Family-friendly board games to play when you're sick of Scrabble

If you're like me, you're obsessed with board games. While the classics like Monopoly and Scrabble gather dust in your closet, there's a whole universe of fun, family-friendly and competitive tabletop games that you've probably never played before, or at very least don't own.

Whether you're the friend who always hosts, a parent trying to get your kids away from screens, or someone hunting for the perfect gift, these are your next tabletop must-haves that are about to become your brand-new obsession.

Note: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing.

Looking for the best?

Catan

$70.74 on Amazon (12% off)$39.98 for 5-6 expansion (20% off)

Catan is my all-time favourite board game and is a must-have for any game nights or family feuds. It's a strategy board game all about building, settling and trading and can be played with up to four people, and takes about up to an hour to play.

I'd argue the game is 50 per cent luck and 50 per cent skill, so it's always a good blend of high-stakes competition. The game has even more replay value with its randomisation and board game expansion packs that can allow up to six players, or complete gameplay changes.

The winning goal is to reach 10 VP (victory points) before anyone else does. The instructions give you a pretty good indicator of how to play, which is essentially a loop of rolling the dice, acquiring resources, trading and building.

Although some mechanics may be a bit overwhelming at first, the recent sixth edition of the game, which debuted in late April, had efforts in improving the written and visual clarity of the game.

If you're looking for a competitive game that you can get seriously sucked into with its expansion packs, Catan is the game to introduce and gift to your friends and family.

Looking for simple?

Happy Little Dinosaurs

$32 on Amazon (20% off)$20 for 5-6 expansion (20% off)

If you're looking for an easy board game with an unforgiving premise, Happy Little Dinosaurs takes the cake with its whimsical art style, cards and game pieces.

The game says it takes 30-60 minutes, but I've played games that usually last around 15 minutes, so it's fairly quick. It's perfect for any age and can be played with two to four players. If you want to play with five to six players, you'll need to buy its expansion pack.

Essentially, the game is a race to reach 50 points or to be the last dinosaur standing. During each round, you'll have to avoid natural, predatory and emotional disasters to ensure your dinosaur survives until the very end.

It's a great gift, but also a fun family board game to pull out when you're all around.

Rubik's Race

$19.99 on Amazon

This high-intensity two-player race is a board game of quick movement and problem solving, perfect for those who want a speedy tabletop experience.

After shaking up a tile randomiser, you must match the 3x3 tiles with the centre of your own tiles before your opponent does to win.

It's perfect for those who want to verse family or friends in a minute game of high-stakes competition.

Selfish: Space edition

$49.21 on Amazon

How far would you go to save yourself, and in this case, in space?

Battling against wormholes, asteroid fields, laser blasts and most dangerous of all, each other, you and up to five players have to fend for yourself to get home using the remaining oxygen supplies.

This science-fiction game takes up to ten minutes to play, and is great for all ages as well. It's an easy one to learn and a fun purchase for family nights or as a gift.

There's also a zombie edition and a shipwrecked edition for players looking for other themes with slight twists on the gameplay.

Looking for card games?

Exploding Kittens

$29 on Amazon (26% off)$24 for Imploding Kittens (20% off)$11 for Streaking Kittens (15% off)

Exploding kittens is quite the vulgar but hilarious card game to have for any gathering and a great gift for anyone in need of a silly card game to play.

Players win by being the last person standing as you each take turns picking up cards until someone draws an exploding kitten. The deck is made up of cards that come with a range of actions, allowing you to influence the game in your favour.

With each card draw, the game gets more intense as the fewer the cards, the greater the chance of drawing an exploding kitten. The game also offers different expansions that offer new kittens and action cards to add even more stress to the game.

The imploding kitten offers a type of exploding kitten that you can see and choose where to put in the deck in order to sabotage another player. Streaking kittens adds a kitten that allows you to secretly hold an exploding kitten. And the best part is that the expansions are cross-compatible with each other.

Each game usually takes around 10-15 minutes, and it's an intuitive game with a good level of competition.

Uno variations

Flip $10 on Amazon (10% off)No Mercy $11.99 (12% off)Classic Uno $6 (45% off)

Bored of classic Uno? Try these variations to flip your world or show your opponents no mercy.

Uno Flip features a new side to the game with the main gimmick being a "flip card" that forces each player to flip their hand around and play with new colours and actions.

If you want a more unforgiving premise, you can try Uno No Mercy. This deck contains more brutal cards and new rules that might force players to swap hands or to draw up to 10 cards.

They're both great to have when friends or family are around, and can get quite chaotic.

Looking for more?

Stardew Valley board game

$84.95 on Amazon (11% off)

I recently ordered this and it's swiftly becoming a favourite. I've played it a couple of times now, and its art style is adorable, and the gameplay is fun and intricate in surprising ways.

Inspired by the international indie hit video game, this one-to-four player board game is a cooperative hour-long playthrough of farming and friendship.

It's a bit complicated, as it tries to jam-pack as many features and concepts from the video game into a tabletop experience.

Some of the rules are a bit vague too for oddly specific scenarios, so a couple of house rules definitely helped my experience in running the game smoother. Once you get into it, though, it makes a lot more sense and strategies start to develop.

Playing with up to four people, the game features ten universal goals everyone has to collectively complete before the end of the year. Players can choose to start between four professions and tools, each providing unique perks as the game progresses.

Your progress and resources are shared, and players are able to grow crops, fish, mine, raise animals and make friends across each day and new season. It's very luck-focused, so don't get too stressed if you can't win on the first play around.

Unlike the cosiness of the video game, it gets quite chaotic towards the end as everyone tries to frantically cooperate and complete the goals before the end of the year.

If you're looking for a board game that's more collaborative, but still after the excitement and drive of a competitive board game with your family or friends, this is a seriously good contender.

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