Quickest Board Games To Learn: Rules In Under Five Minutes
The rules explanation is where game nights die. If you can't teach it in five minutes, half the table has stopped listening.
These can all be taught in the time it takes to pour a drink.
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
Thirty seconds to explain
- Dobble - find the matching symbol. That's it.
- Snap, pairs and cheat.
- Uno - and you already know it.
Under two minutes
- Just One - everyone writes a one-word clue, duplicates are removed.
- Love Letter - one card in hand, draw one, play one.
- Sushi Go - pick a card, pass the rest.
- No Thanks - take the card or pay a chip not to.
- The Chameleon - everyone knows the word except one person.
Under five minutes
- Codenames, Ticket to Ride, Kingdomino, Azul, Splendor and King of Tokyo.
- All are proper games, and all can be taught before the tea goes cold.
How to teach a game well
- Say what winning looks like first. Everything else makes sense after that.
- Explain one turn, not every rule. Cover exceptions when they come up.
- Deal the components out while you talk, so people have something to look at.
- Play the first round openly with hands face up if it's a card game.
How to write it so it lands
- Teach the goal first. Always.
- Play the first round with cards face up. It saves ten minutes of questions.
Where to shop next
- Board games hub
- Best family board games: curated picks
- Board games for adults
- Board games for kids
- Board games for two players
- Board games for toddlers
- Board games for teenagers
- Best card games for families
- Christmas board games
- Boxing Day games
- Classic vs modern board games
- Board games under £20
- Board games for big groups
- Monopoly rules explained
- Uno rules explained
- Articulate rules explained
- Cluedo rules explained
- Games for older relatives
- Kids' party games by age
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- Free feel good tools
- Shop all cards
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- Photo booth prop ideas
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest board game to learn?
Dobble - find the one matching symbol between two cards. It takes about thirty seconds to explain and works for nearly any age.
How do you teach a board game quickly?
Start with how you win, then explain a single turn, and leave the exceptions until they come up. Set the pieces out while you talk so people have something to follow.
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.