The best games of 2021

Elexa Martinez - Go to classic family game. Fun for the whole family from kids to seniors this game is a hit for large family gatherings or just a family game night,

Carol Mullins - The box version is one of the go-to for multi-generational games. I'll be purchasing the card version for travel. Thanks for the recommendation.

Emily Midgley - I love this card game and trying to figure out which card phrase the person picking will like the best!

Melissa Gallagher - Best game ever? Maybe! I love word games: Bananagrams, Scattergories, Scrabble, etc. And this might take the cake. Recently played with a ten year old and they asked to play again and again. I don't think there is anyone that my very large family has pulled into playing Codenames that hasn't ende...

Ryan Bruss - This is an incredibly fun game that can be played with everyone. My wife, who hates games, even likes it. The game goes quick so you can play as many rounds as your group is up for.

Jacob Hollenbeck - This game is a ton of fun! I especially enjoy playing it with co-workers and getting frustrated when they can't read my mind...

Zoe Gregorace - Such a fun game, real a crowd pleaser- be prepared to laugh uncontrollably

Carly Canter - Funny, Inappropriate, and overall easy game to play. It is not for children!! But this game is great for adults of all ages!

Kei Castillo - Hilariously irreverent game that is NOT PG. Definitely for mature audiences (or immature?) anyways, hilarity is sure to ensue!

Cindy Hawkins - This card game is a race to get rid of all your cards and when you are down to one card, yell "UNO". Age group 7+, 2-10 players.

Kira Carney - Y'all I can spend hours playing UNO, I love playing the version where you keep drawing cards until you get one that you can play- it makes the game take longer!

Kei Castillo - Great card game for the whole family or just a pair or pals! Play by traditional rules or make up your own.

Sara Marie - This game is great for all ages. We played this for a few months at the end of my Bunco group. We used scratch offs instead of chips and it was quite fun!

Liz Pearce - Left Center Right is a simple but surprisingly entertaining dice game that even little kids can play. It's especially fun if you swap out candy or coins for the plastic tokens the game comes with (kudos to Ginger Edwards for the idea). I also love that it's small, portable, and inexpensive.

Mandi Pacer - We always break this out during the holidays when things are getting rowdy with the family.

Mandi Pacer - Call me old school or old fashioned, but this is hands down one of my most favorite classic board games. I quite enjoy words and I am the reigning, undisputed champ in my household.

Emily Midgley - We are a big Scrabble family! When our extended family gets together we always have some great competitions.

Carly Canter - Digital games can be fun, but nothing beats actual board games! Scrabble is high on my list of most played games, its great for family or with friends.

Cindy Sersig - Based on the many recommendations here on FreshChalk, I got this game. So much fun and lots of competition already!!!

Elissa Tompkins - When I first heard the concept of this game, I thought it was so silly. I was very surprised at how much fun I actually had!

Carly Canter - This is a great game for your monthly(or weekly?) game night with friends or family.

Carol Mullins - Bought this years ago at the recommendation of my daughter, and because we had over 6 players, bought the extension. Lots of fun and now mine has disappeared to Jake's game shelf at their home.

Tori Dixon - Love this adult board game! I think you technically need three people to play but my boyfriend and I play as two all the time. It also reminds me of the Oregon trail but medieval.

Kristin Sherman - Highly recommend this game!

Elexa Martinez - This handy little game has brought us so much fun with our friends. We love to play it at couples game night.

Cindy Hawkins - Catch Phrase is a favorite at parties. So much fun!

Carly Dreme Calbreath - My all-time favorite party/group game

Elexa Martinez - This card game is a must for any Potter Head and Uno fan. So fun to play by Hogwart's houses. We have had so many fun family nights with this little card game

Emily Midgley - Love the Harry Potter themed version of Uno!

Kali Thompson - one of my favorite uno card games since its harry potter!

Emily Midgley - This is one of the two game apps I keep on my phone! I love the daily puzzles and having a little mental challenge every day.

Julie Joyce - My favorite escape app. Crossword type game with changing nature backgrounds that change as you level up.

Carly Canter - This is a great game to help you work on multi-tasking...I have noticed that I understand my audiobooks and some streaming shows more in depth than I would if I wasn't playing this game. It also makes you think about different ways to solve a simple problem...AND its free to play!

Victoria Grinde - My family loves this game. Been playing it for years! It is fun for literally all ages! Easy to learn and so fun to play. Definitely should be added to your games for game night list!

Mandi Pacer - This game is a classic at BBQs and holiday get togethers for my family. The bigger the group playing the shorter amount of time it usually takes to get through the deck and crown a winner, but it's fun nonetheless. It's the perfect game for two to four people, generally speaking!

Adam Doppelt - Fun card game, by some miracle enjoyed hugely by adults and kids in our family down to the age of five. I'd compare it to Uno in terms of difficulty. Some strategy, some luck. We are all competitive and try hard, with the kids winning just as often as the adults. We play almost every night. Guilt...

Elexa Martinez - Another toddler favorite. Great for learning to take turns and fine motor skills this one is a must for our game collection.

Cindy Hawkins - This is a fun game to play with my grandchildren.

Julio Martinez - A really fun game to play with toddlers.

Victoria Grinde - This game has become one of our favorites for game nights!!!! Super entertaining and hilarious..

Liz Pearce - In our constant quest for new forms of screen-free entertainment, I ordered the game Taco vs. Burrito. The game was invented by a 7yo Seattle kid, which makes me even happier to purchase it. We played 3 times in the first 2 days, and my 11 yo son declared it, "one of the most fun games I've ever ...

Steve Dossick - Bought this on Liz Pearce's recommendation and my kids are obsessed. Fabulous game!

Elexa Martinez - This card game has a been an adult game night favorite of ours.

Kei Castillo - Love that this one you can't win all at once. Definitely a longer card game the more people who play.

Cindy Sersig - We love Jenga. Believe it or not, our 7 year old gives us a run for our money and its amazing how my 10 year old, who cant sit still for a minute, has the steadiest hands.

Carol Mullins - Great group game for all ages. Sometimes the simplest design makes for the most fun. Love, the large outside version also.

Joyce Ling - This one's a classic while drinking or sober! Something fun I've done is write conversation prompts on each jenga piece. Or, if you're feeling spicy, you can add dares on them too!

Kelsey Lockard - Do you like 2+ hour long board games? This is the game for you. Lots of strategy involved but also a decent amount of luck. Takes a second to learn but very fun!

larissa Cole - This is my fiancé’s all-time favorite board game. We are pretty serious collectors, so we’ve played a ton of games and own probably about 70 ish pretty serious strategic games (you know, not like clue or monopoly haha). So if you are looking for a more complex game, this could be it for you. It’s...

Sara Sohnly - Love this game! Once you learn the rules it is just a matter of paying attention. It is long but that is also what makes it fun!

Cindy Hawkins - This is an all-time favorite. It's a board game of buying and trading properties, developing them with houses and hotels. Ages 8+

Kira Carney - A classic game, one that my dad and I love to play for hours. My dad has his board from when he was a kid so it's worn down but I love the character it has. Also- everyone plays different whether the money goes into the center of the board and you win it or it just goes to the bank!

Kira Carney - This is one of my favorite board games to play with my family! At first there seems to be a lot going on, but over the years I've come up with helpful tricks to get the longest train!

Heather Roduner - We love ticket to ride! The regular game may be a challenge so try the junior!

Kristin Sherman - Such a classic game! My 9 year old son was given this game as a present and he loves it.