If you’re looking for a way to entice your teenagers to put down their cell phones, you’ve come to the right place: it’s time to revisit board games. While the old classics like Monopoly are great, there are a lot of fun, unique games that are sure to grab the attention of even the moodiest teenager.
If you just came out and asked your teens to sit around and play a game with you, they’d probably groan and roll their eyes; but, find them some decent board games and they won’t be able to help themselves.
Maybe you’re looking for a way to connect with your teenagers by having a family game night, or maybe you’re just hoping to get them turned onto a hobby that doesn’t involve staring at a screen. Whatever your reason, we’ve rounded up fourteen of the best board games for teens. This list covers a wide variety of games so you’re sure to find something that will interest your teen.
Top 14 Board Games for Teens Comparison Table
| Image | Name | Ages | Number of Players | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Z-Man Games Pandemic Board Game | 13 & up | 2 - 4 | 4.8 |
 | 2. Czech Games Codenames Pictures Card Game | 14 & up | 2 - 8 | 4.8 |
 | 3. Jax Sequence Game | 7 & up | 2 - 12 | 4.8 |
 | 4. SET Enterprises Quiddler Card Game | 8 & up | 1 - 8 | 4.8 |
 | 5. Indie Boards & Cards The Resistance (The Dystopian Universe) | 13 & up | 5 - 10 | 4.8 |
 | 6. Rio Grande Games Dominion: 2nd Edition Board Game | 13 & up | 2 - 4 | 4.8 |
 | 7. Spin Master Games Adult HedBanz Game | 14 & up | 4 - 6 | 4.7 |
 | 8. Bezier Games One Night Ultimate Werewolf | 8 & up | 3 - 10 | 4.7 |
 | 9. Mattel Apples to Apples Party Box | 12 & up | 4 - 8 | 4.6 |
 | 10. Hasbro Scattergories Game | 13 & up | 2 - 4 | 4.6 |
 | 11. Spontuneous - The Song Game - Sing It or Shout It - Talent NOT Required | 8 & up | 4 - 10 | 4.6 |
 | 12. Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase Game (Amazon Exclusive) | 13 & up | 4 or more | 4.6 |
 | 13. PlayMonster 5 Second Rule - Just Spit it Out! | 10 & up | 3 or more | 4.5 |
 | 14. University Games Smart Ass | 12 & up | 2 - 6 | 4.5 |
Choosing the Right Game: What Will Draw Teens In?
There are many board games out there, and not all of them are going to appeal to teens. When trying to find the right game for a teenager, it’s important to keep in mind that they’re going to want to play something that will keep their interest. Take into account the personality of the teenager and what will appeal to him or her when considering the following criteria.
Types of Games
There are a lot of types of board games, but the best games typically fall into the following categories:
- Family – Family games are appropriate for all ages, but this doesn’t mean they’re not fun for teens (or adults, for that matter). These games are clean. They won’t have cuss words or themes that are too risque.
- Party – These games are designed for large groups of people. They’re fun, loud, and designed to get people to interact with one another. They’re usually divided into short rounds.
- Strategy – Strategy games usually take a little longer to learn and involve more deep thought. They aren’t for everyone, but for someone who really likes figuring out puzzles and solving riddles, they’re a perfect choice.
If the teen you’re choosing a game for is loud and sociable, a party game is a great choice. If you have more of a quiet thinker, a good strategy game can really suck someone in.
Some games also have themes, like spies or medieval times, or werewolves. Teenagers who have a particular interest in the theme of the game will be more likely to enjoy playing it.
Also, take into consideration how the game is actually played. There are a few basic mechanisms of gameplay:
- Board Games – Have some kind of pieces that are moved on a board
- Card Games – Either played exclusively with cards or cards feature heavily
- Social – Involves a lot of talking and interaction
- Word – Guessing or creating words is a prominent part of gameplay
Length of Game
Are you looking for something that moves fast to keep everyone’s interest? Or would you rather have a game that will suck everyone in and take an hour or two? There are pros and cons to both.
- Short games
- Rounds are finished quickly.
- Gameplay can end at any time.
- Players can easily leave or join the game.
- Long games
- Players have to commit to finishing the game.
- Typically difficult to leave the game or join in once it’s started.
- There is often no way to tell how long a game will last.
It’s important to note that the length of gameplay can vary greatly. It depends on the skill of the players, how many players there are, and how many rounds are being played. In particular, party games will vary greatly because most of them can either keep going into more rounds or stop at any time.
Number of Players
How many people can play is usually indicated by the type of game. Strategy games are usually best for fewer players whereas party games are better with a large group. There are some points to keep in mind about the number of players.
- The type of game will directly affect the number of players. Party games will have the most; strategy games will typically have the least.
- The amount of players involved in a game will usually affect the length of gameplay. The same game played with four people can take a lot longer when played with eight.
You can find the number of players for each of the games we reviewed in the above table.
Top 14 Best Board Games for Teens Reviewed
Here, we will take a more in-depth look at all of the best board games for teens on our list.
Compare, contrast and then decide which one will work for the group of teens you’re shopping for!
1. Z-Man Games Pandemic Board Game
- Kind of Game – Family, strategy
- Type – Board, card
- Theme – Medical
- Length – An hour minimum
In Pandemic, players have to work together to figure out a way to stop four diseases that have reached critical levels and are threatening the population of the whole world. Each character is a different specialist and takes on a role like operations expert or scientist. Players try to stop the disease and figure out cures before it’s too late.
The board shows the major population centers on Earth and player take turns traveling, treating patients, finding cures, or researching. Two separate decks of cards direct gameplay; one gives the players their abilities and the other controls the spread of the infections.
One of the best things about this game is the whole point is to work together. It’s the players against the diseases. Everyone wins, or no one does. It encourages critical thinking and teamwork, both of which are important skills for a teenager to have.
This game will suck you in as you try to save the world. The fact that no one wins and the group has to work together as a team really affects the dynamics of the group. It’s a great way to connect with teens.
2. Czech Games Codenames Pictures Card Game
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Card
- Theme – Spies
- Length – About 30 minutes per round
This game involves two teams going head to head in a game of clues, code breaking, and outing secret agents. Each team has one spymaster who knows the secret identities of all 25 agents while their teammates know only their code names. To win, the team must make contact with all of their agents through clues given by the spymaster. Make sure to avoid enemy agents and assassins!
This is a great party game but can be played with as little as four people. There’s also a way to play with only two people that relies more on teamwork to figure out all the agents together.
One of the great things about this game is how much fun you’ll have playing it. It’s hysterical and easy to learn. Each round only lasts about 20 minutes, and you can play again and again and have a different experience every time.
3. Jax Sequence Game
- Kind of Game – Family game
- Type – Board, card
- Length – 20 minutes per round
This card game is an effective mix of canasta, rummy, and poker. The aim of the game it is get a sequence or five chips in a row on the board. The board depicts rows of playing cards. You play a card from your hand to get a chip on the board. Soon you’ll figure out how to block your opponent and knock off their chips.
Sequence has been around for a really long time – it was first sold in 1982! Although there have been many versions since then, the fact that it still gets high reviews speaks to the quality of the game.
There’s some strategy involved in this game, but teens will pick up on it pretty quickly if they want to. This isn’t a game with a plot, and there’s no roles to play, so it won’t appeal to everyone, but for anyone who likes puzzles and patterns, this is a great game to try.
4. SET Enterprises Quiddler Card Game
- Kind of Game – Family
- Type – Card, word
- Length – About an hour
In Quiddler, eight rounds are played. For the first round, players get three cards. In the second round, they get four more cards. The third, five cards. And so on. Each card as a letter or two and a point value and each round gets progressively more difficult.
When a player takes their turn, they draw a card then discard one. The game ends when someone takes a turn where all the cards in the hand can be used to spell words with only one card left over to discard. The first person to do this is out. Everyone gets one more turn to spell as many words as they can with their hands and the leftover cards are deducted from their score. Whoever has the most points at the end of all eight rounds is the winner.
Quiddler is a fun twist on a word game, so much fun that it’s won over twenty Best Game Awards. Word games aren’t for everyone, but for teens that are into flexing their vocabulary, Quiddler will keep them entertained.
5. Indie Boards & Cards The Resistance
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Card
- Theme – Spies
- Length – 30 minute
The goal of the game is to take down the Empire. You play as a group of resistance fighters completing missions against the government. The twist? Some of the players are spies whose job it is to sabotage the missions.
Groups of players are assigned missions by the Leader. Then, the whole group votes on whether or not to accept it. The players chosen to carry out the mission can decide whether to support or sabotage it. If the mission succeeds, the Resistance wins the round. If not, it goes to the Spies.
This is a game about reading people and picking up on subtle clues. There’s also no player elimination, so everyone (including your teen) stays engaged throughout gameplay.
The Resistance might seem a little overwhelming to learn, but it’s easy to pick up on. It might not be a game for people who aren’t interested in puzzles and critical thinking.
6. Rio Grande Games Dominion: 2nd Edition
- Kind of Game – Strateg
- Type – Card
- Theme – Medieval
- Length – An hour
In this card game, you’re the next in a line of monarchs who wants to expand the kingdom. You hire minions, fight off other monarchs, build buildings, and collect gold. You make your kingdom your dominion.
This card game is all about building up your deck. There are treasure cards, province cards, curse cards, and kingdom cards. Your build your deck – your kingdom – by playing cards from your deck and following the directions on them. Sometimes, you’ll get to pick new cards or receive more gold.
You can buy new cards, too. All the cards you accumulate during play are your dominion. When the last Province is bought, the game is over. Whoever has the highest valued deck is the winner.
This game is easy to learn, but working out the strategy behind it could be frustrating for someone not willing to put the time in. What’s really cool about it is how it has the power to draw teens in; it’s a card game version of the same plot line as a lot of popular online role-playing games.
7. Spin Master Games Adult HedBanz Game
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Cards, social
- Length – Varies
This party game is a spin on Twenty Questions. HedBanz, the plastic headbands that come with the game, are given to every player. Each player gets a card with an illustration and a description and places it on their headband so everyone else can see it. When the timer begins, you start asking yes and no questions until it runs out, trying to figure out what’s on your card.
Every player starts with three chips and you turn one in every time you guess a card right. The first player to get rid of all their chips is the winner. This game can get really hilarious with the right group of people.
Generally, this is a fun game to play. It gets loud and funny, but if someone is having a lot of trouble figuring out what’s on his or her card, it can get frustrating. One good thing about this game, though, is you can alter the rules a bit to make it fit your group. You can give hints if people are having trouble or the group can provide one-word clues as an alternative to the cardholder asking questions.
8. Bezier Games One Night Ultimate Werewolf
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Cards
- Theme – Werewolves
- Length – 15 minutes
When listing the best board games for teens, there had to be at least one with a werewolf. One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a fast paced game where the goal is to find the werewolf. Players each get a different role, including Troublemaker, Seer, and, of course, Werewolf.
Each player gets a special skill according to their role. Troublemakers can swap other players cards, Seers can peek at other players’ cards or the cards left over in the middle of the board. After everyone is done taking their turn, they start to try to figure out whom the werewolf is by talking about his or her roles, what card they had at the beginning.
It sounds a little tricky, but it all makes sense once you get started. For a little extra something that might entice a teen, there’s a companion app to this game that helps you with timing and pacing.
9. Mattel Apples to Apples Party Box
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Card, word
- Length – Varies
In Apples to Apples, there are two decks of cards, Things and Descriptions. Everyone is dealt a hand of Things. The judge in each round pulls a Description card and each player lays down a Thing card that they think will best fit the description in the judge’s eyes.
It helps to know the judge a little in this game because, usually, the card that is chosen as the winner is the one that is the funniest. Whoever is chosen as the winner is the judge for the next round. Game play continues until someone wins a predetermined amount of times.
The party box comes with a lot of cards – more than 400 Things and 63 Description cards. This is good and bad. The more cards there are, the more outrageous the combinations can be, but sometimes having more cards means none of the combinations make much sense.
10. Hasbro Scattergories Game
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Word
- Length – About 10 minutes each round
This is another game that has been around for a long time but has managed to remain one of the best party games around. Gameplay is pretty simple. In each round, every player is given the same category list. A large die is rolled to choose a letter for the round. Then, players much fill in their categories with words beginning with the letter.
It might sound easy, but some of the categories and letter combinations are pretty difficult. What makes this game really fun is how people will try to defend the words they came up with when they just couldn’t think of anything.
This is an updated version of the old game and one downside it that the boards they provide for players to write on aren’t as sturdy as the original ones. It’s not a huge change and doesn’t affect gameplay, but it is something that fans of the old game will notice.
11. Spontuneous – The Song Game
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Board, social
- Theme – Singing
- Length – 30 min to an hour
Spontuneous is the board game version of that thing that happens when you hear a word, and it reminds you of a song that you just have to sing. If you’ve ever driven past a sign for a YMCA and immediately started singing the song, this game is for you.
One player gives the word and then the rest of the players have to come up with a song containing that word and have to sing at least five words of said song. First player to come up with five songs for the trigger word wins the round and gets to advance their piece around the game board.
The game board has spaces where you draw challenge cards which are all song themed, too. This is a really fun game for the right group of people. Gameplay can go on for hours and sometimes, no one even bothers to keep score, but if you have someone in your group who isn’t into singing in front of people, this wouldn’t be a good game to try.
12. Hasbro Electronic Catch Phrase Game
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Word, social
- Length – 30 min
Another game that’s stood the test of time, Catchphrase is a fun party game where you try to guess the word. The game device provides words to whoever is giving the clues. The goal is to try to get your teammates to guess the word, but there are rules: no rhyming and no giving away what letter the word starts with.
Every time someone guesses a word correctly, the game unit is passed on to the next team. It keeps going from team to team until the buzzer goes off. If you’re holding the unit when that happens, your team loses a point.
This is a fun, fast-paced game for anyone who likes words, puzzles or giving clues. A good thing about it is you can really play with as many people are you want by making the team’s bigger. A downside is, once you’ve played enough time, the words start to recycle and the game becomes a little easier to play because you already have some idea of the words.
13. PlayMonster 5 Second Rule – Just Spit it Out!
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Social, word
- Length – Varies
The concept behind 5 Second Rule is really easy. Name three things in a given category in less the five seconds. For example, name three dog breeds. Three types of hats. Three mountains. Sounds easy, right? However, when the pressure is on, it’s not. At times, it’s hilarious.
The timer in this game adds to the pressure. It’s a tube that makes a ZOOOP sound while a metal ball travels down a spiral inside over five short seconds. The game comes with 576 questions so you can play a lot and not need to worry about anything repeating.
While this game is fun to play and can be hilarious when people are having trouble coming up with answers, it’s not something that can be played for hours on end. It’s great for a game night when you’re switching between different games, though.
14. University Games Smart Ass
- Kind of Game – Party game
- Type – Card, social
- Length – 30 min
If you know a teen who is the kind of person who knows all the answers and has to blurt them out, this is the game for you. In this fast paced games, clues are given by one player and the rest of the group has to determine Who, What, or Where the questions are about. There are ten clues in all and players just blurt out answers until someone gets it right.
Players move around a game board where they’ll hit Dumb Ass spaces and won’t be allowed to participate in the next round. There’s also Smart Ass spaces that offer extra questions to move ahead farther.
This is a great game for people who like to show off how smart they are. For people who aren’t fans of trivia, this probably isn’t the game for them.
Our Final Thoughts on Teen Board Games
When it comes to choosing one of the best board games for teens, we’ve provided you with a look at some of the things you should consider to help you find a good match.
It’s important to keep the preferences of the teen who will be receiving the game in mind. Some games are not going to appeal to everyone, and that’s okay!
Our buying guide covers a variety of types of games with different kinds of gameplay. You’re sure to find something that can entice your teenager to put down the cell phone and actually want to join in family game night.
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