Blokus
In this Tetris-like game, you have blocks that you must try to place on the board. The catch is that you must start from your corner of the board and each piece you play must touch one other piece of the same color at a corner. The goal is to be the first to use up all of your pieces in the least amount of blocks. Good for helping kids understand spatial reasoning and strategy. 2-4 players; ages 5+
Carcassonne
It has simple rules but it’s based on strategy. You build and claim cities and roads using square cardboard tiles and score points for completing roads and cities. It’s easy enough for children to understand the basic rules, but there are options that allow adults to utilize more advanced strategies. A game generally lasts around 45 minutes. 2-5 players; ages 7+
Catan
This is a good pick for people who like board games that involve some strategy. In this popular civilization-building game, players control their own civilization and look to spread across a modular hex board in a competition for victory points.
