Most of are currently having to spend a lot more time at home than we’re used to – so it’s small wonder that many people are returning to some classic family board games. When you’re stuck behind closed doors with limited leisure options, what better time to plant yourselves down around the table, get out one of the old favourites and play?

Of course, one of the problems with the ‘old’ favourites is that, with time and use, the boxes and their contents inevitably suffer a bit of wear and tear, and vital pieces get lost along the way. If that’s the case for you, then now’s probably the time to see about investing in new editions of those classic board games. Consider the following, which you’re likely to have grown up with no matter how old you are.


10. Monopoly

It’s been around since 1935, but this is one board game that has never gotten old. Generations of players worldwide have delighted in picking their preferred pewter piece, pretending all the money on the table is real and doing their utmost to send their fellow players into crippling financial ruin.

Monopoly is notorious for taking a long time to play, but this shouldn’t be too big an issue with us all stuck at home. Just keep in mind it’s only a game, as bankrupting family members can easily lead to tensions in the household!

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9. Cluedo

Few forms of entertainment get the mind racing quite so well as a detective story; hence Cluedo, the murder mystery board game, has never lost its appeal since its introduction in 1949. As well as remaining a best-selling game, it inspired an early 90s British TV game show, and the 1985 movie Clue (using the game’s US title) – for which a remake is currently in the works.

It’s taken various forms over the years, but the essence of Cluedo is unchanged: players explore the mansion home of the murder victim, trying to deduce who killed them, in which room and with which weapon.

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8. Trivial Pursuit

You can’t beat a good old-fashioned quiz – hence the long-standing popularity of Trivial Pursuit. For decades it’s helped families worldwide hone their general knowledge skills, and prompted endless heated debates which invariably end with the words, “that’s not what it says on the card!”

Of all the games listed here, none of them necessitate picking up a new edition quite so much as Trivial Pursuit (just try answering questions from an original 80s edition today!). Happily, the most recent edition features more up-to-date questions.

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7. Hungry Hungry Hippos

For those with younger children in the house, a game that takes time and patience may not be the preferred option for family fun time. If that’s the case in your home, then perhaps Hungry Hungry Hippos will be more to your liking.

This fast-and-frantic favourite sees players take control of a hippo and race to wolf down the most marbles. Officially it’s for players aged 4 and upwards – but let’s be honest, this game gets the grown-ups every bit as worked up as the little ‘uns!

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6. Operation

Another one that’s tons of fun for younger players but offers that bit more of a challenge is Operation. Introduced back in the 60s, the battery-powered game requires to players to ‘operate’ on their reclining male subject – but hands need to be steady so players don’t inadvertently set off the alarms by touching the edges.

As much as the game may be intended as a colourful way to educate kids about the basics of human anatomy, it’s also a whole lot of fun just to hear the buzzer go off whenever anyone slips up.

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5. Scrabble

For those who prefer board games which tax their mental muscles, you can never go wrong with the big daddy of all word games, Scrabble. Introduced in 1938, the long-standing family favourite challenges players to create the best words possible from their randomly selected tiles.

It’s a great way to test the boundaries of your vocabulary, having left generations of players grinding their teeth trying to figure out what do with a J, an X and five vowels. Just don’t be sneaky and try to Google solutions on your phone under the table!

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4. Guess Who?

Another essential for those with younger children, Guess Who? was introduced in 1979 and quickly became a family favourite. Two players choose a character from the board before them, and race to be the first to figure out which character their opponent has selected.

Guess Who? is a great means to help kids develop basic problem solving and logic, as each player asks simple yes-or-no questions to narrow down the possibilities.

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3. Battleship

Guessing games don’t get much more tense than Battleship. Sure, the game may simply involve two people reciting co-ordinates at one another, but those actions carry more weight if you embrace the make-believe that these are the location of your naval fleet.

The game has long been synonymous with the classic line from the TV commercials: “You sunk my battleship!” It also inspired the 2012 Battleship movie, but most of us would prefer to forget about that.

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2. Buckaroo!

Another must-have for those with younger children, Buckaroo! is a fast and fun way to test your speed and manual dexterity. Players take turns placing items on the plastic bronco’s back, hoping not to be the one to trigger the dreaded kick of its back-legs!

Strange to think that, as of the 2020s, the game is more than 50 years old. Then again, anyone who remembers Alan Partridge reciting his memoirs will recall him using the game as a mark of its time: “It was the 70s! Buckaroo!”

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1. Pop-Up Pirate

Those of us who were young in the 80s delighted in seeing how often you could stab a man trapped in a barrel before his head flew off – and there’s no reason the kids of today shouldn’t find it every bit as enjoyable.

Here’s a fun fact you might not have known: Pop-Up Pirate was originally launched in Japan in 1975, under the name ‘Blackbeard in Danger.’