As more and more people are staying home and looking for their entertainment there, board games are once again making a comeback. After all, sleeping, binging on T.V., and stress-eating can only get you so far. Tap into your childhood and revisit the fun of board games to find out what all the excitement is about.
Not sure which board games you should try? Take a look at Benzinga’s list of the best home board games to keep you occupied.
Best at Home Board Games:
1. Codenames
Codenames is a social word game. It’s made for 2 teams, so you can match up with just 1 person in your home or schedule a video chat to challenge a group of friends. Ideally, there should be 4 to 8 players.
Here’s the premise — Team red and team blue are each led by 1 spymaster. The spymaster knows the secret identities of 25 agents represented by cards you’ll lay out in a 5 x 5 grid. You and your teammates only know the agents only by their codenames. Teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first.
There are a couple of different variations of Codenames available. Check out Deep Undercover, Disney Family Edition, Harry Potter or the Simpsons if you want to mix it up.
Codenames is $15.99 with Prime shipping and free returns.
2. Stuffed Fables
Great for older kids and adults alike, Stuffed Fables is a narrative adventure game that leads you through the world of nightmares. Play is geared toward 2 to 4 players ages 13 and up, and it can take up to 3 hours to travel through 1 story. You can also play just 1 page at a time, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
The thick, wire-bound book acts as your rules reference, story guide and game board all in 1. Each player is a stuffed toy sworn to protect the little girl who loves them. You’ll roll and assign color-coded dice each time you take action.
Get Stuffed Fables for $60.79. This item has free shipping and free returns.
3. Catan
Be the first to expand your settlement across the island to win Catan. The award-winning board game is simple to learn, but it’s expansions give you the chance to test your strategy in new worlds.
The game is made for 3 to 4 players ages 10 and up, and a round of play lasts about 1 hour. Each player controls his own settlement and works to spread across a modular hex board vying for the goal of 10 victory points. Expansion can be stopped by the robber token, which can steal resources and wealth.
Once you have the base game, you can purchase extensions to change up play. Extensions include Seafarers, Cities and Knights, Traders and Barbarians and Explorers and Pirates. You can also purchase an extension to accommodate 5 to 6 players.
Catan was released in 1995 and has a bit of a cult following. Online communities and videos to help you fine-tune your play are easy to find.
Buy the base game on Amazon for $47.99 with free shipping.
4. Pandemic
If you have a twisted sense of humor, it might still be the perfect time to play Pandemic. It's consistently rated as one of the best board games, and the goal is simple, yet challenging. It’s made for 2 to 4 players ages 8 and up, and the game usually lasts around 45 minutes.
Pandemic requires players to work as a team to treat 4 different global infections while gathering resources for cures. New infections drop on the board with every turn, and when 3 pile up in 1 location, the infection spreads. Collect 5 cards of a certain color to develop a cure. Each player is assigned a character, and you can play off your character’s professional strength to find a cure in 4 cards instead of 5.
Check out Pandemic Legacy editions to up the ante — the consequence of your play from 1 game influences the next. Pandemic Legacy Season 1 is available in Blue and Red editions, while Season 2 can be found in Black and Yellow. Each has its own twist.
5. Detective
Detective throws you into a modern, complex criminal investigation. The game is flexible enough for 1 to 5 players ages 16 and up, and you can expect play to last more than 2 hours.
Your investigation centers around 5 interconnected crimes that tell 1 story. The cases are fictional but set in the real world, so you can use any data found on the internet to reach your conclusion. Game clues, your own general knowledge and the Detective Antares Database are also at your disposal.
Get Detective for $27.07 with free shipping and free returns.
Get into a Game
The list of board games that can fill your hours is endless. Start with our top picks, but don’t stop there. Check out options for all ages to make game time quality time. And don't worry if you can't remember the rules or you've lost them. You can find all of the board game rules online!
Staying at home allows you to take advantage of many opportunities. You can improve your education, learn how to make money from home or ensure that you have the lowest car insurance rates. But best of all, you can bring family and friends together by playing board games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest board game still played today?
Chess is one of the oldest board games that is still played today. It is estimated to date back around 1,500 years. Similar to chess, checkers is also one of the oldest board games still played today. It dates back all the way to ancient Egypt around 5,000 years ago.
What is the best selling board game of all time?
The best selling board game of all time is Chess. Along with being the best selling board game of all time, it is also the most popular board game of all time.
What is the highest selling board game?
Monopoly was created in 1935 and wins the title of the highest selling board game of all time. Since its inception, consumers have bought more than 275 million units.