Game Night Calls for the Classics
Framing people with candlesticks, sinking battleships, rattling dice in a big red cup—you know what we’re talking about! Break out the classic board games, it’s time to step back into our childhoods. 
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1. Jenga
We’ll admit it, Jenga’s a little stressful. It’s also one of the simplest games for a crowd and doesn’t incite too much competition. After all, it’s hard to hold grudges when someone expertly removes a block—we’re more impressed than anything!
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2. The Game of Life
If only it was this easy to pay off school, score a six-figure job, and buy our first house. It’s okay, the Game of Life takes us there. Spin the wheel and see what fate has in store for you, all in an easy game we've loved since childhood.
3. Guess Who?
Does your character have glasses? Are they rocking a mustache? Maybe a better question is can you actually remember to flip down all the correct tiles? (We may have had some trouble with this.) This family-friendly game has been around for decades and we still get a kick out of the nostalgia!
4. Monopoly
Ah, yes—childhood memories of flipping the game board and accusing grandma of short-changing us! Still, we can’t help but cherish the good times whenever we pass GO. With so many variations available today, you also have dozens of new ways to enjoy this classic.
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5. Clue
Put your detective skills to the test with this old-school board game. Clue’s been around for a whopping 75 years, pitting loved ones against each other and making us second-guess our closest friends. Despite the suspicion, this one’s been fun for decades.
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6. Boggle
It’s a mad three-minute dash to find as many words as you can! Gamers have tried to connect tiles since the ‘70s, and though it doesn’t seem that exciting, Boggle’s a great strategy game. You can only get better with practice too, meaning plenty of replays.
Rich Brooks from Scarborough, ME on Wikimedia
7. Pictionary
You only have five seconds to scribble the worst drawing of your life, but that’s what makes it fun! For this ageless game, teams have to figure out prompts and pictures alike—though it’s a lot harder when you can’t decipher the squiggles.
User François Haffner on fr.wikipedia on Wikimedia
8. Cribbage
If you can believe it, Cribbage goes all the way back to the 1600s! It’s a popular masterpiece that comes with a bit of a learning curve and endless memories to be made. Whether you play with friends in the man cave or on a family game night, this one’s fun for everyone.
J Wynia from Minneapolis, United States on Wikimedia
9. Scrabble
Who doesn’t love Scrabble? Originally released in the 1930s, these little wooden tiles test your vocabulary and your strategy. We didn’t win many rounds growing up, but we’re adults now and it’s time for a rematch!
10. Chess
Chess can be tough in childhood—so many rules, so many pieces, and so many ways to get bested. But this board game is the epitome of classic fun. It’s the perfect way to work out our brain and catch up with friends (unless you need the silence).
11. Battleship
Nothing can sink Battleship’s nostalgia. The best game to play with friends or older siblings, we’re immediately brought back to our childhood bedrooms whenever those little red and white pieces come out.
12. Sequence
Sequence is equal parts luck and strategy, making it a quasi-frustrating game beloved since the ‘80s. Use the Jacks, interrupt opponents’ sequences, and pray you pick up your cards before someone else does!
13. Connect 4
Though not technically a “board game,” we can’t help but mention Connect 4. It seemed so simple, even in childhood, but that didn’t stop us from going round after round with our friends. Not only that—there’s something about the sound of a chip dropping that activates our nostalgia.
14. Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap has something for everyone: adorable mice, cheese, and simple assembly required. As kids, we did our best to score some food and sidestep traps. But as adults? We relish in the nostalgia.
15. Sorry!
Friends can say sorry all they want, we know they didn’t mean it! That’s okay, it is a game of revenge after all, and sleepovers just weren’t the same without some friendly competition—even if we didn’t talk for three weeks afterward.
16. Risk
Our child brains were fixated on world domination, and we got it with Risk. Admittedly, this one’s much harder to pick up than a lot of classic games, but that doesn’t negate the fun (or our nostalgia).
17. Operation
This poor guy’s been in surgery since 1965 and we don’t see him leaving anytime soon. It may have been high stakes, and heaven knows the buzzer didn’t need to be that loud, but we still smile at that bright red nose.
18. Yahtzee
Back in the day, Yahtzee was the closest thing we had to the casino. There was nothing better than shaking dice in that obnoxiously loud cup, waiting to scream “Yahtzee” at the top of our lungs. Thankfully, those cups are padded now!
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19. Perfection
It’s not quite a board game, but it is an anxiety-inducing joyride from the ‘70s. The name of the game is simple: pop those yellow pieces back in before the time’s up. Easy, right? Well, only if you can fight your nerves—and that terrifying timer.
20. Trouble
The only time it’s fun to get in trouble! It’s a simple thirty-minute game to see who can move all their pieces to the end, but let’s be honest, half the fun was popping the dice bubble.
