Best Board Games for Beating Boredom
With the prospect of sheltering in place for a few more weeks looking more and more likely, sales of board games and puzzles are on the rise. Chances are you're looking for something new to entertain your crew and pass the time pleasantly. Here is a list of some of our family's favorite games to give you a few ideas. Hopefully you'll find something here that peaks your interest. I would love for you to share a list of your family's favorite games in the comments section below. We're always looking for new ideas!
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Board Games

Apples to Apples

This is a fun family game. It's super easy and fun for all ages. Players take turns in the role of judge. The judge plays a green apple card which has an adjective on it like furry, or deadly, or dynamic. Each player chooses a card from his or her hand that best fits that description. Then the judge reads aloud each of the submissions and chooses which one fits best. The player whose card is chosen gets to keep the green apple card. The player to collect the target number of green apples cards first wins. The number of green apple cards needed to win varies depending on the number of players. 

Bubble Talk

This game is very similar to Apples to Apples, but instead of matching nouns to adjectives you're matching phrases to photos. Players take turns serving as the judge who lays down a picture card. Players select a caption card from their hands that best fits the picture card, and the judge chooses which one is the best fit. It's that simple! The photo/phrase combinations are often hilarious. 
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Clue

I admit, I didn't actually like this game for a long time. Then I developed a system for determining who had what cards, and I started enjoying it a lot more! This is the classic whodunit board game, and this version is patterned after the 1980's edition (although it's brand new). You can obviously get versions with newer graphics, but I'm kind of partial to the retro look. If you like the game, you might also enjoy the movie Clue (free on Amazon Prime). 

Codenames

We've only been playing this game for a year or so, but we love it. The Amazon.com description of this game is as follows: "Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates try to guess words of their color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin. The game works very well with 4 players if you prefer to guess without help. Or you can add more players if you prefer lively discussion." Warning: You need a game face for this one. 

Mexican Train Dominoes

We've been playing this game as a family since my youngest was about nine. He's been beating us from the start. It's easy for kids to pick up and fun for the whole family. We have a version we play, but there are a variety of ways to play. This is a classic that we never get tired of. If it's my husband's turn to pick a game, he almost always chooses this one. 
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Card Games 

Phase 10 

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This is a rummy type card game, but there's a twist. Each players works to complete ten phases involving different sequences. As soon as a player runs out of cards, the hand ends. Those who completed their phase during that hand advance to the next phase, while those who did not must try again. That's the twist. One of the things I like about this game is that it is fun to play with two players or with many. I recommend writing down who is on what phase because people forget, especially on phases that are similar. 

Goatfish

I hesitated to include this game on the list because it is currently only available online through Amazon, and Amazon is currently out (April 2020). I ultimately decided to include it on my list because I love it. The game is the result of a kickstarter campaign, and it's a keeper. I got it for my son for his birthday a couple of weeks ago, and we're already hooked! The artwork is charming, the cards are amusing, and the game is entertaining. It's a spin on the classic Go Fish card game, but way better. You can make and block different types of attacks. It's quick to learn and fun to play. Keep an eye out for it. If you see it in stock, get one. 

Five Crowns

This is another rummy style card game with a rotating wild card. The game features a unique double deck with five suits (stars are added) making it easier to build books and runs. Players start with three cards in round one and threes are wild. In round two players receive four cards and fours are wild, and so on. It's easy to learn and fun for anyone over the age of eight. The rotating wild card keeps you on your toes!

Basic Playing Cards

The wonderful thing about a plain old deck of cards is the unlimited variety of things you can do with them. While you probably have at least one deck of playing cards laying around somewhere, you may not be aware of the myriad of games that can be played. Check out the box below for some links to a bunch of fun card games. 

Rules for Popular Card Games 
In my family kids start learning to play a card game called Nertz as soon as they can count and recognize patterns proficiently. I have fond memories of playing with my family as a child, and all my kids were indoctrinated at a young age. If you'd like to learn how to play Nertz, you can find the rules here. 

Find "The rules to all your favorite card games" here, to include Poker, Crazy 8's, Gin, and several I've never heard of (to be fair, I'm not that well versed in games that involve playing cards - but I'm excited to learn some new ones!).  
Not surprisingly, you can also find rules for tons of different card games at the​ Bicycle Cards website.

Dice Games

Tenzi

This is a very versatile dice game which can be played many different ways. It's easy to learn and easy to play, and it's fun for both kids and adults. One of the things I love about it is that it's fun for two people or for many. You can purchase the dice set separately which comes with nine ways to play. Or you can purchase the combination set shown here which includes the dice set plus 77 add-on cards for endless amounts of fun. 
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Phase 10 Dice

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We were first introduced to Phase 10 as a card game (which we also love). The thing I like about the dice version is that it is typically faster to play, especially if you are playing with more than two players. Another nice feature is that it is a fun game to play with just two people. The concept is simple. There are ten phases each player needs to complete. Each phase includes a challenge (like a set of three and a run of four). The player with the highest overall score wins, but the player who completes all ten phases first gets a bonus. 

Great Group Games

Guesstures

This is basically charades but with a twist. The game comes with a battery powered Action Timer that holds four cards. Players select four cards and then determine in what order they want to act them out. Once the timer starts, the race is on to get your team to guess the cards in order. The trick is that you have to grab each card as it is guessed, or it will fall down inside the timer. If that happens, you can't count it (even if your team guessed it correctly). If you take too long on any one clue, you risk losing cards as well. This is a fun, fast paced game that is bound to get loud (and silly). Lots of fun with a group. 

Mad Gab

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I love this game, and I'm crazy good at it. It's because I've figured out the secret to success. Amazon.com describes the game in this way (and I can't put it better): "In Mad Gab, teams work to decipher groups of unrelated words into real phrases before time runs out." The key is to listen​. You play in teams, so this is more fun in a group.  It can be both hilarious and frustrating (depending on your role). It's not uncommon for players to say the phrase without realizing it. If you like playing with words, give this one a try.

Taboo

This is another word game meant to be played in teams. Ideally you want at least three players to a team, although we've played it with two to a team and it's still fun. Each team will have a clue giver and guessers and players take turns in each role. The clue giver has to get his or her teammates to guess as many words as possible before the time runs out. The catch is, there are a list of words the clue giver can't use when giving hints. For instance, if the word was cow, words like milk would be forbidden. This game encourages quick thinking and clever descriptions. 

Telestrations

This game is so much fun! I'd say the ideal group size is 6-8 people, but you can play with fewer (or more). It's based on the old game Telephone. Instead of whispering a word into someone's ear, each player has to draw their word for the next player to guess. Players drawing pads are passed around, and players alternate between guessing and drawing. You earn points based on best drawing, best guess, and whether or not your word survived the round. It's funny to see how much things morph (or don't!) over the course of the round. 

What's Yours Like?

This is another game best played with a group of six or more people. A card is drawn and each player looks at it, except the player in the "hot seat". Players then take turns describing their version of whatever is on the card. For instance, if the word is bed, players might say things like "Mine is never made" or "Mine needs to be replaced" or "Mine is adjustable". The player in the hot seat has to try and guess the correct word based on the clues given. The more inventive the clues, the more challenging and entertaining the game. 
These are some of my family's favorite games. I hope you find something new here for your family to try. I would love to hear about games that your family loves that aren't mentioned here, so please share with me in the comments section below.