When you get the whole family together, sometimes it can be difficult to choose a game to play. Sometimes it seems like you have too many people for a game, and sometimes everyone wants to play something different. Fret no more. Here are my picks for the best games to play at family gatherings.
1. Time's Up
R&R Games
Players compete over three rounds of increasing difficulty to identify the same set of celebrities. Each additional round brings a new restriction, and you're almost guaranteed to be on the floor laughing at some point. Time's Up won a Mensa Best Mind Games Award and is my favorite party game.
2. Werewolf / Mafia
This is a public domain game, great for large groups (in fact 8 players is the minimum), in which two players are the werewolves (or hitmen) and the rest of the players are trying to discover who they are and kill them before it's too late. The fun factor seems to grow for Werewolf the later into the night it gets played.3. Electronic Catchphrase
Image courtesy of Hasbro
You need to get your teammates to say a particular word or phrase -- fast. Because if the buzzer goes off while it's your turn, that's not a good thing. Players are divided into two teams, and the total group size can be as big as you want it to be. Be sure to look for the electronic version, which is excellent.
4. Formula D
Image courtesy of Asmodée Editions
Perhaps the most popular auto racing game available today, Formula D uses a creative method of gear changing -- what gear you're in determines how big the die you roll is. Navigating turns can be tricky, and you need to watch your tires. With dozens of tracks available, this is a must-have for fans of Formula One racing. Up to 10 players can take part.
5. Boggle
Image courtesy of Hasbro
Players (2 or more -- the only upper limit is a practical one, space at the table) compete to find as many words as possible in a 4x4 grid as a three-minute sand timer works its way down. You score points by finding words that other players don't locate. Boggle is fast-paced and addictive.
6. Fib or Not?
Players take turns telling stories in various categories (e.g. "an embarrassing moment"). If you can convince other players that your true stories are false and vice versa, you're well on the way to winning. A great way to learn things about your relatives that would otherwise never come up in conversation.
7. Barbarossa
A fiendishly inventive game of clay sculpting, the goal in Barbarossa is to have other players guess what objects you've created -- but not too soon and not too late. Meanwhile, you're trying to guess what other players have created as quickly as possible. For three to six players, perfect for more intimate family get-togethers.8. Encore
Teams compete to sing at least eight words from songs that include certain words in this musical board game. If your team succeeds, your opponents must try to do the same. Some special spaces (e.g. "Team vs. Single Player") add variety. A nice feature is that you don't need to know any particular style of music -- any song is legal.9. Password
Only four players can play at a time (two teams of two), but it's easy to set up a Password tournament so that everyone can be involved. This is easily my favorite game show game, a classic that holds up well. Few partnership games draw more laughs.