It’s difficult to switch off technology in this modern age, and even more so due to lockdown. Staring at a screen all day isn’t the best remedy for your mental health either. Board games are a great way to distance yourself from your phone whilst keeping your mind active and having fun whilst doing so.

Here is a list of 5 entertaining board games to play with your family and keep you amused during lockdown:

Unlock! Series

This board game series is inspired by escape rooms and uses a simple system which allows you to search scenes, combine objects, and solve riddles. The props and the interactive puzzles enhance the experience of the game to make it feel like you are physically in an escape room.

In this game, you have many different scenarios to escape, and the choice is yours. From an island full of dinosaurs, to finding the Wizard in Oz to escape. They are incredibly enjoyable and will provide excellent entertainment for a good few hours.

Exploding Kittens

Despite the name, this game is quirky and is simple to learn. If you’re into kittens or explosions, then this might be the game for you. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten, at which point they explode and are out of the game unless someone has a defuse card.

Whilst the game only lasts around 15 minutes, you’ll be able to have hours of fun by trying out different tactics or adding one of the expansions to enhance the game. Don’t worry, it won’t end relationships, but it will add more excitement to your life!

Magic Maze

Set in a fantasy world where you play the usual tropes such as wizard, warrior, elf and dwarf. However, they have all lost their weapons and equipment, so in a desperate attempt to get cash they decide to rob the local shopping centre.

One of the funniest things about this game, you cannot talk to each other. Plus, there are no turns and the game is a free-for-all. Perhaps the best thing about this game is ‘the red X figure’ in which you can throw at another player to make an action, but the comedy is trying to gesture what the problem is without speaking. A time-limit and silence both combine for a unique game experience.

Here Comes The Dog

Finding a game that everyone can enjoy is extremely tough, but Here Comes The Dog might have you covered. The premise of the game is simple, tame as many wild dogs as possible whilst trying to protect your villagers. At first glance it may seem basic, the charm of the game itself makes up for that.

It’s a wonderful introduction for any first-time board game player or a great filler for a games night. Whilst it’s not a complex survival game, it has a mass appeal and ingenuity unlike any other.

Carcassonne

Named after the medieval town in southern France, the players must draw and place tiles in this game. The tiles feature different terrains, such as a grass or rivers, and the player must decide whether to place one of their figures on the area (e.g. farmer on grass).

Points are scored when a tile is complete with a figure on it, and once all the fields have been completed, the game is over, and scoring begins. This might be a simple game, but it’s an amusing one that’ll leave you wanting to play again.

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Words by Charlie Vogelsang

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