Have you played "Apples to Apples" with your tween or teen group and are wondering what to play next? Do you have middle school Minecrafters you'd like to introduce to the wonders of board and card games? Try on these kid-friendly games for size! They're a ton of fun and perfect for tweens, teens and beyond!
1. "King of Tokyo"
For: Ages 8+
Number of players: 2-6
Length of game: 30 minutes
Perfect for the monster aficionados among your patrons, "King of Tokyo" gives you the opportunity to play as the bad guy and stomp Tokyo to the ground. You play as a monster, alien or robot, and fight other bad guys for control of the Japanese capital city. It's king of the hill on steroids and tons of fun!
2. "Forbidden Island"
For: Ages 10+
Number of players: 2-4
Length of game: 30 minutes
"Forbidden Island" has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get it, it's a ton of fun and very popular with the middle school set! In this cooperative game, your team must work together to steal several valuable artifacts from a treacherous, sinking island. The only way to win is to cooperate and retrieve all four artifacts, then get off the island in your helicopter before it sinks into the sea.
And lucky for you, if you like this one, there is a follow-up: "Forbidden Desert."
3. "Boss Monster"
For: Ages 13+
Number of players: 2-4
Length of game: 20 minutes
"Boss Monster" is great for fans of old-fashioned side-scrolling video games like Super Mario Brothers. Like in "King of Tokyo," you play as the monster, but this time you're trying to thwart the efforts of invading heroes. Players take turns building different kinds of dangerous dungeon rooms in hopes that their dungeon will lure in heroes with promises of treasure, and then defeat them! The manufacturer suggests playing this game with ages 13 and up, but I've had success with children as young as 9.
4. "Exploding Kittens"
For: Ages 7+
Number of players: 2-5
Length of game: 15 minutes
"Exploding Kittens" is a Kickstarter-funded card game and a hilarious kind of Russian Roulette in which players take turns drawing cards in hope of avoiding drawing the "exploding kitten." If you draw a kitten, it explodes and you die (unless you are lucky enough to have a "defuse" card on hand). The rules are simple, the game is easy to learn, and because of Matthew Inman's hilarious illustrations, it's a riot to play. (Beware! There is an adults-only version of this game that is sold in a black box, instead of the regular red box.)
5. "Munchkin"
For: Ages 10+
Number of players: 3-6
Length of game: 90 minutes
Steve Jackson's "Munchkin" is for people who love role-playing games. It is basically a shorter, simpler version of "Dungeons and Dragons." "Final Fantasy," "Skyrim" or pretty much any game where the point is to find cool gear and level your character up to become more powerful. There is no story, just fighting, weapons, armor and loot.
Each turn, the players "kick down the door" of a dungeon, fight monsters and take whatever treasure they find inside. It's easy once you get the hang of it, and very appealing to kids who are into fantasy and role playing. Plus there are all different versions of Munchkin, including "Zombie Munchkin," "Munchkin Bites" (with zombies), "Super Munchkin" (with superheroes) and tons and tons of add-ons and accessories. Plus, most of the packs can be combined, creating a bunch of different custom-made games!
Now it's your turn! What is your favorite game to play with your young patrons? Tell us in the comments!
