Best Board Games For Teens – Buyer’s Guide

For many teens, the idea of playing a board game is boring, but with many new games on the market, game nights are becoming a good idea for groups of friends.

Board games are an entertaining alternative to watching a movie, scrolling social media, or playing video games for many teens. With many types of games currently on the market, there is something for nearly every type of teenager. Whether it’s a strategic, challenging board game you search for or a laugh out loud, pee-your-pants game, the list below has something for you. Here is the list of the top 10 best board games for teens on the market right now, from best to worst.

Unstable Unicorns Game – Best Fun Board Game for Young Teens

The first board game on the list is the Unstable Unicorns game, which retails for around 20 dollars on Amazon, and won the 2019 People’s Choice Award for Toy of the Year. This game is recommended for players ages 14 and up, with the ability to play with 2-8 players.

Unstable Unicorns requires no board, and does not require any pieces other than the playing cards themselves. In addition to the Unstable Unicorns regular pack, there are extension packs available for a variety of preferences and interests that can be bought separately. The entire goal of this game is to build a Unicorn army that will destroy your friend’s unicorns. Betrayal is the goal, and that’s what makes it fun. This is a game where the goal is to win independently, and you don’t work together with other players toward a common goal.

This is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with each card being more unpredictable than the next. This is not your generic happy-go-lucky rainbow and unicorns game…this is a game of destructive war. Unstable Unicorns very easy to learn, and doesn’t take anything other than the cards in the box. There is definitely a reason this game won the People’s Choice award for Toy of The Year, and it is an extremely fun and hilarious time even though you’re playing against your friends.

Unstable Unicorns is definitely on the top of the list because of it’s super quick and a simple yet entertaining game to play, and is our choice for the Best Fun Board Game for Young Teens.

Cards Against Humanity – Best Party Game for Teens

The next card game is Cards Against Humanity, which retails for 25 dollars and is describes as a party game for horrible people. This game is suggested for teens age 17 and up and has a range of players from 4-20.

Cards Against Humanity also requires no board and consists of playing black and white cards to a collective middle pile. This game is essentially Apples and Apples except it is 100 times more entertaining, because of the range of topics covered in the cards.

Many cards contain expletives, references not suitable for children, and possibly offensive phrases. However, for many, this is what makes the game so hilarious. Laughing about the “horrible-ness” of the players is part of the fun, and the process of playing the game is much better than the experience of winning the game itself. The goofier and more comfortable you are around your friends, the better!

Cards Against Humanity is extremely popular at teen and adult parties and is an entertaining option, and is our choice for the Best Party Game for Teens.

What Do You Meme – Most Fun Card Board Game for Teens & Adults

Moving on to the next best board game is What Do You Meme, which retails for around 30 dollars on Amazon. This game is suited for players age 17 and up, and can be played with anywhere from 3 to 20 people. The game itself is simple, with just meme cards, and easel to present memes, and caption cards.

This game is very similar to Apples to Apples as well, but with a social media twist. The objective of the game is similar to “captioning” a meme photo online, trying to win the most laughs or supreme reliability. This is another game that is more focused on the process of playing the game rather than winning the game itself.

The meme cards are all recent and relevant, which adds to the game’s reliability. The true star of the show, however, are the descriptions for the memes themselves. Chock full of expletives and relatable references, this is a game that channels the inner worst and funniest parts of yourself.

What Do You Meme is a great option for parties full of people with a sense of humor. For these reasons, it is the Most Fun Card Board Game for Teens & Adults.

Pandemic – Best Board Game for Teens & The Whole Family

The next board game is more of a traditional example of what you envision when you think “board game”. This is the game known as Pandemic, which retails for anywhere from 40 dollars to 50 dollars on Amazon.

The goal of the game is to protect the world from outbreaks and pandemics. Many consider this game as a family-friendly game night “classic” because of its popularity and how many people have played it at least once. This is a game that is suitable for players 8 years old and up, and can be played with 2-4 players.

Unlike the previously mentioned games, this game focuses on saving the world. Players work together to protect humans from diseases. Pandemic comes with many pieces, with the board game, cards, outbreak dice, and various game pieces.

This is a game that is more suitable for a family or friend game night and is definitely one of the best board games for families with teens. Younger players are able to participate because of the nature of the game being less inappropriate and sexual than previously mentioned games.

Although Pandemic is not as simple as the others to learn to play, once you get going it’s a fun challenge that you get to attempt alongside your other players. For these reasons, this is our pick for the Best Board Game for Teens & The Whole Family.

Settlers of Catan – Best Interactive Board Game for Teens

The next game is a bit notorious among college populations, but is perfectly suitable for players of all ages, especially teens. Settlers of Catan is a multi-award-winning board game for players over the age of 10, with the ability for 3-4 players. Retailing at 45 dollars on Amazon, this game is about building the best possible civilization and trading with fellow players.

Although working with others is necessary for success, winning is the goal. This is an option for board game players that have a knack for puzzles and strategy games. The game can be extremely rewarding to play with fellow Catan lovers, it can be a bit complex to eventually master.

Settlers of Catan includes many pieces and parts, as well as various decks of cards. This can be a bit much if you’re looking for a lighthearted and fun simple game, so keep that in mind before playing. Although the game itself is not necessarily humorous, trying to trick your fellow players can be extremely fun and entertaining, and can be hard to stop!

The content in the game is appropriate for young players, and does not feature inappropriate or mature content. For first time players, expect to take a bit of time reading directions and getting the general idea of the game, which can take awhile. Because of these reasons, this is our pick for the Best Interactive Board Game for Teens

Butts in Space – Best Funny Board Game for Teenagers

Next on the list is the goofiest silliest game yet, known as Butts in Space: The Card Game, which retails for 25 dollars on Amazon. This game is suggested for players age 9 and up and can be played with 2-4 players. This game is a simple cards-only one that many will enjoy and find humorous.

Butts in Space requires some to channel their inner child at elementary school where it was forbidden and silly to laugh at potty jokes, but in this game, it’s welcome!

The general idea of the game is that the mythical character known as “Evil Butt” has stolen all of the toilet paper and destroyed all characters’ toilet space ship. You have the divine option of choosing between characters with titles such as “Hairy Butt”, “Classy Butt”, and “Butt Butt” to play with, and the goal is to gather as much toilet paper before your space ship is repaired.

This is a game for those with a competitive nature who most likely still laugh at fart and poop jokes. It is a fan favorite for games to play with kids, so teens can play with younger audiences as well. Butts in Space requires no other pieces or boards and can be played fairly quickly. The design of the cards is probably the best part, with graphic and creative toilet papers and butts on each one. This wins for the Best Funny Board Game for Teenagers

Better Me – Best Educational Board Game for Teens

The next game is a bit different than the rest on the list, and focuses on real life values and personal growth. Better Me is a game that retails for 55 dollars on Amazon prime and is designed for players ages 10 and up. Better Me can be played with 2-8 players, and is great for players that both know each other, or don’t!

This is a game that focuses on getting to know one another better and is more of a serious, enriching type of game. There are many parts and pieces to the game, and there really is no goal other than growth. Better Me is much different than the rest mentioned on the list and is one that could potentially be effective in school or professional settings for teens.

“Winning” is a part of the game, however, the game is non-competitive. The game is designed to help players earn points by following instructions written on the card. Some examples of carts are sharing a story of a time you learned a lesson, giving a sincere compliment, or reflecting on past memories. This is a very raw and open type of game, and sharing is always accepted but never expected. Players that don’t want to share never have to, and it is based on what each player is comfortable with.

Better Me — is a great game for those that want to get to know themselves and their players better, and for a very low stakes non-competitive night. Although the game does look a bit excessive in how difficult it looks to play, it really is easier than you think and the game might just need to be revamped a bit. For these reasons, this is our pick for Best Educational Board Game for Teens

Codenames – Best Family Board Game For Teens and College Students

The next game on the list is Codenames, which focuses on completing a top-secret mission before enemy assassins beat you. This game retails for 16 dollars on Amazon, and can be played with 2 or more players, ages 11 and up.

This game has no maximum amount of players, so it would be perfect for parties. The general idea of Codenames is giving one-word clues to help fellow team members get closer to your goal. Everything is fairly top secret, which makes the game very mysterious and intriguing.

The game is fairly simple, and does not focus on any humorous or crazy themes like other games on the list. Codenames’ design is fairly simple and easy to understand, and the game does not require many additional parts other than cards and a map.

The most memorable part of Codenames is that it is a great option for those that like a more cooperative game. It is a bit exciting because each team is given a certain amount of guessing time, which raises the stakes a bit. This game would be a great option for those looking for a board game with two-player variants.

Overall, this game is a perfect game for people that are also interested in detective movies and figuring out mysteries, and would be appropriate to play with family. This is why it’s our pick for the Best Family Board Game For Teens and College Students.

Pick Your Poison – Best Trivia Board Game for Adults/Teens

Next up on the list is Pick Your Poison, which retails for around 40 dollars on Amazon, and is suitable for players 13 and up, with no label on the maximum amount of players.

This game is similar to “Would You Rather” except with cards and pre-made questions. You’re essentially choosing which situation you would rather live with (ex. Have the arms of an infant or never see the sun) and seeing which players would choose which. This is the family edition, but they also have a NSFW edition, which is similar to the age range of What Do You Meme? and Cards Against Humanity.

Pick Your Poison is ridiculously simple, with just a few different stacks of cards you use to play. One problem with this game, however, is the boring design. Although it does seem simple and minimalistic, it bores the game down to the point where it’s not super engaging. Despite this, many teens will find it fun because players take risks by choosing one selection of the other, without having to formulate all of the card ideas themselves.

Although this game is fairly simple, the quickness of the game is perfect for people that don’t want to complete an entire complex boardgame type of game at a party or get-together. For these reasons, Pick Your Poison is the Best Trivia Board Game for Adults/Teens

Exploding Kittens – Great Family Board Game For Teens

The last and final game on the list is the game Exploding Kittens, which has both a family-friendly version as well as an NSFW edition. The best way to describe this game is that it is essentially Uno except with a crazy Russian Roulette twist. Oh, and there are explosions and laserbeams and goats and magical enchiladas.

It’s definitely a goofy game similar to the top of the lists’ Unstable Unicorns. This can is for players ages 7 and up, and can be played with anywhere between 2 to 5 players.

Exploding Kittens is known in particular for their simplicity in design of the actual game, which can be taught within 5 minutes. The game itself is 15 minutes per round, and does not contain any other pieces aside from a single deck of cards.

One of the best parts of this game is that if you’re one that likes to “go out with a bang”, Exploding Kittens is definitely your game. You play with fellow players until you explode, and then you’re out. The game continues until the last player is alive.

Exploding Kittens is simple in design, but the cards are far from boring. There are always interesting and unique illustrations on each card, and the game is entertaining mostly as a result of it. This is a great family board game for teens and college students, as it is appropriate yet still hip and funny

How We Tested?

For all of these games, we tested the overall likability, ease of learning directions, ability to play with a wide variety of crowds, and how much teens would be interested in each game. We listed them from highest rated to lowest rated based on these factors. For overall likability, we thought about how well received this game would be with many types of teens and what they would think. For ease of learning directions, we looked at the time the game takes to learn versus the time the game takes to play. For the ability to play with a wide variety of crowds, we took into account the number of players, the different pieces needed to play, and what type of environment you could successfully play each game in (party, around a table, on the floor, etc.) Lastly to see how much teens would be interested in each game we considered the maturity level and level of interesting teen-relevant topics each board game contained.

Overall, this list of the best board games for teens is hopefully just a rough draft missing the many games that will hit the market with teens in mind. One of the most difficult aspects of successful teen board games is not finding a board game that is much too immature/childlike while still not being too mature/suitable only for adults. More and more games hit the market each year, with more being suitable and interesting for adolescents. This guide is to help you try a game that you maybe have heard of but haven’t tried yourself, or if you’re trying to spice up game night parties as a family or within your friend group. Regardless of all of this, playing board games is a great way to connect with people and share fun experiences. Whether it’s getting to know one another a bit better or just sharing a laugh, board games are great at doing specifically that: bringing people together. Happy gaming, and keep a lookout for games soon to come out on the market in the future!