The best board games that we played and loved

Odds are you’ve played the classic UNO card game before – but what if we told you that you could take family game night to the next level? UNO All Wild(opens in a new tab) is a family card game that can be played by two to 10 people (including little ones) and guarantees a wild time.

The game’s objective is simple: be the first person to get rid of all of the cards in your hand – and remember to shout “UNO” once you’re down to one card. The difference between UNO All Wild and traditional UNO is that the All Wild gameplay isn't focused on matching colors and numbers, instead, there are seven wild action cards ((wild reverse, wild skip two, wild draw four, wild forced swap, wild skip, wild draw two, and wild targeted two) that keep the game moving quickly and unpredictably.

The game was fairly simple to set up (just deal seven cards to each player before starting and choosing from the shuffled draw pile). Out of all the games we tested, this one had the quickest playing time with the round lasting about seven minutes (we played with two other people for a total of three players). During testing, our party didn't keep score, but the game does come with instructions for what the “optional victory method.”

The only issue we had while playing this game was that we found it difficult to keep track of what each of the seven wild action cards meant and had to keep referring to the instructions sheet while playing. Even though we had to frequently refer to the instruction sheet, we were impressed by how much fun we had playing this game — and we love its $10.99 price tag.

If you’re someone who is always traveling (especially with a partner), Cathedral Magnetic Travel Edition(opens in a new tab) may be just what you’re looking for to pass the time, especially during long road trips or flights. 

During testing, we found the game’s objective easy to understand. The goal is to place all of your buildings into the perimeter walls while ensuring your partner doesn’t do the same. It was easy to keep track of the building pieces since one set was made of darker-colored wood and the other was made of lighter-colored wood. 

Since the game is small and magnetic, it can quickly be taken with you when on the go and closed back up when done playing. The magnetic surface also ensures you don't lose pieces on the go.

Although this puzzle game is priced higher than the other games we tested at $39.99, we found it to be entertaining, liked that it required a lot of logic, and thought the Renaissance theming was perfect down to the text in the instruction booklet which contained tips and tricks for playing the game. 

Wavelength(opens in a new tab), a science fiction-themed conversation game, makes for an excellent crowd-pleasing party activity. 

During the game, players or teams take turns deciding where they think the target is (only the psychic knows) located based on the clue given by the “psychic” and the card presenting two opposing concepts. Once a team reaches 10 points, the team with the highest score wins. 

This game was easy to set up and took only about a minute after unwrapping the cards. The only issue we had with it was that we didn’t feel like we completely understood its objective after reading the instruction booklet. We felt compelled to watch a couple of YouTube videos to see if they could answer the lingering questions we had about the game and how it was played. 

Out of all the games we tested, this was the one that got our group chatting and mingling with each other the most. This game took a while for our test group of three people to play (including the time spent reading the booklet and watching the YouTube videos). We think this game would be much more fun with a big group of players.  

If you’re someone who enjoys word games, we think you’ll enjoy Wordle: The Party Game(opens in a new tab). The game’s objective is to guess the Host’s Wordle in less than six attempts, and the player with the fewest points at the end of the game wins. 

During testing, we liked how easy the instruction manual was to understand. This is a bonus for folks who haven't played the digital version of the game prior to playing the board game version. Although Wordle is a simple game, it can be challenging (in a fun way) depending on how many people you play with and who you're playing with. 

Our test group chose to play the classic version of the game, but you could also opt to play the team mode, fast mode, or timed mode way. We wish the game would have included an eraser to wipe off the boards and a timer to prevent long, drawn-out rounds.

Wordle was the favorite of the games we tested for this roundup. We especially liked that the group was challenged and that we learned new words while playing.

Check out our full Wordle: The Party Game review

If you’re looking for an adult-centric Russian roulette-style game to play when chilling out with your friends that is filled with comedy and graphic cartoons, Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition(opens in a new tab) may be just what you need for your next game night. 

We liked how the game has a very detailed instruction sheet and an online tutorial video on its website. We found the video to be particularly helpful (especially if you're someone who learns best from visual aids). The game can initially seem overwhelming with its various action cards despite its simple objective of being the last remaining player who doesn’t explode. Simply use the action cards to try to "explode" your opponents or save yourself from exploding, and enjoy the NSFW cat-themed illustrations while you play.

The setup just takes a few minutes, and only requires shuffling and dealing out cards. This is a fast-paced, suspenseful game that's best played with a larger group — it can get kind of boring with only two players.