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27 Bridal Shower Games for Large Groups

If you’re looking to pump the fun into your best friend’s big party with some bridal shower games, you’ve certainly come to the right place. Hosting a bridal shower for a lucky bride-to-be is definitely a tremendous responsibility, but it also a huge honor.

Every bride-to-be dreams of her shower years and years ahead of time. So, no pressure, but you will really want every detail to be as perfect as possible. However, at the same time, you’ve got to ensure that everyone has plenty of fun. The maid of honor is typically responsible for preparing the party and making it memorable for the bride and guests alike. With that being said, other members of the bridal party, plus the bride and groom’s family, will usually step in to assist.

Bridal shower games are always a huge hit because they allow everyone to get involved and have a good laugh. Furthermore, there are a huge number of great bridal shower games for large groups. If this is your first time hosting a bridal shower, you may not know what games to pick. This may be particularly true if you have a large number of guests.

Luckily, the list below will give you plenty of ideas for entertaining bridal shower games for large groups. There are a lot of fun bridal shower games to choose from. There are unique bridal shower games and activities, get-to-know-the-bride games, and games to play during gift wrapping. Lastly, there are some games here that will bring back nostalgia and test everyone’s knowledge of the bride-to-be. All in all, it’s always best to look for bridal shower game ideas ahead of time. This way, you will be properly prepared and therefore have time to gather all of the bride’s answers.

List of Bridal Shower Games for Large Groups

 

1. Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Design

Our first choice for shower games is the perfect blend of goofiness and creative fun. The goal of this game is to divide your party up into groups of between 2 and 4 people. Hand each group a roll of toilet paper and have them designate someone in their group to be a model. Next, the other members of the group will need to construct a wedding dress out of toilet paper that their model can wear. Whichever group has the best dress design wins the game. You can let the whole group vote for their top pick. If that has too much potential for tension, then the maid of honor or bride can be the judge.

Curious how many rolls of toilet paper for bridal shower game are necessary? 4-6 rolls are enough for a 20 minutes session of playing this game. That assumes you’ll have a party of around twenty people.

 

2. How Well Do You Know The Bride?

“How Well Do You Know the Bride?” is a popular bridal shower game that tests the knowledge of the guests about the bride-to-be. The game aims to entertain and engage the attendees while celebrating the bride’s upcoming wedding.

During the game, the host prepares a set of questions about the bride, her personal life, interests, preferences, and her relationship with the groom. The questions can cover a wide range of topics, including childhood memories, hobbies, favorite foods, places she has visited, and romantic moments with her partner.

At the bridal shower, the guests are provided with answer sheets or cards to write down their responses to the questions. The questions are then read aloud by the host, and the attendees attempt to answer them to the best of their knowledge. The bride herself can participate, allowing her to see how well her friends and family know her.

After all the questions have been read, the correct answers are revealed, and the guests tally their scores. The person with the highest score or the most accurate responses is declared the winner and may receive a small prize or recognition. The game often generates laughter, surprises, and memorable moments as the guests learn new facts about the bride and share stories related to her life.

 

3. Love Story Timeline

“Love Story Timeline” is a popular game often played at bridal showers to celebrate the journey of the bride and groom’s relationship. It allows guests to reflect on and showcase their knowledge of the couple’s love story, from their first meeting to their upcoming wedding.

To play the game, the host creates a timeline of significant events in the couple’s relationship, starting from when they first met or began dating. The timeline can include milestones such as their first date, first trip together, engagement, or other memorable moments they’ve shared.

The host displays the timeline visually, either on a large poster board or using digital tools. Each event on the timeline is assigned a number or a name, and the guests are provided with corresponding cards or sheets of paper to write their answers.

The game proceeds as the host reads out each event on the timeline, and the guests have to match the event with the correct date or order. They can write down their answers next to the corresponding numbers or names on their cards.

Once all the events have been read, the host reveals the correct timeline, going event by event. The guests compare their answers and tally their scores to determine who has the most accurate or complete timeline. The person with the highest score may receive a small prize or recognition for their knowledge of the couple’s love story.

 

 

4. Guess How Many

For this game, you will need to take a clear plastic or glass jar and fill it with something of your choice. You can fill it with buttons, candy, and the like. Candy is an excellent choice because it can be given away as a prize to the winner of this game. Have the guests guess how many items they think are in the jar. Whoever guesses the number of items come closest to the number wins the whole jar.

 

5. Bridal Bingo

Bingo is a fun game for everyone in any age group. Bridal shower bingo is a great pick when it comes to bridal shower games for large groups. Rather than handing out cards with numbered squares, place wedding-related words in each box. For example, honeymoon hotspots, bridal gifts, romantic songs, baby necessities, and homeowner vocabulary will all suffice.

 

6. Name the Cake

Hand out a sheet of paper that allows guests to guess a type of cake based on clues given on their piece of paper. For instance, the question may ask what kind of cake a rabbit would eat, in which the corresponding answer would be a carrot cake. Whoever has the most correct answers should certainly win a small token prize. Given the name, a cake prize would, hence, be prime.

 

7. Movie Quotes

Create sheets of paper with memorable movie quotes on one side and the corresponding movie titles on the other, but mix up the order of the movie titles. Ask guests to draw lines so they can match the movie quote to the name of the movie. Lastly, if you’re struggling to find good movie quotes or don’t have the time, Sporcle is a great resource.

Keep the movies romantic and avoid overly raunchy movies or anything that will turn off your crowd. To make things even more interesting, you could choose wedding-related movies, too. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Wedding Planner, and Father of the Bride are all good options.

 

8. Guess Who

This is a fun game in which you first gather information about the engaged couple beforehand. Print the facts out on a sheet of paper and have your guests guess which fact belongs to which partner. If you’re celebrating a heterosexual marriage, for some added fun, place a picture of a wedding dress on one side of the fact. On the other side, put a picture of a tux, each side representing the bride and groom.

Guests can circle the corresponding picture to determine who the fact belongs to. Prizes are key for this game because you want to reward those who know the most information. Finally, be sure to mix up the information so that people from different parts of the bride or groom’s life can feel involved.

 

9. Fairy Tale Matchup

Weddings are often a dream come true, or a fairy tale of sorts, for the intended. To keep the dream alive, a fairy tale matchup game makes perfect sense. This bridal shower game consists of listing the names of Disney princesses or heroines on one side and Disney Princes or heroes on the other in a mixed-up order.

Ask your guests to match the princess to her corresponding prince. For instance, matching Ariel and Prince Eric, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Snow White and The Prince. Lastly, here is the complete list of Disney princes and princesses to save you the time of pulling out the old VHS collection.

 

10. Bridal Shower Scattergories

Create a numbered list of 12 wedding-related items on a sheet of paper. Leave a blank line next to each item so that guests may fill in their answers. You could list out items such as:

  •   A term of endearment
  •   Gift found on a wedding registry
  •   Honeymoon hotspot

Next, draw letters onto small pieces of paper and fold them over. Place the letters in a hat and mix them up. Pull out a letter at random. The letter that you pull is the first letter of the answer your guests have to use. For instance, if you pick the letter S, your guests could put sweetie as a term of endearment.

Additionally, if any guests have the same answer, they do not get any points, so they’ve got to keep it original! If a guest has two words that start with the same letter, they get double the points, and so on. For instance, if the letter you pick is P and a guest says pretty princess as a term of endearment, that would count as two points. This is one of those bridal shower parties that rewards originality and goes well with drinks to spur creative answers.

 

11. Put a Ring It

This game can create tons of laughter among bridal shower guests. Hand each guest a chopstick and ask them to place it between their teeth and lips. Place a bowl of candy fruit rings, such as peach rings, in front of each guest.

Tell the guests that they must pick up as many of the candy rings as possible using the chopstick. Instruct the guests not to use their hands, or they will automatically lose the game. Whoever has the most rings on their chopstick wins the game.

Disposable Chopsticks, pack of 40 pair
  • Wooden chopstick
  • Disposal chopstick
  • 40 pairs, individual packed

 

12. Garter Toss

Purchase cheap garters and bottles of sparkling cider to entertain bridal shower guests with a game of garter toss. The goal is to toss the garter so that it lands on the bottle of sparkling cider. Whoever lands the most points wins the game. You may want to set a certain point limit before the game starts. Swap out the cider for champagne if you really want to class it up. Try sticking with 5-10 points since that seems to be a relatively good range of numbers for a large group of guests.

 

13. Mad Lib Wedding Vows

Have the guests help the bride write up some hilarious wedding vows using a version of the original Mad Lib game. Put plenty of blanks throughout the vows and have guests insert adjectives, verbs, nouns, and emotions. If you have a large group of people, it will be hilarious to see what funny vows people think up. For some added fun and laughter, have each guest read their Mad Lib wedding vows out loud.

 

14. Receiving Line

When it comes to choosing bridal shower games for large groups of people, nothing beats this game. For this game, you will have to divide your guests into teams. On one side of the room, you will need to place bowls filled with rice. On the other side of the room, place some small, empty mason jars. Have each team line up between their bowl and their jar.

The point of the game is for guests to use their hands only. The first member of the team will scoop out a handful of rice from the bowl and place it to the next team member’s hand. Next, team members will continue passing the rice from one hand to the next until they have placed their rice in the jar. Finally, the team with the most rice in their jar at the end wins the game.

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15. Wedding Traditions

Weddings have certainly changed over the centuries, particularly with many brides opting for a modern wedding rather than a traditional one. However, there are certain wedding traditions that find their way into even the most unique wedding situations. For instance, the bride carrying a bouquet of flowers or a flower girl tossing down petals.

On a sheet of paper, list out various wedding traditions throughout the centuries and see if your guests can match the tradition with the reason why the tradition exists. This game makes it fun for guests to learn about the history of different wedding traditions. It’s a particularly good bridal shower game if you have a large and diverse group representing different cultures. You can even expand the game to include other pre-bridal parties from around the world.

 

16. ABC Wedding

Write out the letters A through Z in list style and leave a blank line next to each letter. Have your guests’ name wedding-related items next to each blank. For instance, next to the letter B, a person could list bridal gown. Whoever has the most items written down by the end of the game wins. Lastly, if any guests have matching answers, it will cancel out that response.

 

17. Mint to Be

Fill a bowl with mints and hand each guest a straw. For this game, no hands are allowed. Players will have to place the straw between their teeth and lips and use suction to grab hold of a mint. The player will have to keep the mint on the end of the straw and place it in an empty jar. The person with the most mints in their jar by the time the game is up wins. To make this game a little more fun and challenging, you could probably use a timer.

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18. Pin the Mustache on the Groom

Print out a jumbo-size photo of the groom and hand each guest a mustache containing double-sided tape on one side. After blindfolding the guest, have them place the mustache on the picture. Whoever places the mustache as close to the proper place as possible wins the game.

Another variation of this game is to pin the veil on the bride, in which you print a picture of the bride rather than the room and have guests tape a paper veil to the picture while blindfolded, likewise, whoever places the veil as close to the correct position as possible wins.

 

19. Would They Rather

List things that the engagement would and would not want to do together and ask guests which they believe best suits the couple. For example, you can ask, “Would they rather go cruising or camping?” The person with the most correct guesses wins the game. You should probably consult with the bride before putting this game together to avoid the certainly embarrassing possibility of getting your answer sheet wrong. Likewise, you could also just have the bride give yes or no answers to each of the responses.

 

20. Tie the Knot

Make sure you have plenty of cherry stems available during his game. The way to win the game is to see who can tie the most cherry stem knots using only their teeth, tongue, and lips (no hands) in a minute. Although you can play this game without a timer, the aspect of racing the clock certainly makes this game all the more hilarious.

 

21. The Price is Right Bridal Edition

Purchase a few small items that you know you would like to give to the bride at the end of the game as a gift. Line the gift items up on a table and have your guests play this fun version of The Price is Right. In short, guests will have to guess the correct price for each item.

Whenever one guest guesses the price correctly or as close as possible, hand them the gift item to give to the bride. Not only will your guests have fun playing a fun twist on this classic TV show game, but above all, the bride will also get some very cool and much-needed gifts out of it.

 

22. Guess Who: Bridal Guest Version

Suppose you have ever played the game Guess Who; you certainly know that the point is to determine who your character is based on a set number of clues. For example, clues might be whether your character is male or female, has glasses or no glasses, and has short hair or long hair.

Similarly, you can do this exact same thing with your bridal shower guests. In terms of bridal shower guests for large groups, this one also works best when you have a lot of guests in attendance. Furthermore, the more guests there are, the more challenging it will be to figure out which guest is being described. Whoever guesses the guest correctly wins the game. This can certainly serve as a nice icebreaker game to get things started.

 

23. Wedding Crashers

Hand each player a ping-pong ball and have them see if they can bounce the ball across a table in order to consequently knock down a stack of plastic cups. So, whoever knocks down the most plastic cups wins the game.

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24. Name That Groom

Hold up a picture of a famous celebrity bride, for example, the Duchess of Cambridge, and have the guests guess who her famous celebrity partner is. A celebrity may have been married more than once, so you may have to let guests know which partner you would like them to name. For example, you could say the first or most recent, or the more famous.

 

25. Ball and Chain

Secure one end of a rope around a lightweight plastic ball. Secure the other end of the rope around the guest’s ankle. Line up water balls on the ground and have your guest swing the rope and ball around Skip-It style to see who can knock the most bottles down in a minute. Whoever manages to knock over the most bottles wins the game. For some added fun, spray paint the plastic ball black to make it look more like a ball and chain.

 

26. Kiss the Bride

Pictionary can certainly be a fun and hilarious game, especially when you are trying to think up creative bridal shower games for large groups of people. However, the idea behind kiss the bride puts an entertaining twist on the classic game. Make sure you have a large drawing pad available. Place the drawing pad on an easel and hand the guest that is nominated to draw a tube of lipstick.

Lastly, the guest drawing the picture must do so using the tube of lipstick. However, this is a no hands allowed game, meaning the tube of lipstick must be placed between the teeth and lips.

 

27. What Was She Wearing

The goal of this game is to have the bride-to-be announce that she will be right back as she steps out of the room. However, while the guests all think she will be right back, in reality, you are going to have her wait outside while you ask each guest to remember what she was wearing. Finally, whoever guesses the bride’s outfit the closest (down to the most minute details if possible) wins the game.

Final Thoughts on Best Bridal Shower Games for Large Groups

With the fun and hilarious games listed above, you can make any bridal shower an absolute blast. Furthermore, bridal shower game ideas really are endless. All you need is the creative mind to think up whatever hilarious game concoctions are available. Finally, all this will surely give the couple wonderful memories before their wedding. Also, always bear in mind the types of folks that are going to be at the party. Additionally, tailor your games to match the audience. Lastly, aim to find the right balance of maximum fun and inclusivity.

Regarding more reading on how to prepare a bridal shower, here are some tips on all the other ins and outs of putting the party together. Considering what gift to bring to a bridal shower whose bride doesn’t have a gift registry? Cosmo offers some great ideas on how to select a gift that will be original and appreciated.

Finally, do you have more bridal shower games for large groups that you can share? Any funny, successful, or by contrast, outrageous stories from your’s or friends’ bridal showers? We certainly want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts, experiences, and comments below.

Featured Image via Freepik

Lawn Games for the Entire Family

 

Summer brings with it a great opportunity for families in search for new and fun things to do! Everyone knows that too much free time can lead to boredom, so finding fun, inexpensive, and innovative ideas that keep everyone interested is crucial to making the most of the summer season! Lawn games are a perfect for getting the family outside and spending time together. Here are our favorites you can try with your family! There is sure to be a lawn game for everyone!

 

Lawn Twister

To set up this easy game, begin by painting a “twister board” onto the lawn. It is best to cut a template of a circle out of some leftover cardboard. Use ground marking spray paint on the grass because it washes off easily. Grab your twister spinner from a kit if you have one, or print out a new one from online and add a spinner!

 

Tug- of-War​

This classic game includes the entire family as well as friends or neighbors. Get a long and sturdy rope and either some colored tape or marker to mark the center of the rope. Split into two teams and begin pulling. One fun twist to the game is extending the rope across either a stream or water sprinkler. Tug-of-War is not only about strength, but it is also a lot of fun, and there are many variations of the game that can be played. A true classic!

 

Frozen T-Shirt Race​

This game is easy to set up and even more fun to play. To start, grab a single t-shirt for each player and soak it in water. Once it is thoroughly wet, squeeze out any extra water and fold it up. Place all t-shirts in a plastic bag with wax paper in between the different shirts. When they are completely frozen, distribute the shirts. The winner is the first person who can completely unfold their t-shirt and put it on!

 

Badminton​

This is a traditional lawn game that the whole family can play together. The net can be set up in any open space. The only materials needed are the net, racquets for each player, and a shuttlecock. Here is our favorite kit in case your family needs one or is looking for a quick replacement!

 

Water Balloon Toss

Grab five different buckets. Set them up in a line on the driveway or pavement. If different sized buckets are used, place the larger ones closer to the start and the smaller ones at the end. Label the closest bucket 25, then the next 50, 75, 100, and 500. Use filled water balloons to toss into the buckets. The winner is the one that can score the most points!

bucket of green water balloons next to legs of small child wearing shark shorts and crocs

Image via Unsplash

 

Bean Bag Ladder Toss​

For this game, all that is needed is a step lapper and some bean bags to toss. To start, label each rung of a step ladder with different points. Normally, the top rung will be the highest number. Throw the bags between the rungs to score points!

 

Cornhole

Cornhole is a classic lawn game that is loved by the whole family. Design a cornhole board that has a theme that represents the interests of the family. To start, set up the boards opposite from each other. Split the players up into teams of two and give each team four bags. The opponents will alternate the tosses until all of the eight bags are thrown. The team that reaches 21 points first wins the game. Ask friends and neighbors to bring their portable cornhole boards and set up a tournament in your yard!

 

Giant Jenga

This game requires a little more preparation, but it will last for many summers to come. Buy several 2×4 boards that can be cut into 48 ½ inch pieces. The boards can be cut by hand or at a local lumber yard. After the pieces are cut, sand the edges so each piece is smooth and can be easily slid across the other pieces. To add some creativity and color, paint the ends in different colors. There is no need to seal the wood because it may cause the wood to stick and the pieces will not slide as easily. Once the project is complete, you can begin playing the game. Store the pieces in a garage during wet weather to prevent warping.

 

Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag​

After the sun goes down, try a different take on this classic game. Divide up family and friends into two teams. Use different glow stick colors as the flags for each team. Give each player two glow bracelets which match the color of their flag. The objective is to find the opposite team’s “flag” and bring it back to their side. Whichever team can do this, wins!

 

Outdoor Bowling​

Fill 10 2-liter soda bottles with water or sand, and use a rubber ball as the bowling ball. Adjust the length of the lane according to the ability and age of the players.

Image via Flickr

 

Slide and Toss

The Slip and Slide is a yard activity the whole family has enjoyed for many years. To make it into a game that involves scoring points, gather a tarp, duct tape, and Frisbees. To set up the game, cut different shapes into the tarp and reinforce the shapes with the duct tape. Give different point values to the shapes and then hang the tarp at the end of the slip-n-slide. To play, slide down the slide, stand up, spin around four times and throw Frisbees to gain points. The winner is the person or team with the most points at the end of the game.

 

Blanket Run​

This easy and fun game only requires blankets to play. Simply have one person sit on the blanket while the other stands and holds the other end. The winner is the one that can pull their partner across the lawn to the finish line first.

 

Playground Games​

Playground games such as jump rope and hopscotch are fun, too! They can provide hours of outdoor family entertainment and require very few materials. You don’t always need something crazy to have a good time, and the basic playground games can go a long way!

 

Final Thoughts

 

Summer is an exciting time for creating lifelong memories. Summer entertainment does not have to be expensive and should include the entire family. It can be as simple as making bubbles and hula hooping, to creating competitive games. Whichever activities your family chooses to participate in should be fun!

Featured Image via Unsplash

 

Top 5 New Board Games of 2021

Best Board Games of 2021!

This last year has been full of surprises! The biggest surprise was just how much time we would be spending at home and with our families. You have probably been thinking of some fun ways to keep your kids entertained. Besides some fun scavenger hunts, or other indoor or outdoor games, let me suggest a couple of new board games for you and your family to try! There are a ton of board games out there, and knowing which ones will be a hit can be a gamble. Luckily, my friends and I have tried a ton of games released in 2021 and made a list of our favorites!

#5: Juicy Fruits

Juicy Fruits Board Game Box

Number five on my list of top board games from 2021 is the game Juicy Fruits. This game has a lot of moving parts, so you might have to play it a couple of times to get all the rules down. In this game, each player has their own Tropical Island to capitalize on. Each Island has fruits they can harvest to then use as a resource to gain points. There are multiple strategies to winning, but first you have to clear space on your board by filling orders on boats. Each boat order gives you points, so even clearing your board is one way to win!

Opposite of clearing you board is filling your board. Each player has their own Island, but there is a shared “Market” where you can buy vacation attractions, food booths, or other fruit baskets. Any attractions you buy are placed on your board and cannot be moved from their spot. This can make fruit harvesting a challenge, due to the games unique fruit sliding mechanic. Another way to win is to buy the moving food booths. These can be a great way to make lots of points quickly, but be careful of competition! Another island with a food booth could get all the points first!

Overall, this game is pretty fast moving and not too competitive! You spend all of your time and attention on your own island, so there isn’t much island to island competition. Because the turns can be pretty fast, unless you have planned ahead, your turn might come quicker than you expected and slow you down. Juicy Fruits is also only a four player game. Many families do not fit in that box and you might have just a few too many players in your family group. This one gets an 8/10 from me for its pure fun! I think the brightly colored and fun shaped fruit pieces really make the game, and as your family gets more advanced, there is an optional “Juicing Station” with lots of fun features.

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#4: Tiny Epic Pirates

Tiny Epic Pirates game pieces

Do you like Pirate games? I have an uncle who collects them and we have reviewed some pretty awesome Pirate board games in the past! Since this is a 2021 game, it is brand new and freshly printed!

Tiny Epic Pirates was easily my favorite, but I cant quite give it the number one spot. This game is part of a series of games. Ever heard of Tiny Epic Zombies, Dinosaurs, Galaxies? If not, I highly suggest you look into these gems as well. Tiny Epic Pirates is called Tiny & Epic for good reason. When my copy came in the mail I was shocked at the tiny box size! Even better than the box size were the tiny Pirate Ships! I have a soft spot for small things and this one called my name!

You play as a pirate! (Obvious I know.) You take your ship and pillage, fight, recruit crewmates, hideout in secret coves, and bury treasure! Each player, hereto referred to as “pirate”, starts with a captain card with a special ability and a helm card. The rules can be tricky to explain and trickier to understand, but it basically works like this: Plunder Booty from islands or from sinking merchant ships, then sell that Booty for doubloons. once you reach 12 or 13 doubloons, you have to sail to an island and bury your treasure! The game ends when the first person buries their third treasure chest.

If you love pirates, doubloons, and tiny ships, this game is definitely worth a try! When playing, I found a couple of weird rules I wasn’t crazy about, but the reason Tiny Epic Pirates doesn’t take first place is because of its difficulty. This is not a game for small kids. Even tweens might struggle. The rulebook is quite lengthy, and there are some features of this game that feel overly complicated. All that being said, this was my personal favorite and I give it a 9/10 fun rating! If you have some real board game nerds in your family and feel up to the challenge, pop Tiny Epic Pirates into your Amazon cart next time you’re looking for something interesting!

Gamelyn Tiny Epic Pirate Board Game - Notorious Pirate Ship Board Games, Strategic Board Games for Adults, With Rulebook, 210 Game Pieces, and 7 Ships, Blue
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#3: MicroMacro Crime City

MicroMacro Crime City ranked best board game of 2021

MicrroMacro’s Crime City is one of the most surprising board games I have ever played! Crime City was created in Germany and won the most prestigious board game in the world, the Kinderspiel des Jahres award for 2021. In the board game community, that means this thing is kind of a big deal. Since winning the award, this game has been sold out all over the world. They printed more copies in September, but they were sold out in a week!

So, what makes it so great? Crime City is essentially clue and Where’s Waldo smashed together. The box comes with a 75cm x 110cm map of “Crime City.” Rightfully named, the map is covered in cartooned crimes to be solved. The characters on the map mostly resemble animals or blob shapes with bodies. The black and white cartoon nature means there are no explicit images, but there are some adult themes. Luckily, the creators of Crime City have a clear rating system on each case.

The game comes with 16 cases to be solved. Cases range from 6 to 15 cards, each asking for a new piece of the investigation. On the front card of each case, there is a title, a game length, a star difficulty rating and an icon with its rating. The instruction manual describes these ranks as either, “Accidents” or “Adult themed Crimes”. The handbook expressly recommends parents play through any adult ranked crimes to determine their playability for their children.

As a young adult, I think the couple of cases I have played through have been a ton of fun! Some are really challenging, but everyone has something to do! This game really is addicting, and MicroMacro knew what they were doing buy only having 15 cases to solve. Although there is a lot of variety in the cases, there isn’t much replayability. Which means you kind of have to stretch out the cases unless you rush out and buy the expansions.

My only other complaint is the map. It is so big, and its only glossy paper. Unless you have a large flat game-space, this thing is going on the floor. And, because everyone is leaning over the map to find the clues, wrinkles and creases are inevitable. Because it is black and white stains or spots might become a problem. Despite these shortcomings, I give it a 10/10 fun rating! There are so many surprises and the hunt for the crime is so thrilling! If you are okay with getting an expansion once a year, I highly recommend MicroMacro Crime City! And, if I haven’t convinced you, MicroMacro has a playable demo on their website here!

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MicroMacro: Crime City - Board Game by Pegasus Spiele 1-4 Players – 15-45 Minutes of Gameplay – for Family Game Night – Kids and Adults Ages 12+ - English Version
  • Welcome to Crime City, a city where crime lurks around every corner. Disastrous secrets, devious...
  • MicroMacro - Crime City is a cooperative detective game.
  • Together, the players solve 16 tricky criminal cases by determining motives, finding evidence, and...

#2: Bristol 1350

Bristol 1350 Board game pieces: picture includes the Patreon expansion

Bristol 1350 is the fourth and newest board game from Facade Games. Each game comes in a nifty Book box, and has delicate stylish pieces. Each game is historically themed, including Salem, Tortuga, and Deadwood. Bristol 1350 is themed after the Black Plague in England. It might seem a little dark, but it is actually a seriously fun party game! Unlike all the other games on this list, Bristol 1350 is a 9 player game. I’ve played this with 3 people, 4 people, and 7 people. Seven was easily the most fun!

Each player chooses a color peg. Then the each peg is placed inside one of three colored carts. Each round, 6 dice are rolled. The color on the dice represents how many spaces that colored cart can move. The symbol, either a rat or an apple, represents whether or not you have to “mingle.” This gets into the main theme of the game: get past the finish-line and don’t catch the plague! You also can’t have any infected people in your cart either. The whole game is a matter of avoiding the sick, and moving your cart.

Well, what happens when you get sick? That might just be the best part! In Bristol 1350, when you get sick, your win scenario changes. Now, you win when you infect everybody or if you cross the finish-line and make an noninfected person.

It’s a game of poker facing and sabotage. Its fight for yourself until you get sick, then its fight to destroy everyone else. I give this about a 5/10 for four or less players, but a 10/10 fun rating with six or more! I don’t have enough friends to play a 9 player game, but I bet anything it would be a ton of fun! It is very stylistic, and the rules are simple. The game is fast paced, and can be extended if you wanted longer play. But the coolest bonus: the awesome Book Box makes it great for storage.

Sale
Bristol 1350 Board Game of Strategy, Deceit, and Luck for 1-9 Players
  • BRISTOL 1350: The dreaded Black Death has descended upon Bristol and you need to escape! To win, be on...
  • SOLO & PARTY GAME MODES: Bristol 1350 is a light strategy and social deduction game for 1-9 players ages...
  • CONTENTS: 1 magnetic book box, 9 character cards, 27 remedy cards, 28 symptom cards, 3 miniature carts, 1...

#1: Happy Little Dinosaurs

Happy Little Dinosaurs board and piece set

Just by looking at the picture of Happy Little Dinosaurs, you can probably sense something familiar. This is one of many games made by Unstable Unicorns, most famously known for their games Unstable Unicorns, Here to Slay, and Llamas Unleashed. Their art style is known as the brand Tee Turtle. They make lots of quirky adorable tee shirts.

The cards have the same adorable and quirky descriptions, and the player boards are to die for cute. Although this is only a four player game, it is the shortest game on the list. My family could go three or four rounds of this and still have a great time! Similar to the play style of other board games like Exploding kittens, your goal is to avoid your own destruction, foil your opponents plans, and get the most points.

The winner is either, the first player to reach 50 points, or the last player left alive. When you near the end of the game, the tension ramps up, and you can smell blood in the water. That is when you pull out all the stops, play all your meanest cards, and force someone out of the game. Be sure to play nicely! Or your family might not want to play with you again.

This game is quick, lighthearted, cute, great for all ages, and affordable. You can pick this up at your local Target! No need to search board game stores or look online. You can grab this next time you stock up on toilet paper! This gets a 10/10 fun rating, and a 5 star review.

Sale
Unstable Games - Happy Little Dinosaurs Base Game - Cute card game for kids, teens, & adults - Dodge life’s disasters and survive the apocalypse! - 2-4 players ages 8+ - Great for game night
  • Lately, it feels like we’re all just dinosaurs trying to avoid the falling meteors.
  • In this 2-4 player game, you’ll try to dodge all of life’s little disasters while tuning out your...
  • Happy Little Dinosaurs takes 30-60 minutes to play and is for 2-4 players. It is recommended for ages 8+.

The Verdict:

So, if you are wondering what your next Christmas family board game should be, I hope you will consider one of the five above! They are fresh, unique, and fun in their own ways. Every game on this list has brought smiles to my family and friends faces! These are the best from this year, and they get the official FunAttic stamp of approval!

7 Board Marble Games

Do you feel like you’ve lost your marbles as of late? Have you sat around feeling bored and wondering what could possibly keep you entertained while challenging our brain at the same time? Perhaps you’ve lost your marbles over the fact that your kids are equally as bored and in need of something to do. Luckily, you can get your marbles back with the help of 7 board games with marbles.

Board marble games are a fun way to pass the time. You can play board games no matter the weather outside, and some board games you can choose to play by yourself or with someone else. The list of board games below can help you choose those that best suit you whether you are looking for a game for you or perhaps your children.

1. Solitaire

Sale
Marble Solitaire - Made in USA
  • Board measures 8-1/2" in diameter.
  • Made from solid cherry wood.
  • Each game is finished with a clear non-toxic finish for long lasting durability.

Pass the time away with this single player board game featuring a round wooden board with 37 round grooves and 36 marbles. The goal of Marble Solitaire is to clear all but one of the marbles off the board by jumping one space over a marble using another marble. While that might sound relatively simple, directional movement limitations make this game both fun and challenging at the same time. For an entertaining brain teaser, this marble board game is highly recommended for one person looking to pass the time.Enter your text here…

2. Aggravation

Aggravation
  • WHATS IN A NAME: Aggravation, comes from capturing an opponent's piece by landing on their space, known...
  • THE OBJECT: Two to six players compete in this classic game of race around the board from base to home....
  • THE PLAY: Take shortcuts to “zip” ahead. Or, try the super shortcut and shoot across the board! There...

Aggravation is a classic marble board game that was first introduced in 1962. The game is fun for 2 people or an entire family of 6. Aggravation challenges players to move their marbles around the board from their base positions to the home area. The first player to get all of their marbles to the home area wins the game. Keep in mind that challenging players can capture your marbles, which makes this a challenging, competitive, and fun game to play.

3. Chinese Checkers

Brybelly Chinese Checkers Game Set with 11.5 in Natural Wood Checkers Board | 60 Wood Marbles in 6 Bright Colors for Adults, Boys and Girls Game Playing
  • High Quality Wood Construction - All natural wood chinese checkers board is 11.5 in in diameter, making...
  • 6 Bright Color Wood Marbles - Set comes with 60 wooden marbles in six distinct and brilliant colors
  • Set Includes - 1 natural wood board, 60 wood marbles, gameplay instructions

Of the 7 board games with marbles found on this list, Chinese Checkers is perhaps one of the most well-known. The game offers a natural wooden board that is 11.5 inches in diameter and 60 wooden marbles in 6 different colors, including red, green, white, black, blue, and yellow. Chinese Checkers provides fun and challenging play for up to 6 players, a player for each set of colored marbles. The goal of the game is to move your colored marbles across the board to the adjacent triangle. 

You can move your marbles in any direction you would like, but you can only “hop” one space to an empty adjacent space. You are allowed to hop over the marbles belonging to other players as long as there is an empty space just beyond where their marble sits. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to jump over more than one marble at a time. All-in-all, this class marble game can provide hours of intellectual challenges and entertainment.

4. Mancala

Classic Mancala Game
  • Great game for counting and strategy
  • Challenging but simple game for adults and children
  • Two-player strategy game

Mancala is yet another classic, yet well-loved, well-received game. The game is played on a wooden folding board with 48 beautiful glass gemstones or slightly flattened marbles. The game encourages strategic and fun gameplay among 2 players. To play, place the board long ways in front of you. You should have 6 holes on your side of the board and 6 holes on your opponent’s side of the board. Take the 48 marbles you have and place 4 in each of the empty holes.

The goal is to move your marbles in a counter-clockwise direction. You grab all of the marbles at once but you are only allowed to drop one at a time into the hole next to your gems. The first player to get rid of all of his or her marbles wins the game. In other words, losing your marbles in this instance is a good thing.

5. Hungry Hungry Hippos

Hasbro Gaming Hungry Hungry Hippos
  • One golden marble, Cleanup is a snap with the marble and hippo storage
  • You'll have a chompin' good time with Hungry Hippo and his pals
  • Cleanup is a snap with the marble and hippo storage

Most of the other board games mentioned above are for older children and adults. Young children might find the brain-teasing, mentally challenging games above too difficult for their liking. Fortunately, Hungry, Hungry Hippos is the perfect game for young crowds. The goal of this game is to get your designated hippo to swallow as many marbles as possible. Whoever manages to get their hippo to swallow the most marbles wins the game.

Hungry, Hungry Hippos supports up to four players. Each player chooses their designated hippo and the 20 small marbles are placed in the middle of the board. Players then send their hippos into a feeding frenzy in order to swallow as many marbles as possible. This game is great for groups of young children or even a fun, family-friendly game night.

6. Ker Plunk

Sale
Mattel Games Kerplunk Kids Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults with Simple Rules, Don'T Let the Marbles Fall for 2-4 Players
  • Ker Plunk! is a blast from the past with a cool look and attitude!
  • Create a "lattice" of sticks midway through the translucent tube and place the marbles on top; players...
  • Players take turns removing sticks while trying to prevent the marbles from dropping through.

For over 35 years, Mattel has used a combination of marbles and strategy to create a fun game known as Ker Plunk. In order to play, players must push 30 of the included thin sticks through the small holes in the middle of a plastic tube. You must then pour the 32 included marbles on top of the sticks. Players take turns removing sticks one at a time, but you must do so carefully. The player who causes the marbles to fall to the bottom loses the game. This blast from the past is a fun game to play for 2-4 players.

7. Screwball Scramble

TOMY Games Screwball Scramble Marble Run Game for Kids - Timed Marble Maze Kids Games - Cooperative Board Games for Family Game Night - 1-4 Players - Ages 5 Years and Up
  • Maze Board Game: Use skills and hand-eye coordination to guide your marble through the crazy obstacle...
  • Beat the Clock: Challenge yourself or a friend to beat the clock on this timed game to see who’s...
  • Easy to Set Up: This screwy board game for kids is easy to set up but not easy to master

Screwball Scramble might be an older marble game, but it is still a goodie. This fun game encourages young players between the ages of 5 and 10 to race against the cock as they scramble to get their marble through a maze of obstacles. From a moving platform to jumping through hoops, this game can provide hours of entertainment with just one marble and some careful thought process. The game is just challenging enough to be fun and yet simple enough that young children will enjoy it, too.

Fun Facts About Board Marble Games

Marbles have a long history of use for fun. The first traces date back around 1588 according to TIME Magazine. One notable location where marbles have been used for centuries is Tinsley Green, West Sussex, England.

Ever since 1932, the British and World Marbles Championship have been held at Tinsley Green on an annual basis. The first championship in 1932 was won by a team from the Black Horse public house in nearby Charlwood. As history went on, the marbles playing season would go on from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday. As you can imagine, people back then were very superstitious. It was thought that playing after Good Friday would bring bad luck.

Professional marble players around the world often tend to collect several types of marbles of different shapes, sizes, and textures. Many people look forward to purchasing scarce marbles from known artisans and producers. A marble’s worth is primarily determined by the type, size, condition, and visual appeal, coupled with the law of supply and demand. Ironically, some ugly but rare marbles are also high on the asking price range. But you should know that this is rather an exception than a rule.

As you can imagine, marbles today are rarely made by hand. That’s why the artisan-made ones are so much more valuable as a rule of thumb. But in the older days, marbles were made mostly by hand, the most valuable ones being produced with stone or ivory. You could also find the more common clay, pottery, ceramic, or porcelain marbles that were made by rolling up the material into a ball and letting it dry over a fire. Either way, it’s outstanding to think about how much a little ball can be worth in today’s currency. For something so simple, marbles are really unique.

Verdict

The list above provides you with some of the most entertaining board games played with marbles that there are. Luckily, you can now use one of the games mentioned to prevent you from losing your own marbles. You can keep yourself, your family, and your children entertained for hours with any one of the games mentioned above.

Featured image via Unsplash