One of the questions I get the most is how to pick a great board game. The most important part of selecting a good board game is to know your audience.

When choosing a game, you need to know who will be playing. A great game for six-year-olds may be incredibly boring for a group of junior-high kids. Simply being someone’s “favorite game ever” isn’t enough. Before you pick a game for your group to play, you must consider who is playing. I’m going to give you my five tips for making a great game selection.

But first:

Think Of Choosing A Great Board Game In Terms Of Food

• There is no single dish that everyone will like. Tastes differ even among the most experienced eaters. The same is true with games. Two players may love a game for different reasons, or one may find it to be the best game ever and another may hate it. Choose games like you choose food: You do your best to pick great options, and sometimes we can acquire a taste for something through repeated practice. 

• Just because someone else loves a food doesn’t mean you will like it. The same goes with games. You may love a game but your kids (or spouse) may find it boring or tedious. Try different types of games and see what people like. Keep the purpose of the game in mind: Some games may be for the whole family while others will be fun for certain members. 

• Leave time for digestion. Board games require you to read and understand the rules. There’s lots of trial and error. Some games are Top Ramen and others are steak dinners. Make sure you select games that reflect your time and intensity needs. If you’ve explored Board Game Geek , a higher “Weight” score means the game is more complex and rule-heavy. And if you want additional help with “digestion”, I recommend great tutorial videos by individuals like Rodney Smith from Watch It Played. 

• Great meals, and great games, should focus on celebration, enjoyment, and community. The best games aren’t played just to be beaten any more than fantastic meals are cooked just to be eaten. What sets them apart is the experience. So set your expectations on enjoying the journey. Mastering the process of a game can be just as much fun as actually completing it.

Okay, with all that said here are five questions to ask yourself when choosing a game:

Know Your Audience: Gaming Profiles

Every group of players is different. The best way to pick a great game is to know your audience. Here are five questions to ask to help assess your “game profile”:

1. How many people will be playing? Some games work best with groups of 2-4 (Settlers of Catan), while others are better with groups of 8 or more (Werewolf).
2. How old and how experienced are the players? Younger and newer players should begin with games with lower “weight” or complexity. Try as we might, our middle child (who is freshly five) cannot make it through The Lord of the Rings Game without going off the rails. It’s out of his range.
3. How much time do you have to play? It’s more satisfying to finish a game, so select games that fit within what everyone’s focus and lives will allow.
4. What are the interests and preferences of the players? Find games that fit thematic elements your players enjoy. Do they love robots? Racing? Building? Trains? Animals? Find games that touch on these interests to help engage their minds in the game.
5. What is the competitive nature of your group? Do they want to play for fun and conversation or are they looking for something more competitive? Playing competitive or cooperative games can help fit a wide variety of players. Even Pictionary can get fiery—know your group and set your rules accordingly.

Our Family’s Game Profile

Assess these five questions and you’ll have your game profile. For my own family, in our current stage of life (2 active boys, one who likes games, and one who likes people) I might look for a game that is: 

1. 2-4 player
2. ages 6-10
3. less than 30 minutes
4. involves animals
5. is cooperative

Two Options For Finding Great Games

1. Check out the game list article we curated for families with children from ages 3-17.
2. You can begin your own search game-search adventure on a site like Board Game Geek. Just click one of the following links and check out the top-ranked games in each category:

• • Family Games
  • Strategy Games
  • Party Games
  • Best Overall

If you want more help, you can walk into your local board game shop with this list and they’ll be able to give you specific suggestions tailored to your family’s needs!

Remember: Board Games Are Like Food

Keep in mind that everyone’s tastes in games will be different—and that’s okay! It’s also part of the fun of building a game collection that meets the various interests of your family. One other trick we’ve found helpful in our family is to rotate who gets to pick the game on family game night. My oldest son and I lean toward high strategy games, while my middle son and wife tend to prefer silly, quick hitter games. When we all know we have a turn coming to pick the game, it makes it easier to play one that’s not our favorite.

At the end of the day these are games and the goal is to have fun together! 

pc: Photo by Christopher Paul High on Unsplash