Our latest board game favorites from Kickstarter

You look out the window, tennis racket in hand, when you see the raindrops start to fall. Rainy summer days happen. And what should you do now that your plans are ruined? Well, you could always play a good, old-fashioned board game. Have a look at our latest board game favorites from Kickstarter and enjoy a rainy summer afternoon without any screens.

Yes, board games. The way you used to spend the holidays with your relatives. Or maybe still do. There’s something inherently social about playing a game in the same physical space as someone else, rolling a dice, and passing cards. Don’t get us wrong; we love us some good video games. But tabletop games are a category of their own. There’s the tactile sensation you get as you, say, set up the hotels in Monopoly. And when you play in person, there’s no hiding your disappointment over a bad hand in Pocker or your pride in winning all the cards in Uno. It’s these things that make our latest board game favorites from Kickstarter exhilarating.

Related: Best board games you need to bring home now

In the list below, you’ll find games for all ages. For good family fun, look into Dollars to Donuts, a game of resource management and pattern-matching that kids and adults will love playing together. For older kids and adults, check out the Shivers Mystery Pop-Up Role Playing Game for a beautiful game with an intriguing, spooky plot. And to inspire future artists in your family or classroom, Design Eye helps players generate ideas.

Board games have been undergoing a renaissance for some time now. Back in 2016, The Guardian reported on the revival of tabletop gaming. And it seems that video games have actually inspired and improved a whole new generation of tabletop games, something we couldn’t be happier about. Because games bring people together. And even a boring game can be fun when you play with the right group.

Design Eye: The Graphic Design Education Game

Develop a keen eye for design with the Design Eye: Graphic Design Education Game. This educational board game was developed for kids, especially youth of color, to create and share their big ideas through artistic professions. A game that emphasizes idea generation, it can improve life skills since players must sketch their ideas, present them for critique, and speed-test their knowledge.

Great Events Historical Card Games

Another of our board game favorites from Kickstarter is the Great Events Historical Card Games. These card games deepen your knowledge of historical events. You’ll learn about actors, books, scientists, athletes, saints, and battles. But can you place them in order and identify the connections? It’s trickier than it sounds.

Dollars to Donuts Tile Layering Game

Have fun with the whole family when you play Dollars to Donuts Tile Layering Game. Players manage their own donut shop to create an array of tasty treats in a pattern-matching, resource managing game that’s easy to learn. Kids will love matching the pieces, casual players will enjoy the breezy resource management, and strategic players will go for the tight visual puzzle.

Shivers Mystery Pop-Up Role Playing Game

The Shivers Mystery Pop-Up Role Playing Game is another of our board game favorites from Kickstarter. You’ll be shivering as you hunt for clues, items, and puzzles in the pop-up rooms of this haunted house. The core game features six interlocking, pop-up room tiles that are magnetic, and six character standees. This game requires cooperation and will immerse you in the world of the Shivers Family.

Night Cage Horror-Themed Tile Placement Game

You’ll need to consider and strategize your every move when you play the Night Cage Horror-Themed Tile-Placement Game. As prisoners of the Night Cage, you and up to four other lost souls only have a candle each to aid you as you try to escape. But the light is weak, and with every move, old pathways disappear. Players aged 14 and over will love this cooperative game.

Pitch&Plakks Mini Golf Board Game

Bring the fun of the mini-golf course home with Pitch&Plakks Mini Golf Board Game. This game is for all ages and lets you build countless circuits as a puzzle while you compete against your friends and family. What’s the objective? Sink the ball in the hole with as few kicks of your finger as possible.

Age of Atlantis Competitive Civilization Game

In the Age of Atlantis Competitive Civilization Game, another of our board game favorites from Kickstarter, you’re the leader of a noble house in Atlantis and must prove to Poseidon that your house should rule the city. As you grow your house, you’ll defend the city, find new technologies, and cultures all while staving off the sea god’s flood.

Mantis Falls Cooperative Trust Game

Like real life, Mantis Falls Cooperative Trust Game is only really cooperative sometimes. In this strategy and deduction game for two to three players, you’ll have to work together to make it out of a mob-ruled mountain town in the 1940s. But things may not be as they seem. There could be an assassin among you.

Oversiege Epic Card Game

In this incredibly fun card game that plays like a board game, rival castles battle each other with catapults, crossbows, and battering rams to capture each other’s crown. Overseige Epic Card Game is easy to learn and fun for all ages, which is why it’s one of our board game favorites from Kickstarter. This game fits in your pocket to provide you with 20 minutes of fun anywhere.

I hope this list has inspired you to make game night a regular event with your family and friends. Seriously, there’s no better way to have fun together than filling some bowls with snacks and engaging in an activity together. Which of these games are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.

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