We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A 1986 version of Clue, a beloved board game complete with a dark and foreboding mansion, sinister suspects, and hidden weapons. You're gonna need to use your powers of deduction to solve the mystery and be the first to identify the killer, the weapon, and the location.
Number of players: 3-6
Recommended age: 8+
Pieces: illustrated mansion board, pewter candlestick, knife, wrench, pipe, and gun, plastic rope, weapon cards, character cards, one case file, and six plastic character pawns.
Promising review: "We try to get the family one game every Christmas and we chose this one! This retro edition is so fun. My girls love the mystery of this game and we enjoy being brought back to our childhood. Great for family night or rainy day!" —GreenChile33
Get it from Amazon for $25.
2. The Blockbuster Game designed with multiple activities in one. Enjoy a hearty dose of nostalgia remembering all the times you roamed around the aisles of a movie rental store *while* brushing up on your knowledge of the cinema. This game is a race to see who can describe, quote, and act out three different movies the fastest. Play this once and I'm certain you'll want to hit "rewind."
Number of players: 4-12
Recommended age: 12+
Pieces: 260 cards, 1 electronic timer, 1 game board, 1 Blockbuster sign, and instructions.
Promising review: "This game is so much fun and absolutely hilarious. The rules are very simple and it really is true — if you have seen some movies, you can play this game. You don't need to be a movie aficionado. I played this once at a party and immediately bought it and took it to a game night where two more people also ended up buying it, it's just that fun!" —Jen
Get it from Amazon for $15.82.
3. Bookshelf Scrabble complete with letter tiles and a board that matches the 1948 game board. This folds up into a secret book that'll blend into your bookshelf brilliantly.
Number of players: 2–4
Recommended age: 8+
Pieces: wood letter tiles and four tile racks, a drawstring pouch, score pad, and pencil.
Promising review: "Durable, cute, and space efficient! It’s everything you’d expect from Scrabble but it fits in a compact 'book' case that looks great too. Definitely love the aesthetic and ease of choosing a board game with these types of packages." —GoldnX
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
4. Mystery at Magnolia Gardens that'll be loved by folks who never grew out of their Nancy Drew phase. This game from Hunt A Killer is pieced together with clues like notes, images, maps, and more. Dig through your set and solve the mystery...before it's too late!
Number of players: 1-6
Recommended age: 14+
Pieces: includes mini lockbox with resolution inside and an undisclosed amount of paper maps, facts, and clues.
Promising review: "This is a really fun family game that I played with my sister, since we both LOVE Nancy Drew and grew up reading the books. I’d buy this if you’re a Nancy Drew fan – we thought it was totally worth it. Remember that it's a one time play through, once you solve the mystery there’s no redoing it. We loved it and found it worth the money, we finished the game in an hour." —Michelle
Get it from Amazon for $29.71.
5. Or an Agatha Christie version, Mystery of Hunter's Lodge, to bring generations of your family together; including your Agatha Christie-loving parents and your true crime-loving children. This is another Hunt A Killer set, so you know it can give your family hours of entertainment!
Number of players: 2-6
Recommended age: 14+
Pieces: inside you'll find a mini lock, locket, and several photos, letters, maps, and other paper clues.
Promising review: "Prepare to spend a good four to six hours playing this game! It is super fun and strangely addictive. By the end of the game, when we solved the case, I wished we had another mystery to solve. Loved it!" —Jelena
Get it from Amazon for $64.99.
6. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine — this'll walk you and your buds through 50 cooperative space missions in a trick-taking format (like Spades) that only gets more difficult as you move along. You've created the ~space~ for a great game night at your place, now you just need this!
7. A Cribbage set — bring this to your grandparent's house and watch their eyes light up when you suggest you all play a game. This is a card-and-board-game combo that's been around for ages! Sure, you may associate it with nursing homes, but just watch, one round of this and you're gonna be Cribbage's biggest fan!
Number of players: 2
Recommended age: 8+
Pieces: Wooden board, deck of cards, player pegs,
Promising review: "We love to play cribbage and bought this set to take when traveling. The board folds nicely in half, takes up very little room in your bag, and even came with a deck of cards. Great buy!" —Susan Galasso
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
8. A 1,000-piece video game-themed puzzle that'll combine your love of puzzles with your boo's video game addiction. Romantic!
9. Wingspan — for folks who want a bird's-eye view of the life and trials of different species of our flying friends, this is a must-have! It features gorgeous game pieces and bird artwork. This is another game that's super easy to teach (even if it's rather difficult to master), which makes it all the more fun on game nights!
Number of players: 1–5
Recommended age: 10+
Promising review: "The artwork is what first drew me to this game and I stayed because it was so well designed and fun to play. If you are looking for a game that is fun, well balanced, beautiful, and a break from all the dark-themed stuff out there, then Wingspan is for you! A fun strategic game that is exciting enough for the avid gamer but simple enough to learn to play that a 7 year old can learn it." —IRNHIDE
Get it from Amazon for $47.69 (two expansion packs available).
10. Azul just might be the only game that'll convince the craft-lover in your life to put down their crochet and play a game with you! The whole point of this board game is to create gorgeous (and point-scoring) tile mosaics featuring Moorish art-inspired designs.
Number of players: 2–4
Recommended age: 8+
Promising review: "This is such a great game for both board game fanatics and non-gamers. It's easy to teach, simple to set up, plays in under an hour, and it's FUN! Azul is an abstract tile placement game that features drafting, set collecting, and pattern building. It's pleasing to look at and the components are well made. The tiles feel especially nice. This is one of those games that everyone we've introduced it to loves and wants to play again right away. It hits the table quite a bit." —Shelly
Get it from Amazon for $31.99+ (available in two styles).
11. Wavelength is gonna be a great option for folks who love game nights, but don't have a huge group of players at-the-ready. This game tests the group's telepathic connection — oh yeah, you read that right. Let's see how well you know your friends and family!
Number of players: 2–12+
Recommended age: 14+
"Everyone I know who has played this game loves it! Brother, boyfriend, mom — everyone! You learn a little about the 'psychic' every time, and it's incredibly flexible to accommodate huge fluctuations in the number of players. It's a simple concept with a lot of depth since you have to adjust your thinking every round to match that of your partner." —Danielle Healy, BuzzFeed Shopping
Get it from Target for $31.49.
12. Parks — this unnecessarily lovely board game is perfect for showing your indoor cat partner that there's fun to be had in the great outdoors! Each card is based on a different hiking trail from national parks across the country. Play solo or with friends while hitting up as many different locations as possible (and snapping pics along the way) to score points.
Number of players: 1–5
Recommended age: 10+
Promising review: "This is a very cute strategy-lite game. The mechanics are simple, but player choice can affect the course of the game in a lot of different ways. The game pieces and park cards are a real highlight. If you're a fan of the outdoors, this game will put you in the mood for a wilderness trek. Great for an hour of casual, low-sodium fun with friends or family." —Andrew Simile
Get it from Amazon for $49.99.
13. A Stupid Deaths board game so funny and fun, you and your friends are gonna be dying with laughter when y'all play it...even if your score is rather grim.
Number of players: 2-6
Recommended age: 12+
To play, one player reads a description of a death from a card and the other players decide if they think the death is real or made up. If you're correct, you get to move a step further to safety, if you're wrong, you have to move the grim reaper one step closer to you. I own this and it's a hoot and a half!
Promising review: "This is the best board game we've played in years. The game is packed with hundreds of stupid deaths and yes, that's sad, but they are hilarious and my family and I had a fun time laughing throughout. The trouble is trying to work out which are real and which are made up. It was surprising to know that some of the deaths are actually real. To win just keep ahead of the grim reaper who's chasing you round the game board. This is a real family game…where everyone gets to play and laugh out loud." —Nickelet11
Get it from Amazon for $23.57.
14. An heirloom maple wood baseball game board so you can take your kid out to the ballgame by simply going "out" to the dining room.
15. A 1965 edition of Mystery Date (which I personally own and love so much) for folks who know that playing a date night game is much more fun than the games that get played on actual dates.
Number of players: 2 to 4
Recommended age: 8+
Pieces: one die, four cardboard players, a game book (with the OG artwork), 48 outfits cards, door (with photos of the dates inside), and instructions.
Promising review: "This is a silly, throwback game to 50s styles and attitudes, but fun to play with your besties — especially after a glass or two of wine!! Perfect for a night in." —Kindle Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
16. A steering wheel accessory compatible with Nintendo Switch that'll make your racing games feel *far* more real. Like, ~wheely~ real.
Promising review: "I bought this after watching a review on YouTube. This item allows my wife that has arthritis to play and enjoy Mario Kart. Normal controllers hurt her hands but the motion control and these wheels make the game enjoyable to play for her. The paddle buttons on top of the unit work very well." —Charles C Coogler III
Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in pairs and packs).
17. A royal edition of Parcheesi — a classic board game that's been entertaining people for over a century. To play, roll the dice and move your pieces around the board, racing to get all your pieces to the center while blocking your opponents' moves. This simple, satisfying game is sure to be a hit at your next game night!
Number of players: 2 to 4
Recommended age: 8+
Pieces: game board, 16 plastic pawns (four sets of four colors), four dice cups, eight dice, and instructions.
Promising review: "This is an old favorite. I used to play this with my dad way back when. I saw and bought it to play with my kids. It has found its place in our 'favorites' rotation on game night." —Wycked
Get it from Amazon for $20.99.
18. A Dungeons and Dragons essentials kit so you can finally give this cult-classic a chance and expand your gaming skills beyond screens. It's time to put your creativity to the test by controlling all of your friends' fates as THE Dungeon Master.
Number of players: 2 to 6
Recommended age: 12+
Promising review: "Honestly, this kit is what the original starter kit should have been. The story is easier to follow for a newer DM. The adventure is a lot more streamlined. The breakdown of character creation is amazing and simplified. It doesn't just toss you some generic character that you have no connection too. It simplifies character creation and allows you to ease into more complicated characters later on. The cards that come with this kit are something I wish I had when I first started. They help with initiative, conditions, and the sidekick cards and magic item cards are awesome. I would recommend this kit over the original to any person wanting to start playing DnD." —Bryan
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
19. Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a board game perfect for spooky season. Use the included cards and explore a haunted house, but do so with caution. This game creates almost infinite storylines to follow and one wrong turn is gonna have you face-to-face with betrayal from one of your teammates.
Number of players: 3 to 6
Recommended age: 12+
Promising review: "We love this game. It’s not the quickest game to learn, but it is tons of fun. It’s set up so that every time you play this game, it’s different. Different characters, items, omens, bad guys, etc. That’s one reason we love it: It’s not the type of game you play a couple of times and then get tired of it. Every time is different. We love taking it to friends’ houses for game nights." —Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $31.98.
20. A *brutal* game of Hot Ones Truth or Dab sure to be to everyone's ~taste~ — that is, if you and your friends are masochists. Game night is about to get HOT.
Number of players: 3-6
Recommended age: Adult
Promising review: "My daughter(18) thought she was gonna act cool 😎
Instead she ended up with tears and snot running down her face and mom laughing her @$$ off. This is a must buy." —Bobbi Dawson
Get it from Amazon for $23.49.
21. And finally, Pretty Pretty Princess (a game that'll spark the memory of every '90s baby) sure to be loved by ANYONE who believes dress up is still an essential part of play. This fashion-forward game'll have you and your kids (or FRIENDS!) throwing on dozens of accessories at a time while making your way toward the greatest goal, the crown. Here's hoping *you* are the prettiest princess of them all.
Number of players: 2-4
Recommended age: 5+
Pieces: a game board, spinner, four plastic characters, one crown, 21 pieces of plastic jewelry, and illustrated instructions.
Promising review: "This is a childhood classic. My daughter loves this game, and if I can be honest, it was one of my favorites growing up also. A classic game." —Lts819
Get it from Amazon for $19.49.
Good luck, gamers!
