Can I make a confession? I didn’t grow up playing Cribbage. In fact, I’d never played until this afternoon, when we finally decided to sit down and learn how. It’s a bit complicated at first, but it’s easy to DIY
Ingenious
Do you love logic and strategy or tile-laying games? Ingenious might be just the game you are looking for. It doesn’t cover any specific academic subjects, but is chock-full of soft skills! This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if
Forbidden Desert
Forbidden Desert is the second game in the Forbidden series by Gamewright Games: Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert, Forbidden Sky, and Forbidden Jungle. If you are looking for a challenging cooperative game, Forbidden Desert may be just what you need. This
Word on the Street
Does your family love word or category games? Have you played more rounds of Apples to Apples than you can handle, yet your kids are demanding more? Do they need to work on spelling? Word on the Street might be
Probe
I love finding old games at the thrift store. Sometimes they’re no good, often they’re great, but the price is always fantastic! Probe fell into the category of “great” old games. Probe can be played with 2-4 players, and as
Clue-Giving Games
Do your kids enjoy clues, puzzles, logic, or mysteries? They might love these clue-giving games! Codenames is probably the easiest of our clue-giving games. However, it works better with bigger groups. There are lots of different versions available and you
Pirate-Themed Games
Aargh, ye matey! With movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and books like Treasure Island, pirates have captivated the imagination of many people. For many years, my son was among that number, so we have quite a few pirate-themed games.
Silver and Gold
What’s small, screen-free, and is amazing for both spatial awareness and working memory? The game my husband calls “card Tetris”: Silver and Gold! If your family likes a bit of logic, treasure, and math, too, then I think you’ll enjoy
Alibi
Does your family love Clue, but you want something more? Do you love crime shows, whodunnits, and mysteries? Then you need to check out Alibi! The makers of Alibi seem to have gotten the message that the boards in whodunnit
Loot
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
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
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
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