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Board games are a timeless way to pass a quiet afternoon or even a raucous night with friends, but sometimes overly complicated games can slow down the fun. That's why the best simple board games have simple objectives, clear instructions, and fairly quick gameplay.
Obviously, “simple” is a subjective term when it comes to board games. But reading online reviews can be a great tool to get the gist of what a game is like. When doing my research, I scoured Amazon, searching through tons of games and reading hundreds of reviews. For the final selections, I looked for options that met the following criteria:
- Fun: A large majority of reviewers said they had a blast playing my game picks. They also noted that the games offer just the right level of challenge.
- Basic: Generally speaking, shoppers agreed that the games were easy to learn and didn't require lots of time studying instruction booklets.
- Quick: Some of the games below can be played in as few as 15 minutes to ensure that they hold everyone’s attention (and you don't need to set aside a six-hour window in your schedule).
To accommodate a wide variety of ages and interests, I included a combination of classics and modern creations. With that in mind, read on for my list of the best simple board games.
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