Liven up your next party with these classic board games!

Delicious victory

Candy Land

Staff pick

Reach King Kandy’s castle where delicious surprises await. Candy Land is easy to understand and even more fun to play. Featuring colorful cards, a vibrant board, and four gingerbread pawns, this sweet version of the classic is great entertainment, especially if you have younger kids.

$13 at Amazon

Simple but fun

Connect 4

This is a classic that will never go out of style. The concept of Connect 4 is simple but mastering the skills and strategy to win takes dedication and planning. If you’ve never played Connect 4, you’ll be surprised by how competitive and difficult the game can be.

$8 at Amazon

Abstract challenge

Sequence Game

If a strategy game is what you want, then Sequence Game is perfect. With support for 2–12 players, Sequence Game challenges players to connect five of the same colored markers in a row, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

$9 at Amazon

Become a spymaster

Codenames

Designed for four to eight players, Codenames pits two teams of spies against each other. These teams must attempt to contact their undercover agents while avoiding assassins. It makes for a suspenseful and lighthearted game with high stakes.

$17 at Amazon

Real estate mogul

Monopoly

One of the all-time greats is the perfect board game for parties and family gatherings. In Monopoly, players must buy and sell their way to becoming a real estate mogul. But beware, because your opponents want to make you bankrupt. This version contains the new token lineup.

$12 at Amazon

Does he have a beard?

Guess Who?

Does your person have a beard? The original guessing game challenges players to guess each other’s mystery character by using the process of elimination. With 48 face cards, two game boards, and 24 mystery cards, there are a lot of possibilities.

$13 at Amazon

Pop-o-matic

Trouble

Don’t get in trouble of your pegs will have to move back. With support up to four players, Trouble features a “pop-o-matic” die roller, colorful pegs, and a thrilling race around the board. This game is so popular that there is even a world championship.

$7 at Amazon

Words with friends

Scrabble

This is the old school “Words With Friends.” In Scrabble, players put down their tiles to form words. Every letter counts, so no word or vocabulary is too small. And, yes, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Trooz is an acceptable Scrabble word.

$14 at Amazon

Build your settlement

Catan

Winner of the “Game of the Century award,” Catan challenges three to four players to build, develop, and trade their way to the top. The goal is to build the most thriving settlements in 60 minutes, which in turn earns players points. If you have the most points when the timer expires, you win.

$44 at Amazon

Sorry not sorry

Sorry!

The rules are simple: travel around the board with your pawns as quickly as possible. However, if another pawn lands in the square you’re in, it’s back to the beginning for you. The game includes an updated and colorful game board, 12 Sorry! Pawns, 44 cards, and instructions.

$9 at Amazon

In the library

Clue

In Clue, players must guess the murderer by eliminating suspects and discovering clues. The classic mystery game features a new character, Dr. Orchid, and all the clues, characters, rooms, and more to figure out the mysteries of the mansion.

$8 at Amazon

Get a job

Game of Life

Originally created in 1860, the Game of Life simulates a person’s life, from college through retirement and everything in between. This game is such a staple that it’s part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

$13 at Amazon