Until very recently, my son was obsessed with pirates. Luckily, there are a plethora of pirate-themed games from which to choose, so we have played quite a few. If your family likes relatively simple card games, and especially if they
Carmen Sandiego
🎶 Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? 🎵 If you just sang that, too, then you’ll want to check out the card game based on the ’90s computer game! Build note-taking skills and familiarity with famous landmarks from around
Brave New Worlds
Is your child learning about space, or do they want to learn about space? Then you definitely want to check out Brave New Worlds! I got it on Kickstarter when my space-obsessed son was far too young, so it’s been
Thinkfun’s Escape the Room Games: Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat
My family has tried a few escape rooms now and has really enjoyed them, so you can imagine my delight when I saw this game at a thrift store for less than $5! New, most of Thinkfun’s escape room games
Chemistry Games
You can learn a lot from games, but some subjects are easier than others. In the summer of 2025, my family began learning about chemistry. Crash Course and Khan Academy formed the backbone of our first introduction, but I wanted
Subatomic
Are you looking for a game to play double-duty for chemistry and physics? Subatomic is a bigger, more complicated game, but it might be just what you’re looking for! This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on
Compounded
Chemistry, strategy, and competition, oh my! Compounded might be just the game to round out your chemistry studies. Careful, though; if a lab fire occurs, you could lose everything! This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on
Ion
Need another small-ish card game to support your child’s chemistry studies? Ion (another Genius Games favorite!), with its unique gameplay, may be just the thing! This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on it and make a
Valence
Are your kids learning about chemistry? Does your family love fun, fast-paced card games? Then you definitely need to consider Valence! Chemistry, ninjas, elements, molecules, and chemical attacks! What could be better? This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if
Periodic
Are your kids learning chemistry? Periodic (by Genius Games) is one of the best chemistry games out there that will help your kids gain familiarity with the periodic table of the elements. Even better, it’s just a really fun game
Coding Games
Coding is an important skill that even very small children can learn! As our world is more and more saturated with technology, coding is one of those skills that can only help our children. However, we don’t necessarily want our
Code Master
Coding has become almost a buzzword these days and it seems like everyone is learning it or wants their kids to learn it. There are even coding games for preschoolers! However, most coding requires a computer and screen time, which
Mad Gab
Do you need a great party game? Or do you want to encourage more creative thinking in your kids? Mad Gab may be just the game you need! It works best with bigger groups and people that are familiar with
Potato Pirates
Potato puns, coding, and pirates; what could be better? Okay, it’d be really great if Potato Pirates was cooperative, but unfortunately, it’s not. Other than that, though, if your kids love pirates or you’re exploring coding, you need to check
Bulls and Cows
Bulls and Cows claims to be the “original code-breaking game” and after some research, it does seem to be around a century old. The earliest reference I can find to Mastermind is 1971. Both games are great code-breaking games. This
Deep Sea Adventure
Is your family learning about the ocean? Or do you love semi-cooperative risk-assessment games? Are you short on space but would like another game suitable for older kids? Deep Sea Adventure could be just what the doctor ordered! This post
Empire Engine
I saw Empire Engine on Miniature Market during a really good sale; I think it was only $1! Since the game is so small and it was such a good price, I picked up two, in case we ever wanted
Dungeon Mayhem
Does your family love Dungeons and Dragons? Or maybe you have a battle-obsessed child like mine. Either way, you’re going to love Dungeon Mayhem, by Dungeons & Dragons. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on it
Shadowed Kingdom
I got Shadowed Kingdom on sale because it’s Disney-themed, without reading anything else about it. It wasn’t until we played it for the first time today that I realized it’s another 2-player cooperative game! My family loves 2-player games because
