Best Games of 2020

The year 2020 was unlike any other. On the plus side, we were able to slow down, spend more time with each other and play more games! I’ve compiled a list of our favorite games that we played this year. The rest of the family put together a list of their personal favorites, Check out our list of the best games of 2020 and see if any of your favorites are on the list or find a new game that might turn into a favorite.

10 – BLINK

This simple game of speed and observation plays no time at all to play. The challenge is that it is so simple that you should win easily but you have to be faster than your competitors. This is our favorite under 5 minute game.

Read the Blink post here.

9 – Martinetti

This is a simple roll and move dice game where players roll three dice and try to climb up to 12 and back down to 1. This is a dinner time favorite. 

Martinetti is also known as Ohio. You can read the rules and get your free Ohio game board here.

8 – Royal Casino

Another dice game in our list of Best Games of 2020. This game comes with different boards of objectives where money can be won and lost. 

7 – Love Letter

This unique card game is always unpredictable. It can be short to play making is a great game to play while waiting. See the whole review here and see why we like this game so much.

6 – Can’t Stop

Another dice game makes our list. In this game, players are trying to win the numbers between 2 and 12. It’s a press your luck kind of game that makes a great simple game to play.

5 – 5 Seconds

We received this game as a Christmas present last year. You have 5 seconds, marked with a zany timer, to name three of the category on the card. Be it breeds of dogs or famous bald people, it sounds simple but the categories can be challenging and the 5 seconds makes it a pressure cooker that leads to laughs. You can get your copy here from Amazon.

You can read all about 5 Second Rule and see what we’ve created with it here.

4 – Santa Dice

Our number 4 best game of 2020 is one that we created ourselves. Santa dice uses 5 dice and fits the Christmas theme perfectly. But we played it all year long. You can read how to play here.

3 – Codenames

Also another gift, Codenames challenges your brain to think creativity, statically and like someone on your team. Guess the wrong word and you unleash the assign. You can read the review of this game here to find out what makes this game special.

2 – Joker Rummy

Although we love card games, this is the only one that make the list of best games of 2020. In this game, you have different missions to accomplish. If you are not successful, then you have to keep that mission until you do–even when your competitors finish the round and score a new mission. Part luck, part skill this game entrained us for hours this past year.

You can read the full review of Jok-R-ummy here.

1 – Carcassonne

And our top game in our list of the best games of 2020 is… Carcassonne. This tile laying game is simple to play (once you get through the first learning round) and different every round. All of us like this game equally (not a small feast) and no one complains when this game is suggested. You can read the whole review of the game here.

That’s our family list. Now for the individual lists:

Joel:

5 – Shut the box – another dice game where skill and luck come to play.

4 – Sequence – a card, chip lying game. You can read the review here.

3 – Joker Rummy
2 – Moose in the House – a funny card game. You can read all about it here.

1 – Carcassonne

Julia:

5 – Apple to Apples – the party game of comparisons You can read the full review here.
4 – Moose in the House
3 – Stuck in the Mud – another favorite dice game. You can read how to play here.
2 – Martinetti
1 – Love Letter

Carrie-Anne

5 – Scattergries – the classic letter fill in game
4 – Sleeping Queens – a card game designed by a child that has many twists
3 – Carcassonne
2 – Joker Rummy
1 – Codenames

And a few favorites to add:

Our favorite game to play over Skype

1 – Scattegories – easy to explain, customizable, and only needs a pen and paper to play

2 – 5 Second rule – needs no extra equipment but the timer and cards, easy for everyone to understand

3 – Fifty – a dice game that needs players only to have two dice. It’s great because you don’t need to see anyone else dice

Our favorite memory of playing a game in 2020:

This has to be our murder mystery that we played with good friends– it was great fun and perfect for social distancing! You can read about all the fun we had with this here.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed our list of the best games of 2020. Maybe it will open the door for you to find a new family favorite game for your Family Game Shelf.