Board Games For Teenagers: 15 They'll Actually Put Their Phone Down For
The trick with teenagers isn't finding a clever game. It's finding one that's social, fast, and doesn't feel like a family activity being imposed on them.
Social deduction and party games win almost every time.
Cards for the people you play with
Funny cards, blank inside, drawn and printed by us in the UK. Order on a working day and it usually goes out the same day.
Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
"Woof Woof" Sausage Dog Valentines Day Card
£3.87
Happy Valentines Day Card From The Cats
£3.87
Happy Valentines Day, My Love (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
You're Purr-fect To Me (Cat Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Papa (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Social deduction - the easiest win
- Werewolf or Mafia - free, needs nothing but a deck of cards and people.
- The Resistance: Avalon - the best version, and it's genuinely tense.
- The Chameleon - lighter, quicker, easier to teach.
- Secret Hitler for older teens, if the group can handle the theme.
Party games
- Codenames, Just One and Wavelength.
- Herd Mentality - answer the same as everyone else. Pure chaos with six people.
- Articulate, if they'll admit it's fun.
Strategy, for the ones who are into it
- Catan, Wingspan, Terraforming Mars and Root.
- Chess, still. Plenty of teenagers got into it through streaming.
Quick ones between other things
- Exploding Kittens, Coup, Love Letter and Sushi Go.
- All under twenty minutes and all cheap enough to leave in a rucksack.
What not to do
- Don't pick anything that takes longer to explain than to play.
- Don't force it to be a family bonding exercise out loud. Just put it on the table.
- Let them invite a friend. Teenagers play far more readily with a mate there.
How to write it so it lands
- Social beats clever. Every time.
- Have snacks on the table. It doubles how long people stay.
- One friend invited over is worth three games in the cupboard.
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We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house. These are from other shops we rate, and buying through the link costs you nothing extra.
Paint Your Own Mug Kit
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Frequently asked questions
What board games do teenagers like?
Social deduction games like Avalon and Werewolf, and fast party games like Codenames and Herd Mentality. Both are social rather than studious, which is the deciding factor.
What board game is good for a teenage party?
Werewolf or Codenames. Both scale to large groups, take minutes to explain and keep everyone involved even when they're out.
Do you sell board games?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, so these picks are simply what we'd recommend to a friend. The cards on this page are ours.