Top 10 games for the family
13 oktober 2026
Top 10 family games
Ahoy there!
Can you never get enough of playing board games at the kitchen table either? But have you seen quite enough of Monopoly or Catan by now?
Kapitein Spel has put together a top 10 of the most fun board games where Mum or Dad does not always win.
Will you read along? Mums and dads are of course welcome to keep reading too!
Number 10: Pick a Pen
In this crazy drawing game you do not roll dice, you roll coloured pencils!
Each side of the pencils shows a different number. Every turn you pick a pencil, and the number decides how many boxes you get to colour in.
Can you be the first to colour in all the boxes in the gardens, crypts or reefs and score the most points?
Pick a Pen is lovely and easy to play, and thanks to its cheerful colours the game is a treat on the table.
Number 9: MLEM Space Agency
The cats are off on a space trip!
In this game, one player at a time is captain of the ship and gets to roll the dice to see how far into space the cats go.
Can you get your cat off the ship in time and discover a planet? Or do you dare to wait a little longer to score more points? But watch out! If the captain crashes, all the cats go back to Earth!
MLEM is a delightful dice game that challenges every player to stop rolling at just the right moment.
Number 8: Ticket to Ride
This game has become a true classic.
During the game you try to claim as many routes as possible with your trains and score points for them. And because the turns are so simple, you can easily play several games in one day.
There are lots of versions of Ticket to Ride. You can build train routes in the Netherlands or Japan, there is a first train journey for the youngest players, and there is a Wild West version where you get to open an extra box of new components and add it to the game after every play.
Plenty of choice for every age and every budget!
Number 7: Splendor
Which of you knows the most about gemstones?
In this sparkling game you collect gems in different colours and use them to persuade the various characters in the game to join you, earning you points.
Have the most points at the end of the game? Then you win!
Splendor is a colourful game in which everyone keeps trying to buy the same card. So you regularly get in each other's way, and you really have to keep your wits about you! Watch out for grumpy dads!
Number 6: Dixit
Dixit is the best-looking game in this top 10. Every card is an illustrated painting full of details. Because of that, every player sees something different in a card. And that is exactly the point of the game.
Each round, one player gives a word and every player chooses a card from their hand. Can you make sure everyone keeps choosing your card? Then you earn plenty of points.
For Mickey Mouse fans there is also a Disney version of Dixit!
Number 5: CoraQuest
Dare you head off on an adventure as a family, as a dwarf, a wizard and an elf?
CoraQuest is a true adventure game made especially for children by a father and his daughter.
The pictures in the game are easy to follow and the stories are relatable and funny. Together you go looking for treasure and fight monsters.
The box contains several adventures, so you get to experience a different adventure every time!
Number 4: Kwakzalvers van Kakelenburg (published in English as The Quacks of Quedlinburg)
Bang! Can you make sure your cauldron of magic potion does not explode?
Draw ingredients from your bag and put them into the cauldron one by one. But watch out! You do not want any cherry bombs in your cauldron, or your potion will explode.
Every round you buy new ingredients, so your potion earns more and more points.
Kwakzalvers is a hilarious board game that is guaranteed to bring lots of laughter to the table.
Number 3: Carcassonne
Carcassonne has won plenty of game awards by now, and every one of them is well deserved.
In this game you take turns adding a tile to the landscape of Carcassonne. With them you try to build long roads, big cities and meadows. By placing your tile cleverly and completing your cities and roads, you score points.
But watch out for the other players! They are building their own cities too, and before you know it you are getting in each other's way.
And if you have had enough of the base game, there are dozens of expansions that each add something fun.
Number 2: Zoektocht naar El Dorado (published in English as The Quest for El Dorado)
Step into the world of explorers and discover the fun of De Zoektocht naar El Dorado together.
This board game is a treasure map that leads to an evening full of exciting adventures!
The rules are quick to learn, but the surprises and strategies you come across give it endless replayability.
You buy cards and build your own deck to guide your explorers through jungle paths, rivers and other obstacles.
You win if you are the first to reach El Dorado!
Number 1: Cascadia
At number 1 we have Cascadia!
In this game you puzzle with nature and animals and try to create the most beautiful nature reserve you can for bears, salmon and foxes.
Each turn you choose a tile and an animal to add to your own area. Every animal scores points in its own way. The bears want to be together in pairs, for example, while the fox prefers to be alone, with as many other animals around it as possible.
Every single game, Cascadia is a wonderfully relaxing puzzle that you never tire of!