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I'm looking into getting my son some games or even games we can play as a family. I want a basic RPG or a board game that isn't the usual toy store kid's game (Candyland, Life, Monopoly Jr., etc). Is Munchkin good for an 8 year old? Any other games you'd play with a child who around his age?
Sorry if this has been asked before. I didn't feel like searching.

Ticket to ride. It's actually pretty simple.

Check out the winners of the Kinder Spiel award. Also, I hear Queen games makes a lot of games suitable for kids. Sadly, kids games aren't something which is very well done here in the States. Check out http://www.dicetower.com/top_ten_lists/current-top-ten-list-kids-8yrs-old-and-younger-games.html as well.

At 8 years old, Forbidden Island/Forbidden Desert are great choices, as is Ticket to Ride and King of Tokyo. Check them out at Board Game Geek and look up YouTube videos to see if they are games you think you and your son would like.

As for RPG style, Mice and Mystics is an excellent game if you don't mind helping him a little till he gets the hang of it.

Munchkin is ok, but large swings in luck can be super frustrating and kids can feel picked on as you actively target the other players. It can be a bit mean, especially for his age group.

Krisken said:

Munchkin is ok, but large swings in luck can be super frustrating and kids can feel picked on as you actively target the other players. It can be a bit mean, especially for his age group.

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I've seen grown adults throw tantrums while playing this game.

Wizards of the Coast put out a free PDF of a children's D&D adventure. It can be found here: The Heroes of Hesiod

Oh, Rampage looks like tons of fun as well. Keep an eye out for it.

King of Tokyo, Ticket to Ride, Killer Bunnies, Settlers of Catan, Castle Panic are all games I play with my 7 year old. I'm sure there is more. She adores watching Tabletop. ALSO, Qwirkle, Get Bit, Lemonade Stand....

Sorry I keep editing this as I poke around the game closet.

If you want an "intro to D&D" type game see if you can scrounge up an old copy of HeroQuest by Milton Bradley.

(googling) holy shit. My old copy of HeroQuest is sitting in my Dad's basement... and they go for up to $200 on ebay?!!

Well, I see some with the bidding still down around $30, so you might pick one up for a reasonable price...

Dei said:

King of Tokyo, Ticket to Ride, Killer Bunnies, Settlers of Catan, Castle Panic are all games I play with my 7 year old. I'm sure there is more. She adores watching Tabletop. ALSO, Qwirkle, Get Bit, Lemonade Stand....

Sorry I keep editing this as I poke around the game closet.

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Keep on editing and adding, please! I can use all the help I can get. I played a lot of card games when I was growing up, like blackjack, clock solitaire, and gin rummy. My husband only seems to remember the video games he played.

It says it's for ages 12+, but you could also try RoboRally.

Settlers of Catan is known for being a simple "gateway" game.

Settlers is a hard game for kids to play to win.

You specifically asked for board games so I haven't mentioned it, but fluxx, a card game, is fast, fun for kids and adults, and winnable by everyone. We play zombie fluxx, which is a good variant.

I will often break out skip-bo, though some may pin that as a kids game anyway. I enjoy it though, and it's also pretty fast playing. Works for much younger children as well.

stienman said:

Settlers is a hard game for kids to play to win.

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That and the Robber is a jerk

Did I mention Tsuro? Tsuro is a great game, easy to play and a lot of fun. Probably the only player elimination game (the only way to win is to be the lats one left) I would suggest as it plays in 15 minutes, plays 2-8 people, and is fun no matter what your age.

My kids love the robber, as they are rarely doing so well that it gets placed on them, and, of course, they love dinging others with it.

These are great!

Cheesy1 said:

It says it's for ages 12+, but you could also try RoboRally.

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A kickstarted kids game that follows similar mechanics called Robot Turtles can be found in some places. It is a limited run and may not ever see a wide release. I pledged so I could get a copy even though my two year old is too young for it yet.

Apples to Apples is a fun game and kids can easily have fun with it as well.

Maybe In a Pickle as well?

Smash Up

stienman said:

We play zombie fluxx, which is a good variant.

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Tell me more of this variant.

Incidentally, there's no reason you can't go with some of the classics. Crazy Eights, Concentration, Go Fish, 500 Rummy, War, all are playable with a standard deck of cards, and cards are cheap.

--Patrick

As for Settlers, I found it perfeclty playable with younger children, but not with all the expansions and such. At least as far as introducing goes, and it depends on age and personality, of course. Starting off with vanilla and building up works just fine.

Same for Carcassonne, by the way, which is also easily playable with children. Deceptively easy rules

PatrThom said:

Tell me more of this variant.

Incidentally, there's no reason you can't go with some of the classics. Crazy Eights, Concentration, Go Fish, 500 Rummy, War, all are playable with a standard deck of cards, and cards are cheap.

--Patrick

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In my house, playing cards are constantly lost. Once they go under the entertainment center they enter a vortex from which they may never return. We had a Go Fish deck (specifically that game with fish pictures on it) and an Uno deck, but Go Fish got lost when we moved and Uno is missing several cards though the deck has been in my desk for four years. We do better keeping game pieces together.

I don't know how well it would work for young kids, but 10-12 year olds should have no issues with Dominion. Been playing the holy shit out of that lately and it's fantastic and one of the most replayable board (well card) games I've played.

Frank said:

I don't know how well it would work for young kids, but 10-12 year olds should have no issues with Dominion. Been playing the holy shit out of that lately and it's fantastic and one of the most replayable board (well card) games I've played.

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Especially with a few expansions....But again, the complexity of the game goes way up - depending on which expansions you use.

WasabiPoptart said:

In my house, playing cards are constantly lost. Once they go under the entertainment center they enter a vortex from which they may never return. We had a Go Fish deck (specifically that game with fish pictures on it) and an Uno deck, but Go Fish got lost when we moved and Uno is missing several cards though the deck has been in my desk for four years. We do better keeping game pieces together.

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Ok, so my two suggestions are both card-based games, so not ideal.

How about Kill Dr. Lucky? Sort of a reverse Clue where everyone is trying to be the murderer instead of solving the murder. Lots of fun and has the same sort of cartoony attitude towards the subject matter. Does include some cards, though.

I can really only endorse others by saying Ticket to Ride and Tsuro are both excellent games. I have not played it, but maybe Takenoko as well? Also, Tabletop (Wil Wheaton playing games w/ his friends) has featured each of those on an episode, so you could go watch those to get an idea of how the games are played and whether or not they'd fit with your family.

I love Ticket to Ride, and endorse its inclusion. The European board is the most 'balanced' in my mind. I would warn that older kids catch on to more complicated strategies after a few games and tend to just run roughshod over younger kids who tend to remember simple mechanics (finish my routes) and not abstract tactics (sacrifice this 'cheap' route to impede the guy with Longest Train for example); it's a game that benefits from everyone being around the same age. Of course, the first game or three is everyone learning so it works for all ages for a while.

Settlers of Catan has a 'Junior Catan' variant that I bought for my niece, who never had the patience for Catan. The game is shorter and simpler, and kids still have to learn that buildings have restrictions and costs, so they have to trade or thing about how to get access to new resources. Also the robber starts fewer fights: while he prevents a player from getting the resource, the stealing happens from the bank. Depending on the kind of kid you have, this is a big benefit: Isabella throws a crocodile-tear fit if the robber hits her in regular Catan, but she loves Junior.

Obviously your kids skill levels and temperaments inform this.

Dix-It is an easy game to learn, with beautiful artwork.

I recommend against Munchkin for young kids. The rules change all the time, people take advantage, knock others around; you have to have a little bit of a jerk streak, and a tough skin for when the other players foil your plans. I went from level 9 to 3 when I played a few nights ago; kids in my experience don't take well to that. Me, well, I can just have another scotch.

General Specific said:

I have not played it, but maybe Takenoko as well? Also, Tabletop (Wil Wheaton playing games w/ his friends) has featured each of those on an episode, so you could go watch those to get an idea of how the games are played and whether or not they'd fit with your family.

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Just played Takenoko for the first time over the holidays, and it was a lot of fun. I can see kids having fun with it.

It's on my wishlist.

If Deck Builders is your thing, in a few years Marvel Legendary is a definite hit in my home. It's the one game my wife play at least twice a week.

On the cheap:

I have downloaded "Battleship" paper and pencil game and played with my 9 year old nephew.
http://www.printablepaper.net/preview/battleship

And, yahtzee
http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~davis/yahtzee.pdf

Farkle might be too advanced, but it could work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farkle

You could make a mancala board with an egg carton and use beans or pebbles.

I love Farkle! I don't think he's old enough for it yet.

What's mancala?

Chad Sexington said:

I love Ticket to Ride, and endorse its inclusion. The European board is the most 'balanced' in my mind.

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Really? I think it's the weakest board. The American, German and Swiss boards are all more evenly distributed, and they don't suffer from the "only 6 long routes so after playing 3x you know them all" problem. Plus, Europe's got annoying bottlenecks. It's ridicuously easy to know "oh, he's making the long route to Edinburg, let's screw him by blocking Paris (or whatever, haven't played the board in a few months for this very reason). On other boards you can choose more routes, short and long. In Europe each player gets just one long route, and blocking that one off is usually a game killer for the player involved.

WasabiPoptart said:

What's mancala?

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I've looked over the rules a few times, but never tried it. Plays a bit like Backgammon, I think.

--Patrick

Bubble181 said:

Really? I think it's the weakest board. The American, German and Swiss boards are all more evenly distributed, and they don't suffer from the "only 6 long routes so after playing 3x you know them all" problem. Plus, Europe's got annoying bottlenecks. It's ridicuously easy to know "oh, he's making the long route to Edinburg, let's screw him by blocking Paris (or whatever, haven't played the board in a few months for this very reason). On other boards you can choose more routes, short and long. In Europe each player gets just one long route, and blocking that one off is usually a game killer for the player involved.

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Hm, I haven't played the Swiss version. You make some good points about Europe. I like the fact that each player is guaranteed a long route -in the American version, you just get random routes and I've definitely won a few games just through the luck of getting three really high-value cards and my opponents netting 5s and 9s. But you may be right about Europe's too-limiting long route system, and the bottlenecks (I can't recall that problem myself).

I also like that sometimes you need a wild card to build a route; I think that extra expense adds some enjoyable strategy/frustration to the game. Maybe I'll take all these criticisms and praises and build my own board. Ticket to Ride: Canada.

Chad Sexington said:

Hm, I haven't played the Swiss version. You make some good points about Europe. I like the fact that each player is guaranteed a long route -in the American version, you just get random routes and I've definitely won a few games just through the luck of getting three really high-value cards and my opponents netting 5s and 9s. But you may be right about Europe's too-limiting long route system, and the bottlenecks (I can't recall that problem myself).

I also like that sometimes you need a wild card to build a route; I think that extra expense adds some enjoyable strategy/frustration to the game. Maybe I'll take all these criticisms and praises and build my own board. Ticket to Ride: Canada.

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True about long routes/short routes - though that's fairly easily solved by using the German solution (that is, "do it the way it's handled in the German version") - separate long and short routes in separate piles, and everyone can choose how many from each they want, with the limit that, amongst the original 3 routes, at least one has to be a "long" one. On subsequent draws, you're free to take all short, all long, or whatever.

I'm not sure Switzerland is an official map, by the way - it's available printed on cardboard like the official ones, anyway.[DOUBLEPOST=1389722355,1389722325][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, it is:
http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/
-> Map Collection 2 is Switzerland amongst others.

We have Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries. It's a little more complex (tunnels can require more routes and some routes require 'locomotives') but it's still fairly simple and is designed for 2-3 players.

Bubble181 said:

True about long routes/short routes - though that's fairly easily solved by using the German solution (that is, "do it the way it's handled in the German version") - separate long and short routes in separate piles, and everyone can choose how many from each they want, with the limit that, amongst the original 3 routes, at least one has to be a "long" one. On subsequent draws, you're free to take all short, all long, or whatever.

I'm not sure Switzerland is an official map, by the way - it's available printed on cardboard like the official ones, anyway.[DOUBLEPOST=1389722355,1389722325][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, it is:
http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/
-> Map Collection 2 is Switzerland amongst others.

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That would be a rule easy enough to incorporate into the America version. We should figure out how to make the world's greatest ticket to ride map.

Like, stick all the boards together, and make a gigantic ocean spanning rail line?!

Maybe "An Internet to Ride" where you put down fiber optic links through each country and throughout the world.

Or instead of trains use planes and a world map with air routes. Call it "Ticket to Fly".

How about Ticket to Space?

stienman said:

Maybe "An Internet to Ride" where you put down fiber optic links through each country and throughout the world.

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And then the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia strikes down Net Neutrality regulations and allows you to do all kinds of crazy things!

Only if you're a Telco.

--Patrick

I played Descent tonight and it's totally D&D for beginners. As such I think it would make a great game for adults and adolescents to share. It seems daunting at first but it's generally very easy to get into and learn.

WasabiPoptart said:

I'm looking into getting my son some games or even games we can play as a family. I want a basic RPG or a board game that isn't the usual toy store kid's game (Candyland, Life, Monopoly Jr., etc). Is Munchkin good for an 8 year old? Any other games you'd play with a child who around his age?
Sorry if this has been asked before. I didn't feel like searching.

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SO I don't know if you're still looking for games but after spending all day painting the minis (optional), we started Campaign mode of Mice and Mystics today. My kids are 9 and 13 and had fun playing it, and it is also a D&D gateway drug

Thanks Dei! We've been playing Pathfinder and a D&D board game called Dungeon. Both kids love them. We bend or change some of the rules to make it easier to play. Lily just turned 6, so usually either Aussie or I will help her. We even got them their own sets of dice.

WasabiPoptart said:

Thanks Dei! We've been playing Pathfinder and a D&D board game called Dungeon. Both kids love them. We bend or change some of the rules to make it easier to play. Lily just turned 6, so usually either Aussie or I will help her. We even got them their own sets of dice.

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Dungeon is the gateway to D&D for many many a (pre)teen.

--Patrick

We play games with our 7 (about to be 8) year old and he loves the following (some have been mentioned and some were over the recommended age for him when we started playing so we had to help him out but within a game or to he was playing without help);

Catan Junior - as was previously mentioned, this version is simplified Catan but still retains a lot of what makes Catan great. It's pirate themed and plays in about a half an hour. He mastered this in one game.

Carcasonne - Simple tile placement game. Easy to learn, games are always different due to the map building element and plays in about an hour. We have a few mini-expansions for it too. He still needs a little help planning ahead but he loves build big cities.

Smallworld- Great theme elements and the variety of armies that you get mean that the games are always different. The rules for this one took him a little longer but he loves the game.

Forbidden Island(Desert) - This is one of his favorites because we all play against the game as a team and he loves the we all help each other. He has a pretty good handle on F. Island so we recently got F. Desert which is a tougher game (still haven't beaten it but he loves the process of both.

Those are just a few of the games we started him on. He has since played Agricola and Caverna and while he hasn't won a game of either yet he loves building his own placemat farm/dwelling.

Pit is a fun card game but it is kinda basic although fast paced

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