Buying guide for best Thanksgiving games
After a Thanksgiving feast, and possibly a round of seconds or two, most people are feeling a bit lethargic. A card game or board game is an activity that doesn’t require too much energy and makes for a good wind-down in the evening.
Finding the right Thanksgiving games for your family means considering what types of games everyone enjoys playing, how many people you have, and the age range of players. Some people enjoy longer, more involved games that test strategy and wit. Others would rather engage with something lighthearted and silly, possibly with little to no competitive aspect.
No game is for everyone, but a good Thanksgiving game can involve the whole family and get everyone laughing.
How to choose the best Thanksgiving games
Ideally, everyone in your family should be able to play together. This means finding a game that suits everyone’s tastes and can support a large number of players.
How many players do you have?
Chances are, your Thanksgiving gathering has at least four people — and very likely more. Fortunately, there is a wide selection of games that support up to 10 players and some that support even more.
- Games for 4 to 6 players include both strategy games and party games.
- Games for 6 to 10 players are often party games, social games, or team games.
- Games for 10 or more players can be party games or activities like dexterity challenges or guessing games.
When your family has more members than a game you would like to play, read through the rules to see if there’s a way to add more players. Often, you can have a few people play as a team rather than individually to include more people.
What is the age range of players?
Just about any Thanksgiving dinner includes people from several different generations. While you won’t always be able to include the youngest players, there are many games that are enjoyable for both kids and adults.
Games for ages five and up are simple as a rule, though this doesn’t mean they are easy. They may test players’ dexterity, memory, or spatial reasoning — all of which children can be astonishingly skilled at. While the themes of these games are usually cartoonish or silly, they can be enjoyable for the whole family.
Games for ages 10 and up typically require skills like writing or reading, or they may require strategic planning. They may also be rated for a higher age simply because they have small components that are a potential choking hazard.
If possible, set up the game table far from the TV game so players can hear each other over a football game.
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What to look for in a Thanksgiving game
Once you’ve narrowed down what age range and player count you need, consider what sort of games your family is most likely to enjoy.
Party games
These are crowd-pleasers that can often support a crowd. Party games may have players guessing clues given by a teammate, acting out words or specific people, making terrible drawings, or competing in a dexterity challenge. Though they can be competitive, most of the time, they are too lighthearted and quick to hurt anyone’s feelings. Many party games put players on teams, which is an easy way to level the playing field between players of different ages and get everyone involved.
Strategy games
Strategy games aren’t necessarily long or complex; they are any game that tests players’ critical thinking and planning, even if they are fairly straightforward. Rather than being rowdy and silly, most strategy games are mellow and thoughtful. It may take enough time between turns for you to get up for a helping of leftovers.
Themes for Thanksgiving games
Board games come in a variety of themes, not all of which may fit the Thanksgiving vibe. There are a few themes, however, that are particularly fitting.
- Cozy: Themes like quilting or collecting cats pair well with a fireplace and a cup of tea.
- Nature: Get in touch with your inner naturalist with games featuring wildlife, zoos, or nature preserves.
- Pastoral: Whether you’re building a farm or brewing ale, games featuring crops and harvests are particularly apt.
- Food: From Sushi Go! to Kitchen Rush, there are plenty of games that have players collecting varieties of food.
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Games that allow players to drop in and out can serve as a good low-pressure activity to keep everyone entertained.
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How much do Thanksgiving games cost?
Games for Thanksgiving evening range from a single deck of cards to a box full of well-crafted components.
Inexpensive
For $5 to $10 are small card games and games with few components. These are typically quick to learn and play.
Mid-range
Games from $10 to $25 may be card games with a large deck or more traditional board games. Many classic titles fall in this price range.
Expensive
For $25 to $60 are well-produced games that often have several illustrations and unique components. These games tend to be more complex but may also be enjoyable to play for years.
If you have a large family, consider buying two copies of a game so everyone can play, or split your group and play two different games.
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Tips for gaming with food on the table
- Keep drinks far from the board or cards. If you have a side table or another nearby surface, try to place drinks there. Otherwise, encourage players to give the game a bit of distance from their beverages to prevent disaster, especially if a game is fast-paced.
- Avoid sticky treats. If you can’t resist a delicious marshmallow treat, consider using utensils or just wiping your hands on a napkin before your turn.
- Protect cards with sleeves. One foolproof method is to use card sleeves, which offer peace of mind and allow everyone to eat what they like while they play.
- Offer non-sticky foods. By putting game-safe options on the table, you might curb players’ appetites for something messier.
- Choose foods that can be passed around. If the food takes up a lot of space on the table, not only will you have little room for the game, but you also might have trouble reaching the serving platters. Snacks that can be passed around the table work best.
- Keep napkins and paper towels handy. Napkins help everyone keep their hands clean, and paper towels let you sop up a spill as soon as it happens.
- Accept messes. When food and games mix, there’s always the risk of damage. If you accept this possibility, you (and everyone else) are more likely to enjoy the evening.
How to teach a game
After finishing dinner, cleaning dishes, and putting away leftovers, everyone is at least a bit tired. Learning a new game can be challenging, but being prepared to teach in a concise and clear manner goes a long way.
- Read the rules first. Avoid reading the rulebook aloud at all costs. It is much easier for people to learn from someone who knows the rules well.
- Unwrap cards and punch out tokens. Most games come with decks of cards wrapped in cellophane or tokens in a punch board sheet. Prepping all of these helps you set the game up quickly.
- Familiarize yourself with the pieces. Identifying cards and components as you set up saves a significant amount of time, especially with more complex games.
- Explain who players are in the game. Starting out by telling everyone “we are astronauts” or “we are spies” sets the theme and puts people right into the game. Not all games have specific roles that players take on.
- Explain what you are trying to do. Tell people how they will achieve their goal.
- Break down how turns work. Explain what your choices are on a turn and how play moves from one player to another.
By this point, players should be ready to start. Explaining information in the order most relevant to players—the “who,” “why,” and “how”—helps players grasp the theme and the purpose of the game. If necessary, you can also walk players through the first few turns to familiarize everyone with the flow of play.
FAQ
Q. How do I know if a game works for children and adults?
A. The best way to get a sense of how a game plays is to watch or read an online review. In many cases, reading the back of the box gives you a good idea as well.
Q. What if I don’t like reading rulebooks?
A. Almost any game has numerous “how to play” videos online that can get you and your family playing quickly. Use a laptop or tablet with a reasonably large screen to play the video and teach everyone the rules.
Q. Is it okay to change the rules of a game?
A. Absolutely. Playing games together is about fun first and foremost. As long as everyone is okay with adding house rules, you should play the game the way your group enjoys best.
