborhood kids too, pop some popcorn, order a pizza and settle in for a night that will be far more fun than you’ve had in awhile. You’ll be shocked to see that your teens will agree too and maybe even consent to a regularly schedule family game night where real talking and laughing occurs and screens are set aside, at least for an hour or two.
Parenting teens and tweens is hard, but these popular posts other parents found helpful, might just make it a little easier.
10 Brilliant Non Tech Gifts For Teens To Get Them Off Their Screens
50+ Screen-Free Activities for Tweens and Teens
The Best Audio-Books For Tweens and Teens (That Parents Will Enjoy Too!)
The Best 80’s Teen Movies Every Parent Should Watch With Their Teens (parentingteensandtweens.com)
Thanks for sharing a great overview of games!
Another I have come across recently is TRIVE. It is a teaching exercise disguised as a game. At a time when our society is being pulled apart it offers a new and unique way of bringing people together. This is especially valuable in situations where parents are anxious about a developing separation within their family; perhaps experiencing an unsettled teenager, a high school graduate who is not communicating, or a college student who is struggling to select a major.
The game places parents and young adults on par with each other, opening and encouraging valuable dialogue that can over time establish a foundation to great achievements for all participants.
It’s available at ConnectTheTrive.com.