Family board games are board games that are suitable for players of all ages, including children and adults. These games are often designed to be played by a group of people, usually in a family setting, and may involve a variety of themes, gameplay mechanics, and skill levels.
Today we'll be looking at 10 of the very best as voted by NZ players through reviews and ratings online. There are some obvious ones, but a few you may have never considered! Perfect for birthday or Christmas stocking fillers!
Best Family Board Games

1. Catan: 5th Edition
Cathan: 5th Edition is a family friendly board game ideal for 3-4 players aged 10 and above.
This is a fantasy themed game where the objective is to conquer the isle of Catan. During the journey, supplies such as wood and iron are used as currency to buy development cards.
These development cards enable the construction of transport routes, cities and settlements. Supplies can be gained or lost through rolling the dice, getting through trades and picking the right cards.
There are 95 resource cards for the supplies, 25 development cards and several more for building structures.

2. Cat-Opoly
Cat-Opoly is a board game suitable for people aged 8 and above. This interactive game can accommodate 2-6 players at once.
This game is similar to Monopoly but is cat themed instead. Breeds of cats are bought up with the intention of setting up litter boxes.
There are certain twists such as falling into water and getting fleas that leads to losing money.
The main objective is to get as many cat breeds as possible and take money from opponents. There are additional drawing cards which can either reward or punish players, creating an unpredictable environment.

3. Wingspan
Wingspan is a kid-friendly board game suitable for 1-5 players total. The objective is to attract certain birds to regions by getting resources.
Each bird has specific qualities and attributes that allow an area to flourish and grow. Once the birds come to the regions, more points can be gained through getting more food and having the birds lay eggs.
The person with the most points after 4 rounds is the winner. There are 170 bird cards, 75 egg miniatures and 1 birdfeeder dice tower. There are also 5 player mats and 5 dice for each participant.

4. Hogwarts Battle: Monster Box of Monsters
Hogwarts Battle: Monster Box of Monsters is an interactive card game recommended for 2-4 players. Participants can roleplay as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville or Luna.
The setting is the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts. The goal is to protect certain areas from attacking invaders or predators and maintain the peace in the Wizarding World.
Players also need to avoid activities that may gain them detention and prevent them from protecting certain locations.
There are 152 cards that dictate the tasks and challenges, 21 chip pieces and a single die. There are also 4 game boxes total in the set.

5. Ravensburger - The Amazing Labyrinth Board Game
The Ravensburger – The Amazing Labyrinth Board Game is designed for kids aged 8 year and above. This is recommended for 1-4 players total. The board is structured like a maze with the objective to find treasure.
Each character has objects that need to be located. Players need to be the first to find all the treasure and return to the designated position.
Challenges alternating pathways and maze cards that dictate how far a player moves. Overall, there are 34 maze cards

6. Compounded
Compound is a chemistry-themed board game suitable for adolescents aged 13 and above. The number of plays recommended to play is 2-5.
The objective is to build compounds through trading with other players. Time is a prime factor as some compounds have qualities that are flammable and may cause an explosion if all elements are not collected.
The winner is the person who finds all the elements to complete compounds before the rest of the players, or before an explosion occurs. Scores are kept and collected on a periodic table.
There are 68 compound cards and instructions for each player.

7. Qwirkle
Qwirkle is a colours and shape coordination game ideal for young kids aged 3 and above. There are 108 units with 6 different shapes and colours.
The goal is to accumulate points by arranging lines and chains that have the same shape or colour. The lines must not contain the same colour of shape as the previous units to generate a point.
The person with the highest number of points win. The units are wooden tiles, meant for durability. There is no board included and the game can be played on any flat surface such as a table or on the floor.

8. Spyfall
Spyfall is a detective game for players aged 15 and above. This is recommended for 3-5 participants. At the beginning, all players select a card that display the same area such as a pirate ship or a casino.
However, one single player will pick up a “Spy” card. During the game, players ask each other questions to identify who the spy is. The spy is not aware of the other players’ location.
The spy gains points by correctly guessing the location at the end of the round. Non-spy players get points by correctly guessing who the spy is. The person with the most points wins.

9. Monopoly: Ultimate Banking Edition
Monopoly: Ultimate Banking Edition is a board game that uses cashless technology and a sole banking unit to operate. A minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 4 can be accommodated.
This game is ideal for people aged 8 and above. This is just like the regular Monopoly game except the banking unit is used to record transactions and sales. Each player has a banking card that is used in place of cash.
There is the addition of event cards and location spaces to raise and lower the cost of locations. The objective is to gain the most properties and amount of money.

10. Codenames Card Game
Codenames: Game Card is an investigative setup involving 2-8 people and ideal for people aged 10 and above.
Two teams are split up with each led by a spymaster, with the goal of meeting agents. The spymasters allow one-word clues that leads to different and several expressions on the board.
Teammates need to select certain words with the correct colour. They need to do so while steering clear of the rival team’s words. Furthermore, there is an assassin out against both teams.
There are 16 agent cards, 200 codename cards and 1 timer included. There is also a double agent card and an assassin card.
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