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ome of these games are the ones they’ve been bugging you about for months. Some of them you haven’t heard of before. But whether you’re looking for afikomen ideas, a way to keep the eineklach occupied on long Yom Tov afternoons, or supplies for a Chol Hamoed game night, one of these awesome options may be the answer

Codenames

(ages 10+, 2–8 players, $20) 

Codenames defies classification. It’s not quite a word game — it’s more about communication — but it’s not a traditional board game, either. 

Each of 25 words in a grid are assigned an identity as a secret agent One player from each team — the spymaster — directs teammates toward uncovering their own “agents” using one-word clues, avoiding innocent bystanders, the other team’s agents, and the game-ending assassin. Expert spymasters will reference multiple words with each clue. The first team to “contact” all their agents by correctly guessing their team’s words wins. 

There are 200 codeword cards and 40 key cards, both double sided, so the game will be different every time you play. While it’s technically possible to play Codenames with two or three players, it’s best with four or more. (Check out Codenames Duet for a better two-player option.) 

Rumble Pie

(ages 8+, 2–6 players, $25). 

If you need more excitement in your life, or your kids like really fast, competitive games, check out Rumble Pie. The goal here is to build stacks of cards in the correct sequence. 

The challenge? While you’re frantically building sequences over multiple piles, other players can block you or set you back by playing lower cards onto your piles. 

The ability to play both defense and offense in a card game is unique and adds an interesting strategic element here. Also interesting: Rumble Pie can be played in teams, so you can compensate for differing abilities. (And your six-year-old can be “on your team” and actually be helpful). The “gotcha!” aspect of being able to block other players may be too much for some kids, though, and since everyone’s playing multiple piles at once, it can get a bit chaotic. 

Telestrations

(Ages 8+, 4–6 players, $20)

Remember Telephone, that game where “Dipsy Doodles” became “bzhabuzha” through the whispers of your giggling Bnos group? Telestrations takes that concept to the next level. 

Every player gets a pad of dry erase boards and a marker. Each player draws a sketch as directed by their card, then passes the drawing to the next player, who writes a guess as to what it is on the next page. The next player sketches that guess, and so on, until the pads get back to the original illustrators and hilarity ensues. 

The less artistic you are, the more entertaining the game will be. And there’s no waiting for your turn while the girl ten seats away whispers to her neighbor — everyone plays at once. 

The original game is for up to 6 players, but it’s available in 8- and 12-player versions, too — and the more the merrier in this game. The bigger sets come with more pads, of course, but each pad also has more pages, so the game lasts longer. 

The prompts are generally clean, but there may be some references that won’t make sense for your family or could be too hard to draw if you want to include younger kids. 

Ticket To Ride

(ages 8+, 2–5 players, $50) 

Board game enthusiasts will be nodding their heads wisely at this one: Ticket To Ride  will be a classic before the glitter from your toddler’s Haggadah is gone from the carpet. Granted, it’s an investment, but it’s worth every penny and it does occasionally go on sale. 

Fair warning: The rules are a bit complex, and the game includes hundreds of tiny pieces and cards. Literally. (240 little plastic train cars and 144 cards of various types, to be exact.) And yes, you need all of them. That said, I’ve never met someone who regrets buying Ticket To Ride. It’s an incredible game.

Each turn, players choose between drawing destination tickets, drawing railway car cards, or playing the railway cards to claim a route. Claiming routes earns points, as does connecting the cities on your destination tickets and having the longest continuous path of connected routes. Game play lasts 30–60 minutes, just the right length for older kids. 

There are various alternate versions available, including a junior game and extension sets that add complexity to the original — all worth checking out. 

Stinker

(ages 10+, 3–6 players, $30)

My apologies for the name, but Stinker is awesome. Hate word games because you can’t spell? Think you’re not funny? Come sit by me, my friend, and join this game, where spelling and grammar don’t matter and desperation makes you hilarious. 

Every player chooses 25 letter tiles, someone flips over a question card, and the fun begins. Just answer the question using the random letters available to you. You don’t have to use all the letters, and creative spelling is encouraged, since you won’t have all the pieces you need. The judge chooses the best answer each round, and desperate attempts to persuade the judge are part of the game. 

You may want to flip through the cards before you play; most of them are fine, but there are a few that are less refined. Another potential pitfall: Stinker is pretty much designed to facilitate sarcasm. I don’t know any snarky people, of course, so we have no worries. 

You can lower your eyebrows now.

Anyhow, you might want to set some ground rules about what kinds of answers will be accepted. The official age recommendation here is ten and up, but if you remove the racing component, younger players should be just fine.

Cover Your Assets

(ages 7+, 4–6 players, $15)

Cover Your Assets is a big hit with the entrepreneurial male population. Players stack pairs of asset cards to build a nest egg, racing to become the first millionaire. The catch? Assets can be stolen by anyone with a card to match your top pair. They can also be defended, and the battle — and the stakes — can get pretty intense. 

Cover Your Assets is quick to learn, quick to play (about 15 minutes per game), and very reasonably priced. Game play can be a bit repetitive for gentle souls; the excitement here comes from the card-stealing battles, so this game is best suited to those who will, er, take full advantage of those opportunities. (I’m looking at you, boys over six). It requires at least four players. 

Bugs in the Kitchen

(ages 6+, 2–4 players, $20)

Bugs in the Kitchen is a blast, though it sounds like your worst nightmare. Play is super simple: Turn on the electronic bug, stick it in the maze, and try to herd it into your corner to earn points. The maze is made of rotating walls that look like cutlery, and you spin a die to find out which kind of cutlery you can turn, changing the path and redirecting the bug. Said bug is pretty fast, so you need to move quickly. Each game lasts only 15 minutes or so. 

Officially, this game is for ages 6 and up, but younger kids should have no trouble with it. Just be aware that your children will abscond with the bug when they finish the game. Pro tip: Buy extra bugs (the Hexbug Nano, $20 for 5). Pro tip number two: buy extra batteries. These little guys go through them faster than you go through disposable 9x13s.

Bugs in the Kitchen does require some assembly, but it’s pretty simple and only the first time. After that, there’s no setup — just open the box and play.

Dr. Eureka

(ages 8+, 1–4 players, $20)

Dr. Eureka is wildly popular this year, and for good reason. It’s fast, fun, and easy to understand. Players set up colored balls in test tubes and then race to arrange them to match a card. The challenge? You can’t touch the balls with your hands, so you need to pour them back and forth between tubes. This takes both dexterity and planning, and is a ridiculous amount of fun. Despite the manufacturer’s suggested age range, six year olds will love this one, too. The game rules include alternate options like puzzle mode and an expert version, which is nice when you’ve played the original a few hundred times. 

However, the balls are small (about an inch) and magnetically attracted to the space under your couch. Just sayin’. 

Note: If you’re worried about the potential choking hazard, check out Go Go Gelato! (ages 6+, 1–4 players, $20) The rules are almost identical but the pieces are much larger and easier to handle. 

Slapzi 

(ages 6+, 2–10 players, $20)

If Apples to Apples had a younger, cooler sister, it would be Slapzi. Everyone gets five picture cards. One player turns over a category card, and everyone races to slap down a picture that suits the category. The first person to get rid of all five picture cards wins the game. 

There are 120 picture cards and 65 category cards, all double sided, so Slapzi never gets repetitive. But just in case you were worried, rules are provided for five compelling variations on the game, like Twisted Slapzi, Reverse Slapzi, and Super Slapzi. The picture cards are beautiful and totally clean, which absolutely deserves a round of applause. 

I’ll wait. 

The lower age limit here is based on reading speed. You can get around it by having someone read each clue card out loud, but that undermines the challenge for older kids. 

As you remind your offspring (again) to put away all those cards, boards, and tiny plastic pieces, just think: For the space of time it takes to play a game, your family is doing something together and — get this! — actually enjoying it. You could join a session because they need another player, and find yourself spending quality time with the kids. Your teens might even invite the banes of their existence to participate, as if they actually like their siblings. 

Because board games build relationships across generations and make us want to spend time with our families. 

And for my afikomen present, there’s nothing I’d like more. 

Well, maybe a Pesachdig dishwasher. 

 (Originally featured in Family First, Issue 638)