Classic Board Games for Families
Classic board games for families have a timeless appeal, bringing friends and family together for hours of fun and friendly competition. From strategic battles to whimsical adventures, classic board games have stood the test of time, captivating players of all ages and now coming in a huge variety of editions. Here’s a look at the best classic board games of all time for adults.
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- 2
- 5+
- 40-90 mins +
Chess is one of the most iconic classic board games in history, first played in India during the 6th century before spreading across Persia, Europe, and eventually the rest of the world. With chess clubs, tournaments, and friendly matches happening everywhere, it’s no surprise that families still treasure this game as a board game for life.
In our house, chess is more than just a game—it’s a way to connect across generations. As a two-player strategy board game, it can be introduced to children as young as five. Not only does it make family game night exciting, but it also builds important life skills like problem-solving, memory, patience, and planning. That’s why it’s often listed among the very best educational board games for kids and teens.
Every match uses 16 pieces per player—one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns—all in black and white. White always moves first, followed by black. A typical family chess game runs about 40 moves, but each one feels unique, full of “aha!” moments and clever strategies.
I won’t go into all the details of how each piece moves here (that’s a guide in itself!), but to give you a taste: pawns move forward one square at a time (two if they’re just starting out). From there, the fun begins as kids and adults alike learn how to think ahead and outsmart their opponent.
If you’re building your collection of classic family board games, chess is an absolute must-have. It’s portable, easy to set up, endlessly replayable, and one of the few games that’s just as rewarding for beginners as it is for seasoned players.
Would Rather Watch How to Play Chess?
Objective
The purpose of the game is to “checkmate” your opponent’s king. Which means they are unable to escape capture. You achieve this by taking turns moving your pieces to a blank square, except when you can capture your opponent’s piece. Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is where your opponent’s king is in check (potentially captured), and there is no legal move for the player. This contestant wins the game. Not every game may have a winner, which becomes a “draw.”
- 2
- 5+
- 50-60 mins +
- Strategy + Luck
How to Play Backgammon
Each player rolls the dice and moves the checkers according to the number rolled. The aim is to be the first one to move all their pieces around the board and get them off the board before their opponent.
Backgammon – Classic Board Game Review
For me, what makes this an exciting board game is that you need to decide whether to hit your opponent’s checkers to send them back to the start or build defensive positions, such as two checkers on the same triangle.
If you have one checker on a triangle, this is where your opponent can land on you and send you back to the start. You can choose to move one checker with the total number of the dice or move each checker with the corresponding number on each dice.
I personally love backgammon, as I am a strategic game player, and it combines a balanced strategy and luck component for me. I was also very lucky during my time in Israel to buy the beautiful handcarved set shown in the photo.
Is Backgammon as Hard as Chess? And is backgammon skill or luck?
Backgammon, just like Chess, is one of the oldest classic board games around, but I think backgammon is a much easier-to-learn board game. If each of the two players has a similar skill set, the game is an exciting challenge but includes a bit of luck with the roll of the dice. Chess doesn’t contain luck, as it’s purely a tactical game.
- 8+
- 2-6+
- 30-180 mins
- Real Estate Strategy
Monopoly is the number one classic board game in the world and the most famous board game. Monopoly is a strategic multiplayer economics-themed board game with luck thrown in as well. It’s about buying property, trading and making your fortune.
So, How Do you Play Monopoly?
Firstly, set aside an afternoon or evening as this isn’t a quick game. You can have up to 6 people play this game at once. The more people, the more time it takes to play. Before play, select a pawn and nominate one person to be the banker. Each player then rolls two dice to move their pawn around the game board, with the option to buy the property they land on.
However, the best strategy in Monopoly is to buy every property you land on, even if you don’t plan on investing as you can always trade later. You can only buy houses or hotels for your property once you own all houses in that set (eg same color). The more houses you buy, the higher the rent is when someone lands on your assets.
Objective of Monopoly
The object is to bankrupt your opponents and be the last one playing. I have a very close second objective, and that is to NEVER let my son get Mayfair and Parklane. These two sought-after properties can easily make you bankrupt if you land on them with houses or a hotel.
The Monopoly game comes in a variety of different versions; look here to find one suitable for your family.
- 2-4
- 8+
- 50 mins +
- Word
When it comes to classic board games, Scrabble is always near the top of the list. It’s been bringing out laughs, friendly competition, and a little brain-stretching in families for generations. In our house, Scrabble is one of those games that everyone wants to join in—whether it’s the kids racing to spell a funny word, or the adults trying to land that triple-word score with a tricky letter.
How to Play Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game for 2–4 players, played on a board with 225 squares. Each player starts by drawing 7 tiles from the bag. On your turn, you place a word on the board—connecting it to another word already there (except the very first word, of course). Words can go left-to-right or top-to-bottom, but they all need to be real dictionary words.
The goal is simple: score the most points by making the best use of the board. Smart players look out for bonus squares like “Double Word” or “Triple Letter,” which can turn a small word into a big win. And if you manage to play one of those rare Scrabble letters—like J, Q, X, or Z—you can score huge points.
Why Families Still Love Scrabble
Scrabble isn’t just about winning; it’s about connection. Younger kids love experimenting with letters and building confidence in spelling, while teens and adults enjoy the strategy of maximizing points. There are even junior versions of Scrabble, which are perfect for families introducing younger children to word games. Keen to find more word board games for children? Read our recommendations here.
Did you know there are over 2,000 editions of Scrabble worldwide? That makes it one of the most popular family board games ever created—and it’s still growing strong.
Join the Scrabble Community with NASPA
The North American Scrabble Players Association (NASPA Games) is the organization that keeps the joy of competitive Scrabble alive across the U.S. and Canada. Originally founded in 2009, NASPA took over from the National Scrabble Association to support club players, host tournaments, and keep the game accessible for all ages. What’s really cool for families is how welcoming NASPA is—even kids and beginners are encouraged. They run School Scrabble Programs with materials, official word lists, and their own tournaments, making it easy to start a youth Scrabble club or get involved at school. So if you’re curious about finding a local game night or helping your child compete in friendly matches, NASPA offers a supportive community for every level of Scrabble fan.
- 2 teams
- 16+
- 45-90 mins +
- General Knowledge
I’ve always had a soft spot for Trivial Pursuit, and it’s easy to see why this game has become one of the top 5 classic board games for families. With over 100 million copies sold and more than 100 different editions worldwide, it’s a game that has stood the test of time (The Canadian Encyclopedia). In fact, it was first created in Canada in 1979 by Chris Haney and Scott Abbott, two friends who wanted a new kind of trivia game—and within just a few years, it exploded into a global phenomenon.
How Do We Play Trivial Pursuit as a Family?
When we play at home, we usually split into at least two teams, and we know we’ll need about 45 to 90 minutes for a full game. I love that you can move your piece in any direction on the board (just not back and forth in the same turn), which gives you some control over which category you might land on.
The six categories are always fun to mix up: Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts & Literature, Science & Nature, and Sports & Leisure. Every time you answer a question correctly, you earn a little colored wedge for your playing piece. The challenge—and the joy—is filling your pie with all six wedges before anyone else.
Why Families Love It
What makes Trivial Pursuit so special for us is how it brings everyone into the game. There’s even a Family Edition, which I highly recommend—it comes with separate question sets for kids and adults, so the competition feels fair but still exciting. We’ve had rounds where the kids outsmarted the grown-ups with pop culture knowledge, and others where grandparents pulled us through with history and geography.
And if you’re like me and love themed editions, Trivial Pursuit has plenty: from All-Stars and Baby Boomers to Young Players and even quirky special editions. There really is something for every type of family gathering, which makes it one of the most versatile and family-friendly classic board games on our shelf.
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My Take on Classic Board Games
For me, games like Scrabble, Backgammon, and Trivial Pursuit never lose their charm. Each one brings something different to the table, and I love how they can turn an ordinary night into a memory.
Scrabble always sparks laughter in our house as we try to sneak in funny words or land that triple-word score. Chess is our go-to for a bit of quiet strategy, the kind of game that slows you down and gets you thinking. Backgammon adds just the right mix of luck and skill, which makes it exciting every single time. And when friends or extended family visit, Trivial Pursuit is a hit—it’s the game where everyone can shine, from the kids who know pop culture to the grandparents with their endless history knowledge.
For me, these classic board games aren’t just entertainment—they’re traditions. They bring us together, help us connect, and create moments of laughter and even a little friendly competition. That’s why I’ll always make room for them in our family game collection.
Want to try something new?
- Explore Board Games By Type
- Explore Board Games by Age
- Check out Strategy Games
- Try something new with Roll and Write Games
- Or for lots of laughter for the Adults
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