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  1. Southern Living
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  3. The Best Board Games of All Time

The Best Board Games of All Time

By Betsy Cribb
June 11, 2019
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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Credit: Amazon
We haven’t met a game we don’t like. From engaging TV games like “Quiplash” to crowd-pleasing (and inexpensive) cell phone apps like “Heads Up,” these days, there’s no shortage of ways to play. But sometimes, you need to stow away the screens in favor of some old-school analog fun. For rainy summer afternoons and low-key (or hyper-competitive) Saturday nights, there’s no better entertainment for a crowd than a classic board game. Here are the 15 best board games (in alphabetical order) for your next game night, whether you’re teaching the little ones to play your childhood favorites or challenging your neighbors to a showdown of epic proportions.
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Balderdash

Credit: Amazon

The wacky word is real, but the definitions you and your fellow competitors make up are a bunch of baloney. This one’s perfect for word lovers and good bluffers.

Buy it now: $15; amazon.com

1 of 15

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2 of 15

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Blokus

Credit: Walmart

Tetris, but make it a board game—and add three other players working against you. Blokus is all about strategy.

Buy it now: $12; walmart.com

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Candy Land

Credit: Amazon

Calling all nostalgic parents! There’s no better way to teach your children how to win or lose graciously than this sugary sweet game.

Buy it now: $13; amazon.com

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Checkers

Credit: Amazon

Win game night with this three-for-one set, which includes a double-sided gameboard and pieces to play checkers, chess, and backgammon.

Buy it now: $9; amazon.com

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Chutes and Ladders

Credit: Walmart

Transport yourself back to your childhood with this retro 1978 edition of the up-and-down adventure.

Buy it now: $20; walmart.com

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Clue

Credit: Amazon

Before real-crime podcasts and chilling Netflix documentaries caught our attention, we had this murder mystery game to satisfy our inner detectives. My money’s on Colonel Mustard in the ballroom with a candlestick.

Buy it now: $15; amazon.com

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The Game of Life

Credit: Walmart

Pets? Twins? Boys or girls? The brightly illustrated classic delivers fun surprises, unexpected windfalls, and the occasional costly bill.

Buy it now: $11; walmart.com

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Monopoly

Credit: Amazon

Whether the suggestion of Monopoly inspires squeals of glee or groans and “we don’t have time for this,” there’s no denying it’s a board game icon.

Buy it now: $14; amazon.com

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Pictionary

Credit: Walmart

When it comes to making sketches that your team can actually interpret, let’s hope you’re more of a Da Vinci than a Picasso.

Buy it now: $15; walmart.com

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Risk

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Military strategy has never been more fun or colorful, thanks to this punchy 1959 edition.

Buy it now: $25; amazon.com

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Scrabble

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Build words, score points, earn bragging rights. Easy, peasy.

Buy it now: $15; walmart.com

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Settlers of Catan

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Can you build a settlement that lasts? Test your skills in this cult-classic trading game.

Buy it now: $44; amazon.com

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Sorry!

Credit: Walmart

Normally, we vouch for sincere apologies, but not when it comes to friendly competition.

Buy it now: $9; walmart.com

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Trivial Pursuit

Credit: Amazon

Test your smarts with 2,400 tricky trivia questions that take no prisoners.

Buy it now: $16; amazon.com

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Trouble

Credit: Walmart

The “Pop-O-Matic” die-rolling bubble adds an extra element of fun.

Buy it now: $7; walmart.com

15 of 15

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1 of 15 Balderdash
2 of 15 Blokus
3 of 15 Candy Land
4 of 15 Checkers
5 of 15 Chutes and Ladders
6 of 15 Clue
7 of 15 The Game of Life
8 of 15 Monopoly
9 of 15 Pictionary
10 of 15 Risk
11 of 15 Scrabble
12 of 15 Settlers of Catan
13 of 15 Sorry!
14 of 15 Trivial Pursuit
15 of 15 Trouble

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The Best Board Games of All Time
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