At every Thanksgiving gathering, after the turkey has been decimated, the last rites have been read over the final slice of pie, a food coma-induced silence descends upon the room. It’s the calm before the storm of either a political debate or a collective nap.
This is the moment for a hero to emerge, and that hero comes in a cardboard box. We’ve rounded up the ultimate collection of family games that will serve as the perfect social lubricant, turning that post-dinner lull into a loud, chaotic, and ridiculously fun tournament for bragging rights that will last until next year.
#1 The Only Appropriate Way To Settle A Family Feud Over The Last Slice Of Pumpkin Pie Is With A High-Stakes Tournament Of The Wooden Hook And Ring Game
Review: “Definitely a staple when we have company over! Gives people something else to do! Its fun and easy to put together! Would recommend!” – Emily
Image source: amazon.com, Emily
#2 The “Do You Really Know Your Family?” Card Game Will Uncover Secret Stories, Hidden Talents, And Maybe Even A Few Family Feuds
Review: “We played this game as a family. The youngest was 10 and the oldest was 70. Everyone laughed and had a good time from the youngest to the oldest.
There were eight of us playing, and we all had a good time” – Gigi
Image source: amazon.com
#3 The Ultimate Proof Of Who’s The Most Dependable, Most Trustworthy, Most… Messy! This Who’s Most Likely To… Kinda Clean Family Edition Game Will Reveal The Dirty Secrets Of Your Loved Ones
Review: “This is an extremely fun game. Everyone in my family that played it, had a lot of fun, and the ages were varied. Me, my boyfriend, my mom and sister and my 16 and 11 year old nieces were all playing, and having a great time.” – Amazon Customer
Image source: amazon.com
#4 The Age-Old Debate Of “Who’s The Weirdest Person At This Table” Can Finally Be Settled With A Round Of Chicken vs. Hotdog
Review: “My kid loves the game. Thinks it’s fun and very easy to play. It’s also reasonably priced. The functionality, design, and pacing of the game are all great as well.” – Mark Showalter
Image source: amazon.com, My Paradigm
#5 The Food Fight You’ve Always Wanted To Have At Thanksgiving Dinner, But With Significantly Less Cleanup, Is Finally Possible With Throw Throw Burrito
Review: “This was a random buy, after I couldn’t decide which product to pick from Exloding Kittens’ game selection. But I guess it was a lucky pick, because we had so much fun with it.” – Wei Xian
Image source: amazon.com, Wei Xian
#6 The Annual Thanksgiving Pie-Eating Contest Just Got A Major, High-Stakes Upgrade With The Pie Face Game
Review: “Easy to put together, easy rules to follow, fun for all! Everything came packaged nicely and was of good quality. Worth the value.” – Jennifer
Image source: amazon.com, Jennifer
#7 Laughter, Tears, And Surreal Situations! This “You Laugh You’re Out” Party Game Will Have Your Family And Friends In Stitches, And Possibly Even Rolling On The Floor Laughing
Review: “I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed as hard at a family game as I have this one. My husband found his inner comedian thanks to this game and we were ROLLING. It’s hilarious. The cards are outrageous and goofy. Love this game so so much.” – Nickole Huffman
Image source: amazon.com
#8 The Only Time You’ll Ever See Your Sweet, Elderly Grandma Suddenly Sprouting Antlers And Yelling At Your Uncle Is During A Game Of Moose Master
Review: “This is such a fun group game that is easy to play and keeps you on your toes and you try to remember to repeat actions, phrases etc. When I played with friends, we added in some extra sayings / actions. Fun, easy and will have you laughing.” – D2E
Image source: amazon.com, D2E
There’s only so much you can say about the weather or your cousin’s new job before everyone starts staring at their phones. Board games are the ultimate antidote to awkward small talk. They’re a structured, socially acceptable way to find out that your grandma is a ruthless real estate mogul in The Game of Life or that your brother-in-law has the reflexes of a startled cat when a foam burrito comes flying at his head.
#9 The Perfect Game For When You Want To Play Something Fast-Paced And Fun, But Your Post-Turkey Brain Can Only Handle Rolling Dice And Crossing Things Off, Is Qwixx
Review: “It’s a little confusing the first time, but it really is super easy once you get the hang of it. We play it often, and we liked it so much we send it to family. Each game is probably around 15-20 minutes. Roll away! Watch out for those middle numbers; they can be tricky.” – Andy Rupley
Image source: amazon.com, Andy Rupley
#10 Meme-Orial Mayhem Is Coming To Thanksgiving! This What Do You Meme? Family Edition Is About To Make Your Aunt’s “Dad Jokes” Legend-Ary
Review: “My family and friends LOVED this game. It’s appropriate for young tweens and adults alike and so much fun. We laughed so hard and are adding our own pictures to the pile for more fun. I would definitely add this to your game night.” – Michele Stancil
Image source: amazon.com
#11 Suspend Wire Balance Game Is A Balancing Act Of Skill And Strategy That Will Have You On Edge
Review: “Our family LOVES playing this game! I love that we spend quality time together playing this game and the kids don’t realize it’s actually an intellectual game. It takes knowledge of physics to place the rods just right to balance. It’s also great for a family with age gaps. My teens enjoy this game as well as my grade school children!” – Sunshine
Image source: amazon.com
#12 The Post-Turkey Coma And That Second Helping Of Pie Won’t Stand A Chance Against The Family-Wide Flailing That Will Happen With The Nex Playground
Review: “The entire family loves this! Great way to stay active, great for all ages, super intuitive, great UI, Nintendo style graphics.” – Drew
Image source: amazon.com
#13 The Annual Thanksgiving Tournament Of Passive-Aggressively Proving Your Intellectual Superiority To Your Relatives Can Now Commence With A Game Of Scrabble
Review: “This is one of my families favorite game night games to play together! I got it for such a great price and it arrived in perfect condition. The instructions were printed well and easy to understand. I definitely recommend this if your family or friends love word games that are easy to learn and addicting!” – Sierra Hoppe
Image source: amazon.com
#14 The One Time It’s Not Only Acceptable But Encouraged To Ask Your Relatives Deeply Unhinged Hypothetical Questions Is During A Round Of The Wacky ‘What Would You Do?’ Card Game
Review: “I was so excited to order this game because our family loves games. This game did not disappoint. The cards are very good quality stock, the graphics are bright and pretty, and the game itself is so much fun! Overall, I am very pleased.” – Starlight
Image source: amazon.com, Starlight
#15 Polite Dinner Conversations, Who? This “Would You Rather?” By Spinmaster Games Will Have Your Relatives Sharing Their Deepest Secrets And Laughs – Or Arguing And Rolling Their Eyes
Review: “This is a fun game to play with friends and even family. So much to laugh about while pondering this or that. I found the game very straightforward and easy to to understand. We play with our adult children and have had many laughable moments with lots of fun filled side line dialog to go along with ‘Would You Rather?’.” – UmFrumBahstin
Image source: amazon.com
#16 This Exploding Kittens Card Game Is About To Unleash A Feline Frenzy On Your Thanksgiving Table
Review: “Hard to get into a first then BOOM you’re all in. Bear with the learning part. I thought the game was just for kids and kind of sensory overload at first. But once you get the hang of it – it’s get tense in the best way and super fun. Love love playing this game with my kids. Perfect family game.” – Meggie – Trend Sleuth
Image source: amazon.com
These games are about building the kind of chaotic, hilarious memories that become family legends. Years from now, you won’t remember what you ate, but you will absolutely remember the great Scrabble scandal of ’25 or the time Grandpa DOMINATED a round of Twister. These boxes contain more than just cardboard and plastic; they’re starter kits for inside jokes that will last a lifetime.
#17 The Game With The Weirdest Name You’ll Ever Have To Explain To Your Grandparents Is Also The One That Will Have The Entire Family In Stitches, And It’s Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Review: “This is such a fun game to play! Laughing will be a definite! Fun for all ages, kids and adults. It’s a fast paced game. Memorization is a strategy used. The cards have an easy to read print. We really enjoy playing this game. We have ordered this several times and gave as gifts.” – jeff sanders
Image source: amazon.com
#18 The Only Way To Find Out Which Family Member Is Secretly A Human Pretzel Is With The Twister Ultimate Edition
Review: “This is an excellent activity for the family. I love that it is much bigger than the original, allowing bigger bodies and/or more people. This is family fun for sure.” – Rie Rie 00
Image source: amazon.com
#19 The Official Gift For The Family That Thinks UNO Is A Little Too “Kiddie” But Isn’t Quite Ready For A Full-Blown Existential Crisis Over A Game Of Bridge Is Five Crowns Card Game
Review: “Love playing this game with a big group, its really fun and passes the time! I like that the box has slots for the cards to make packing it away easy too.” – Desiree Winters
Image source: amazon.com, Desiree Winters
#20 The Most Satisfying “Plink, Plink, Plink” Sound Of Your Childhood Is Back To Settle Some Scores With A Game Of Connect 4
Review: “A classic game for my kids and I to play. The pieces are good quality. It’s super fun. We take everything apart after each use and place it back in the box. It’s lasted years of use.” – Michelle
Image source: amazon.com, Small~Town~Girl
#21 The Most Anxiety-Inducing Ten Seconds Of Your Entire Holiday Weekend Will Be Spent Frantically Trying To Think Of A Word That Starts With The Letter “Q” While Playing The Original Tapple
Review: “Love a good game night this game is so fun and keep you on your toes.” – Luxe
Image source: amazon.com, Valentina Rodriguez
#22 Red Seven, Reverse, Skip… Relatives, Beware! This UNO Card Game Is About To Turn Your Thanksgiving Gathering Into A Game Of Strategy And Sabotage
Review: “Uno is one of the few card games I played as a kid, and the fun never stops. It’s a simple, easy to play game that everyone will enjoy. Whether you have free time, family game night, or camp, this classic game is one that practically everyone will enjoy.” – MamaBear
Image source: amazon.com
#23 The Only Time You’ll Be Genuinely Happy That Your Cousin Landed In A Million-Dollar Lawsuit And Had To Sell Their Tiny Plastic Car Is During A Round Of The Game Of Life
Review: “A classic game that anyone can play. They were a few changes from the original but still a lot of fun to play with the kids. Only downsize which is the same as the original is that the wheel does not stay in place so we just end up passing it around. But I also notice that with the original.” – Lifeisbeautiful
Image source: amazon.com, Lifeisbeautiful
#24 The Kids At The Table Can Finally Put Their Little Detective Hats On And Solve A Crime That Doesn’t Involve Who Ate The Last Dinner Roll With A Game Of Outfoxed
Review: “We love this addition to our game night with our 5 year old. Super simple to play! Think clue but for kids. Highly recommend this as a game staple in every home with young children!!” – Tracy A.
Image source: amazon.com, Tracy A.
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