View All
View All
View All
View All
View All
View All
View All
View All
View All
When was the last time you played a board game with your kids? If you’re looking for a way to entertain the family without resorting to screen time, board games are a fantastic solution.
If your family is anything like ours, you used to only play classic board games, such as Monopoly or Pictionary, every so often whenever someone was feeling nostalgic or exceptionally bored – that is, until COVID kept us all indoors. Like many other families during the pandemic, we turned to board games for non-digital entertainment and were quickly hooked.
We were surprised to discover that board games had evolved past the board games for kids that we grew up with, and many board games now have sophisticated designs and storylines with complex game mechanisms and characters. We’ve since made board games part of our weekly family time, and these fun board games have been great for pulling kids away from their phones and tablets. In fact, kids will even give up screen time for an hour or so of playing board games!
Read More: Screen Time For Kids – Top Apps And Sites To Manage Your Childs Digital Footprint
Why Play Family Board Games?
- It’s a great way to bond as a family. Although there are plenty of board games online, you can’t beat playing a physical board game together as a family. There’s nothing like being able to connect without a screen in the way, and the kids are sure to look back at this family time together with a great deal of fondness.
- The best board games all develop a certain skill. This could better focus, fine motor skills, general knowledge, colour matching, shape sorting, etc. The kids don’t really like it when you teach them anything, so why not let a board game do the work for you?
- Board games can teach competition and cooperation. Though it seems contrary, winning a board game is a thrill that gets kids (and adults, tbh!) going and there are certain cooperative games which require players to think and strategise together, teaching kids that teamwork makes the dreamwork!
- Which bring us to the next point – strategy. Our generation of parents have been accused of making life too easy for our kids, stifling their executive functioning in the process. Board games require some strategising, management and patience and can be excellent teachers of these essential life skills.
If you are convinced and raring to have a go at board games but don’t know where to start (and we can’t blame you, considering how many board games are out there now), Sassy Mama recommends popular board games that put a new spin to the classic board games. While the usual board games (Scrabble, Cluedo, Rummikub, etc.) are always winners, these new or relatively unexplored ones will make for an amazing addition to your family board game library. Because they are not as common in Hong Kong, we’ve rounded up where you can buy these board games, and for how much.
Read more: The Best Indoor Playrooms And Playgrounds In Hong Kong
Best Board Games For Families: Five Picks From Team Sassy Mama
Sushi Go!
This is a really fun, first card game or board game for kids. They won’t be able to resist the cute illustrations and design (neither can we!). Sushi Go! is what’s called a “pick and pass” board game, which means that a player must pick a card from a deck before passing the deck to another player. In order to win, you have to choose the dishes that you think will gain you the most points (or make other players lose the most points). There’s an element of strategy to this popular board game as the dishes can be combined in different ways to get more points. The fun part about this board game is that it does grow with your kids, who end up learning how to play more strategically as they grow older.
With three players, it usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to go through one round of this, which makes it perfect for a quick pre-bedtime game.
Ages: 8 years and up
Sassy Mama Tip: Even our 5-year-olds enjoyed this, so it’s possible to start younger!
Where to buy: Bookazine, HKTVMall, Monster Geek BG and other toy stores, approx $160
Read more: Introduce Your Kids To Sushi At These Hong Kong Restaurants
Cat Lady
This fun board game requires players to build up points by “drafting” or collecting cards. However, Cat Lady is a little more complex than Sushi Go! as players have to select sets of cards from a grid of cards that combine cat characters, food, toys and costumes. The combination of all these different elements will determine your final scores.
Aside from the cards, the board game comes with adorable little tokens that you will have to count before putting away after each game as they have a habit of disappearing into the void of toy boxes or pockets.
It takes about 30 minutes to get through a game with three players, although with younger players, add another 15 to 20 minutes.
Ages: 14 years and up
Sassy Mama Tip: Despite the age advice by the manufacturer, we have found that kids younger than 10 enjoy playing Cat Lady with a little assistance (they won’t be able to grasp the strategies). Twelve-year-old kids and above will definitely be able to play it – and even beat the adults!
Where to buy: Amazon (though shipping charges apply) and BG Base, approx $160
Wingspan
The learning curve of this beautifully illustrated strategy board game is a little steep, but once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to stop playing this immersive game. The game’s theme is bird habitats, and players are supposed to attract birds to their habitats and help these birds flourish by collecting and trading food and eggs. If that sounds very educational and environmentally conscious, you’re right! We’ve found this board game to be a wonderful conversation starter about the environment, nature and animals (not just birds), and not a few kids have developed an interest in nature and birdwatching after playing this game!
Like Cat Lady, the board game provides wooden tokens (eggs and dice) that you can use as you play, as well as a charming 3D bird feeder that you’ll have to build. This is one of those games that can go for around an hour or even more, so it’s a great choice for a family night when you need something that lasts a little longer but still manages to keep everyone’s interest.
Ages: 10 years and up (recommended by the board game community)
Sassy Mama Tip: Because of all the fiddly pieces, it’s not ideal for younger kids. Kids as young as ten might be able to enjoy this strategy board game with a lot of help. However, kids 13 and up will be able to fully take advantage of the different tactics to gain more birds and points.
Where to buy: BG Base, approx $420
Read more: How To Teach Your Kids About Sustainability
Cranium Cadoo
Inspired by the original adult Cranium (one of our all-time favourite party games) this kids’ version employs the same silly and creative channels, such as Creative Cat, Word Worm, Data Head, Star Performer. That means, your kids and you are going to need to draw, act, sculpt, solve puzzles and crack secret codes!
Ages: 7 years and up
Sassy Mama Tip: You can start playing this with kids as young as five years! Kids who are 10 and up might find this version too easy and may be ready to graduate to the adult version of Cranium
Where to buy: Toys Central and Amazon, approx $500
Monikers
This is a hilarious party game where players take turns describing famous people, characters, or concepts without using the actual name. The goal is to get your teammates to guess the correct “moniker” before time runs out.
Ages: 16 years and up
Sassy Mama Tip: We’ve played it with kids as young as 14 and 11 years and they loved it! In general, kids above 11 should enjoy it as they will get the humour and have a bit more general knowledge about culture, history, people and world affairs.
Where to buy: BG Base, approx $230
Read More: Birthday Parties – Our Favourite Free & Easy Games For Kids
Where To Buy Board Games In Hong Kong
Hong Kong is lucky to have a handful of retailers that stock the newest and most popular board games in both Chinese and English editions. However, we do have a few shops that we prefer for their diverse selections and knowledgeable staff.
Capstone Board Game – Board game shop branches in Kwun Tong and Causeway Bay
One of the bigger board game shops in the city, Capstone has an impressive selection of board games, from classic board games to limited-edition releases and extension packs. They also run fun and educational board game design workshops, summer courses and certifications through their collaboration with the Hong Kong Board Game Education Academy.
Capstone Board Game, Room B, Floor 12, Block 1, Camel Paint Building, 62 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Capstone Board Game, Room A, 11/F, Golden Swan Commercial Building, 438-444 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, www.capstone.hk
Monster Geek BG – Board game store where you can play board games too
With Jolly Thinkers and Wheat and Wood shutting down, we’ve been missing our board game cafes in Hong Kong! Luckily for us, Monster Geek BG allows “all you can play board games” in its store. It also allows board game rentals – so important for space starved homes in Hong Kong!
Monster Geek BG, Room 601, Island Centre, 470 Reclamation Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, www.monstergeekbg.com
Painkiller BG – Online plus retail board game store with great prices
Pre-order your favourite board games here (including the ones not available in Hong Kong currently!). If you’re also looking at board game design and production, workshops, or just a shop where the staff can recommend good board games, Painkiller is your place!
Painkiller BG, Room1301, 13/F, Grandmark, 8A-10 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, www.shop.painkillerbg.com
The Lion Rock Press – Store and site with unique Hong Kong-inspired board games
Looking for board games with a Hong Kong flavour? This quirky store makes its own special version of popular board games like Ludo, Bingo, Snakes and Ladders, etc. So you can find Hong Kong Habitat Ludo, Hong Kong Wildlife Bingo and Hong Kong Snakes & Trails featuring the varied flora and fauna we find in this city. It makes for great gifts for newbies in the city, those who are leaving and even family overseas.
The Lion Rock Press, 1005 10/F Arion Commercial Centre, 2-12 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, www.thelionrockpress.com
Read More: Toy Stores In Hong Kong – Where To Buy LEGO, Jellycat And More
Editor’s Note: This post was originally written by Anita Balagopalan in November 2021 and updated by Maloy Luakian in June 2024.
