This blog post contains 17 games to play when isolated with your family. The following game recommendations come from members of the board game community (and are not necessarily the views of The Dark Imp). There’s a great range of board games to choose from here.
Isolation doesn’t have to be boring.
PitchCar
“Flicking good fun for all the family!” Warren Fletcher
“It’s like Scalextric but your fingers hurt.” Jez Overton
Feed Me
“It’s a 1 player puzzle game…It’s very accessible and easy to learn. We’ve had an excellent response to it in our shop, and it keeps people entertained for hours working through all the puzzles. I think something that a child can play on their own is really helpful, if parents are busy cooking etc. or siblings don’t want to play at that moment in time.” Rachel Taylor
Terraforming Mars
“It’s relatively easy to find a copy, it’s easy to teach, easy to get good at quickly. Everytime I’ve shown this to new people they instantly love it. It’s a great modern boardgame, without being too complex. Looks great too. Building all those trees and lakes, look great and feel great.” Max Zauner
Terraforming Mars has been reviewed for The Dark Imp by Alfie Dix. Read the review.
Ghost Fighting Treasure Hunters
“Fight ghosts together instead of fighting each other!” Fiona Smith
Barenpark
“Easy enough for my 5 year old, to play along and just make a nice zoo while hubby and I actually compete directly with each other and get invariably beaten by the 8yr old!” Emily Greenhalgh
(14 point) Twilight Imperium
“One game will last long enough for the scientists to find us a cure.” Daniel Bundy
Just One
“Inclusive, fun word game for 3-7 players that’s accessible for all ages.” Stuart Howard
Just One was featured in The Dark Imp’s Top Ten family games to play at Christmas
Zombie Kidz
“Great little 4 player co-op game with legacy elements. The gameplay gets harder as you go along but a game could only last 5 minutes so great for younger players. Only about £20 too!” Amy Mitchell
Playing Cards
“Don’t write off normal playing cards – most people have them already. Cheat, various Uno type variants, Racing Demon, solitaire games, Snap, Go Fish, Happy Families, Pelmanism. For older children Cribbage, Whist, perhaps Bridge, Pontoon, Canasta etc.” Natalie Ford
Clank Legacy, Aeon’s End Legacy (or any other legacy game)
“It has a story to keep you going, and keep your interest in repeated plays. Stops the boredom, and most of them have some co-op element, so it encourages discussion and interaction.” AJ Le Brun from Able Table Gaming
Machi Koro Legacy
“Most kids can understand this game, and the legacy element allows for an interesting game to come back to over time. Any legacy game would be good, if the kids are up to the rules challenges, and now is the time you have a perfect captive audience.” Dave Dawkins
Takenoko
“Easy to get into for the kids and enough depth that rewards replaying by adults who will learn the decks and develop tactics around them.” Andrew Clark
Takenoko featured in The Dark Imp’s Top Ten coolest game components video.
The Isle of Cats
“The family mode means there is a puzzle that most children can play with, plus the normal game adds more replayability for older kids/parents.” Andrew Pillow
Carcassonne
“Carcassonne is proving a hit here. We’ve had it years. But the smallest kids can make matches. My 4 year old can play the game without farms and older kids and adults can play the full game.” Caroline Savage
Carcassonne featured in The Dark Imp’s 5-tile placement games video.
Categorickell
“I love learning new trivia (new examples of words that fit a category might teach me about famous people, characters, stories, or whatever we pick as the category). And the lovely thing is that I’m learning this all through the lens of the people around the table. I’m learning what they appreciate and what they know about.” Bez Shahriari
This War of Mine
“For a reality check.” Eddie Wilde Rice
The Quest for El Dorado
“A fast-paced game with nail biting finishes.” Lyndsey Cartwright
If you have other family favourite games, add them to the comments below!