We all have those games that just keep hitting the table time and time again. Well, I’ve been keeping track of my plays for a few years now, and it’s been eye-opening! I recently hit a whopping 200 plays with one of my all-time favourites. Can you believe it? That got me thinking about what makes a game so replayable, you know? So, I decided to take a look at our most played games both as a family and for me personally (the dad). Here it is our most played games, enjoy.
Our Most Played Board Games List
Our Most Played Family Board Games
This Dad’s Most Played Board Games
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Our Most Played Family Games
Here are the lighter family games that got the most plays in our house.
5. Dungeon Mayhem
Play Time: 10 Min / Players: 2-4 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ we think 6+ / Publisher: Wizards of the Coast / Designer: Jordan Comar, Roscoe Wetlaufer
Dungeon Mayhem is the first entry on this list in 5th spot with 28 plays. Most of these plays come courtesy of head-to-head match ups with my youngest daughter who loves this game.
In Dungeon Mayhem players choose a unique character and aim to be the last one standing. It’s kind of a card game based all-out brawl. Each character is unique and has their own special abilities which allows for some variation each game.
So why did it get so many plays? I think because my daughter and I just loved the humorous cards and the high level of interaction in the game. It’s also very quick to play so when we have played we often play multiple games. If you want to know more, you can check out our full Dungeon Mayhem review.
4. L.L.A.M.A
Play Time: 20 Mins / Players: 2-6 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ we think 6+ / Publisher: Amigo Games / Designer: Reiner Knizia
L.L.A.M.A is in fourth spot on our list with 29 plays. This is a game that most of our family didn’t warm to but it’s another game my youngest daughter just loves.
L.L.A.M.A is a simple card game where the aim is to shed as many cards as possible before the end of the round. The more cards you are left with at the end of each round the more points you get. The game ends when one player gets to 40 points, the winner is the player with the fewest points at the end of the game.
This is another game where the bulk of the plays came from my youngest daughter and I playing. We frequently take this one on holiday and much like Dungeon Mayhem it plays fast and is very simple so often gets multiple plays when it comes out. If you want to know more, you can check out our full L.L.A.M.A review.
3. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Play Time: 10-30 Mins / Players: 2-8 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ we think 5+ / Publisher: Dolphin Hat Games / Designer: Dave Campbell
The third entry on our list is Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, this is one we all enjoy. So far, we have 29 plays of this game but it edges out L.L.A.M.A because if you count all the variations of this game we have in the house the number of plays goes up to a whopping 63 plays. We think that breaks the tie to edge out L.L.A.M.A for third spot.
In Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza players take turns placing a card from their deck face up in the middle of the table. As players are placing their cards, they will recite one of the following words, Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza. If the word said matches the card they played in the middle, then all players must race to slap their hands on the card like snap. The last player to slap their hands on the card takes the pile of cards and places them in their deck. Play then moves to the next player and they recite the next word in order. The goal is to be the first person to get rid of your cards.
This is a game we play mainly for the laughs, and it always delivers. Even after this many plays, we still bring it out every once in a while. In fact, we liked it so much we bought multiple iterations of this game that we enjoy. Currently we own, Taco Hat Cake Gift Pizza, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Easter Edition and Santa, Cookie, Elf, Candy Snowman. If you want to know more, you can check out our full Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza review.
2. One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Play Time:10 Min / Players:3-10 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ / Publisher: Bezier Games / Designer: Ted Alspach & Akihisa Okui
Second on the list of our most played family games is One Night Ultimate Werewolf, clocking in at 50 plays! No shocker here, this little gem is a family favourite at our house. It’s like Werewolf’s, quicker cousin that wraps up in just 10 minutes. Everyone gets a secret role and an ability, then it’s villagers versus werewolves in a race to outsmart each other. The villagers trying to uncover the identity of the werewolves and the werewolves trying to confuse the villagers enough to stay hidden and alive.
Even after all this time, it’s still our go-to when we’re in the mood for some social deduction fun. And honestly? That 50-play count is probably lowballing it. We played a ton before I started keeping score.
What keeps us coming back? It’s gotta be the variety. With all those different roles, no two games feel the same. It’s also a game that encourages interaction and discussion which creates a lot of memorable moments.
We have also had a lot of success introducing this game to friends. I don’t think we’ve had a single dud session. It’s a breeze to teach, and that 10-minute playtime? Perfect for keeping everyone hooked. We usually end up playing back-to-back games because no one wants to stop! If you want to know more, you can check out our full One Night Ultimate Werewolf review.
1. Azul
Play Time: 30-45 Min / Players: 2-4 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ / Publisher: Next Move Games / Designer: Michael Kiesling
Azul is our most played family game with 51 plays between us. This is another game we have likely played a lot more of as we got it before I started recording plays. Azul is a tile drafting and placement game where players are attempting to meet scoring objectives for tiling their board. This game is so simple but has so much depth to it.
This is a game that we all love with the exception of my oldest daughter who never warmed to it. But she does love other variations of Azul specifically Stained Glass of Sintra and Summer Pavilion. This is probably my wife’s favourite game and she is the champ in our house and very hard to beat.
I think the thing that has given Azul such staying power is that you can teach it to anyone easily but for such a simple game there is actually a lot of strategy. There’s also a lot of careful thought required to understand what your opponents are likely to do to optimise your tile selection. After so many plays it’s still a well-loved game in our house. If you want to know more, you can check out our full Azul review.
This Dad’s Most Played Games
Here are my (the dad’s) most played games.
3. The Crew Mission Deep Sea
Play Time: 20 Min / Players: 2-5 / Complexity: Low / Age: 10+ / Publisher: Kosmos / Designer: Thomas Sing
At number 3 on my list is The Crew: Mission Deep Sea. This little gem has racked up 44 plays! This is a cooperative trick-taking game where you and your buddies are trying to complete missions from a logbook. Sounds simple, right? Well, here’s the kicker – you can’t talk about the cards in your hand.
Here’s where it gets interesting – my family was split on this one. My son and I? We couldn’t get enough of it. But my wife and daughters? Not so much. I think it all came down to how we felt about that whole limited communication thing.
So, you might be wondering, “How the heck did you get to 44 plays if half your family wasn’t into it?” Well, even though the box says 3+ players, there’s this fantastic 2-player variant in the rules that works like a charm. My son and I burned through most of those plays working our way through the logbook. Each new mission was like a fresh puzzle, keeping us hooked right up to the very end.
And you know what? While the ladies in our family weren’t fans, my friends loved it. It’s one of those games that’s easy to teach but hard to master, you know? Plus, there’s something about that non-verbal communication that really brings people together. You’re all in it together, sink or swim!
Now, will my son and I go through the whole logbook again? Probably not. But I can definitely see this one hitting the table with friends. It’s just so clever in how it twists the traditional trick-taking formula. If you want to know more, you can check out our full The Crew Mission Deep Sea review.
2. It’s a Wonderful World
Play Time: 30-60 Min / Players: 1-5 / Complexity: Medium / Age: 14+ we think 10+ / Publisher: La Boite de Jeu and Lucky Duck Games / Designer: Frederic Guerard
My second most played game is the amazing engine building game It’s A Wonderful World. At a high level in It’s a Wonderful World you will draft cards, plan developments for construction or to be recycled, and produce resources. Draft, plan, produce, and then repeat for four rounds, that’s it. The aim is to be efficient and get your empire humming quickly, you won’t have much time so make every round count.
Given how many games I have in the house, a game has to be pretty amazing to get 50 plays or more. In the case of It’s a Wonderful World I am now at 63 plays total. When I wrote my review, I had played 20 games of this gem and I have to say my enjoyment factor hasn’t really decreased much at all. I still love playing although sadly my son still isn’t a fan of this game.
I love that it’s so quick to play which means there is little barrier to getting it to the table. I also love the fact that resources are generated sequentially, I think this is one of my favourite aspects of the game. Figuring out the order in which you want to complete developments to generate a cascading chain of production and developments is so satisfying.
I am also really enjoying making my way through all the solo scenarios, I am trying to gain a gold win for each which I haven’t yet managed. I think I am going to get plenty more games out of this one yet. In short, I still think this is a stellar game. If you want to know more, you can check out our full It’s a Wonderful World review.
1. Race for the Galaxy
Play Time: 30-60 Min / Players: 2-4 / Complexity: High / Age: 12+ / Publisher: Rio Grande Games / Designer: Thomas Lehmann
My most played game with a whopping 200 plays is the amazing Race for the Galaxy. Race for the Galaxy somehow manages to pack an epic and incredibly deep experience in to a 30 minute or less play time. Amazingly for all the depth and strategy available here the components are essentially a very large deck of cards. Somehow that deck of cards lets you build out your galactic empire and pursue any number of strategies.
So why has this game got so much staying power? Well, the crazy thing is, no one else in my house enjoys this game. It’s too complex for my daughters and wife to want to learn, and it just didn’t click for my son. So, most of my physical plays have been solo plays using fan made solo modes from the amazing BGG community. Most of my multiplayer games come from Board Game Arena where there is no shortage of takers for a game, and I can usually get through a game in 10 minutes or so.
I think above all the thing that keeps me hooked with this game is the depth of strategy and variety of pathways you can follow to win a game. It really is a remarkable design. If you want to know more, you can check out our full Race for the Galaxy review.
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I hope you enjoyed my breakdown of our most played games. Are any of these favourites in your house? What are your most played games? I would love to hear about it in the comments.
About the Authors
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