21 Games To Level Up Your Next Game Night

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Game on.

BuzzFeed Staff

Number of players: 3-6

Recommended age: 8+

Pieces: illustrated mansion board, pewter candlestick, knife, wrench, pipe, and gun, plastic rope, weapon cards, character cards, one case file, and six plastic character pawns.

Promising review: "We try to get the family one game every Christmas and we chose this one! This retro edition is so fun. My girls love the mystery of this game and we enjoy being brought back to our childhood. Great for family night or rainy day!" —GreenChile33

Get it from Amazon for $25.

Number of players: 4-12

Recommended age: 12+

Pieces: 260 cards, 1 electronic timer, 1 game board, 1 Blockbuster sign, and instructions.

Promising review: "This game is so much fun and absolutely hilarious. The rules are very simple and it really is true — if you have seen some movies, you can play this game. You don't need to be a movie aficionado. I played this once at a party and immediately bought it and took it to a game night where two more people also ended up buying it, it's just that fun!" —Jen

Get it from Amazon for $15.82.

Number of players: 2–4

Recommended age: 8+

Pieces: wood letter tiles and four tile racks, a drawstring pouch, score pad, and pencil.

Promising review: "Durable, cute, and space efficient! It’s everything you’d expect from Scrabble but it fits in a compact 'book' case that looks great too. Definitely love the aesthetic and ease of choosing a board game with these types of packages." —GoldnX

Get it from Amazon for $39.99.

Number of players: 1-6

Recommended age: 14+

Pieces: includes mini lockbox with resolution inside and an undisclosed amount of paper maps, facts, and clues.

Promising review: "This is a really fun family game that I played with my sister, since we both LOVE Nancy Drew and grew up reading the books. I’d buy this if you’re a Nancy Drew fan – we thought it was totally worth it. Remember that it's a one time play through, once you solve the mystery there’s no redoing it. We loved it and found it worth the money, we finished the game in an hour." —Michelle

Get it from Amazon for $29.71.

Number of players: 2-6

Recommended age: 14+

Pieces: inside you'll find a mini lock, locket, and several photos, letters, maps, and other paper clues.

Promising review: "Prepare to spend a good four to six hours playing this game! It is super fun and strangely addictive. By the end of the game, when we solved the case, I wished we had another mystery to solve. Loved it!" —Jelena

Get it from Amazon for $64.99.

Number of players: 3–5

Recommended age: 10+

Promising review: "I gave this game to my brother for Christmas, and that night we all stayed up until 4 a.m. playing! Takes a little time to learn, but the instructions walk you through it." —Jackie

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Number of players: 2

Recommended age: 8+

Pieces: Wooden board, deck of cards, player pegs,

Promising review: "We love to play cribbage and bought this set to take when traveling. The board folds nicely in half, takes up very little room in your bag, and even came with a deck of cards. Great buy!" —Susan Galasso

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "Great puzzle of retro games and consoles. Each piece is unique and fit together snuggly. Image is high quality (text and small details are easy to see/read). Finally, it was fun! Glued and mounted." —AJ Koch

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Number of players: 1–5

Recommended age: 10+

Promising review: "The artwork is what first drew me to this game and I stayed because it was so well designed and fun to play. If you are looking for a game that is fun, well balanced, beautiful, and a break from all the dark-themed stuff out there, then Wingspan is for you! A fun strategic game that is exciting enough for the avid gamer but simple enough to learn to play that a 7 year old can learn it." —IRNHIDE

Get it from Amazon for $47.69 (two expansion packs available).

Number of players: 2–4

Recommended age: 8+

Promising review: "This is such a great game for both board game fanatics and non-gamers. It's easy to teach, simple to set up, plays in under an hour, and it's FUN! Azul is an abstract tile placement game that features drafting, set collecting, and pattern building. It's pleasing to look at and the components are well made. The tiles feel especially nice. This is one of those games that everyone we've introduced it to loves and wants to play again right away. It hits the table quite a bit." —Shelly

Get it from Amazon for $31.99+ (available in two styles).

Number of players: 2–12+

Recommended age: 14+

"Everyone I know who has played this game loves it! Brother, boyfriend, mom — everyone! You learn a little about the 'psychic' every time, and it's incredibly flexible to accommodate huge fluctuations in the number of players. It's a simple concept with a lot of depth since you have to adjust your thinking every round to match that of your partner." —Danielle Healy, BuzzFeed Shopping

Get it from Target for $31.49.

Number of players: 1–5

Recommended age: 10+

Promising review: "This is a very cute strategy-lite game. The mechanics are simple, but player choice can affect the course of the game in a lot of different ways. The game pieces and park cards are a real highlight. If you're a fan of the outdoors, this game will put you in the mood for a wilderness trek. Great for an hour of casual, low-sodium fun with friends or family." —Andrew Simile

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.

Number of players: 2-6

Recommended age: 12+

To play, one player reads a description of a death from a card and the other players decide if they think the death is real or made up. If you're correct, you get to move a step further to safety, if you're wrong, you have to move the grim reaper one step closer to you. I own this and it's a hoot and a half!

Promising review: "This is the best board game we've played in years. The game is packed with hundreds of stupid deaths and yes, that's sad, but they are hilarious and my family and I had a fun time laughing throughout. The trouble is trying to work out which are real and which are made up. It was surprising to know that some of the deaths are actually real. To win just keep ahead of the grim reaper who's chasing you round the game board. This is a real family game…where everyone gets to play and laugh out loud." —Nickelet11

Get it from Amazon for $23.57.

This game uses dice, dry erase markers, five chrome pegs, and four brass pegs. All pieces included.

Promising review: "This game is a MUST! Awesome quality! Really easy to learn if you watch baseball! My kid enjoys it the same way as I do!" —Jeff

Get it from Amazon for $65.

Number of players: 2 to 4

Recommended age: 8+

Pieces: one die, four cardboard players, a game book (with the OG artwork), 48 outfits cards, door (with photos of the dates inside), and instructions.

Promising review: "This is a silly, throwback game to 50s styles and attitudes, but fun to play with your besties — especially after a glass or two of wine!! Perfect for a night in." —Kindle Customer

Get it from Amazon for $29.99.

Promising review: "I bought this after watching a review on YouTube. This item allows my wife that has arthritis to play and enjoy Mario Kart. Normal controllers hurt her hands but the motion control and these wheels make the game enjoyable to play for her. The paddle buttons on top of the unit work very well." —Charles C Coogler III

Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in pairs and packs).

Number of players: 2 to 4

Recommended age: 8+

Pieces: game board, 16 plastic pawns (four sets of four colors), four dice cups, eight dice, and instructions.

Promising review: "This is an old favorite. I used to play this with my dad way back when. I saw and bought it to play with my kids. It has found its place in our 'favorites' rotation on game night." —Wycked

Get it from Amazon for $20.99.

Number of players: 2 to 6

Recommended age: 12+

Promising review: "Honestly, this kit is what the original starter kit should have been. The story is easier to follow for a newer DM. The adventure is a lot more streamlined. The breakdown of character creation is amazing and simplified. It doesn't just toss you some generic character that you have no connection too. It simplifies character creation and allows you to ease into more complicated characters later on. The cards that come with this kit are something I wish I had when I first started. They help with initiative, conditions, and the sidekick cards and magic item cards are awesome. I would recommend this kit over the original to any person wanting to start playing DnD." —Bryan

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Number of players: 3 to 6

Recommended age: 12+

Promising review: "We love this game. It’s not the quickest game to learn, but it is tons of fun. It’s set up so that every time you play this game, it’s different. Different characters, items, omens, bad guys, etc. That’s one reason we love it: It’s not the type of game you play a couple of times and then get tired of it. Every time is different. We love taking it to friends’ houses for game nights." —Taylor

Get it from Amazon for $31.98.

Number of players: 3-6

Recommended age: Adult

Promising review: "My daughter(18) thought she was gonna act cool 😎

Instead she ended up with tears and snot running down her face and mom laughing her @$$ off. This is a must buy." —Bobbi Dawson

Get it from Amazon for $23.49.

Number of players: 2-4

Recommended age: 5+

Pieces: a game board, spinner, four plastic characters, one crown, 21 pieces of plastic jewelry, and illustrated instructions.

Promising review: "This is a childhood classic. My daughter loves this game, and if I can be honest, it was one of my favorites growing up also. A classic game." —Lts819

Get it from Amazon for $19.49.

Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.